"A sick, malnuorished, underweight reptile actually needs less in caloric intake in order to recover."

That is to say: "less" being relative in comparison to caloric intake during periods of normal health. They will benefit more quickly from less overall caloric intake, or from foods that can yield sufficient energy at a lower metabolic cost ( than say larger crickets, fattier foods, etc. ).

Minimum or base metabolic rate for maintaining organ function is obviously temperature dependent for reptiles, but reptiles have low cost of maintaining a metabolic rate at a given temperature. Reptiles on average have a 50% efficiency of energy conversion to biomass on what they take in, compared to less than 2% for mammals. That's tremendous, and that's why reptile young eating often grow very big, very fast. So when a reptile has a stress causing condition, including being emaciated, a reduction of calorie intake ( or high metabolic cost foods ) can help reduce work load on other organs and immune system, yet still yield plenty enough calories to maintain the rate required for the organs to function, and still put on wieght too without overloading an already stressed system.

Much the same way that people when sick tend to desire lighter food, such as soup, instead of a steak. There is a biological reason that equates to the body trying to maximize efficiency under stressful conditions in order to recover more quickly. A doctor would advise against an anorexic binging to recover, and a vet would advise the same caution trying to fatten up an underweight reptile. It has to be done slowly or methodically with the right food. ( hydration protocol is just as important, but not my current subject )

I recently turned around an emaciated solare using ants. It took a little more than a month and she more than doubled her wieght in that time. I didn't even give her a cricket until after she had gained about 15grams and I knew her metabolism and other functions were normal. Crickets and mealworms seem like they would fatten up a horned lizard more quickly, but it just seems that way. When I tried to fatten up other HLs in the past on bigger crickets and mealworms; what I got was an overall slow down, and it took much longer to achieve the same results.
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"A man that should call everything by it's right name, would hardly pass the streets without being knocked down as a common enemy." The Complete Works of George Savile, First Marquess of Halifax 1912,246

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