jovamabob
New member
Sebastian is a Jan '11 hatch - making him around 22 months old, and i was told by a friend + local pet shop that he is too small for his age and too underweight.
I tried to measure him again just now and he is around 28 inches (Hard to straighten him out!). I weigh him on digital kitchen scales and he is 83g exactly 1 week after his last feed. His thickest part is about 2 inches in circumference. He poops fine, sheds excellently in complete pieces and seems otherwise healthy. I keep his temps at 29C and is measured by a lucky reptile thermocontrol II digital thermostat and separate exoterra probe thermometer. Here is a link to a photo of his viv - he had just moved in so the temp was a little off)
Is he too small for his age and is he too skinny? If he is, is there anything i can do to help him before he brumnates? I can persuade him to eat every 6 days but no sooner than that. Is he on the right size food? i was told rat pinkies/pups would help him put on weight - is this true?
More info:
He's always been a very fussy feeder and is currently on Frozen/Thawed hopper/crawler/jumpers mice once a week. I can persuade him to eat every 6 days but no sooner. He refuses to eat if they're wet or if i put the vit/min supplement on the head of the mouse - he accepts them if i dry the mouse and place the supplement on its rear. When he does feed around 60% of the time he strike feeds, the rest i leave him with it and he gets to it later. He's never refused a feed since march when he hasn't been shedding or stressed - ie. moved to a new home etc.
I bought him at almost 11 months in late October and was feeding fine at first on fluffs every week. He started to refuse to eat in December/January when he ate on and off, then up until mid march feeding was a no go. I offered every week but later found out he was probably brumnating. I finally got him started eating properly again around April and he was fine up until June when he started shedding every 3.5 weeks on average from completion of one shed to completion of the next. Up until then he'd been going just shy of every 2 months or so. When he sheds it takes him 2 weeks from refusing a feed to completing his shed, so i was only getting 1 to 2 mice in him a month. He's definitely grown - he was around 25 inches when i last measured in July.
Heres some photo's in case they're needed.
Attempt at taking a photo of him vs. a measuring tape
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo2_1280.jpg
View from his head
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo1_1280.jpg
Back (aimed to get his thickest part but he moves fast!)
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo4_1280.jpg
in relation to my very large hands
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo6_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo5_1280.jpg
I tried to measure him again just now and he is around 28 inches (Hard to straighten him out!). I weigh him on digital kitchen scales and he is 83g exactly 1 week after his last feed. His thickest part is about 2 inches in circumference. He poops fine, sheds excellently in complete pieces and seems otherwise healthy. I keep his temps at 29C and is measured by a lucky reptile thermocontrol II digital thermostat and separate exoterra probe thermometer. Here is a link to a photo of his viv - he had just moved in so the temp was a little off)
Is he too small for his age and is he too skinny? If he is, is there anything i can do to help him before he brumnates? I can persuade him to eat every 6 days but no sooner than that. Is he on the right size food? i was told rat pinkies/pups would help him put on weight - is this true?
More info:
He's always been a very fussy feeder and is currently on Frozen/Thawed hopper/crawler/jumpers mice once a week. I can persuade him to eat every 6 days but no sooner. He refuses to eat if they're wet or if i put the vit/min supplement on the head of the mouse - he accepts them if i dry the mouse and place the supplement on its rear. When he does feed around 60% of the time he strike feeds, the rest i leave him with it and he gets to it later. He's never refused a feed since march when he hasn't been shedding or stressed - ie. moved to a new home etc.
I bought him at almost 11 months in late October and was feeding fine at first on fluffs every week. He started to refuse to eat in December/January when he ate on and off, then up until mid march feeding was a no go. I offered every week but later found out he was probably brumnating. I finally got him started eating properly again around April and he was fine up until June when he started shedding every 3.5 weeks on average from completion of one shed to completion of the next. Up until then he'd been going just shy of every 2 months or so. When he sheds it takes him 2 weeks from refusing a feed to completing his shed, so i was only getting 1 to 2 mice in him a month. He's definitely grown - he was around 25 inches when i last measured in July.
Heres some photo's in case they're needed.
Attempt at taking a photo of him vs. a measuring tape
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo2_1280.jpg
View from his head
http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo1_1280.jpg
Back (aimed to get his thickest part but he moves fast!)
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo4_1280.jpg
in relation to my very large hands
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo6_1280.jpg
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mc3zd83wbT1ry9h3jo5_1280.jpg