Feeding concerns for baby

[Reptileguy707]

OK, I went and got fresh veggies for him and he doesn't even care that they are there. It looks to me that he hate 3 or 4 crickets today and thats it. I left the temp probe on the basking area all day and it reads 104 degrees.... I also bought a medicine dropper and gave him some water until he stopped licking....

So what do you think?

 

[diamc]

Hi, basking temp is good now, what's the cool side temp? Is he basking on his own much? Have you tried handfeeding any crickets? If not, I suggest you try that. Does he close his eyes & just sit there when you put the crickets in? If so, you could also put a few in a ziploc bag & place in the frig to slow them down a little. Have you bathed him at all? Babies can get dehydrated very quickly & misting doesn't really totally hydrate them. You could even hold him in the palm of your hand with his lower body slanted downward so that his vent area (where he poos) is right down in the water for 15 min or so. Test the water temp by the inside of your wrist, you want it warm but not hot. That's good that he drank some water off his nose, that will help.

See how his appetite is tomorrow with the slightly increased temps. Might be a good idea to pick up some squash & chicken or turkey babyfood in case his appetite isn't better tomorrow. OK?

 

[Reptileguy707]

OK I will try putting some in a bag and try that. Yea he just sits there and doesn't do anything when I put the crickets in. I have tried hand feeding him from my hand and doesnt like that at all.... I bathed him this morning for about 20 mins. I will bathe him more often than misting for now on. I gave him some squash along with some other good greens off the the website you had told me about. He doesnt seem to care for veggies. Maybe if he doesnt eat alot tomorrow I will buy him some baby food. I will update you tomorrow and let you know what happens....

 

[diamc]

That's good that you bathed him today, did he seem to like it? Some babies don't show much interest in greens at first but he may surprise you & start nibbling on them. Yeah, let me know tomorrow & I can tell you about feeding the babyfood. good luck :wink:

 

[Reptileguy707]

No he just sat there and when he saw me he just swam to the edge and wanted to get out. I hope he starts eating greens, That would be good. Can you feed small roaches to them? I heard roaches are alot better to feed them but I dont know if they are good for hatchlings?

 

[diamc]

Yes, you can feed the small roaches. They breed very quickly. We have dubias & they are so easy to care for and don't climb. Got them at a reptile show in April and they are still going strong. Never thought I would pick them up but do now. You might want to consider getting some. Theroachguy is a frequent member on this forum.
When you gave him the bath, did you have a cloth down in the bottom? That helps keep them from sliding around & makes them feel more secure.

 

[Reptileguy707]

OK, Maybe I will try some roaches. No I didn't have a cloth on his bottom. I will next time. Thanks for the advice!

 

[diamc]

They also seem more at ease if the water covers the top of their front legs, but always be sure to watch him closely as they can drown in a small amt of water. Hopefully you'll see a change tomorrow, if not, we'll go with some babyfood and that should help give him a boost.

 

[Ashleabdlover]

ya know what i always do... whenever my beardies go through phases.. like one day they just dont eat.
because they're shedding or something.. or im having trouble getting them to eat their greens.
i put them on there basking spot, wait for them to open their mouth for gaping..
then ill stick a piece of green or a cricket half way in their mouth, and then they'll just eat it.
and i just continue this.

haha.. always works for me :wink:

 

[Reptileguy707]

OK, Here is today's update. First thing this morning he pooped, I cleaned it up gave him some crickets and fresh veggies. When I got home he was just hanging out on his log, right where he was when I left. It doesn't look like he ate any crickets or veggies. I got him out and gave him a bath with the cloth under his bottom. He seemed a lot more relaxed then he did yesterday. When I put him back in his tank he just went right back to his log. I am going to go to the store to get some baby food for him.

He goes poop just about every day, Should I be worried?

 

[Ashleabdlover]

well its good that hes pooping, but you might want to take him to a vet..
there is probably a good reason as to why hes not eating.

 

[Reptileguy707]

He just pooped again! Its a greenish color? Does this mean he is eating some of his veggies?

 

[diamc]

Does it look like he had eaten some? It is possible that the color is from them if you think he consumed some. This has been going on for a while now though, you should be seeing an increase in his appetite. It's good that he's basking though. A vet visit might be a good idea, do you know of any reptile vets in your area? In the meantime, it would be a good idea to mix a little bit of chicken or turkey babyfood with a larger amt of squash or mixed vegetables with a little bit of water or Pedialtye to thin it and also a small pinch of calcium as he probably hasn't been getting much of that. Heat the mixture up in the microwave for a few seconds to take the chill off, then put drops on his nose with the plastic medicine dropper, then let us know how it goes.

Good to hear that the bath went better with the cloth in the bottom. Did he move around in the bath at all? Does he seem active at other times?

 

[Reptileguy707]

I gave him some baby food and he seemed to like that a little bit but not to much. He didn't move that much in the bath, he just tried to get out lol but he did seem a lot more relaxed then yesterday. I didn't think he was eating his greens until I actually saw him eat a small portion of a leaf. But he looks really skinny to me so I think the vet might be a good idea The only time he really seems to be active is when I put him on my bed, he seems fine, he wanders around and jumps from my hand to the blanket and everything. Are the herp vets usually open on weekends?

 

[diamc]

That's good that you've seen him eat a small portion of leaves and some babyfood. You should continue to give that, as much as he will lick off 2 to 3 times a day. He is too small and can't afford to lose any weight, I'm sure you realize that.

Would be a good idea to call a herp vet in your area & see if they have weekend hours as they are all open at different times.