baby bosc not growing need help - Page 4

infernalis · 12-01-12, 10:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmbraceCalamity

*With proper husbandry and no calcium sand. I believe anything that isn't kept warm enough will have trouble digesting things. And god knows calcium sand is death in a bag. At least that's what I've gathered from all other reptiles. Is it different with these guys?

~Maggot

Good catch.

I meant to say, with proper support, impaction is a myth.

Heard this said once, although extreme, it has a point....

"You can feed them nails, if you keep them right."

EmbraceCalamity · 12-01-12, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by infernalis

Good catch.

I meant to say, with proper support, impaction is a myth.

Heard this said once, although extreme, it has a point....

"You can feed them nails, if you keep them right."

Not that it matters. I just figured I'd ask.

~Maggot

fuzzhc · 12-02-12, 06:56 AM

Thanks again guys

fuzzhc · 12-04-12, 10:55 AM

It might be a daft question here but since I put all the dirt in he hasnt really left his burrow since, is this normal? He has been leaving daily for food and on Sunday my brother watched him clean his self UN his bath for a while but that has been it. He has only defacated once that I know of which I cleaned, do they ever do it in their burrows? He has been eating 3-4 mice daily since Friday, some locusts and has ate 2 fluffs. Earlier I got the idea from another thread in here to string up a mouse from a clothes peg dangling which I am pleased to say he has scoffed

just wish I coulda seen it though!

infernalis · 12-04-12, 11:40 AM

I have never heard of them defecating in their burrow.

Also it is very normal for them to spend lots of time down there, they are underground dwellers.

I commonly have to bribe mine with treats to get them out of their holes.

fuzzhc · 12-04-12, 11:57 AM

Ok cool, im just panicking then lol.
Even at that I cant bribe him out I just need to leave the food there and leave the room to come back and find it gone. Hopefully one day ill be able to be in the same room whilst hes out haha
If I set up my camera and can get a video of him going for the dangling mouse ill post it up

fuzzhc · 12-20-12, 04:33 AM

Ok so im not sure if im just being paranoid here. But I went on a short break for a few days last week and came back Monday. I had left my dad to look after my bosc and had told him how to take care of it. I hadnt seen the lizard until just now as he isnt coming out of the burrow much. I noticed when he was walking his hind legs shaking slightly as he was walking (I think) cause I only got to see him for a split second before he darted off. Could this be a sign of mdb or I read fatty liver disease? His diet recently has consisted of 2pinkies a day and a fuzzy twice a week and locusts. The locusts have been gut fed every day when I was here but my dad just informed me he tried to coat then in calcium whilst I was away, which they obviously rubbed off.

infernalis · 12-20-12, 06:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzhc

Ok so im not sure if im just being paranoid here. But I went on a short break for a few days last week and came back Monday. I had left my dad to look after my bosc and had told him how to take care of it. I hadnt seen the lizard until just now as he isnt coming out of the burrow much. I noticed when he was walking his hind legs shaking slightly as he was walking (I think) cause I only got to see him for a split second before he darted off. Could this be a sign of mdb or I read fatty liver disease? His diet recently has consisted of 2pinkies a day and a fuzzy twice a week and locusts. The locusts have been gut fed every day when I was here but my dad just informed me he tried to coat then in calcium whilst I was away, which they obviously rubbed off.

MBD takes time to manifest, so it does not appear this quickly.

Fatty liver?? That seems unlikely too.

No need to dust the locusts, your Bosc gets calcium from the bones of the mice and the shell (exoskeleton) of the locusts.

Can you get a close up photo of the rear legs and tail area??

fuzzhc · 12-20-12, 06:42 AM

So does this mean there is no need at all for calcium power then?
I was thinking maybe fatty liver if he wasnt digesting properly or something cause although my baskinf area is at 140 I havent seen him basking there but saying that ive rarely seem him lol.
I can try but as I said hes always down there burrow and wont even come out if im there atall even for food. And I dont expect destroying the burrow to get him out will be very good for hin lol.
Any suggestions?

infernalis · 12-20-12, 06:48 AM

Leave the burrows alone, that's like smashing his house.

It's normal for them to be shy, especially while young.

I have seen all the best behaviour from mine by spying on them with a remote camera.
(not suggesting that you need to, I do it for educational reasons)

Even now, I have to lure them out with snacks.

I see it every day, they will be out and active, as soon as I enter the room, they dart down the holes and vanish.

fuzzhc · 12-20-12, 07:43 AM

Yeah just wondering how ill be able to take a picture then or even take him to a vet lol!

I doubt it could be a case of impaction because hes going to the toilet on a regular basis.

Come to think of it, when I first got him he didnt eat properly for the first few weeks so if he developed mbd then, do you think the amount of mice he has been eating would have cured it? So to speak

infernalis · 12-20-12, 07:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuzzhc

Yeah just wondering how ill be able to take a picture then or even take him to a vet lol!

I doubt it could be a case of impaction because hes going to the toilet on a regular basis.

Come to think of it, when I first got him he didnt eat properly for the first few weeks so if he developed mbd then, do you think the amount of mice he has been eating would have cured it? So to speak

Read this, and see if it makes any sense to you...

Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) in Reptiles

From what I just read, it comes back round to husbandry and keeping them warm enough to absorb what they need from meals.

jarich · 12-20-12, 12:39 PM

With that diet I would recommend still dusting the locusts. As you are using pinkies, the calcium to phosphorous ratio is much lower than with a grown mouse. Pinkies are more cartilage at that stage of development, so their calcium is lower, but they still have basically the same phosphorous levels. You need not only to have the high calcium in their diet, but to have it be at around a 2:1 ratio with the phosphorous. I would say switch to the fuzzies (more bone development) and be done with the pinkies, and continue to dust your locusts until you are able to offer a diet with a higher calcium

hosphorous ratio. Offering crayfish or whole bodied shrimp will alleviate the problem entirely too.

Aanayab1 · 12-27-12, 11:20 AM

Do you or have you considered leaving food in the enclosure at all times? I tried at one point to feed 3 times a day with some success but noticed a drop in growth. I would feed until they took no more from me or out of a dish. I did this 3 times a day and still the drop happened. When I went back to leaving food available at all times the growth rate picked back up. Every time I go to look in the cage there is at least one hunting or eating, no matter what time it is, day, early lights out or an hour or so before the lights come on in the morning. Now I do have four Ackies all housed together but I would think the feeding instinct is close to the same. I just figured in the wild they are opportunistic feeders eating everything they can when possible so why neglect them of that.

fuzzhc · 01-03-13, 03:19 PM

Sorry it took me so long to get back, not really been on the net much.

Cheers for that link it helped me understand mbd quite a bit more!

Yeah I switched him to fuzzies a while back now and still dusting the locusts daily

I always leave the locusts in till theyre gone, which is generally when I come back from work and then maybe add a few more. Ive also emptied a few tubs of lob worms into the soil a while back but who knows if hes even came accross any of them yet lol!