I think fuzzies might still be a bit too big for him. I'll see if he takes the pinkies since I already ordered them, and I'll compare sizes before moving up. I made him a mix of beef liver, ground turkey, with some cod oil and mango bits today. He woofed all of it down which makes me happy. I got him a new rock/hide combo and he tail-whipped at me a bit when I moved his stuff around. You win some you lose some I guess lol
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New Tegu owner, tips appreciated!
- Thread starter Kasmut
- Start date
Ok so today I made another mistake... I gave him a mix of ground turkey and beef liver w/ cod oil on a bed of collard greens. He did really great and ate almost all I had given him yesterday so I thought it would be good to go. I even put down some paper towel underneath his dish to avoid him getting it in the substrate cuz he's really messy. Sooo he got a hold of a large piece of liver (I should've cut them more I hate myself now x_x) and he dragged it throughout the cage through the cypress mulch until it was coated with sharp pointy chips... then he wolfed it down. :| I tried to take it away from him with tongs but he gulped it before I could snatch it. He started gasping a little but calmed down afterward. I took the rest of his food away and I'll be so angry at myself if he gets impacted. What are the signs of impaction? When I approached him today it seemed like he was breathing a little harder than he should, but it might've just been from my close proximity. I know this is the risk I take from feeding him in the enclosure but there's nothing I can do until I gain more of his trust enough for bin feeding. Should I start feeding him the turkey mix with the prongs? It's still messy since the mix is mush and has a chance of falling when he snaps at it. I had to go back through all the bags of mix i freezed to cut up any long liver bits. blahh
Steven.
Member
- Messages
- 563
Not to be a jerk. But this is why you shouldn't feed in the enclosure. Try leading him into your hands with the tongs and putting him in a feeding bin. and then you can tong feed him or already have the food in the bin when you put him in. I don't know how hard it is for you to get him, but try that next time. It'll make things a lot easier to clean up in cage and avoid impaction.
- Messages
- 4,337
He will be fine. Make sure you keep him warm enough and hydrated.
I checked up on him just now and he made a new poop which is promising. He seemed fine, better than he's been actually and was roaming around. I sat down in front of the enclosure like I usually do and he actually tried to come up to the glass to sniff/lick at me. I know it isn't much but it made me happy lol. I tong-fed him a cricket for being a good boy/girl... xD
Congrats on getting a tegu; you won't regret it.
With my lad I always bait him out of his viv when it's feeding time; nearly 9 months down the line he knows the drill now and is waiting to be let out for food when I get back from work; this is of course, if he hasn't opened the viv himself and is waiting expectantly !
With the food I give him, it varies. I have a mix that he has daily which consists of all sorts of green goodies as well as ground turkey and vitamins so he's getting all he needs; and he loves that.
As far as taming procedures go; it does take time, determination and some will power... But it's worth it in the end.
The little things help a lot, in the beginning when my lad was a Baby I'd spend a lot of time with just my hand in the viv; allow him to taste you and realise that the giant hand is not going to grab him and eat him !
Also I big thing I've found is to talk to your tegu.
If I come into the room and he hears my voice he's out and at the glass wanting to come out for a run or a chin rub; however if he hears a different voice of someone else he'll hide away and peer from one of his hides and get a little huffy puffy !
I can say this; I was as worried as the day is long when I first got my tegu... Was I feeding him the right things, was his humidity right, why does he not settle down etc etc etc...
This forum is a goldmine of information made up of some fantastic people who are an absolute vault of knowledge for anything you need to know about your tegu.
If you have any doubts; just ask..
Good luck with your 'gu !!!
With my lad I always bait him out of his viv when it's feeding time; nearly 9 months down the line he knows the drill now and is waiting to be let out for food when I get back from work; this is of course, if he hasn't opened the viv himself and is waiting expectantly !
With the food I give him, it varies. I have a mix that he has daily which consists of all sorts of green goodies as well as ground turkey and vitamins so he's getting all he needs; and he loves that.
As far as taming procedures go; it does take time, determination and some will power... But it's worth it in the end.
The little things help a lot, in the beginning when my lad was a Baby I'd spend a lot of time with just my hand in the viv; allow him to taste you and realise that the giant hand is not going to grab him and eat him !
Also I big thing I've found is to talk to your tegu.
If I come into the room and he hears my voice he's out and at the glass wanting to come out for a run or a chin rub; however if he hears a different voice of someone else he'll hide away and peer from one of his hides and get a little huffy puffy !
I can say this; I was as worried as the day is long when I first got my tegu... Was I feeding him the right things, was his humidity right, why does he not settle down etc etc etc...
This forum is a goldmine of information made up of some fantastic people who are an absolute vault of knowledge for anything you need to know about your tegu.
If you have any doubts; just ask..
Good luck with your 'gu !!!
Thanks David! That's exactly how I feel now. I seriously wake up extra early just from nerves of how he's doing lol. I wonder if everything I'm doing is right or wrong. I might try the luring thing a little bit in a day or so, but I'm afraid he'll think I tricked him if all of a sudden he lifts up an inch from the bottom of the tank or feels my fingers under his belly lol. I've actually been singing lullabies to him and he drifts off to sleep when I do, it's pretty cute haha.
Exactly how I felt; what's right... What's wrong, eventually it'll all fall into place and all is well.
If they're hungry, they'll follow the food out... No doubt about that. My lads always been good in that sense apart from certain days when he's in a bit of a grump so he'll just eat from my hand inside his viv.
Every little helps; put the time in and the end result should be a happy relationship between you both.
I don't actually own an Argentine; I have a colombian gold. But you'll have a lot of people saying Colombians are aggro; biting, tail whips and the likes, that however, is very much untrue in the case of mine. Im led to believe that argentines do tame quicker... But then again no two animals are ever the same; just work with your 'gu and not against it... If its clearly in a fouler mood than usual, keep it simple and minimalize contact; I can safely say that my boy, most days, craves contact and will make an effort to be out and around me.
If they're hungry, they'll follow the food out... No doubt about that. My lads always been good in that sense apart from certain days when he's in a bit of a grump so he'll just eat from my hand inside his viv.
Every little helps; put the time in and the end result should be a happy relationship between you both.
I don't actually own an Argentine; I have a colombian gold. But you'll have a lot of people saying Colombians are aggro; biting, tail whips and the likes, that however, is very much untrue in the case of mine. Im led to believe that argentines do tame quicker... But then again no two animals are ever the same; just work with your 'gu and not against it... If its clearly in a fouler mood than usual, keep it simple and minimalize contact; I can safely say that my boy, most days, craves contact and will make an effort to be out and around me.
Steven.
Member
- Messages
- 563
David hit the nail on the head perfectly. That's how i feel with all my lizards.. What's right and whats wrong. But as David said... The forum is the best.
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sent from my phone to your eyes
