getting tegu to eat fruit

[dannyb]

Hi, i need some help!! despite trying every method ive ever read i still cant get my 3ft male arg to eat any fruit. he's even gone off most things due to me mixing it in!!ive tried starving him(went 2 1/2weeks and he was just losing weight but still wouldnt eat it!!),putting it in with every kind of food i can think of,scenting,hiding it etc etc!!im out of ideas!!now because of me trying to trick him,he now wont eat fish or turkey and will only eat rats,mice and chicks!!obviously this isnt the best diet for him but what else can i do??these lizards are too smart!!thanks in advance.Dan

 

[ColdThirst]

You can try more kinds of fruits or have you tried them all? Mine eats Bananas, a couple grapes, and loves Papaya, havent tried Cantolope or apples? Those are the ones mine eats without me hiding it in his food

 

[dannyb]

thanks for the reply. i have tried so many fruits you wouldnt believe!!think i have tried every single fruit and veg in the super market!dont know what i'll do!think i'll just keep trying!!

 

[gebris353]

About mixing them, have you tried mixing it in raw eggs? He will eat them for sure.

 

[dannyb]

yep tried that too!!

 

[shiftylarry]

Try tong feeding your tegu what he/she will already eat. Then after he's gotten used to the routine, switch it over to fruit. That's how I introduce new foods to my animals.

 

[VARNYARD]

Hi Danny!! Welcome to the TeguTalk community!!

Danny, some tegus just do not eat much fruit, I have some adults that just will not eat it. I have never had any problems with them and they are very healthy. So my thought is, if they don't want to eat it, why force them? Fruit is about 95% water and not too much good to a tegu anyway. I would rather feed foods high in fat and protein, and high in good vitamins. Vitamin A, E, and the Bs for shedding, foods like liver is a much better choice than fruits.

 

[PuffDragon]

Danny! I am glad to see you pro-active about your tegu. It's not the end of the world if your guy doesn't want fruit. Like Bobby said he has some that will not eat them as well. They are getting plenty of Calcium and nutrients with the whole prey but if you are concerned, you can always sprinkle some extra calcium and multi-vitamin powders onto them. Also, just because your tegu won't eat something, you shouldn't starve him.

 

[swtmandym]

Hey this really helps me out to, I been having the same problem , my reds wont eat fruit eaither and i been really worried about all this, so do i do the same just keep feeding what they will eat and make sure they have their vitmins?

 

[VARNYARD]

Yes, but add liver to the diet, maybe once every week or two. It is very high in A, and all the B vitamins. This will help promote good shedding, and there really is no proof at all that many fruits have anything to do with shedding at all.

 

[swtmandym]

Thanks so much! I dont have any problem getting them to eat beef liver so this should work out great! thanks so much!!! :-D

 

[rule6660]

what kind of liver? chicken or beef?

 

[VARNYARD]

Chicken, beef or calf, however I do not feed pork.

 

[DZLife]

I love threads like this; ones that are informative to all that read them! I learned that liver is a good addition to a tegu's diet, and that some tegus just won't eat fruit (although it is good to try to at least get the to eat some.)

 

[dannyb]

thanks for all the replies!and the welcome!i will get some liver tomorrow!he's not eating much at the min anyhow. think its because of the seasonal change as apart from sleeping more he seems his normal self.even though i havent hibernated him is this correct?he doesnt eat a great deal anyway,i think its because i got him as a rescue,where he was living with other baby tegus and had one of the forks from his tongue bitten off and was very skinny and bullied but with daily baths and hand/tong feeding he pulled through!!oh and that answers the previous answer,i have always fed him off tongs and still do so cant give him fruit that way!he's definately one in a million!!