She won't eat!

[spencer43783]

My BD wasn't eating right so I finally took her to the vet the other day and she has pinworms. She's around 1 1/2 and almost a pound. They said to give her .4ml (or .04ml, don't remember) of Panacur for 5 days then off for 10 then back on for 5. Well I just started the second treatment today and she still isn't eating. She had roundworms a while back and within 2-3 days of the meds she was eating like a machine! Every vet I've had her to said, "she's a beautiful dragon!" But she's not eating....

So what's the deal?
I don't have sand in the tank so it's not impaction. I have the Reptisun 10 and the good zoo-med basking bulb and they're on a 12 hour timer so I know it's not the lights either. I'm sprinkling her food with calcium and vitamans but they don't do her any good when she won't eat them lol she's getting regular baths too. I'm working on sorting out the temperature situation, and yes I have a digi with probe. With that being said I have a question that I've never seen answered here period!

When checking the temperature in the basking spot, or anywhere else for that matter, should you elevate the probe so it's where the beardies head will be, or should it be lying where their stomach will be?

I had a temperature of 100 where the stomach would be and then elevated the probe, after the temp hit 110 I decided I needed a lower watt bulb so I ordered a 25W.

In addition to the bulb I ordered some Acidophiliz+ and some Reptaid XL.

So what else can I be doing to help get her back to 100%? The local beardie lady said "DON'T FORCE FEED HER!!!" but I've heard people on this forum say do it.

So which is it? To force-feed or not to force-feed? And if force-feed, what should I be giving her and how much/often?

 

[Buggsy]

Its the meds, they are very strong and take it out of them. Have you tried a tasty babyfood meal? if not get some critical care formula and drop it on her snout, she should lick it off. I have had to do this for gizmo when she had medications.

Just to point out there is a huge differece between 0.04ml and 0.4ml, so i would check that like NOW as you might be giving too much (or too little)

 

[spencer43783]

Oh I know there's a huge difference I just couldn't remember which it was and it's .4ML but thanks for your help!

So then is the general consesus to just drip some on their nose so they'll lick it off and to NOT force-feed?

Also I'm bumping my other question...
When checking the temperature in the basking spot, or anywhere else for that matter, should you elevate the probe so it's where the beardies head will be, or should it be lying where their stomach will be?

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Oh I know there's a huge difference I just couldn't remember which it was and it's .4ML but thanks for your help!

So then is the general consesus to just drip some on their nose so they'll lick it off and to NOT force-feed?

Also I'm bumping my other question...
When checking the temperature in the basking spot, or anywhere else for that matter, should you elevate the probe so it's where the beardies head will be, or should it be lying where their stomach will be?

Yes just elevate where the belly would be, usually it will be 1-2 degrees warmer up to the head! Good luck!!

 

[ethan1953]

It would be helpful to know approximately how old your turtles are (size anyway), what you are trying to feed the turtles, the environment you are keeping them in, and the behavior of the turtle that is not eating to really give a more helpful answer to your concern. There are many reasons why a turtle refuses food and this includes: the turtle is a new hatchling and not ready to eat yet, the turtle could be ill, or otherwise stressed for a variety of reasons, environment is not correct, the other turtle could be larger and more dominant.
New hatchlings generally will go a month or so without eating and this is very normal. testking 70-293 The turtle sustains itself from absorption of the yolk sac and in its natural setting this gives its time to search for its food and water source.
If the non feeding turtle is smaller than the one that is feeding it may be a new hatchling or the other turtle may be overbearing toward it and its not able to get any food. This is common among turtles housed together as one turtle often establishes dominance over the other turtles. In this case separation, during feeding time at the minimum is usually what needs to be done.

The turtle could also be ill and would need to see a vet. Symptoms of illness include, non feeding, little activity, more frequent basking, swollen eyes, soft-shell beyond age of a year or soft shell after calcification. Since you have just acquired the turtles, it would be good to have a vet examine them to determine if there are any problems, especially since one turtle is not eating and may be ill. The two, I assume are being housed together and if one is sick the other can become ill as well. testking 1Y0-A06 I recommend, in the interim before you can get to a vet, separation of the two turtles. The turtle may not be eating due to the foods offered. If you are trying to feed a pelleted commercial food, not only is this not recommended as a main food item for turtles, often turtles won't recognize it as food and the first items young turtles usually go for is live, such as a worm. I would try offering foods such as crickets, small guppies, worms, pinkie mice (Pre-killed), slugs, butterworms, sow/pillbugs, beetle grubs, fresh shrimp (cooked or uncooked), etc. Environment is also important with regard to turtles feeding. Its essential to have a basking area where the turtles can both completely emerge from the water to dry out and to provide a heat/UVB light directly above the basking site. This needs to be unfiltered without glass or plastic between the turtles and the lights, testking 220-602 with temperatures around 90-95 degrees F. Water conditions need to be clean and at around 70-75 degrees F, with adequate filtration provided and deep enough so that the turtles can swim.
> i have recently bought 2 red ear sliders and since only 1
> has been eating what should i do???

 

[Buggsy]

Sorry, but i dont think the post is about turtles, although a very thourogh answer about them

 

[Lena]

When my oldest had parasites and was on panacur, my vet gave me a liquid diet to give her. Panacur has a pretty significant impact on appetite. I'm surprised your vet didn't warn you!

Ask your vet for some Emeraid Carnivore Care. It's a powder that you mix 50/50 with water and feed by dropper. Worked great for me!