some more questions, maybe an answer, + rambling of course!

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Posted by iZ + mom on December 27, 1998 at 15:05:43:

In Reply to: appetite posted by Jeff on December 27, 1998 at 14:00:56:

hi Jeff! your ig sounds like he's the same size as iZ was when he first moved in ... :)
did you take him to a REPTILE vet who knows igs???? there are so many different kinds of parasites that it is easy for a non-ig vet to miss the ones that are common to igs but NOT to cats/dogs ..... (i found THAT out the hard way, which is why i tend to carp on about it!)
next question .... HEAT! you mention lighting and diet, but is his enclosure warm enough (and humid enough?) igs need at least 80-85 degrees to stay warm enough to be able to digest properly ....
has his appetite always been like that or is this a sudden change? if it's a sudden change it can mean something's wrong ... (iZ quit eating when he broke his tail 2 weeks ago .... i picked up on THAT before the hurt tail ...)
have you changed ANYthing in his environment lately??? igs DO NOT like change and can/will stress about even little changes in or around their enclosures .... (iZ basically quit eating for weeks last year when we moved!) (has his diet recently changed and he's just not used to it yet?)
is he getting enough exercise? your enclosure dimensions sound good, but some supervised roaming time would be great too .... that can do wonders for an ig in a funk .... (and should increase his appetite)
is he pooping on a regular basis?
how is he ACTING? has his behavior changed recently?
did you have blood tests done to check kidney function?

whew! i *think* i got everything to double check ... !!! once you've ruled out everything, try just tempting him with his favorite foods multiple times a day ... i'd suggest always having fresh food available to him .... maybe he'll nibble an extra time or two ....
i'd kinda worry about his becoming dehydrated since his appetite is so poor .... "Infalyte" is good ... (it's like Gatorade but for infants, which igs are closer in size to) try a dropper-full 1-2 times a day so his electrolytes don't get messed up (what happens when you get dehydrated) ... "Infalyte" OR "Pedialyte" should be at most grocery stores or drug stores in the baby aisle ....

ya know ... iZ won't eat his food if he thinks i made the pieces too small ... maybe your ig doesn't like the consistancy of his food?

well, this is the most i've talked for a while!
good luck to you and iggy! let us know how it's going!
:P + :)
iZ + mom

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: hi Jeff! your ig sounds like he's the same size as iZ was when he first moved in ... :) : did you take him to a REPTILE vet who knows igs???? there are so many different kinds of parasites that it is easy for a non-ig vet to miss the ones that are common to igs but NOT to cats/dogs ..... (i found THAT out the hard way, which is why i tend to carp on about it!) : next question .... HEAT! you mention lighting and diet, but is his enclosure warm enough (and humid enough?) igs need at least 80-85 degrees to stay warm enough to be able to digest properly .... : has his appetite always been like that or is this a sudden change? if it's a sudden change it can mean something's wrong ... (iZ quit eating when he broke his tail 2 weeks ago .... i picked up on THAT before the hurt tail ...) : have you changed ANYthing in his environment lately??? igs DO NOT like change and can/will stress about even little changes in or around their enclosures .... (iZ basically quit eating for weeks last year when we moved!) (has his diet recently changed and he's just not used to it yet?) : is he getting enough exercise? your enclosure dimensions sound good, but some supervised roaming time would be great too .... that can do wonders for an ig in a funk .... (and should increase his appetite) : is he pooping on a regular basis? : how is he ACTING? has his behavior changed recently? : did you have blood tests done to check kidney function? : whew! i *think* i got everything to double check ... !!! once you've ruled out everything, try just tempting him with his favorite foods multiple times a day ... i'd suggest always having fresh food available to him .... maybe he'll nibble an extra time or two .... : i'd kinda worry about his becoming dehydrated since his appetite is so poor .... "Infalyte" is good ... (it's like Gatorade but for infants, which igs are closer in size to) try a dropper-full 1-2 times a day so his electrolytes don't get messed up (what happens when you get dehydrated) ... "Infalyte" OR "Pedialyte" should be at most grocery stores or drug stores in the baby aisle .... : ya know ... iZ won't eat his food if he thinks i made the pieces too small ... maybe your ig doesn't like the consistancy of his food? : well, this is the most i've talked for a while! : good luck to you and iggy! let us know how it's going! : :P + :) : iZ + mom

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