Reptile & Amphibian Forums

np
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

I used to have to put my fingers over his nostrils, and pull down gently on his dewlap to get him to open his mouth.
Now, I think he associates my fingers near his mouth with food...so all I have to do is put my index finger on one side, and my thumb on the other side of his mouth....I apply little or no pressure at all really, and he will open his mouth for me.
He does get a little miffed if I stick a cricket in there that's still moving, and he will pull away from me.
He truly does seem to be afraid of bugs.
I usually can get a maximum of 4 into him, before he becomes very uncooperative and refuses to take any more.
I use plastic rounded tip tweezers to get the crix into his mouth, so that they are almost completely inside his mouth. If there is much overhang outside of his mouth, he spits it out.
With the repta-aide, I only have to use that gentle pressure on the sides of his mouth one time, and he opens up, and continues to open his mouth on his own to recieve food, after the initial taste.
He will continue to open his mouth for the repta-aide until he is full.
I'm reluctant to put this part in here, because anyone reading it, will think I'm a nutbar...but once he's had enough, he closes his mouth, and shakes his head back and forth slowly...as though he is saying "no".

I swear...it's true.
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Kim

hey - I believe you!!! Luna sort of does that with the water from syringe! She pulls her head away sharply as if to say - that's enough!

I tried the nostril thing and pulling her gular and having fingers on the sides of her mouth...well, I only have two hands and 10 fingers! LOL! Unless she agrees to keep her mouth open for me to retrieve the syringe I'm out of luck.

When I was treating my anoles for parasites, Jaida would open to the slightest pressure, Jamaica (my brown) is always trying to bite so SHE'S easy(!) and Jetta must have a clamp for jaws as she would not open up willingly at all!

I am hoping Luna will like the taste of the repta-aid and open willingly.

>>I used to have to put my fingers over his nostrils, and pull down gently on his dewlap to get him to open his mouth.
>>Now, I think he associates my fingers near his mouth with food...so all I have to do is put my index finger on one side, and my thumb on the other side of his mouth....I apply little or no pressure at all really, and he will open his mouth for me.
>>He does get a little miffed if I stick a cricket in there that's still moving, and he will pull away from me.
>>He truly does seem to be afraid of bugs.
>>I usually can get a maximum of 4 into him, before he becomes very uncooperative and refuses to take any more.
>>I use plastic rounded tip tweezers to get the crix into his mouth, so that they are almost completely inside his mouth. If there is much overhang outside of his mouth, he spits it out.
>>With the repta-aide, I only have to use that gentle pressure on the sides of his mouth one time, and he opens up, and continues to open his mouth on his own to recieve food, after the initial taste.
>>He will continue to open his mouth for the repta-aide until he is full.
>>I'm reluctant to put this part in here, because anyone reading it, will think I'm a nutbar...but once he's had enough, he closes his mouth, and shakes his head back and forth slowly...as though he is saying "no".
>>
>>I swear...it's true.
>>-----
>>Kim
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

Lele,
I've had similar problems with it and what eventually kinda worked was wrapping him (one of my male panthers) in a towel with only his head poking out so that I could (gently) hold him under my left arm a little bit without putting much pressure on him. That frees up your hands. Then I would use my left hand to lift up on the tip of his nose just above his top lip and with my right hand's ring finger and thumb pull open lightly on his throat (gular) and use my other available fingers to try to do whatever it was I had to do. Kinda difficult to explain and some chams HATE IT but just thought I'm mention how I go it to work. I really think the towel thing helps alot. Do whatever works for you with your fingers.
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Tyler Stewart
Las Vegas NV
www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com

I too have used the towel method. Way back in the day when Zoe was sick, and I was trying to get medicine and bug juice into him, I would use the towel over him. I think though, it was more for my own comfort...as I wasn't familiar with him, and was kind of afraid of being bitten by him. But, it did seem to give him a bit of a sense of security I think. When the towel was over him with just his head sticking out, he never seemed to try and run away. but that could of been because he just plain felt too crappy to try and run away.
I'm not sure. Since then, we've ALL come to realize that Zoe is a big baby, and isn't going to bite anyone...so I quit using the towel method.

Now, almost all the time, I hold Zoe on my lap while I'm sitting, with him close to my body. That way I have the syringe of food close by me, either in my lap, or sitting on my desk. Sometimes I will hold the syringe in the palm of my left hand with my ring finger and baby finger. Then once I get his mouth open, I can kind of tuck my fingers in the edge of his mouth...not right in, but just in enough to prevent him from closing it, and flip the syringe forward in my left hand, and get the tip into his mouth.
Once he gets that first taste into his mouth, he will either continue to open his mouth for me, or sometimes I will put a little pile of food on his lips, and he will lick it off.
If you picture it, you would see Zoe sitting like a dog on his haunchs on my lap, with his head tipped way back, like a baby bird. I put a little pile of food on his mouth, like the curl on the top of an ice cream cone, and he then opens his mouth. Some food will start to go into his mouth, but he will stick his tongue into the little pile, and pull it into his mouth.
I think that once Luna realizes that food comes in the syringe, she will not fight too much...hopefully.
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Kim

great description. It's funny how he sits on his haunches!

I actually got her to eat two more crix! I know I said I was going to only offer her fruit or nothing for a couple days, but I decided to try one last time. It's weird tho', she leans into the cup, slowly sticks out her tongue about an inch and almost acts like she doesn't know what to do next. Then she'll do it again. So I pulled off the back two legs (the crix, not hers! LOL!) and put them in a shallow cup one at a time - I got smart and put a drop of neo-cal on it - and offered again, this time she got it but it was almost in slow motion and needs to get real close to it. I offered another the same way and she took it, too. I tried a third but she wasn't interested. I will try this again tomorrow.

lele
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta

thanks Tyler,

I do understand what you're saying I have to do that when I clip my cat's claws. I put her in a pillowcase and take out one paw a ta time! She hates to have them clipped. My other cat grudgingly puts up with it! LOL! If I get desperate with Luna I will try!
lele

- and >>Lele,
>>I've had similar problems with it and what eventually kinda worked was wrapping him (one of my male panthers) in a towel with only his head poking out so that I could (gently) hold him under my left arm a little bit without putting much pressure on him. That frees up your hands. Then I would use my left hand to lift up on the tip of his nose just above his top lip and with my right hand's ring finger and thumb pull open lightly on his throat (gular) and use my other available fingers to try to do whatever it was I had to do. Kinda difficult to explain and some chams HATE IT but just thought I'm mention how I go it to work. I really think the towel thing helps alot. Do whatever works for you with your fingers.
>>-----
>>Tyler Stewart
>>Las Vegas NV
>>www.BLUEBEASTREPTILE.com
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0.1 veiled - Luna
0.2 green anoles Jaida & Jetta
0.1 brown anole - Jamaica
0.2 house geckos - Gaia & Tia
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Líta