Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I picked my guy(think it's a male) on Saturday at NARBC
in Tinley Park. He seems to be doing well but
will not touch his greens and veggies. He is however acting
like he is looking for crickets. The prior owner was a child
that fed him iceburg lettuce and crickets. I want to get
him switched over to a better diet. He is 6-7 years old
and pretty stunted most likely due to the diet and the child
not remembering to feed him each day.

Should I give in and give him a few crickets or hang in there
until he eats his salad? I believe the rescue fasted him
for a couple of days prior to the trip so I imagine he is
hungry.

I hope to post some pictures later on today.

Thanks for your help
Linda

I would try avoiding the crickets if it's at all possible. You might offer him a shallow water dish for a few hours each day, though, in case he's severely dehydrated. Go ahead and try the iceberg and/or romaine at first to see if he'll eat something familiar. Other good enticing foods are thawed frozen peas, edible flowers, and bee pollen granules (from the refrigerated section of a health food store).

He's very stressed from the move, of course, so it can be normal to not eat right away. But since you know he's come from a background of poor husbandry, I wouldn't wait too long. A vet check would be a good idea - check for parasites, administer fluids if needed, etc. It seems likely he has a parasite load and the stress of change can make that worse. The sooner it's taken care of the better.

Good luck with your new guy! And good for you for making it a rescue.
-----
Torey
Eugene, Oregon, USA
1.1 Saharan Uros (Joe and Arthur)
3.0 Mali Uros (Spike, Turtle, and Tank)
1.1 Ornate Uros (Scuttlebutt and Shazzbot)
0.1 Collared Lizard (Rorschach)
2.1 Green Anoles (Bowser, Sprocket, Leeloo)
1.1 Chubby Housecats (Roscolux and Jenny)

Ichabod still has not eaten anything even a cricket or
mealworm. His temps are good. I have tried everything
I can think of. He is drinking everyday though. He has
discovered his hide area under the basking area and that
is where I found him at 5pm. A little early isn't it?

Any other ideas? The rescue did check a stool which was
negative and he seems fine otherwise. He is across the
room from my female iguana, who other than gives him the
stink eye, is harmless. I covered the front of his cage
this morning to see if maybe she was stressing him out.

Thanks, Linda

the hide under the basking area often doesn't work-see what john c. says in uro hiding thread. drinking everyday? is he skinny? likely dehydrated. stool test may be false negative-what did they check for? no crickets/mealworms-not good especially for dehydrated uro-most will tell you not good at all(i think i would agree-definately not now for him). also it is fall, may be hard to get him eating anyway. or you can try to make it a little hotter if you are not comfortable with him not eating due to his physical state(?) at this time. good luck.