# Weight as a health metric

_Permalink: https://geckinspect.com/CareGuide/weight-tracking_

Weight is the single most useful data point for monitoring crested gecko health. A downward trend is almost always the first sign of a problem, earlier than appetite changes, earlier than visible wasting, and sometimes weeks before a vet exam would catch it.

- Weigh with a 0.1 g kitchen scale. A deli cup with a lid makes weighing easy and calm.
- Hatchlings and juveniles: weigh every 1 to 2 weeks (weekly for a new or struggling hatchling). Expect steady gains: about 0.5 to 1.5 g a month as a hatchling and 1 to 4 g a month as a juvenile.
- Sub-adults: weigh every 3 weeks. Expect about 1 to 4 g a month, levelling off near adult size.
- Adults: monthly weigh-ins. Healthy adults hold ±2 g month to month. Breeding females can swing 10 to 15 g pre- and post-lay.
- Geck Inspect's weigh-in reminders follow the same rhythm: every 2 weeks while growing, every 3 weeks as a sub-adult and every 30 days as an adult.
- Flag any 5 %+ drop over a month for investigation. Consistent drops across two months warrants a vet visit.

_Source: Geck Inspect Care Guide. Updated 2026-10-18. Cite https://geckinspect.com/CareGuide/weight-tracking_