# Tegu doesn't like eating or basking



## DREWWW615 (Apr 12, 2020)

Hey guys,
I've been having this problem with my tegu for a while now and I just wanted to pick your brains about the situation. So, I have a baby bw tegu. He's almost a year old and he's the pickiest eater in the world. He's not food motivated at all and when he does eat, he eats like a bird. I've given him a wide variety of food to try, but he refuses to eat anything that's not ground turkey or the occasional chicken gizzards. He won't eat fruits, veggies, insects, even eggs! I've been hiding some vegetables in his turkey to try to balance out his diet, but since he eats so little, it's hit or miss if he actually gets some. It's literally like trying to get a one year old human to eat and try new foods. On top of that, all he wants to do is stay in his hide. He rarely, if ever, comes out on his own. Sometimes he's out in the morning waiting for me to switch on his day lights, but after an hour of basking at most, he wants to come out. If I don't take him out, he loses his mind, running around or trying to jump out. When he's out, he likes to curl up and sleep under a blanket. I let him do that for about 2 hours and then I put him back inside to eat. This is when we have a problem. Sometimes he'll eat and bask like normal, but other times he won't eat or bask at all and immediately go into his hide and not come out for the rest of the day. I can feel that he's cold when I go to put him back in his cage, so he should want to bask, but no. Some mornings he's not out at all and if I didn't go in his hide and get him, I know for a fact he'd stay in there all day being cold. I honestly don't know what I'm supposed to do. I'm afraid that him eating so little and spending so little time basking is going to affect his health. When he acts like this, I try to tell myself that if he wants to come out, he'll come out and if he wants to eat, he'll eat, but it's so hard knowing it could have a negative affect on his health. What do you guys think? Is there something I should change or should I just trust him and let him do his thing?


----------



## Walter1 (Apr 12, 2020)

What's "a while now"?
How was he before this?
What're his enclodure temps- bask, ambient, hide?


----------



## DREWWW615 (Apr 12, 2020)

Walter, I've had him for almost a year now and he's been like this ever since I got him. The ambient temp. is 80, his basking spot is usually between 90 and 100 and idk about his hide. It's on his cool side and he's dug a burrow under a log hide so it doesn't receive much heat


----------



## Walter1 (Apr 12, 2020)

Is he growing?


----------



## DREWWW615 (Apr 12, 2020)

He's definitely growing, but I don't think he's as big as he could be. Right now he's about 17 inches but hasn't really gotten any wider


----------



## Walter1 (Apr 12, 2020)

How big when you got him?


----------



## DREWWW615 (Apr 12, 2020)

Maybe 12/13 inches if not a little shorter


----------



## Walter1 (Apr 13, 2020)

Having grown from 12-13" total length to 17" in one year points to something very wrong with him. In one year should be closer to 30".

Your temps are good, even if basking could be 110-115f. That doesn't explain poor eating and growing. 

Unless a vet can identify a fixable problem, then it's a genetic issue for which nothing can be done.


----------



## DREWWW615 (Apr 13, 2020)

Well idk how big he was when he was born, but you're right, I have been concerned that he hasn't been growing much. His behavior seems normal other than not being very food motivated. Could it be due to him not eating much. I feed him every day and he usually eats even if it isn't very much


----------



## DREWWW615 (Apr 13, 2020)

From what I read, growing about an inch a month is not uncommon and that's about wear he's at. I just re-measured him and he's actually 18" which would mean he was 10" when born which sounds about right to me. But idk, I'm not an expert


----------



## Walter1 (Apr 13, 2020)

At that young age, they're hogs. They are designed to outgrow their predators quickly. If he has good form and nothing is physically wrong with him (worms, perhaps?), then that's just who/what he is.


----------



## AlphaAlpha (Apr 15, 2020)

Is there any difference between winter and summer?

Was this the first winter?

Try bloodier Organ meats ?

Any Ideas on sex?


----------



## DREWWW615 (Apr 15, 2020)

He hasn't been with me in the summer yet, so that remains to be seen and yes, this was his first winter. I don't think he fully brumated cause he was out almost every day, but he was much more sluggish and had even less of an appetite than he does now. And as far as I know, he's a male because that's what I requested from the breeder. Also this is a perfect example of what's been going on. From 12:30 to now, he's been out of his cage sleeping under a blanket. I just put him back in his cage to eat and bask. I could feel how cold he was. But, instead of eating and basking, he immediately went into his hide where he'll remain cold. I know for an absolute fact that he won't come back out on his own. Idk what I'm going to do with him


----------



## AlphaAlpha (Apr 15, 2020)

1) I see a massive difference in Alpha from summer to winter so maybe one the weather/summer picks up he might gorge.... I always remember my first year and he didn't seem to grow, didn't seem to grow but then boom from no where he was big.

2) Try moving the hide closer or under the basking spot to see if the extra heat provides more energy and digestion / hunger ...... I had a floor tile on 2 bricks.

3) Wake him, take him out, place him in a hallway or bathroom with no blanket or hide, try to interact with him (hide treats, roll balls or just let him explore), build trust and exercise him.

4) Vet check for parasites and worm may be advisable


----------



## Debita (Apr 16, 2020)

Lots of things you've described seem normal - and I do remember my male being picky, and VERY temperamental. He's 3 now, and very accommodating. Still, he burrows all the time where I thought it was somewhat too cool? But he goes back to it and never basks for very long. 

Does your guy shed well?

And, when I realized too late that my blue Tegu most likely had MBD - he died. Right before that happened, he was running in circles and acting like he was trying to get away from himself. (hard to describe) I know now that it's not normal, but had no idea at the time, and got some bad info from the Rep Store. 

So - no new structural bumps on his frame, right? No swelling anywhere? I like the ideas about making it warmer where he wants to be (hide) - it def gives them energy. But, my thought was that if he's been doing this behavior for the entire year.....it's not MDB, or prob not parasites because (just my own understanding here) they would have killed him after this long.

I cannot claim the experience that others have here, but his/her size is pretty small. So like Walter1 said, seems possible to be "her" dna. My 1 1/2 yr old B/W female is right at 36 inches. She def still climbs the walls in her enclosure and yet, doesn't look crazed - she is just ready to come out.

Did anybody ask what kind of Tegu you have? So sorry to be so verbose.....might be the cabin fever.


----------

