Need Chester advice regarding food while having RI.

[lurker9090]

So. Chester is still sick. Hes half way done his 10 doses of shots. Around 2 weeks ago he stopped eating.
He refused his main food crickets. However any time he sees a treat bug he instantly still wants to eat it. Im unsure if he's just lost his appetite so much due to the medicine that he just doesnt want to eat crickets, or if hes on a food strike.

When i noticed he stopped eating his crickets, i also stopped giving the treat bugs. I was hoping he was just on a food strike and would begin eating again in a few days. But he just wouldn't. I was trying to hold out strong despite feeling absolutely horrible knowing he wasnt eating.

Today, it appeared he had collapsed in his cage. I honestly thought he was on deaths door and began absolutely freaking out and thought the only thing i could do was offer him a treat to see if he needed food or needed something to spark up. I needed to see him be alive.

After 15min of holding the treat infront of his head he finally ate it.
While im relieved he is still alive and ate something, Im upset now that i have to redo the food strike. He WOULD NOT eat his crickets after almost 2 weeks of waiting. I just feel horrible knowing hes going to sleep on an empty stomach.
He has 10 days left in his treatment.
Should I just feed him treat bugs until he is 100% healthy again? Then go on a food strike? I have been researching trying to find ANYONE with roaches where i live (Canada, illegal), and did find one person selling their discoid colony. Im putting the last of my money into that. The colony is small though and i wont be able to feed chester more then a few times with that. (and i want to save some so i can provide this as his staple in the future)

With all the vet bills i just don't have enough money to buy 2$ silkworms as his staple everyday. And while i will be using BSFs/larvae, they are too small to suffice his appetite. And they are 20$ per container here in canada.

So, for the remainder 10 days of his medication, should i feed him MAINLY treats? with BSF and discoids as a side?

Im just in such a big pickle. Its the best i can do right now. I barely have enough gas money to get to the vet tomorrow for his recheck, let alone pay for the 3rd vet visit this month

at this point i think for the last 10 days he just needs food to get hi through it, despite them having low nutritional value. I need my boy to be okay.
I also purchased carnivore critical care to prepare for syringe feeding if things go beyond this.

 

[MissSkittles]

What are the treat bugs?

 

[lurker9090]

What are the treat bugs?

Mealworms and hornworms

 

[MissSkittles]

Mealworms aren’t the greatest and shouldn’t really be fed, but…. Hornworms are very hydrating and have some good calcium to them, but not terribly nutritious. However, I would be giving him whatever he’ll eat right now. If you can sneak a cricket, bsfl or roach in with the treats, that would be awesome. It’s either that or start giving the critical care. Much better if he’ll eat on his own than force feed anything.

 

[lurker9090]

Mealworms aren’t the greatest and shouldn’t really be fed, but…. Hornworms are very hydrating and have some good calcium to them, but not terribly nutritious. However, I would be giving him whatever he’ll eat right now. If you can sneak a cricket, bsfl or roach in with the treats, that would be awesome. It’s either that or start giving the critical care. Much better if he’ll eat on his own than force feed anything.

exactly what i thought. Sometimes he does accidentally grab a treat with a staple feeder. Ill definitely just continue trying to get him to eat whatever hell take. tysm!

 

[GrannyK]

My guy got addicted to superworms for months after being on meds for coccidia because that’s all he would eat. Completely refusing anything but them while on that long journey. Eventually I snuck little roaches with the superworms they kind of circled it in my hand and he would get them accidentally, then one day I offered a smaller roach on a stick and he went for it. Since then he eats a good variety. I got lucky I think. Good luck. Sorry you are dealing with this. You’ve gotten some good advice, just wanted you to know your not alone, medication takes such a toll on these guys, breaks my heart for them and us keepers.

 

[lurker9090]

My guy got addicted to superworms for months after being on meds for coccidia because that’s all he would eat. Completely refusing anything but them while on that long journey. Eventually I snuck little roaches with the superworms they kind of circled it in my hand and he would get them accidentally, then one day I offered a smaller roach on a stick and he went for it. Since then he eats a good variety. I got lucky I think. Good luck. Sorry you are dealing with this. You’ve gotten some good advice, just wanted you to know your not alone, medication takes such a toll on these guys, breaks my heart for them and us keepers.

thank you so much for sharing. sounds like exactly the problem im having right now! He also loves superworms, maybe ill try switching the meal worms to those because i think they are slightly more nutritious

 

[kinyonga]

What temperatures do you have in the cage? Basking? Rest of the cage?

 

[Beman]

So while they are being treated for illness you do not want to withhold food. You want to give them what they will eat... Silkworms can be a really good option for nutrition and most view it as a higher value feeder. Offer super worms instead of mealworms. They are better nutritionally.

The only time you are going to hold your ground with a hunger strike is if they are 100% healthy and they are an adult. So at that point if a cham is addicted to a certain feeder then you can pull that option adding in others for them to start eating. Then if they do go on a hunger strike then typically it lasts roughly a week before they break down and eat other insects.

Anytime you are not 100% sure about something just ask here.

 

[lurker9090]

So while they are being treated for illness you do not want to withhold food. You want to give them what they will eat... Silkworms can be a really good option for nutrition and most view it as a higher value feeder. Offer super worms instead of mealworms. They are better nutritionally.

The only time you are going to hold your ground with a hunger strike is if they are 100% healthy and they are an adult. So at that point if a cham is addicted to a certain feeder then you can pull that option adding in others for them to start eating. Then if they do go on a hunger strike then typically it lasts roughly a week before they break down and eat other insects.

Anytime you are not 100% sure about something just ask here.

tysm! ive taken everyones advise. I was able to get my hands on a dubia colony in canada and switched to superworms! He is doing much better now! i will get him off superworms once his treatment is done next week