Black Throat Monitor Wont Eat !

[doobie]

Hey , can someone help me out here .. I just got a black throat montior and hes about 3-4 months old .. hes real nice and freindly . but i when i first got him i put him in his tank and he drank alot .. then i threw some crickets in but he did not touch them . i took the crickets out so they dont climb on him when hes sleeping .. now the second day i put crickets in he still wont eat any crickets .. Also alls hes been eating at the petshop were crickets so hes used to them .. i dont know y hes not eating the crickets just sit on his head and he just climbs uner his log and lays there ... Please can someone write back A.S.A.P.. THANKS

MY email is doobster83@aol.com

[Pontus]

what are the cage temps

[Gregg M]

Also you need to let it settle in a bit.... He might not eat infront of you yet...... I would leave a couple of crickets in with him and leave for aittle while......

[AHLizards]

First thing i'd do is up your basking spot, and ambient temps then just leave him alone to bask.....

edited To avoid any confusion, if your bask spot isnt about 120, get it up there, and keep the ambient at about 80, and cool end in the high 70's.

[dean_h00]

I would say dont worry he may still be nervous from many things
A) you hovering over the cage all the time
B) You handling it (let it settle in)
C) still stressed from bein imported (if not CB, Im sure it is)
Im sure hes ok jus needs some time
If he stays sick and not eating id say its because of internal parasites in proliphic numbers that have taken over from stress it should see a vet in this case

Because of what your post says I take it this is your first monitor and if I may add its one hell of a big first monitor...
I hope you researched these lizards b4 you purchased it cuz they can be a handful (not for docility, but for feeding $$ and enclosure size)
I hope you have a good plan for permanent housing and giving it the best of care they are great animals and demand a lot from their keepers...

Good Luck and if you have any other problems jus keep postin im sure everyone is willing to give some helpful pointers

--Dean Herzberg--

[Linds]

Originally posted by AHLizards
First thing i'd do is up your basking spot, and ambient temps then just leave him alone to bask.....

Ummm... he never said what temps he was keeping it at in the first place :confused:

[AHLizards]

Hmm, well first time owners usually run into the same problem.

Sick monitors usually are sick due to temperatures. Its rarely anything else and if it is, its pretty obvious the animal is sick. Upping temps would not hurt the animal, of course if you did it within reason.
*edited out temperature part......*

[Gregg M]

A 10 degree diff in a basking spot will not be a factor for a white throat not eating....... If the animal is able to bask at 110 there will be no problem with eating..... 120 to 130 basking temps are not manditory for V. albigularis..... Put the food in and leave it alone....... I am pretty sure that stress is the problem here not internal parasites.... I have kept monitors for years without ever treating for parasites...... Even the wild caught ones....... Like I said give it food and leave it alone for the rest of the day.....

[AHLizards]

Ok, so whats even more rediculous is trying to draw a conclusion while blind. We have no idea what the monitor looks like, so diagnosing the animal as stressed is also not completely acceptable. Think about it, Ive seen many albigs snag food left and right the second they come home, warm or not.

Now others can be emaciated and need a soak, or a good hot basking spot in order to acclimate. I never mentioned treating for parasites. But personally I look to the worst scenario as the animal is wild caught, and not eating can be a sign of worse things than just stress.. Sorry if I didnt come accross properly.

I do agree a bit of food, and being left alone can work, but its not always the answer..

[Gregg M]

Sorry, I just read my post..... I came off alittle rediculous myself so I altered it a bit..... Sorry.... I can come off as an a$$ sometimes without meaning to....

[AHLizards]

Gregg, I do agree with your post.. I suppose ive just seen alot of people buy these guys and do so many things wrong its hard to diagnose the problem first hand...... Honestly whatever advice I gave was out of personal expierience, I didnt mean to come off sounding "rediculous" :)

[doobie]

Thanks for writing back .. i think the temp might of ben a little to warm for him because i left hi9m alone just about all day .. there were crickets all day and he did not touch them.. Then i put some low fat cat food like a couple little spoon fulls and he went over to it and just sniffed it .. Then i took like my logs and everything put and turned the light off and he started walking around and going after crickets but he kept missing.. Then he gave up and just went to sleep .. I mean i dont why hes not catching them hes still only 3-4 months old , i think he should be quick at catching them

HE is eating alot now .. i guess he had to get used to things .. hes more active and everything .. ill send pics once i figure everything out ...:

[reptiguy123]

This could be wrong...I read that you must NEVER feed monitors cat food, whether it is low fat or not.

[AHLizards]

Cat food is crap, its high in ash, and monitors dont digest it properly. dont feed cat food.

[doobie]

true .. he never ate it though ... but i fed him a pinkie and if i feed him a pinkie will the pinkie fill him up for the day .? he hate it last night and did not eat the one today he bit it and then let go of it .. i just brought him back from the vet becasue he stopped eating for aweek .. they gave me medicne and some kind of high calorie drink paste because he was too skinny and alls he will eat now are pinkies . i guess ill have to get turkey grind are chicken ..