First time shedding

[Oinari]

My tegu is shedding for the first time since I bought him a couple weeks ago. First shed to go was the last half of the tail. Now it's 3 days after and just today the upper half is mostly shed but hanging on, half the front underbody is pulling off, and most of the head, and all of the front legs are fully shed. The top/sides are dull but don't look like they're coming off yet. The back legs look like they're starting to.

He looks like he breathes in a little more after each breath, like a second intake without breathing out, not sure if this is normal. He's also obviously getting a little lazy with the back legs over it and I'm worried for his toes. He digs around the substrate to help the shed, as well as rubs under his false stump to rub the top of his body.

He gets calcium dusted every other day or so, and cod liver oil on his food every 3-4 days. Current diet is scrambled eggs, meal worms, and lean ground turkey. Gave him a little bit of turkey liver the other day, and bought some beef liver to share.

I keep the enclosure around 75% humidity, at least during the day, the machine cuts off over night with the uvb and heat lamps.

I'm just wanting to make sure everything I'm doing is ok and not causing him problems, as well as the shed period being fine.. It's giving me anxiety seeing him obviously irritated. Upping humidity to 80% for this evening/tonight, don't want to get to high and mess with the natural oils that aid in shedding.

edit: Adding in, I'd try a warm bath, or coconut oil, but he's still very skittish about being picked up, though he'll watch me with interest or ignore me when I mess around his cage, and isn't afraid of the sound of the enclosure top opening anymore. Sometimes he'll allow back/side rubs, other times he'll just walk away and maybe into his enclosure. My ex (Worked for shows and pet stores) says just grab him and handle him once you have him, not worried about disturbing them in their hideyhole or anything but everywhere on here I've read goes against forcing him into my hands.

I feed him on a small plate, and he's learned meal time is ~5:30pm, I went to clean poops (Came home a lil late) and he must of thought food cause he moved quickly towards me, then looked up at my face disappointingly when he realized there was no foods.

 

[Bubblz Calhoun]

There's a food sticky thread on here with a list of things to feed. Any and all meals without bone should be dusted with calcium every day especially for young tegus. Add fruits and veggies to his diet while he's young as well and you won't have any issues with it eating them later on. Anytime they're in shed keep the humidity at least 80% to help out. As long as the humidity's correct baths are not required.
Forced handling works with some but not all you have to try different things to find out what works for yours. Even with that sometimes you just gotta get in there and do what ya gotta do. If he's already expecting food around a certain time and associating you with it then you're not switching things up enough and spending more time in and around it with no food being involved.

 

[Oinari]

Thanks for the tips. I'll have to refer back to this thread. Just got home from work, looks like the only area with shed left, are a single toe on each hind leg. Just sliced up a red grape for him, calcium, and some mealworms. Going to have to see what else Petsmart has for them and refer back to the food list thread. Have some beef calf liver in the fridge to cook up, will leave a bit aside for him as well. I just love how as a first timer, all the reading in the world doesn't help when you first raise an animal and something suddenly feels wrong.

 

[Oinari]

Annnnd apparently my fresh out of the shower hair freaks him the **** out! He was having none of that while I was cooing and talking to him, and randomly spazzed and ran for the hole. Now he's all watcful like I'm going to come get him when he least expects it.

 

[brica]

I am going through this almost ;(