Feeding Baby Blue Tounge Lizards

[Frank]

Help wanted in feeding a baby blue tounge

 

[serpenttongue]

Whats the problem, won't eat? Or do you want to know what to feed them? Details, dude.

 

[Frank]

friends found it late one night in the middle of the road.we have been looking after it. have it on a heat mat for about 4weeks now and havnt seen it eat. tried stickining its head in raw egg, hard boided eggs cut up, small peices of hard fruits and vegetables. dont want to try dog food as that may encourage it to look for it when it is released.

 

[instar]

Mate, it can look all it likes, its not gonna find dog food in the wild but it will find something else. Try the dog food (room temp) it works well and eating something is better than nothing, 4 weeks is getting a bit much. :wink: Why are you keeping it anyway? is it injured?
p.s roaches, crix, garden snails (no poison around?) and earthworms are good tucker for em! greens like buk choy too.

 

[Hickson]

And banana. They love banana.



Hix

 

[Greebo]

Unless the ambient temp is at 28-30 degrees, it probably wont eat.

 

[Springherp]

Do you know if its an eastern or blotched bluey?

 

[serpenttongue]

Also you need to heat the air instead of it just lying on a heated surface. Provide it with a heat lamp to bask under. I would go for the tinned dog food(for puppies) or a pate' cat food(non fish). Also try and get some small snails, away from snail baits or poisonous plants as instar stated. Nothing will encourage a bluey to look for dog food once released.

 

[nuthn2do]

It has been treated for any injuries ..... right?

 

[instar]

If you can train it to find dogfood, see if it will dive for abalone! :lol:

 

[junglemad]

Small snails and black crickets, bananas, berries, tinned two fruits and canned dogfood will keep baby blueys alive. It is odd for your mates to find a baby bluey in the middle of the road at night especially now as i imagine they would be slowing down for hibernation.
Is it nice and fatt? Does it bridge up and hiss at you? If it is why don't you let it go?
If it is warm and not eating try to force feed it. Try teasing it with some food. Most will touch it with their tongue, to taste test it. See if you can get it to bite a bit of banana. If not open its mouth with your fingers and slip some banana in. A wild bluey will try to bite the food. If it chomps down give its throat a rub to stimulate a swallowing response.

good luck with it.

 

[Frank]

It does hiss and has been poking out its tounge. When found eye was very gunky. Had vet wash it out . The area we live is to cold at nigh and during the day and will let go when warmer. I think it is a common blue tounge.

 

[Springherp]

Whereabouts in the mountains do you live Frank?

 

[Frank]

Lithgow. PM me if you wish and I will give my number

 

[peterescue]

Frank, go to the vet and buy a tin of prescription A/D pet food, stinks but they love it. Stick it in a syringe(insulin type) and oil the tip. Stick it in to the mouth past the windpipe and pump in about 2cm of food. This is to stimulate it. feed it small amounts at first.
This is a very small amount of food and you should be able to increase the amount until it feeds itself.
To store the A/D, place it on a sheet of cling film, roll it up and make little sausages and freeze. You can cut them off and thaw as you need.

 

[nuthn2do]

Eye problems are common after head injuries. Have a good look in it's mouth and also check the bottom jaw is not broken eg. symetrical and lines up with the top.

 

[Guest]

They also love meal worms

 

[peterescue]

Im assuming here that this animal has seen a vet and is being kept under that advice. If not then call WIRES in your area and pass it on. Sick animals do not chase down food. If you haven't sussed out if there is a fracture in the upper or lower mandible then ignore all the advice given so far and have it checked again. If IT has a fracture I dont think that you should be caring for it.
IMO I would not attempt to save a lizard that had any movable fractures in the head. Its harsh but its not going to heal.

 

[Frank]

Im assuming here that this animal has seen a vet and is being kept under that advice. If not then call WIRES in your area and pass it on. Sick animals do not chase down food. If you haven't sussed out if there is a fracture in the upper or lower mandible then ignore all the advice given so far and have it checked again. If IT has a fracture I dont think that you should be caring for it.
IMO I would not attempt to save a lizard that had any movable fractures in the head. Its harsh but its not going to heal.

Has seen VET nil head injuries just a mucky eye. At this stage everything is fine just not eating. Have given raw egg and it has pooed. with constant warmth now it is getting more active. just a bit concerned that that it is starving. I had the same problem with mu Childrens python but it is fine now.

 

[salebrosus]

I can swear by the A/D stuff. Hills Science Diet, full of protein and works wonders with animals that won't eat.

Simone.