Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My adult male BTS has gone from 627 grams last August to 560 grams this March & 535 grams today. He did not eat well over the winter, which I know can be normal, so I'm just now starting to worry. We're well into spring here now & all my other critters are eating normally again, but he's not.
I'm feeding the same things I've always fed him, which he used to eat. Now he won't even really eat treats like snails (I offered him 9 small snails a few weeks ago & he only ate one!). The only thing that's changed around him is that I moved him to a new cage in Sept '04, which stressed him severely. He was hissy for weeks & I had to cover the cage w/ a towel to calm him down. He is now on the bottom shelf of this cage & gets stared at by my cats. Despite this, he is out & about in his cage for much of the day & even stares back at the cats (they don't swat at him or anything & he's not hissy).
Could stress be the problem? I have a decent herp vet, but I don't really have a lot of faith that if I just took in a healthy-looking skink for weight loss that he'd be able to find anything wrong...

-----
2.1 Corn snakes Snake Plissken, Jack Skellington & Abby
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1 Pacman frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
1.1.3 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 cats Gus & Mena

In general, more than a 10% loss in mass is means for intervention. I commend you for keeping detailed weight records

It is good that you have already located a herp vet, as this overcomes a hurdle some seem very unwilling to jump! While your vet may, or may not find out exactly what is causing the anorexia, he/she may be able to
a)better assess the effects of this condition withen the body
b)prescribe a treatment plan that will support the body against the ill effects of the symptoms (for example, if your skink is in renal failure, then parental fluid replacement is tops on the list)
c)discuss dietary intervention like force feeding, assist feeding, esophagostomy tube... and the pro's and con's of each method.

Considering the length of time, and the significant weight loss, it is unlikely that this animal will turn around without some intervention.

Good luck!

Thanks. I'll call my vet.
-----
2.1 Corn snakes Snake Plissken, Jack Skellington & Abby
1.1 Hog Island Boas Harley & Isaboa
0.1 Albino Sonoran Gopher Snake Jasmine
1.3 leos, Yoda, Geo, Tang, Ginger
1.0 Blue Tongue Skink Indigo (Indy)
0.1 Pacman frog Buffy the Cricket Slayer
0.0.1 Sulawesi Red Toad Mr. Toad
1.1.3 firebelly newts Wayne Newton, Isaac Newton, Fig Newton, Olivia Newton John & Thandie Newton
1.1 cats Gus & Mena