Spencers monitor not eating

[timothyng1998]

As the title says, my 10 month old spencers monitor is not eating. Was feeding very well on woodies and day old chicken legs since i got her in october last year. I
went overseas in february and my parents was looking after her. It stopped eating woodies then, but is still eating chicken legs until i cam back end of feb.
she has barley eaten anything since. Its still looking healthy (alert, walks around fine, no visual wounds, tail fat storage hasn't depleted...), it however spends a lot more time hiding, but it does come out to bask every now and then.

Husbandry background: 6ft by 2ft enclosure. recycled paper cat litter substrate (just deep enough for it to dig). Hot spot of 65c-80c degrees achieved by halogen lamp depending on the weather. cool end gets up to 35c during the day. Night time temps drop to 26c, which is maintained by a under belly heat source and a dimming thermostat.

Anything that i should change before i go to the vet?

 

[cris]

Sounds like some sort of stress related problem. Those temps seem very hot, they do need a hot basking site, but over 60C is not needed. It might be worth adding extra hiding places, something like a hollow log running up to the basking site might help.

 

[timothyng1998]

Thanks for the reply,
Ive been getting many contradicting information about basking spot temps. the temperature i mentioned is the surface temperature directly under the heat lamp, measured with a infrared temp gun.

 

[Murph_BTK]

Yeah mate lower the basking spot and also add a few more hides.. hollow logs big and small.. on my yellow spotted I have 10 or so hollow logs and it helped settle him down to where he doesn't wanna claw my face off if I enter the enclosure.. maybe a hide box? I'm considering this myself my reptiles..


Instagram: murph_BTK

 

[pinefamily]

You only need to reduce the basking spot by a few degrees, and this will help your cool end temp as well; 35 is a little warm IMO. Our Spencer's was similar, for no apparent reason virtually stopped eating. Moved it into a bigger tank, and shortly after started eating like a monitor again. Your tank sounds big enough.
Has anything changed before it stopped eating as much? Have you tried offering a pinkie rat, or fuzzy mouse?
Besides the hides suggested above, try building a tile stack for it. Despite being a terrestrial monitor, ours climbs all over the tile stack under the heat. He lays on whatever level he feels comfortable on.
Has it always been on the cat litter substrate? And is it still pooping? Personally I would change it for sand, to avoid any risk of swallowing some of the pellets.

 

[timothyng1998]

Temperature lowered, hides and hollow log in. will be trying turkey mince and rodents next feed.
It has been on cat litter since i got it. impaction is a possibility and thats my worst fear. I can't see any faeces in the enclosure.

 

[pinefamily]

Obviously if it is eating less, then there will be less poop, but change out that cat litter as soon as possible. The playsand from Bunnings is one of the cheapest options; you just need to dry it out first.
If it shows no interest in the mince or rodents, then perhaps a visit to a reptile vet is in order.
I'd suggest buying the pet chicken mince rather than turkey mince, as it has the carcass minced up in it, so more nutritional.

 

[Tobe404]

I'd give Chicken Necks a try too. Obviously cut them up to the appropriate size though.

Up to you if you use coir peat or playsand. Never had a problem with either. Next enclosure I plan to use a mix actually.

Just make sure you get the coir peat bricks that have no fertiliser.