Superworm bite in the throat
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In this forum all are welcome to ask blue tongue skink-related questions, share information, ideas, tips, experiences, and pictures with fellow BTS enthusiasts.
If you are wondering if your BTS is acting normally or might be sick, this is where you can get help with that.
This is also where you can have some FUN while sharing the enjoyment you get from your blueys!
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- Bluey Beginner
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Superworm bite in the throat
I have a 2 month old irian jaya, and this morning i was gonna treat him with a superworm it was small and he seems to like them so i figured what could it hurt. He started eating it and i noticed that he was kinda gagging, i didnt think nothing of it because he eats fast and its fairly common to see him do that. Well the worm wasnt going down and the skink ran into the hide which is unusual, so i grabbed him and held him upside down and the worm fell out with blood all on its head, is this something i should be worried about, it only lasted about 20 seconds or so before i freaked out but either way no more super worms,, and is he too young for them?
- kayla990
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Re: Superworm bite in the throat
Awww sorry to hear this happened.. personally I think it's too young for super worms - as sadly they can bite hard. If you still want to provide live worms, mealworms would be a better fit (not necessarily for nutrition since there is a high amount of chitin and low nutritional value, but still fine for enrichment/hunting purposes).
If you're looking for more nutritional insects; Dubia roaches are a better choice overall - good protein levels vs. chitin, easy to breed and can feed off the smaller ones to your Bluey while he's still young (since they are not known for biting). Of course other typical feeder insects like waxworms or crickets are possible for enrichment too, but don't feed too many waxworms if you do for the fat content (fine for occasional treats and super soft for bluey's to eat).
Since there was blood involved and he's still young - keep a close check on how your Bluey behaves for the next few days. If he seems to avoid normal food, drinking less or any inflammation then get him checked out by a vet in case there is a secondary infection. Generally, they are quite sturdy critters so fingers crossed he'll recover fine!
If you're looking for more nutritional insects; Dubia roaches are a better choice overall - good protein levels vs. chitin, easy to breed and can feed off the smaller ones to your Bluey while he's still young (since they are not known for biting). Of course other typical feeder insects like waxworms or crickets are possible for enrichment too, but don't feed too many waxworms if you do for the fat content (fine for occasional treats and super soft for bluey's to eat).
Since there was blood involved and he's still young - keep a close check on how your Bluey behaves for the next few days. If he seems to avoid normal food, drinking less or any inflammation then get him checked out by a vet in case there is a secondary infection. Generally, they are quite sturdy critters so fingers crossed he'll recover fine!
- Hons. Degree Animal Management -4 years volunteer in a Zoo -10 years volunteer in animal shelters -Enclosure enthusiast
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- Bluey Beginner
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Fri May 04, 2018 3:14 pm
- Your Facebook name: Cam comstock
- Country: Usa
- Location: GA
Re: Superworm bite in the throat
Thanks for the info. I came home and checked on him and hes been scoping the terrarium out high and low whule usually he comes out to drink and get heat then goes and hides so hopefully hes alright
- splashy07
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Re: Superworm bite in the throat
I crush their heads first. Those superworms have strong jaws and could give a bite before going down...I'd do the same with any insect that could bite, crickets too. Also they'll eat too fast sometimes and appear to be gagging. Let them swallow it before giving the next one.
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