Posted by:
Bob_B
at Fri Feb 20 07:30:26 2009 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by Bob_B ]
Chris,
I agree with you about the rodents being a sufficient diet. I would like to add that feeding good healthy well fed (also gut loaded) rodents are better than the continuing usage of our crocodilians as garbage cans for all our unwanted feeders. Occasionally is fine, but not a steady diet of rotten meat.
We have actually have two same size animals about two years old. One fed good food (the owner "a corn snake breeder" liked him because it did not bite) and the other (the more aggressive one) was used to eat everything that was still in his snakes cages days later. (mostly spoiled mice) He said they ate the same amount of food each week. He did show me his feeding cards. (I doubt it, I'm sure his favorite got more) They were raised in different tanks. Both animals are 33" long but weight is about 9 ounces different.
Other gators have come in undernourished and sickly, a result of not informed people feeding these animals nothing but spoiled road kill. Yes, they can handle this type of food, but it has to be taxing on their systems with it as their only diet.
About the hair. The caiman in the picture was seized in pet store raid up north. The owner is under investigation and so far has been charged with over 150 counts of animal abuse. We have taken in 105 different reptiles and expect about forty percent to die. Well over a hundred dead animals were in the cages and freezer. Most died of starvation/dehydration among other things. The building's conditions were not what you would say: "reptile friendly".
I will assume the lack of heat caused the hair build up as the animal was not able to process it properly. We know very little about what this person (or where the animal came from) was doing there other than what we see at this time. There is another caiman who has the same outward appearances as the dead one. X-rays & ultrasound show build ups as well.We have it under higher than normal temperatures, with a larger swimming area and are waiting for some type of passage. It has little appetite, we did get some smelt in it. (I hope the oily fish will assist it)
Any advice would be welcome as to the treatment. You know the "gatorade" drink bath does appear to assist in the dehydrated animals, but warm it up slowly.
Thank you in advance.
Bob_B
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RE: whats the best to feed a dwarf caima - Bob_B, Fri Feb 20 07:30:26 2009