Reptile & Amphibian Forums

is there any reason why a large blackthroat would be scarfing food for over a year and then just not be interested all of a sudden in eating at all? he hasn't ate anything in a week now and has not taken a dump. should i be worried? have i been overfeeding? he is 5 feet long and weighs 15 lbs. i keep half of his cage at 100 degrees and the other half is slightly cooler in acage that is 10ft by 4ft. he looks good and is shedding but just lethargic. any input anyone? is this normal and i am freaking out for no reason? thanx

If the enlosure is all setup right and he just goes inactive and doesnt want to eat he may be impacted. Is he one of those obese blackthroats? if so they can have impacted problems.

If hes in good shape and just hasnt eaten in a week, its probably nothing and he will eat in a couple more days, just make sure the enclosure is setup extra perfectly just in case. Check his nostrals too and see if they appear clogged up.

If hes pooping but still doesnt eat, id get a "live" rat and put it in a "small box" for an hour or 2 with food and water. The take out the food and water and shake the box with the rat in it and get the rat all messy and stinky, dont clean him up, drop him in near the head of the monitor and try nott to let the monitor see you to much. He should eat that rat fairly quick.

his eyes and nose are clean and clear but he has not pooped in a while, ever since i noticed he has not eaten actually. i did witness him defecate but no poop only shot out a bunch of liquid and white stuff like usual when he has a "pee". in any case what should i do if he is impacted? should i just let him be and keep him warm? would a warm soak do any good? thanks again

You could try a soak, if i think one of my monitors is impacted i put him in a bathtub with luke warmish water and let him soak in it for 1 hour or more. Ive tried the mineral oil technique, but i can never really tell if it works because eventualy all my monitors go and i havent had one die from being impacted.

thank you and i'll try this along with pumping up the temperature in his cage.

all advice is moot without a good setup and the proper temps for the animal to achieve solid health. "100 degrees on one side" does not make for a basking spot, or even a minimum temperature for the monitor to properly digest liquid, much less roughage.

it may have a blockage, it may have a tumor, it may be stuffed with loose change. none of that matters if your temps are not appropriate. give it the tools to digest properly, and the animal will take care of the rest, if it is not too late.

we keep adult Blackthroats with basking spots up to 160F or so, i would suggest a broad, full basking spot of AT LEAST 130F at the minimum. check out our caresheet at the link below, and square the rest of the details up, and the monitor may have a chance to achieve a healthy balance.

keeping a monitor in a state of slow death negates any real concern about current feeding response. if you can fix the cage parameters, the future will be more rosy

best of luck with your animal.
Blackthroat Care Sheet

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robyn@proexotics.com

Pro Exotics Reptiles

First do what Robyn said, then you might want to make sure it is a male. I had a "male" sav act like that and guess what. After "he" dumped some eggs, everything was fine. All I had to do is rename "him" HAHAHAHAHA

Scott
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Do not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.