# Eating substrate



## cornking4 (Aug 9, 2009)

Hey guys... I've got a little problem here. Just looked at my tegus feces and there were little tiny pieces of cypress mulch in it. Not an enormous amount, but still enough to get me concerned. I've got him on a base layer of peat moss covered by cypress mulch. He seems to be passing it ok... No impaction or anything. I'm sure I'll have to switch the bedding... Can they get impacted from peat moss or coco fiber? I've never seen him do this before... and he's been kept on the same type of substrate since he was a hatchling. He has been digging a ton lately, but is still eating like a pig. Doesn't seem to be slowing down to me. Any ideas??


----------



## throneofjade (Aug 9, 2009)

You feed him out of his enclosure right? How long has he been doing this?


----------



## cornking4 (Aug 9, 2009)

He's been fed inside his enclosure for his entire life, but I put the food in a deep dish so that no bedding gets mixed with it. I've never caught him in the act, which tells me that he does this rarely, and this is the first time I've ever seen this.


----------



## throneofjade (Aug 9, 2009)

Do you watch him eat? If you don't try watching him, because he may be throwing his food around and than eating it with bedding on it. If it continues try cleaning out the cage, there may be food in the bedding or something that is attracting him. Just keep an eye on it. Good thing you noticed though.


----------



## cornking4 (Aug 9, 2009)

Yeah, I watch him eat... Nothing there... I'll keep an eye on it. Doesn't seem nearly as serious as some other cases I've seen (good luck, Anthony).


----------



## DaveDragon (Aug 9, 2009)

I stopped feeding in the enclosure last year. I've seen them throw the food around and eat it with mulch on it.


----------



## cornking4 (Aug 9, 2009)

He doesn't throw food... I've watched him eat. I'm still very perplexed.


----------



## Bubblz Calhoun (Aug 10, 2009)

_Hi,..Cornking4, even if he doesn't throw his food sometimes things happen. When it comes to foods like meat mixes and fruits they drop a little her and there. Even with whole foods they sometimes use whats around them to help get it down. If your dead set on feeding inside the enclosure just make sure you put something under its bowl to cover the substrate. Something thick enough they can't bite through or tear when they're picking up food or pushing against it to help get the mouse or what ever down. 

You never know,..it may even be blood or juices from the food that gets on the substrate. On top of that they wipe their mouth where ever they want when they're done. Like I said in another post on here Zoo Med Eco Earth is great. I fed my Dino in his enclosure when he was a baby until we got use to each other then I switched to feeding him outside. But I never had any issues with impaction because of what I keep him on and I still covered it._


----------



## cornking4 (Aug 10, 2009)

The only reason I feed in the enclosure is because both of my parents work from before he wakes up to after he goes to bed, and I am also gone for that amount of time on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. So what I have to do is leave a plate of food in his enclosure every morning before I leave, so that he can eat once he wakes up... Trust me, if I could, I'd feed outside the cage all the time.


----------

