Help sulcata gain weight

[gregcalverley0327]

I have a 4-6 month old sulcata who is 51 grams. I've had her for almost three months now. The first couple weeks I had her she double in weight(she was 24 grams when I got her). Now she has stayed right at 51, any tips or suggestions on how to help her gain weight? I feed her dandelion greens, red leaf lettuce, hibiscus when I can. Timothy hay and zucchini. Is that a good diet? She eats all the time and drinks so I know she's eating. Just not gaining the weight. Also any suggestion on if feeding her mazuri would be good? Thanks

 

[wellington]

I would have her tested for worms/parasites. Also, yes to the Mazuri. I would also try to get more variety in the diet. However, first make sure she is free of worms.

 

[dannel]

May seem stupid, but does your scale max out at 51g?

 

[jtrux]

She was 24 grams at 3 months? That's small for that age to begin with. How do you have the enclosure set up?

 

[gregcalverley0327]

May seem stupid, but does your scale max out at 51g?

Maxes at 300 grams

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I would have her tested for worms/parasites. Also, yes to the Mazuri. I would also try to get more variety in the diet. However, first make sure she is free of worms.

Alright will do, thanks!

 

[jaizei]

How long did it take for her to double in weight? How long has she been stuck at 51g?

 

[gregcalverley0327]

She was 24 grams at 3 months? That's small for that age to begin with. How do you have the enclosure set up?

Yeah the breeder said she was 2-3 month old when I got her from the show. It's a cement mixing tub with a 150 watt ceramic heat emitter and a UVB bulb, water dish, log hide an hay. Substrate is peat moss

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How long did it take for her to double in weight? How long has she been stuck at 51g?

Took about two weeks and she has been around 51 for a while now, she never looses she just gains like .1 or .2 grams

 

[Tom]

What sort of UV bulb are you using?

What are your four temps? Cool side, warm side, basking spot and night?

How often do you soak?

Humid hide?

 

[gregcalverley0327]

What sort of UV bulb are you using?

What are your four temps? Cool side, warm side, basking spot and night?

How often do you soak?

Humid hide?

It's the coil bulb, 13 watt 10.0 as for temps the cool side is in the mid 70s, warm side is mid 80s with a basking spot around 95 I soak twice a week but have learned I should soak every night and I don't have a humid hide

 

[Tom]

Coil bulb might be your problem. They can damage their eyes. We've seen it many times here.

What is your night temp? Many people don't keep babies warm enough at night in my opinion.

 

[gregcalverley0327]

Coil bulb might be your problem. They can damage their eyes. We've seen it many times here.

What is your night temp? Many people don't keep babies warm enough at night in my opinion.

Okay I'll geta new bulb tomorrow then, my heat emitte stays on all night so right around 85-90 I would say

 

[Tom]

I'm not seeing anything obvious or conclusive. Here are a few thoughts:

Sweater boxes and cement tubs are about the worst way to house a baby sulcata. They are not desert animals and the best way to raise them is to simulate the African rainy season that they hatch into in the wild. Its hot, humid, and there are puddles, marshes and greenery everywhere. It is very difficult to simulate these conditions in a low sided tub. Soaking only twice a week on a tiny baby, in an open topped tub, under a hot bulb very well could have dehydrated your baby. Especially with no humid hide box to retreat to. Adding a humid hide, a better enclosure, some humidity, some daily soaks and some daily shell sprayings should help your baby, but watch your temps.

Those coil bulbs can burn their eyes. It is possible that over time her eyes have been damaged. This could certainly cause a failure to thrive. Eliminating that bulb and allowing some healing time, might fix things.

24 grams is tiny. They usually hatch out at 35-40. It could be that you got a runt with some sort of congenital defect and that whatever is going on is not your fault in any way.

 

[gregcalverley0327]

I'm not seeing anything obvious or conclusive. Here are a few thoughts:

Sweater boxes and cement tubs are about the worst way to house a baby sulcata. They are not desert animals and the best way to raise them is to simulate the African rainy season that they hatch into in the wild. Its hot, humid, and there are puddles, marshes and greenery everywhere. It is very difficult to simulate these conditions in a low sided tub. Soaking only twice a week on a tiny baby, in an open topped tub, under a hot bulb very well could have dehydrated your baby. Especially with no humid hide box to retreat to. Adding a humid hide, a better enclosure, some humidity, some daily soaks and some daily shell sprayings should help your baby, but watch your temps.

Those coil bulbs can burn their eyes. It is possible that over time her eyes have been damaged. This could certainly cause a failure to thrive. Eliminating that bulb and allowing some healing time, might fix things.

24 grams is tiny. They usually hatch out at 35-40. It could be that you got a runt with some sort of congenital defect and that whatever is going on is not your fault in any way.

Alright ill definitely make some changes them and see if she gets better, if not ill take her to the vet. I have a larger enclosure fr her bit was going to wait til next month when I move to set it up but looks like ill be setting that up sooner

 

[Tom]

Its not so much the size of the enclosure, but the conditions you are able to maintain within it. In an open topped enclosure all your warm humid air just escapes up and out into the room. This phenomenon is worse in a low sided tub.

Adding some Mazuri to the diet may help too.

I hope something you try will make some improvement. Good luck.

 

[Cowboy_Ken]

As well as the changes Tom, (who is The Man!) outlined, don't forget a stool sample for your vet visit to rule out worms or other nasties. Be sure to check the vet list to find a qualified vet. If the list doesn't show one in your area, contact the closest one to you and ask for a local recommendation or check for a local reptile society for their recommendations. Keep us up to date and we love pictures! Best of luck.

 

[mainey34]

Agreed, Tom is the man when it comes to sulcatas. I recently had the same issue. Mine was stuck. No matter what I was feeding I could not put any weight on her. When I added mazuri and zoomed every other day I noticed a increase in weight. Not a drastic one, but she is gradually gaining.

 

[gregcalverley0327]

Agreed, Tom is the man when it comes to sulcatas. I recently had the same issue. Mine was stuck. No matter what I was feeding I could not put any weight on her. When I added mazuri and zoomed every other day I noticed a increase in weight. Not a drastic one, but she is gradually gaining.

Yeah I'm going to buy some mazuri tomorrow and get a new UVB bulb and make some changes to the enclosure. And hopefully t will help her

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Its not so much the size of the enclosure, but the conditions you are able to maintain within it. In an open topped enclosure all your warm humid air just escapes up and out into the room. This phenomenon is worse in a low sided tub.

Adding some Mazuri to the diet may help too.

I hope something you try will make some improvement. Good luck.

Okay I'll be buying some new UVB and mazuri tomorrow and then adding a humid hide in there. If I covered some of te cage with like Seran wrap or something like that to help keep humidity up would that work? Ill post pictures of the cage tomorrow

 

[dannel]

What about a closed top enclosure with clear lexan?

 

[gregcalverley0327]

What about a closed top enclosure with clear lexan?

That does look really nice, defiantly a possibility but it would be indoors because I live in Michigan, but I do like the idea thanks

 

[Tom]

Covering the top as much as you can should help. Just be aware that that creates a "chimney" effect and it still sucks your warm humid air out. I would also use something a little more substantial than saran wrap. Tinfoil works and it's not flammable. I usually make something out of wood, lexan or corrugated plastic.