Baby tegu not feeding

[chris bertram]

Yeah I think your right about him still not being fully setteld in. I’ll try and chill a bit more! Decided to weigh yesterday so hopefully that’ll put mind at rest if at least putting weight on, as he does look a little skinny.

 

[chris bertram]

just relax they really hardy animals and a young healthy gu is not going to starve itself to death its not in any animals nature.... I can remember myself being stressed about every little thing when I first got Alpha..... he could still be just settling in still, just keep doing what you're doing and getting him used to you, building trust and security.

How did you go about building trust when he was younger? As i have left him alone this morning and he’s been hunting around for the locust (with no joy catching) and has ate a fluffy. I’ve noticed like you said he will rarely eat when watched close, I have to be other side of room else he freezes. So it’s making me think I’m best to just not handle and leave alone as much as possible until starts eating regulary, but at the same time concerned he maybe harder to tame? What did you do?

 

[AlphaAlpha]

I started by just opening his viv every day and sitting with my hand just inside NOT to touch but so he gets site of my hand and scent in his home .. .. Once I felt he was comfortable kept just inching close closer over time..... I did do a kind of diary for him called making progress in the Colombian section of this site which might help to have a quick scan over

 

[AlphaAlpha]

Talking calmly too

 

[chris bertram]

I started by just opening his viv every day and sitting with my hand just inside NOT to touch but so he gets site of my hand and scent in his home .. .. Once I felt he was comfortable kept just inching close closer over time..... I did do a kind of diary for him called making progress in the Colombian section of this site which might help to have a quick scan over

I’ll check that out, thanks once again. The main problem I’m going to have is he is only out in viewfor about an hour and a half a day. He comes out from hiding around 7:15 and then goes back under around 8:30-8;45 after a quick bask.

 

[Guman]

My gu does not eat every day and sometimes after a large meal he will not eat for three days. Let the little one tell you what he needs. Keep doing what you are doing by offering food everyday or every other day and watch for the pattern to emerge. He is a baby so make sure to offer the pinkies and may be order some ground meat from hair today. They will need the bones and organs for healthy bone development. Next, offer fruits and veggies while he is young so you do not end up with a picky eater.

 

[chris bertram]

Thanks for the reply! Good news is he’s eating a lot better now. Eats at least something everyday and got himself a nice fat belly to show for it .
He’s just a very timid chap and very cautious of me still so just got to work on the trust side more now.
What I have done is taken all of substrate out apart from little bit I’ve left in hide on cool side where likes to sleep and left a hide/basking spot on hot side. So now he is easy to get to and interact, so hopefully gets use to me quicker. Also he can catch his food a lot easier this way without it hiding from him, so highly recommend to anyone getting a baby gu to settle in. As the day I altered all this round was the day he ate the most I’ve seen since had. He ate 1 locust 5 crickets and a pinkie. He has also started to eat blueberrys, bananas and strawberrys not that interested in vege yet but I’m going to keep trying different things!

 

[chris bertram]

Okay so panic mode set in again as little dude seems to have gone off food and eating bare minimal this week. Im a bit concered as I don’t think he is growing like he should. I’ve had 5 weeks this Sunday and hasn’t shed once! I’ve seen they normally shed every couple of weeks at this age?

 

[Zyn]

My blue at that age was nearly every other week till he was like 5 months. Not always but roughly every other week. How often is he getting whole prey and some fish product, skin included. Also have you tested the surface temp on the basking lamp. 75w seems a bit low for a basking lamp.

 

[EnjoysWine]

My blue at that age was nearly every other week till he was like 5 months. Not always but roughly every other week. How often is he getting whole prey and some fish product, skin included. Also have you tested the surface temp on the basking lamp. 75w seems a bit low for a basking lamp.

Agreeing with Zyn about the 75w lamp. Get the basking temperature up between 110 to 115 Fahrenheit or even hotter. Make sure to measure it with an infrared temp gun available from any hardware store or Amazon.

 

[chris bertram]

My blue at that age was nearly every other week till he was like 5 months. Not always but roughly every other week. How often is he getting whole prey and some fish product, skin included. Also have you tested the surface temp on the basking lamp. 75w seems a bit low for a basking lamp.

Yeah that’s why I’m concerned, I take it it’s very noticeable and hard to miss when do shed?
I give him a fluffy 2 times a week he will only eat one then I’m offering hoppers and crickets on top. He’ll always eat the fluffy but will sometimes only eat 1 cricket or hopper a day. I’ve not tried fish so could try that. Got myself a gun and hot spot tested around 100-120 depending on spot on hide

 

[chris bertram]

So I’ve adjusted his hot spot to make sure the middle is 120 so hopefully this will make a difference. Also ive just been to pick up fresh prawns and sardines to give them a go!

 

[EnjoysWine]

I've tried shrimp with my Ruby and she ate a bit but wasn't a fan of them.

I just wanted to note that in your photo, the lamp looks pretty close to the basking platform. Make sure it's not so close that the Tegu could get burned. It might be better to add a second lamp and back them off a bit.

 

[chris bertram]

I've tried shrimp with my Ruby and she ate a bit but wasn't a fan of them.

I just wanted to note that in your photo, the lamp looks pretty close to the basking platform. Make sure it's not so close that the Tegu could get burned. It might be better to add a second lamp and back them off a bit.

Thanks for reply. Yeah I put both the prawn and sardine in and no interest in either

It is closer than I would like it to be but i don’t know how to get it any further away with the tank size. It is just out of his reach at the moment so shouldn’t be able to burn self on lamp. I’m hoping to get started on his proper encloser very soon so won’t be in this one much longer!

 

[chris bertram]

Well I was all set to take the little guy to the vets yesterday booked him an appointment then he wakes up and eats a pinkie and 5 hoppers. So decided not to take him to risk upsetting and stressing out more but have sent a stool sample off just to be on safe side.
Hopefully I’ve got it sorted now though as I’ve put a tile as his basking spot on 2 bricks which makes a massive hide as tile overlaps virtually half tank so think he feels safer under it, spends all his time under it now and doesn’t even go to the cooler end which he was always at when went down for day before.
Pretty much ate a hopper as soon as crawled under to him this morning when normally he’ll only eat after basked for a bit. So maybe being at the hotter side more is helping digest food quicker to make him want to eat more, fingers crossed it carries on and I get some growth spurt out of him!

 

[Teguixin.22]

A week is about normal; i waited about that long before offering my tegu anything. I'd follow the advice on the heat bulbs too.

 

[chris bertram]

Okay so good news is he has eaten well these last few days and looking well. But bad news is the stool sample I sent away has came back that the poor guy two different types of parasite. Guess this answers why hasn’t really been growing and on off with the food. I’ve got to take him in tomorrow to get weighed so can prescribed the correct dosage medication.
Anyone got any tips for giving medication? Is it possible to get inside a pinkie or fluffy with syringe maybe? As force feeding it down throat is going to make him hide even more from me