Baby Stimsons Not Feeding

[Tesshi]

Hello All,

New owner - have purchased a Stimsons - took delivery beginning of April - she is 5 months old. She has fed three times for me on fuzzies. Her last feed was 28 April - she settled in well and was happy in my hands for a couple of minutes each day . I have not handled her lately and pretty much left her alone, I am hoping its just the cold snap - I have her in a hatchling box- reptile one - with a 5 watt heat pad under her hide and a 1 watt at the other end, Two thermometers one at each end - the hot end is fluctuating between 29 first thing in the morning when the room temp has been around low (less than 14) to the 35 during the day. The cool end is between 24 and 27. These temps have dropped and were a steady 27 to 35 without fluctuation prior to the cold snap. I managed to take her temp with an instant digital thermometer at 27.8 tonight. I know they prefer to maintain 31. She is drinking but has not been as active. Food thawed and presented to her at 38, did not eat in first few days rejected first meal but was eating every 5 days or so after the that.

Also any suggestions for heating this box - it was working very well through April - substrate is the paper kitty litter version.

Thanks

 

[Renenet]

It could be the chilly weather. Are you in Victoria? It's been freakin' cold here in Melbourne lately! I've managed to keep the temps in my stimmie's enclosure up, but she's barely left her basking spot and has been less active than usual. She was due for a feed a couple of days ago but I waited until the weather forecast was slightly better before feeding her. Fortunately, she ate for me tonight.

Where are the air vents in the Reptile One hatchling box? Are they just in the top? Overnight and on really cold days I cover about two-thirds of my stimmie's click-clack with an old cotton pillow case, folded in half. If covering her up fails, you might need to get a stronger heat mat. 5W might not be enough for chilly winter days.

As an aside, 27 to 35 at the warm end seems like a big fluctuation to me if it's happening all in one day. My temperature at the hot end holds pretty steady, between about 31 and 33. Maybe someone who's a bit more of an expert than me can comment?

 

[Smithers]

You could try and place a teatowel or hand towel over the click clack to keep temps in.....feeding once a week is fine. Could be also coming up for a shed. Mine had a 4 week spell of not eating and brained the food item and was readily taken.

Good luck

 

[Renenet]

Could be also coming up for a shed.

There's that too. Do you know when your baby's last shed was? It usually happens every six to eight weeks.

 

[Darkhorse]

Hiya Tesshi, one of my stimmies went off her food for 3 weeks recently... she wasn't in shed, but she was very well fed and I figure the cold change just slowed her down. The hot end in her click clack is between 32-33 and this doesn't change but the cool end has dropped from an average of 26 to 22 so this might have something to do with it! But hey she ate tonight so all good! Best I can offer is to try to keep the hot spot temp within 1-2 degrees of 32.

 

[Tesshi]

Hello All thanks for all of the replies - I'm in Gosford. I went to the fruit markets, picked up a Styrofoam box which enclosures now sits in. See photo. Her enclosure is 20cm by 30cm long 10cm high. All sides bar the front - where the vents are and the top are now next to the Styrofoam with a 5 w and a 1 w underneath the floor - between the enclosure floor and base of the Styrofoam. This has settled the temp issue down - put it together on Monday morning - since then the cool end has not dropped below 26.5 at its lowest - average 27 plus and the hot end is 36 reasonably steady - give or take half a degree. the end of the last shed was 25 March about two weeks before I got her. She is 50 cm long and has been eating fuzzies - should I try a hopper ? Have not handled her other than to cage clean on Monday - food presented at 38 degrees. I am assuming its the temp and hoping now its settled down she will feed again She seems quite content to be handled. happily sitting on my hands - no signs of being cranky - no obvious shedding signs.

 

[xxMelissaxx]

the cool end has not dropped below 26.5 at its lowest - average 27 plus and the hot end is 36 reasonably steadyView attachment 200711View attachment 200712

I'd be dropping the temps a bit, especially the cool end. Warm side at around 33, and cool side at around 25 or lower.

Don't handle at all other than when necessary until it's feeding strongly again.

 

[Tesshi]

Thanks All,

In the end it was just a shed - she did not look blue nor any caps over eyes etc but this morning found a skin. Brained a fuzzie and she inhaled it - dropped the temps down to 34 and 25 - she is happily sitting on the bigger heat pad in her hide.

All good.