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Baby only eats insects

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:18 pm
by aron77
It has only been a week but my baby BT is really not eating except when I offer insects. Based on her size compared to a pic I saw of one that was weeks old I'm shot in the dark guessing she is maybe two or three months old, I haven't had her out enough to measure her but I'd say probably 8". She didn't eat at all for the first day or two so I offered some meal worms and got several of those, coated in repcal, in her on two different days. I even went as far as to take a picture of the cat food/greens mix to see if it had been touched but nothing. So I offered some crickets tonight and she ate about five, tho she was terrible at hunting lol. I understand that babies should be eating pretty much daily so it bothers me when she doesn't eat. I'm probably a bit more paranoid because years ago when I had BD's I had a baby die for no reason and since the pet store I got her from doesn't appear to be as high quality as I might have thought since they sold me two BT's calling them the same species and they weren't so who knows what kind of care she has been getting all along. She is at least at this point not hiding quite as much and coming out on her own to bask.

She had a bowl movement and that made me feel much better to have the piece of mind that she isn't impacted but having her not eat is like offering an infant a bottle and they don't want to take it, it makes you worry. So from what I gather it is much better that she eat a blend of protein and vegies but what is better that I give her nothing but the "diet" and wait for her to eat what I offer or keep giving her insects so I know she ate? I think I'm going to try actual meat vs cat food but I just watched a vid on preparing it and they had a nice mix of vegies with some fruit but they didn't cook the ground beef, covered it in raw egg, and added raw chicken gizzards and hearts, is that ok or must it all be cooked?

Re: Baby only eats insects

Posted: Fri Mar 20, 2015 10:44 pm
by NickBrahz
Keep offering it normal food, it may have been brought up on just insects so it is a picky eater, they can go for a few weeks with no food before you start to worry, just weigh him to keep an eye on his weight.
With raw meats its usually best to cook them because while they eat raw meat in the wild we prepare food differently and sometimes hormones and such may be added, raw egg is fine though.
My Bluie's diet is dog food mixed with fine diced veggies and i give him the occasional insect as a treat.

Re: Baby only eats insects

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:19 am
by starscream3232
My first baby northern was real picky the first couple of weeks. Scrambled eggs mixed with dog food. Eat it right up and never had a problem again. Some adjust fast to their new surroundings, others take a while. They are a pretty tough critter. It freaked me out when my first one didn't eat well at first. 1 of my others did the same thing when I first got him. Eggs and dog food does the trick for me.

Re: Baby only eats insects

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 6:58 am
by Dood
Something is better than nothing but you don't want him to become "picky" and only eat bugs.

He might be attracted to the movement so try imbedding the meal worms into the cat food so he will at least get a taste of the stuff and realize it isn't too terrible :)

My skink has only been fed homemade raw dog food and a mixed veggy and fruit mash I prepare for my dogs and cats as well.

Re: Baby only eats insects

Posted: Sat Mar 21, 2015 8:01 pm
by MechHAN
That picture looks like the T-rex in the lost world roar in San Diego...
I heard too many insects food in young age will make them act more like mini T-rex...would not want that happen...

Re: Baby only eats insects

Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2015 6:53 am
by splashy07
My juvi Northern will try just about anything, and spit it out if he doesn't like. But...if it moves, he pounces on it like he was a monitor...
My skinks when younger preferred insects, so as said previously try dropping a worm into the cat/dog food offered. He won't starve himself, so maybe just offer as treats??