 |
Back to Uromastyx Forum Forums Home Members Area
Uromastyx Forum
| Pages 1 2 Next |
| Member | Message | ||
|
Damla View Profile |
I am new to this site so if i am not providing sufficient information or anything, please let me know. My uro is 6" long from her tail to her snout and used to love her veggies but now, she won’t even eat any. She is very active, basking, pooping just fine and eats pears and plums but she won’t even eat any lettuce anymore (i know it has no nutrition but she loves it so i just put it with her other veggies sometimes). Her UV light is new so i don’t think the problem is due to that, either. I feed her kale, collard greens rotatingly but it is like she is sick of eating veggies or something. Today, I realized there was no calcium poop for the first time (i dont know how to describe it...you know when they poop, they also poop a small white piece). Is this her way of asking for a better diet? I just want my little baby to be happy, and if i did something wrong, i feel horrible and am asking for your help to improve the situation. Thank you in advance!  |
||
| 08/12/08 04:21am |
|
||
|
Sahells Mom View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1827994 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/12/08 06:59am |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Sahells Mom In reference to Message Id: 1828022 My uro stopped eating her greenies
Yes, I am not using any sand...i am using paper towel like I was told to...she recently started tearing some parts of the paper towel while digging (the parts under her hiding areas...she digs right before she sleeps to get more comfortable or something) and made little paper towel shreds...do you think she might have eaten them and gotten sick? I couldnt find the questionnaire you asked me to fill out but i am thinking the important info could be as follows: The tank is 32x12. The temps are fine so i dont know why those would have something to do with her not eating all the sudden when they have been the same all along...Her UV light is 100 W. The weird thing is that she still eats pears but does not even touch her greenies. It is so weird. No, I have not done a fecal on her. Should I do it right away or give her a few more days? As soon as she poops, i take it out so I don’t know how she could have gotten any parasites. I wash her food before giving it to her, too. She has not pooped today at all because she has not really eaten much. She is still very active, glass dances, basks but won’t eat her greenies. Also, where do i buy the following: endive, escarole, dandelion greens, edible flowers I want to make her feel better asap. Thanks a lot for your help and fast response. |
||
| 08/12/08 09:35pm |
|
||
|
Orni View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1828942 My uro stopped eating her greenies
What are your temps exactly? |
||
| 08/12/08 09:53pm |
|
||
|
Rtl402 View Profile |
Message To: Orni In reference to Message Id: 1828962 My uro stopped eating her greenies
Also, your enclosure is too small to get a proper temp. gradient. I would suggest looking for a larger one, try craigslist, there are usually great deals all over the place. |
||
| 08/13/08 07:08am |
|
||
|
Sahells Mom View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1828942 My uro stopped eating her greenies
First off, I’d stop feeding fruit right now. Just get the correct greens (endive, escarole, dandelion greens) and don’t add anything. She will eat when she gets hungry. She would rather eat the sweet treats than what she should (think toddler). She gets no nutritional value out of the pears. At her age, she really has to have the good diet in order to develop correctly. Again, if we know what your temps are, and what you have been feeding, we can do more to help. But you purchased a baby, and it is now your responsibility to make sure that baby can grow properly. You need to make sure her habitat and diet are perfect, or youwill have medical problems from now on! |
||
| 08/13/08 07:26am |
|
||
|
Skullkeeper View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1828942 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/13/08 09:24am |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Orni In reference to Message Id: 1828962 My uro stopped eating her greenies
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/aw-1.jpg (I see it says "3.Do not post any copyright information or photos" above but i am thinking it implies copyright photos; that’s why i posted one since it is mine) |
||
| 08/14/08 03:16pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Sahells Mom In reference to Message Id: 1829263 My uro stopped eating her greenies
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/aw-1.jpg (I see it says "3.Do not post any copyright information or photos" above but i am thinking it implies copyright photos; that’s why i posted one since it is mine) I physically took her out and put her under the lamp. After she got some heat, she started being her normal and active-self. I used to do that in the past, too even when she was doing just fine. It is like she is stupid or too young to know she has to get out of her shelter (she stays there when she is cold) and get some heat. I have hiding shelters...one on the cold side and one on the hot side...and after i turn her lamp on, i wait for about 3 hours for her to get out but she sometimes does not unless i take her out...is that also normal? The pet shop told me that the reason why she might have stopped eating her greenies might be because she is no longer interested in them since i fed her pears and plums for the past few days a little too much...he said, baby uros are just like little kids...when you give them candy, they will not want to eat what they are supposed to eat and ask to be given more candy...(pears/plums being candy in this case). I stopped giving her pears/plums since the day I started posting on here so she started eating a little bit escarole today but did not even touch her kale greens . I have not done any fecal yet but she seems to be getting better. She is really active but no pooping yet because she just started eating again so i am thinking it will take one or 2 more days for her to realize there is no more candy coming and that she has to eat her greens. Should I still get the fecal done or give it a few more days? I don’t know if i should purchase a new tank now since the temps seem to be fine. I can’t afford one but if i have to, i will have to find a way but the pet shop said, "as long as you’re able to get the required temps, you’re fine...wait til she is about 10 inches long then you will definitely need to get a bigger one." Thank you all for your help and attention by the way! |
||
| 08/14/08 03:29pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Skullkeeper In reference to Message Id: 1829327 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/14/08 03:33pm |
|
||
|
Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1830904 My uro stopped eating her greenies
She definitely needs a larger tank asap . I think alot of your initial problems could be stemming from too small a tank. There is no way to have the proper temps in a cage that small. Not coming out of her hide , not eating , sluggish behavior are all bad signs . her basking spot should be a piece of slate or rock of some kind . It will hold heat and allow her to absorb it better then wood. Pears and plums should barely be on a uros diet much less a staple. I would cut them out all together for now . Concentrate on the main greens like endive, escarole, dandelion greens, squash, edible flowers . Get her diet and housing and temps straightened out and you will see a totally different animal. Also, cut down the holding to ah... none . At least for now. And even later for no more then a couple minutes at best . |
||
| 08/14/08 06:05pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Jbreddawg In reference to Message Id: 1831093 My uro stopped eating her greenies
The temps I am getting are fine, aren’t they, though? |
||
| 08/14/08 06:48pm |
|
||
|
Skullkeeper View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1830904 My uro stopped eating her greenies
I would feed a more varied diet of recommended greens and cut out the fruits . Uros do like sweets . Many Uro’s will only want to eat peas and not there greens because they are sweet to them .They really do not need the fruits anyways . The only fruit that I feed is mango , seedless grapes and cantaloupe . But it is a small amount as a rare treat . Edible flowers make a better treat than fruits in my opinion. Just make sure they are pesticide free and edible . Roses,squash blossoms,dandelion flowers , nasturtiums , orchids and hibiscus are just a few . Is the UVB light a florescent bulb ? If so you would need large wholes in your screen to let the rays through or need to suspend it with wire from under the screen . The smaller size screen causes a shadow effect. You really should not be handling your Uro at all, especially if shes not eat ting. Uros do not do well when away from their heat source. They are also easily stressed out . Uros are an observation kinda reptile . They can not be handled and played with like a Bearded Dragon. This could be a big part of your problem. Also what is your night time temp? I would keep it at 75* . It should only take your tank about 2 hours to heat up in the morning . If the night time temp. drops to low your Uro may not come out the next day . You should not have to take her out of her hide . That is her safe place . I would not remove her from it . |
||
| 08/14/08 07:42pm |
|
||
|
Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831128 My uro stopped eating her greenies
The temps are not fine . If it is 80 , thats too low , if it hit 120 and was still rising then you really dont know what the temp is do you ? whats the ambiant temps throught out the cage ? Here are the questions to fill out. Just copy and past this and add answers. It will help everyone to help you and your uro out better . 1) How long have you owned the animal 2) Dimensions of the enclosure you are using. Measure it- do not guess or give gallon size 3) Species (if known), length, and weight of the animal 4) Listing of all animals kept in the enclosure referred to in the post 5) Basking spot temperature and how that temperature was measured 6) Temperature throughout the rest of the enclosure (warm and cool areas) and how these temperatures were measured e.g. digital thermometer, stick on dial thermometer. Provide the nighttime temperatures as well. 7) Acknowledge whether you are using a UVB bulb and if so, the brand, age of bulb, and distance from the bulb to the uromastyx 8) Diet items being fed and how often each item is fed 9) List of the supplements being used, how much is used, and how often the supplement is used 10) Type of substrate (cage bottom material). If this is sand, state whether it is calcium sand 11) Describe your animal’s daily routine. When it exits the hide, when it retreats for the night, how long it is usually out throughout the day, is it active during this time, how much time does it spend sitting on the basking spot…. 12) Describe your animal’s appetite. 13) Describe any unusual behaviors you are seeing or any recent changes in behavior. Also note whether any recent modifications have been made to this animal’s environment. e.g new enclosure, move to another room, new heat bulb.... 14) Describe how often this animal is handled and the type of handling. 15) State whether the animal has been to a vet, when that was, and whether the animal was diagnosed with a medical condition. Also state whether the uromastyx has ever had a fecal check. If so states when the fecal check was done, what was found, and if medication was prescribed. Photos of the animal and/or issue can be extremely helpful. The more questions that you provide answers to, the quicker and more accurate the return answers/replies will be. |
||
| 08/14/08 07:52pm |
|
||
|
El toro View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831128 My uro stopped eating her greenies
The trick isn’t just those temps. It’s getting a large enough area for each of those temps, with room in between to have a gradual change. What too often happens is that there are only two real temperatures - too hot and too cool, with no area that’s actually near the animal’s preferred body temp. That means stress on the body and the poor critter constantly moving back and forth trying to keep its temperature balanced. They often retreat to a hide to avoid the stress. You DO need areas in both those hot and cool ranges, but you need everything in between, too. Hopefully that helps explain why a small cage isn’t sufficient, even though your thermometer seems to tell you otherwise. |
||
| 08/14/08 07:57pm |
|
||
|
Jbreddawg View Profile |
Message To: El toro In reference to Message Id: 1831192 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/14/08 08:39pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: El toro In reference to Message Id: 1831192 My uro stopped eating her greenies
So how much are tanks that are 48x24x24? I am gonna start looking for one tomorrow. I just want to have an idea about the price so i dont get ripped off and know when i am getting a good deal because yes, my uro runs back and forth in the tank. After she basks, she goes directly to the cool spot, spends a few minutes there and runs to bask again and runs back to the cold spot again...so you’re saying that is not normal, right? So a uro in the right setting never does that? Where will I get a good deal on the tanks? What type of glass does the tank need to have? Will 1 foot difference in the tank size (length-wise) make enough of a difference for the uro to be happy? If the height of the tank is 24", how will i have the UVB only 12" off the ground of the tank? Will I also have to upgrade my UVB light from 100 W to 150W? My coil(?) light (the curly lamp) is 5W but the lady at the pet shop said it has to be between 8 and 10W. Will I have to upgrade that, as well in the new cage? I have 2 lamps right now. 1 is for UVB and the other one is the curly lamp. Will I need anything else? I was also told by another user above that i should have a rock or a slate for the animal to bask...wouldn’t be branch enough as these animals don’t have nerve endings and get their heat from the above, not below the surface? I dont know who to trust and believe anymore...and i dont want to end up spending money that will be a waste so i have to get the right info for once and all and then buy everything necessary accordingly because this is like starting from scratch. The uro was originally bought by my sister who is in Costa Rica right now for school research. She is a biology major and is studying animals there. So when she left, i pretty much began to take care of the uro. We bought her about 6 months ago and i believe she was about 3 months old then. So my sister bought the tank and everything else according to the info that the pet shop gave. This is a pic from the very first day we got her: http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/y-1.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/baby.jpg This is how she looks now: http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/baby2.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/aw-1.jpg Now that I look at the pix, she was like paper thin when we first got her. Does that mean she was not getting fed properly? 1) How long have you owned the animal 6 months or so but we were told that she was about 3 months old when we got her. 2) Dimensions of the enclosure you are using. Measure it- do not guess or give gallon size 30.5x12x12 3) Species (if known), length, and weight of the animal Mali, either 6 inches or a little over 6 (like 6.5) because she never stays still for me to get an accurate measurement, i don’t know her weight 4) Listing of all animals kept in the enclosure referred to in the post I don’t get this question 5) Basking spot temperature and how that temperature was measured 120...I just put the end of the digital digital thermometer at the exact spot she basks and got the reading but like i stated, once it hit 120, I stopped but once i moved the thermometer higher or lower on the branch (where she basks), it dropped. 6) Temperature throughout the rest of the enclosure (warm and cool areas) and how these temperatures were measured e.g. digital thermometer, stick on dial thermometer. Provide the nighttime temperatures as well. I use digital thermometer. The very end of the tank is 80.4.. 6 inches into the tank from the coldest spot is 85-86. She is sleeping now and all her lamps are off so I have to get the remaining measurements tomorrow when she is awake. 7) Acknowledge whether you are using a UVB bulb and if so, the brand, age of bulb, and distance from the bulb to the uromastyx Yes, I am using a UVB bulb. It is about 2 weeks old and is white. We used to have a red one but once it died and i went to the pet shop, the lady suggested i buy a white one because it encourages eating and that the red one is not good for the animal psychologically. The brand is fluker labs. It is 12" from the ground of the tank but about 5" from where she sits to bask but she does move lower or higher. 8) Diet items being fed and how often each item is fed Up until few days ago, I used to feed her kale, collard and tulip (? I forgot its exact name as i stopped buying it) greens rotatingly. She did not like the last one at all...neither did i as it tasted bitter so i stopped buying that. Recently, i started feeding her pears and once i saw how she loved them, i felt the need to feed her that everyday...that is when she stopped eating her greenies. 9) List of the supplements being used, how much is used, and how often the supplement is used I was told to use a calcium supplement. On the bottle, it says 2:0 Calcium/No Phosphorus powdered supplement with vitamins Carnivorous Reptile Formula. The bottle says use it everyday generously on moistened food but when i put it on her food, she hated it and ate less so the guy at the pet shop said that it is normal and that i should put little not ample amount like the bottle suggests not everyday but twice a week. 10) Type of substrate (cage bottom material). If this is sand, state whether it is calcium sand It is paper towel. We used calcium sand for a while until we read it is dangerous and causes kidney infection and that paper towel is the way to go if the uro is a baby. 11) Describe your animal’s daily routine. When it exits the hide, when it retreats for the night, how long it is usually out throughout the day, is it active during this time, how much time does it spend sitting on the basking spot…. She does not come out during the day at the same hour so it varies but i think it might have something to do with the fact that we moved into a new house 2 weeks ago. She was in the living room for the first week (she was so wild and never came out then) and then we moved her into my room once we settled down...and she returned back to her friendly-self then. Also, I do not turn her light on at the same hour everyday (sometimes at 9, sometimes at 10, sometimes at 11...honestly, depending on when i wake up) 12) Describe your animal’s appetite. It used to be good until the problem i came on here for started. 13) Describe any unusual behaviors you are seeing or any recent changes in behavior. Also note whether any recent modifications have been made to this animal’s environment. e.g new enclosure, move to another room, new heat bulb.... yes, please refer to the answer of question #12. 14) Describe how often this animal is handled and the type of handling. I handle her a lot. I really do. I bother her several times a day. I mean, she is like the center of my life. When I take her out, I let her climb my hand and then I make steps with my hands as she moves up in my hand. I also put her on my leg for a while and then let her wonder around the tank. 15) State whether the animal has been to a vet, when that was, and whether the animal was diagnosed with a medical condition. Also state whether the uromastyx has ever had a fecal check. If so states when the fecal check was done, what was found, and if medication was prescribed. No, she has never been to a vet. |
||
| 08/14/08 09:46pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831277 My uro stopped eating her greenies
i did not answer question 11 fully. She retreats for the night around 6-7. She goes into her shelter and comes out once or twice for a few minutes and goes back in and stays there until she falls asleep, which is around 7:30 or so. when she comes out and basks, she is fully active then on until 6. She basks a lot and spends half her time time basking, if not more. |
||
| 08/14/08 09:55pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Skullkeeper In reference to Message Id: 1831175 My uro stopped eating her greenies
I don’t think it is a florescent bulb. It is a regular, white bulb. It is not long like a florescent bulb or anything if that helps. "Uros are an observation kinda reptile . They can not be handled and played with like a Bearded Dragon." She is just so damn cute that I really can’t stand it if i don’t touch her little body at least once a day. I really hurt if i can’t. She does not really seem to mind though because when i put her back into her tank, she does not go running into her shelter. She just keeps doing her thing and goes back to hanging out or basking. Ive been handling her since the day we got her so maybe she is used to it? or because she is still stressed out but does not show it? How will I measure the night temp in the cage? Just put the thermometer in the middle of the tank and do it? |
||
| 08/14/08 09:58pm |
|
||
|
Gnuby View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831296 My uro stopped eating her greenies
Take care, Alicia, Jon, and The Goob |
||
| 08/14/08 10:21pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1831318 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/14/08 10:27pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1831318 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/14/08 10:31pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Gnuby In reference to Message Id: 1831318 My uro stopped eating her greenies
http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/004.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/005.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/002.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/003.jpg http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg171/shazam55/006.jpg so which one is for basking? which one is UVB? which one(s) need to be replaced? |
||
| 08/14/08 10:52pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831350 My uro stopped eating her greenies
|
||
| 08/14/08 11:14pm |
|
||
|
Rtl402 View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831377 My uro stopped eating her greenies
Tank size/price: Depending on where you live, you could find decent deals on craigslist for a large fish tank for a reasonable price, if you walk into a store and ask for a 75 gallon tank (48x18x18) or 90 gallon tank (48x18x24) or 120 gallon (48x24x24) they will ask for an incredibly insane price (several hundred dollars, maybe upwards of $600+) Check craigslist, I just picked up a 125 gallon (72x18x24) with a stand and filters (yes im using it for fish) for only $300 Question #4: This question was asking if you had any other animal besides the one in question in the enclosure (example: I have 2 mali’s) Temps: You should really be using a temp gun (such as the ones from tempgun .com) to check the basking temperatures. Also, you should have a flat basking site, the branch isn’t doing much good, it could also allow your Uro an easy way to escape if the tank is not covered. The basking spot should be 120-130F. Then you should have a gradient (hot on one end, cool on the other, with a gradual decline in temps as you move away from the heat) that ranges from 100F-80F. :note: my temps run from 98F hot end down to 84F cool end, in a 48" long enclosure UVB: You DO NOT have a UVB bulb. You need to get one, as it is important for the Uro to have in order to properly digest their food. This could partially be the reason for him not eating his greens. You can order one from reptileuv .com or deerfernfarms .com they carry the mega-ray bulbs. These are great, I recently switched and love it. They will give off heat and UVB at the same time. However, you cannot have this bulb or any other UVB bulb blocked by a screen. Food: Daily staple food should include things such as: Escarole, chickory, endive, dandelion greens. These are very good for Uro’s. You can also feed things such as: shredded carrots, bok choy, collard greens, turnip greens, squash, soaked lentils, chopped peas. Supplements: I am not sure which you are using, but I use some of the supplements offered on the deerfernfarms site. I only give them supplements once a week, as my Uro’s get a healthy variety of foods. The Uromastyx dust or MinerALL are common supplements, again, I would use them sparingly and stick to a good diet. Substrate: Paper towels are great, just make sure you change them out often. Once the Uro is over 7" you can also used washed playsand. Cheap, easy to clean, safe. You can get a 50lb. bag at home depot or lowes for $6, and you only need about half the bag to fill up the enclosure to about a 2-3" depth. (change sand every few months to keep things clean). So it is fairly cheap to maintain the enclosure this way. Lighting: this is also a problem. Go to home depot and get a timer for $10. The Uro needs a daily routine. Lights on at a specific time, lights off at a specific time every day. This also makes things easy to adjust when you want to shoten the lights during the winter months, just move the pins in the timer, very very easy to do. This also saves you some trouble remembering to turn lights on/off. Handling: This is also a problem. Too much handling and too much time away from heat sources the Uro will get cold FAST. This causes issues with digestion of food as well as maintaining proper body temps. Also, NEVER take them out of their hides unless absolutely necessary! This will stress them out as their hide should make them feel safe and secure. The more you take the Uro out of their hide and away from heat, the worse off you are making them. They need to stay under extreme heat, unless you live in vegas and its 110F out, I would keep handling to a minimum. Vet: Get the Uro to a vet for a fecal. The animal is most likely wild caught, and there is a good chance it has internal parasites that need to be taken care of. Even with CB Uro’s, an annual vet visit isn’t a bad idea, even if it’s just for a fecal. Hopefully that helps :) |
||
| 08/15/08 09:10am |
|
||
|
Skullkeeper View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831296 My uro stopped eating her greens
After your new Uro starts eating well, then you can reach in and pet her on her head or stoke her chin. Many will even eat from your hand . Just give her time to get use to things first . Your Uro is not eating . It may very well be because you are holding her and the temps are off. Do you want to hold her and have her die or not hold her and have her healthy? If you can not stand not holding her I would find her another home and buy a different pet like a dog or cat . If your UVB light gets very hot you need to make sure that the Uro can not reach the bulb so he does not get burnt. You can either get a screen or make a lid with larger holes or suspend it in side of the cage . |
||
| 08/15/08 10:03am |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Rtl402 In reference to Message Id: 1831625 My uro stopped eating her greenies
Thanks for all your info. It was really easy to understand even for someone like me but I am so confused!!!!!!!! Everyone keeps throwing new info at me...which is great and helpful but i dont get it so it is really frustrating...you guys have to understand that i dont know anything right (i am sure you all figured that out by now)...the only things that i know are the things the pet shop told me, which turn out to be pretty much wrong. So what are the lights I have right now and what are they for? (please refer to the pix) So which ones do i need to keep and which ones do i need to replace? The one you mention does the job for everything? So if I buy one of that, I don’t need anything else? Is it that mercury bulb someone else mentioned? Is the one you’re recommending proven to not cause any damage to the uro in the long run? |
||
| 08/15/08 01:26pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Skullkeeper In reference to Message Id: 1831683 My uro stopped eating her greens
|
||
| 08/15/08 01:28pm |
|
||
|
Rtl402 View Profile |
Message To: Damla In reference to Message Id: 1831831 My uro stopped eating her greens
|
||
| 08/15/08 01:46pm |
|
||
|
Damla View Profile |
Message To: Rtl402 In reference to Message Id: 1831849 My uro stopped eating her greens
the UVB one you have is mercury bulb? so the one I am missing is UVB only? |
||
| 08/15/08 01:59pm |
|
| Pages 1 2 Next |