# How do I get my tegu to eat?



## tresh (Aug 8, 2011)

So we're having feeding issues with the new baby tegu. Right now, the only way she will eat is if we're actually holding her and using a set of tongs to bring the food to her. She won't touch it in a feeding dish. She won't eat it in the special tank we got just for feeding. She won't touch ground turkey, mealworms or crickets. In the entire week we've had her, she's eaten a total of 2 pinkies, and that's it. So, we're concerned about her. She's obviously thin, but she just shows no interest in any type of food other than the pinkies. I'm going to go and buy some chicken and see if she'll eat that, and also some egg, but I'm currently just not sure on what can be done to get her to eat. For a new baby, how much should she be eating? how often?


----------



## frost (Aug 8, 2011)

u should have some luck with the egg. every type of tegu iv had never turned down eggs.


----------



## tora (Aug 8, 2011)

My 2010 b&w can't stand eggs, lol. But you should feed egg on very rare occasion anyway, its not ideal for growing babies. Adults its ok though. 

In response to the op though, you should try feeding in the enclosure on some paper towels/ newspaper to keep it from eating mulch. It could just be not eating from the stress. Try to hold off on the pinkies, they're all fat and don't contribute much as far as nutrition needed for development goes.

Growing up by b&w ate every day without fail. My baby red now eats every other day, and even then some says he doesn't eat that much, but he's healthy. I'm sure he won't grow as fast as my girl did though! In regards to amount, between 15-20" they could probably handle 2 fuzzies. My red is 17" and can eat a fuzzy on top of like 15 crickets.


----------



## Dirtydmc (Aug 8, 2011)

When it gets hungry enough it will eat. I'd eat roadkill if I was hungry enough.


----------



## tresh (Aug 9, 2011)

Well, she ate some egg last night, and she's apparently decided to be a spoiled tegu and not eat anything we don't handfeed her. Despite people saying not to handfeed tegus, she doesn't seem to want to take food any other way. 

So...she ate egg dusted with vitamins, and a pinky...and I guess we'll just have to wait and see if miss finicky is going to eat normal lizard food anytime soon, lol.


----------



## jdpFL (Aug 9, 2011)

We have had huge success with our B&W who was a rescue....he was cage aggressive, but a sweetheart otherwise. We make sure he's nice and hot, from basking and proper cage temps, humidity, etc. He eats close to the same time every day. We make him a plate with usually three foods....anything from eggs, ground turkey, hamburger, oranges, watermelon, bananas, (he even eats sardines)....then we put a towel in the bathtub, to keep him from sliding all over. Usually he eats a HUGE amount every other day, and about half that in between. After he's finished eating, we remove the food and towel, run some water, and it's Tegu Bathtime! Lol. By the time he's finished....he's clean, fat, and quite happy...so he gets some playtime with the family. Since we got him, he has put on weight, hasn't been aggressive at all, and become much more active. If (when) we get another tegu, we will definitely follow the same routine. Also works perfectly with our Savannah monitor! Hope you find some of these tips useful!


----------



## dragonmetalhead (Aug 9, 2011)

Maybe you should try offering other foods. Kodo's diet consists of the following: crickets, fuzzies, snails, grasshoppers, nightcrawlers, and silversides. He doesn't seem to like hornworms and he's had turkey and balogna as treats (one time for each, and they were bite-sized pieces). I'm going to try silkworms later this week and shrimp when he's a bit bigger. Kodo is rather gluttonous, especially if silversides are the meal of the day. He eats 4 to 6 times a week and I let him chow down until he stops eating. He once ate a fuzzy, 13 silversides, and 4 snails in one sitting! Of course, what foods you offer depends on the size of your tegu.


----------



## Glostik Willy (Dec 27, 2020)

frost said:


> u should have some luck with the egg. every type of tegu iv had never turned down eggs.


Mine hate eggs lol and one of mine will only eat every other day grrr


----------

