Are these sunken fat pads? A bit concerned!

Hey there,
Recently I’ve noticed that my just over 3 year old boy’s fat pads seem a little sunken in. His eyes may look a little sunken too but I’m really not sure, I had trouble finding good reference photos to compare them to. I know fat pads can indicate malnourishment which would really surprise me — he gets salads every day and likes to eat super worms and hornworms. I haven’t seen any decrease in appetite or activity. I know dehydration can also be an issue and I have been giving him water in a dropper.

Can anyone take a look at my photos of him and give me a second opinion? Is he looking under nourished or under hydrated, and if so what can I do for him?

I’ve posted here a handful of times before and am confident in his setup, but can answer any questions if need be.


Also yes that is a hammer he’s sitting on... I don’t know why but he literally loves it haha

it does look like sunken fat pads but that always doesnt mean there under weight.

I’ve heard it’s mainly a sign of dehydration or underweight, is there anything else you know of that I should look out for? And is the best way to get them back to normal just to make sure he’s getting lots of food and water? Thanks!

Are you giving him baths? If so how often? You can wash his greens before serving so they are wet- you can drop water on his nose to see if he will lick it off - if he does keep putting water on his nose
Karrie

He does get a bath about once a week since that’s how I usually get him to use the bathroom. And he’s actually great at drinking water drops from a syringe. Its been getting hotter here lately so maybe higher temps in his tank are an issue? I have his basking bulb on a dimmer so I can try turning it down a bit, or getting a lower wattage bulb.

Please take temps w/ a Infrared heat gun - they are the most accurate for getting temps-- is he basking like he should? If hes drinking from a syringe that is good and the baths once a week are good as well --- I wouldnt mess w/ the bulb / dimmer till you get a actual temp --
Karrie

I take my temps with a digital thermometer with a probe. His basking rock gets to about 107 on the hottest days lately, which I know is a bit high for an adult. Would it potentially be the increase in heat? Really just hoping to rule out any serious problems and help get his fat pads looking healthy again!

Its hard to say --- how long is he basking for? If its too hot he will move away --- you can try lowering it to 100 and see what happens--- what kind of UVB are you using? And where in the tank is it inside the tank or on top of the screen ?
Karrie

I see him basking pretty frequently throughout the day. I use a 24” Arcadia t8 18 watt bulb which is mounted about 6-7 inches from his basking spot, mounted on the back wall of the tank. The bulb is about 7 months old and I actually just ordered a new one which should arrive later in the week.

The strangest thing to me is that his urates look pretty healthy, and he definitely still eats like usual. So odd!

Ok so its not the basking thing then --to me he looks pretty good - and if hes drinking eating and pooping - your good!
Karrie

Thanks so much for your advice, I really do appreciate it!! My biggest concern is that he definitely had squishy, healthy fat pads before, so the depletion caught me pretty off guard. I suppose I'll keep up with lots of feeding & water, and if I don't see improvement, maybe a fecal exam will be in order.

In theory, if all else is well, I assume proper feeding and hydration should get him looking all good again?