Raptor Not eating....

[EvoSolley]

Hey guys,

So its been a while since Ive posted anything on Raptor and i finally have convinced myself to see what you all think about Raptors eating Habits.

so ever since around mid July, Raptor has slowly stopped eating. it all started before he was about to shed in late july /early august so i thought nothing of it since he usually turns real weird (like loss of appetite) before shed time which ive been told is normal. I continued giving him, wet dog food, collared greens, squash, and some raspberries mixed up into a food dish twice a week (plenty of Time to get an appetite i thought.). I started noticing his loss of appetite since he would only take maybe 2 or 3 bites then be done with it which isn't like him. Usually he downs the whole thing in one pass.

Well recently (last 2 feedings) he has stopped eating all together. he just looks at the food dish and then moseys on his way. I tried hand feeding him a piece of banana today but he just chewed it for a bit then spit it out. I was able to feed him about 7 to 10 super worms about 2 weeks ago before he lost interest and went on about his business. He does look like he has lost a "little" weight ( as in, i can see his hip bones just a little more now than usually, but nothing serious). He looks to be healthy and is active and running around his cage all day scratching at the glass for me to take him out to roam on my bed.

I just thought i would ask you all your opinions on what might be going on. Shed should not be the culprit, cuz he just shed recently and his scales don't look dark. Has he maybe just gotten sick of his food and i need to change it? could constipation be a thing to worry about? he poops maybe once every week and a half and when he does the poop is really small. Also I heard him make this sort of "squeaking" noise last time he was going number 2, almost like he was in pain or somethin if that makes sense??

I'm in Kentucky and temperatures are dropping a bit since falls rolling through but nothing to dramatic. his basking spot stays around 96F all the time and the cool side is around 78F any suggestions or again should i just not worry about it? Again he is very active and always interested in whats going on around him, hes just not really eating much anymore.

Thanks!

[Katrina]

I'd start by buying a scale. It is hard to gauge weight loss visually, so buy a scale and get an accurate weight and then weight him every week or two. If he is losing some weight (I've heard 10% of body weight is a good rule of thumb - more than that is cause for concern), then you will want to see a vet.

If he is hardly eating then he wouldn't be pooping much, so that isn't likely a problem. Is there any reason to suspect impaction? Has he shown any discomfort when pooping earlier? If there is any chance of impaction I would definitely recommend a vet visit.

He won't be not eating because he is bored of his diet - if he is hungry, he should be eating no matter what the offerings.

Good luck!!

[EvoSolley]

I'd start by buying a scale. It is hard to gauge weight loss visually, so buy a scale and get an accurate weight and then weight him every week or two. If he is losing some weight (I've heard 10% of body weight is a good rule of thumb - more than that is cause for concern), then you will want to see a vet.

If he is hardly eating then he wouldn't be pooping much, so that isn't likely a problem. Is there any reason to suspect impaction? Has he shown any discomfort when pooping earlier? If there is any chance of impaction I would definitely recommend a vet visit.

He won't be not eating because he is bored of his diet - if he is hungry, he should be eating no matter what the offerings.

Good luck!!

thanks for your help! ill be looking into buying a scale real soon to start watching his weight. Its hard to say with impaction being a possible culprit. The bedding i use in his tank is rep-ti bark so it could be possible that he swallowed a piece of it or something. Also he loves to roam on my bed. i always clear off my bed except for my comforter when i let him out. The only possible thing i could think of could maybe be a coin or something and i didn't see. This hasn't been the case ever but i guess that could be a possibility even though i highly doubt it. Somehow i think if he swallowed a coin he would be acting a lot more strange and showing much more discomfort.

Like i said He is very active and still roaming everywhere, always seems to be in a good mood and very friendly. that's why Ive been so hesitant to ask on here about it because he seems "Normal" but hes not eating well. Ive also heard that there are times when skinks just wont eat for a while? due to changing seasons or whatever the reason, is this true?

[Coomassie]

That is true for most reptiles. Snakes especially. My experience is like Kat said, keep tabs on their weight, offer food, and if they aren't eating just check your temperatures. They won't eat if they can't get warm enough to digest their food but your temps sound fine. I would keep a close eye though, if he starts taking a turn for the worst, you want to know right away.

[NomadOfTheHills]

How is your humidity? I would suggest some good soaks in warm water to help pass anything he might have potentially eaten. Also, how are you measuring temperature? I would second the suggestion to purchase a scale; eyeballing is notoriously unreliable.