Sick Frilled

[LeilaNami]

Okay so this guy brings this baby frilled lizard into my store. He had only been feeding it once a week and it is very underweight. It's also not eating on his own but is not lethargic nor weak. I got some Stat and Booster from the vet to replace vitamins and help with possible parasites. I am also having to hand feed ReptaAid since he's not eating on his own. I've also put pedialyte in his water. Is there anything else I can do for him? He seems to have a lot of energy regardless.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

I'd offer a variety of food, anything he might eat - the grosser and smellier, the better. Google tells me they'll eat insects and small mammals, so I'd try the old standby of smushed waxworms (get it on his nose, he might lick it off), maybe get a pinkie mouse if he's big enough to eat it.

Dealing with frozen/thawed mice for my snake has taught me the wonders of how much a thawed rodent carcass will stink when warmed up. The animals seem to love it, though. Heck, if he has lots of energy, maybe you can wiggle the pinkie with some tongs to catch his interest.

If you just keep trying different prey items, hopefully SOMETHING will get a response. Good luck with him!

 

[xchondrox]

I dont know how you or its previous keeper were housing it but what I would try is this. Place it in a cage about the size of a 5.5gal tank, afew fake plants, damp paper towel and keep it damp, warm it up to 80-85deg, then wait 1-2days, then drop in a cricket or two. Its hard to tell with out more history but perhaps its in a dormant state, i'd try simulating the spring/monsoon and see if that does the trick.

If that doesnt work then i guess you could try rotting a pinky in the cage:?

 

[Mushroom Spore]

IIf that doesnt work then i guess you could try rotting a pinky in the cage:?

I hope you're not implying I suggested leaving a pinky in the cage to rot. Because that's not at all what I said. :?

 

[LeilaNami]

He's not big enough for a pinkie just yet. I've offered crickets, greens, and mealworms. I'll try the wax worm bit and maybe a piece of a pinkie.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

maybe a piece of a pinkie.

This is going to sound totally gross, but if you have the stomach for it you could try something similar to "braining" a dead rodent. Although I guess if you wanted to get the same effect when just feeding a piece of a pinkie you'd have to, like...get the brains on that piece of pinkie.

I am so, so glad I've never had to brain anything to get my snake to eat.

 

[xchondrox]

I was just joking about the rotting thing. Braining isnt totally off the wall but these guys are primarly insectivours when their small. Mmmmm.....Brains

I really do think that its just in a dormant/fasting period, alot of reptiles hatch shortly before their lean time of the year and by offering it food once a week that probably triggered some biological switch thingy. Are its hips looking really thin? I'd really try keeping it in a smaller, warmer, more humid cage and see if it snaps out of it. Good luck keep us posted.

 

[LeilaNami]

Yeah. He has a fat belly but skinny hips. I'm giving him something in case there are parasites. I tried the mashed up waxworm but he didn't seem very enthused about it. He did lick a little off but then just rubbed his nose in the dirt to get the rest. I'm hoping it is just a dormant phase. My iguana is going through the same thing right now.

 

[Bigboy]

This is going to sound totally gross, but if you have the stomach for it you could try something similar to "braining" a dead rodent. Although I guess if you wanted to get the same effect when just feeding a piece of a pinkie you'd have to, like...get the brains on that piece of pinkie.

I am so, so glad I've never had to brain anything to get my snake to eat.

The term "braining" refers to smashing somethings head. In the case of a rodent it mean smacking its head against a hard surface to prekill it. It does not mean to get brains on the outside to induce a feeding response. Smell has nothing to do with getting a feeding response in agamids and there is no evidence that the scent of brain induces a feeding response in any reptile. Prove me wrong with pertinent literature if you disagree.

To the original poster of this thread, could you please supply photographs of the lizard in question? It would help greatly to be able to see the animal when trying to get an idea of figuring out what the problem is. I suggest you stop trying to feed it for now as stress will lead to many more problems in a shorter time than anorexia. There are a number of reasons why a lizard will not eat. I would suggest a trip to a vet who deals with exotics, but if you cannot do that or are not willing to then you need to give us a picture. Please also be sure to give a picture of the enclosure as well as the ambient temp, cool spot temp and hot spot temp and humidity.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

The term "braining" refers to smashing somethings head. In the case of a rodent it mean smacking its head against a hard surface to prekill it. It does not mean to get brains on the outside to induce a feeding response.

Yes it does. :?

Braining is another method – this works by using a pin or a sharp knife and slicing the top of the rodent’s head, exposing the brain. For some reason brain smells real good to snakes!
http://ezinearticles.com/?Problematic-Snake-Feeding&id=233770

Not the best site, but I've seen this same advice and terminology on just about every single website and forum related to snakes that I have been to over the last four years. And that's quite a lot. So, er. I'm not sure where you're coming from.

Smell has nothing to do with getting a feeding response in agamids

Maybe not, I don't have experience with frilleds specifically but it was worth a shot.

and there is no evidence that the scent of brain induces a feeding response in any reptile. Prove me wrong with pertinent literature if you disagree.

I'm sure you're going to turn up your nose at anything that isn't a scientific institute researching whether or not the smell of brain will get a stubborn pet snake to eat, but here's plenty of hobbyists who've done the "experiments" themselves.

http://lllreptile.com/info/library/care-and-husbandry-articles/-/feeding-stubborn-snakes/
8) Braining/Splitting
I do not know who originally figured this one out, but it truly works like a charm. It’s a bit gruesome, but it can get stubborn colubrids and some boids to eat like clockwork. The method is simple, in theory, but may pose a problem if you are squeamish.


Essentially what you are doing is taking an (obviously) pre-killed pinky, fuzzy, hopper, or mouse, and splitting it’s head open, revealing the brain matter. The combination of scents from the blood and brain seem to trigger something in snakes that they can’t resist. Nine times out of ten this trick works with baby colubrids and is nearly as effective with other species.

...you know what, pretty much any site answering "how do I get my snake/mammal-eating reptile to eat" is gonna have this, I'm not gonna bother quoting all of them.

 

[xchondrox]

LeilaNami: Its usually the movement that will trigger their prey drive and induce a feeding response. Im not surprised that it didnt take the smushed waxy, might try a live waxy if you didnt.

Bigboy: From everything I have ever seen and discussed braining is spliting the skull with an object and exposing the brain. Your definition of braining is commonly refferd to as; Thumping, Cracking, Wacking, but definately not braining. You are ill-informed about reptiles responding to 'braining'. I along with alot of other people have first hand accounts of neonate difficult feeders responding very well to this feeding method, greybands and hognose come first to mind.

Mmm....Brains;P

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Im not surprised that it didnt take the smushed waxy

I think the idea behind that trick is that they will reflexively lick the waxworm guts off their face, go "hey this is pretty good," and eat the rest. Guess it didn't work this time though.

 

[sweetmisery]

My smaller frilled just got sick too. Seems weak. Havent been like this for months... wont eat either. Its either cuz the big one "tramples" it when it go up and down or impaction or moulting?

Not sure.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

Its either cuz the big one "tramples" it when it go up and down

This sounds like you need to seperate them immediately. When reptiles are being housed together and one of them is bigger/dominant and the other starts to fade away, that essentially means the big one is an abusive housemate and the stress could kill the smaller one.

In the wild, the smaller one could just run away and find its own territory. But in a cage, they can't do that.

 

[sweetmisery]

This sounds like you need to seperate them immediately. When reptiles are being housed together and one of them is bigger/dominant and the other starts to fade away, that essentially means the big one is an abusive housemate and the stress could kill the smaller one.

In the wild, the smaller one could just run away and find its own territory. But in a cage, they can't do that.

Yeah I did. But it might be something else too. Not sure. The small one, when I pick him up, opens his mouth slowly, close it, open it again, close it... Very weak, but can still respond. I put him in a warm bath, to let him poo poo(like a bearded). He responds fine but sluggish.

I hope its not impaction from a mealworm. Oh, and he is around 3.5" head and body(excluding the tail).

 

[LeilaNami]

I'll be taking him on Sunday and as soon as I get a paycheck which will be in two weeks I can take him to the vet. My boss won't let me use the store to take him to the vet to see if there's any internal infection and he's also making me pay 100 for the little guy even though it's an adoption animal. The money will go to a good cause but I'd still rather use it to take him to the vet. Then again, the vet we use is kind of an idiot. Maybe it's a good thing. I'm pretty sure they're just going to tell me to do what I've been doing. I'm having to medicate a sick chinese water dragon and sick leopard geckos for also not eating though I'm not force feeding those yet. My wellness room at my work is a busy place right now.

I can't get pics to you guys since I don't have a camera. The tank is a 10 gallon (he's only about 4" long). The basking spot in 90F and the ambient temperature is 80F. It gets down to 70F at night. He loves to bathe in his water bowl near the basking spot. The humidity fluctuates between 50 to 60%. He has dry ecoearth as his substrate and a fake plant to climb and perch on. The basking light is about 5" away from the tank and is focused on one of the lower corners.

Now that I have the chinese water dragon to deal with, I'm wondering if I should just follow the same advice for him as well.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

The basking spot in 90F and the ambient temperature is 80F. It gets down to 70F at night.

Can you get the light any hotter? Internet says 97-100F for the basking spot. Might help some, anyway.

 

[LeilaNami]

Well I asked the vet yet again, giving him an update that after two weeks of this medicating and force feeding, he's still not eating on his own. I was instructed to continue to do what I was doing...

 

[Bigboy]

Well I'm convinced. I was clearly wrong.

 

[PALAMO]

Leilanami, First Off Juveniles Also Like Salad, Try Offering Him Greens,sweet Potatoes,carrots,split Peas,green Beans Ect., As For Meat , Crickets,super Worms,butter Worms,silk Worms,wax Worms,also Extremly Important With This Species.................do Not Let The Humidity In His Encloser Get To High ,frilleds Only Need A Humidity Range Of 55-66% And Never Over 75% As This Can Cause Resperatory Problems !!!!!!!!keep A Basking Spot Of 80 To 90 Or So Degrees At One End Of The Cage And Only A Small Water Bowl To Drink From ,with A Well Ventilated Lid On The Cage. Good Luck! Hope This Helps You ..