Please Help, my baby won't eat:(

[AbesMomAK]

Ok, so I posted in my baby, Abe, maybe about a month ago. He absolutely refuses to eat. He's 8 months old now and is 59 grams, and 11 inches long. TINY! I've taken him to the vet and got a fecal done and is parasite free. I have in in a 20L, I never upgraded be cause he doesn't eat, which in turn doesn't grow. I got him from Petco on jan 1st, 2014. He ate good of a bout a month, and had a clean shed. He hasn't really been eating right his whole life, but now he refuses to eat. I have been force feeding him for about a month now, and have been syringe feeding for the past couple weeks. I've tried every kind of food. All dark greens, berries, fruit, veggies. Crickets, roaches, butter worms, wax worms, horned worms, and Phoenix worms. He hates everything an it's showing. His basking temp is 110 with a repti sun basking bulb, and a repti sun 10 for UVB. Cool side is about 75. He's seems to be getting worse and worse by the day. He lays there with his head down all the time and it makes me sad I guess my question is, should I keep force feeding him and stressing him out, or just let him go? he's been abnormal with no personality for so long that I'm just used to it. I just don't know what else to do. Oh, and I have been giving him baths a few times a week and pedialite with liquid calcium and vitamins too.

 

[Brezzy99]

Sorry to hear Abe still isn't well. Could you post a picture of his set-up and of him? Pictures might help others try to figure out what is wrong.

 

[destiny1998]

Hi. What kind of uvb light? Is it coil/compact or tube? How are you taking the temps? Have you tried giving him stage one baby food? Chicken, turkey, squash and sweet potatoes are good. Hope he gets better.

 

[AbesMomAK]

His UVB is a repti sun 10 tube, I take his temps with a digital thermometer. I've been syringe feeding him chicken baby food with calcium and vitamins mixed in for the past 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. I just took these pics, sorry I have to post the link, I don't know how to put them directly on here. We have a lady here in town that raises and sells feeders and also rescues reptiles. Once I mentioned I got him from Petco, she told me that's the problem right there:/

http://s953.photobucket.com/user/steffwright83/slideshow/Mobile%20Uploads/Abey%20Baby%206-25-3014

 

[destiny1998]

How are you taking the temps? How often do you give him baths? He's a cutie

 

[AbesMomAK]

He is a doll, I call him my little Pumpkin Pie because of his color<3 I have a digital probe thermometer. He gets baths 2-3 times a week

 

[Esther19]

Try reducing the temp at the basking spot to 102-105F. You can do that by reducing the wattage, raising the bulb, or lowering the basking spot. Start giving daily baths, but stay with him. Are you offering water orally with the baby food? How old is the Reptisun tube?

 

[AbesMomAK]

I just got the repti tube about a month and a half ago. I noticed for the first time ever, yesterday when I gave him his bath, he was arching his back up and he's never done that before..and yes, he drinks water... He will actually stuck his little nose in the water dish and drink.

 

[AbesMomAK]

I weighed him when I got home today and he lost another 3 grams

 

[Esther19]

Has anyone suggested using carnivore care? It's a powder that is mixed with water. I add a bit of baby food squash to mine. It is for nutritional support of sick dragons or those who won't eat much.

 

[AbesMomAK]

No, and to be honest with you, I don't know if he will make it the 2 weeks it will take to ship it here. Unless they carry it at Petsmart or Petco, I doubt it's anywhere here in town.

 

[Esther19]

How does he act when you take him outside? Oh, you're in Alaska, right? Is it getting up to 70 with no breeze?

 

[AbesMomAK]

Yes we do, and we actually have 20 hours of daylight right now. I take him outside and he seems to like it, he notices birds flying over or planes sometimes, but he never tries to run. I've noticed the last couple inches of his tail had been dark for about a week now too.

 

[kbro]

They do sell something at petco you can mix it up with some squash baby food (no additives) and water. Or blend up some greens or your own squash or veggies they can eat with it, it's for carnivore/insectivore so mix with a little veggie. Otherwise some vets carry something called oxbow critical care which is for herbivores so you would want some protein with that. Maybe give your vet a call and see if they have anything or a suggestion.

http://www.petco.com/product/117291/Flukers-ReptaBoost-Insectavore-And-Carnivore-High-Amp-Boost.aspx

 

[AbesMomAK]

Thanks!! Im going straight to Petco after work! I hope this helps!!