Reptile & Amphibian Forums

her baby parrot food with Calcium supplement via syringe. I've also seen some info about feeding baby chicken food. What do you think is the best to use and how often would you supplement the food?

Baught from a pet shop a couple weeks ago and is about 7". She has been to the vet and is on Albon. I'm also giving her probiotics. She hasn't lost any weight and seems well hydrated, fairly active and alert. She is always up on front legs while basking and moving her head around to check things out. Is pooping regularly also.

Also, how long can she go on this type of food without problems?

One more......Should I feed her the food until she won't eat it anymore or should I try to limit it a bit.

Thanks a ton for any help anyone can provide. She is such a little sweetheart!
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Rob

When some of mine are taking meds and turn down food for a while I usually make a mix of stuff they would normally be eating. I soak the rep-cal pellets in half gatorade/pedielite sp? half water to hydrate until it's totally soft then I mix into it some squash or sweet potato baby food with some calcium or multi vit. added depending on the normal supplement schedule. You could even food process crickets/wax worms into this mix to get some insects into them. Just add enough water for it to be able to draw up the syringe. Gross yes, but it does work. The probiotics was a great choice, and is needed while on meds.

The problem is they can sustain on this food for a long time, and can get spoiled from it. You need to try daily to get them back on normal live foods before offering this mix. Even if they only take a few crickets or a few bites of the greens that would be great. While on this mix I fed them twice-three times a day with it as much as they would lap up off the syringe. To start them you can part the back lips and put some of the mix in there. Most of the time this will trigger them to eat more. There can be problems with prolonged feeding like this like soft stools, and a spoiled dragon from all the attention. Try to get them back to normal as fast as possible. I wish you luck and I hope your little sweetheart comes around fast. Just give her a nice bright cage and a warmer basking spot. The lights sometimes will trigger them to get hungry, and active.
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Mystical Dragons

I do about about getting them off the syringe feeding? I am feeding her twice a day with this stuff but continuously place her inside her feed tank with crickets and silkworms but she just looks at them. After about 15 minutes of no eating I start mixing up the food.

I swear she knows when I start mixing that food! She looks up all bright eyed as soon as she hears the mixing action!

Do I skip a feeding entirely to make her hungry enough for the live food? She has gained 2 grams in the last two weeks so she's not losing any weight but I don't want to stress her out too bad by skipping a feeding. I think stress is probably what brought up the heightened level of coccidia in the first place.

Should I maybe let her get a little bigger and some fat built up then skip a feeding so it's not so hard on her?

Thanks again, I really appreciate it!
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Rob

Personally if it were me.....

I would just make sure she was well hydrated and skip a feed. I would try her for one entire day of no syringe food and see if she wants crix that day and also the following morning. If no response by the morning crix attempt, I would go back and give her a syringe feed.

I am sure others have their opinions too.

Good luck with her
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Lisa
www.beginnersbasics.com

I'll let you guys know how this works out.

Congrats on the new arrivals, Lisa!
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Rob

Your welcome. I would skip the morning feeding tomorrow, and wait till the late afternoon say 4pm and give her a shot with the live crix and silks. Since she is doing well gaining weight, and is active most likely when she is a bit hungry she will eat the live foods again. Keep up with the probiotics as well. that is very important. I would also try to give her a silk worm in her cage, maybe the switch to the feeding bin is a stresser and causing her not to eat. Put a few silks in a jar lid and see if you can get her to eat a few where she feels less stressed. Like I said in the first post. My vet suggested for me to raise the temps a bit during the meds cycle, and this did work with them regaining their hunger. Of course keep the temps within a safe range but give them a slight increase. I'm sure she will be just fine. Just keep on trying with the live foods and every once in a while skip a syringe feeding and try live foods everyday. Great idea to monitor her weight, very important. As long as she is not loosing your fine. Just keep her well hydrated throughout this treatment. What day is this with the meds by the way, and what kinda cycle did the vet give, and how much of the meds daily? Just curious.
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Mystical Dragons

Today will be day 3 with the meds. He advised to give 10cc everyday for 10 days, wait a week and get another fecal. I'm pretty sure he diluted the meds a bit because the color is not as deep of a yellow as it was when I was treating my python for a different parasite a few months back. I couldn't tell you how diluted it is, though.

Her basking spot is 105-113 depending where exactly it is she sits. It's a halogen spot that produces about a 6" dia. spot over 105. Towards the middle of the spot is where it's at 113. The ambient at the low end as about 80 degrees. I should bring the ambient up, right? Or bring the basking up as well?
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Rob

Temps seem perfect to me. I think they should be fine right where they are. Some people keep them a lot lower and really see a difference in eating when raised a bit. Yours are fine just the way they are though. Good luck with the beardie. Hope this goes as smooth as possible. Any problems or questions just ask. See if you can get her to feed a bit on her own, but if she refuses go ahead and give her the mixture. Hold out here and there to get her hungry and try with the live foods again. Best of luck.
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Mystical Dragons

n/p
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Rob