My newt wont eat:(

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 8:56 PM

So... Not many people have fire belly newts.(they are sooo cute!) but i have had one for about 5 months now and it started now to eat like 2 days ago☹️!People say that in the wild they can last about 5 days with no food but i dunno. I feed him bloodworms and he always eats em. (please ping me)

Do you know what is wrong☹️!
Bumps apriciated

spenser_dog_123 • 2 October 2011 at 8:58 PM

@sarahsaurus I dont know whats wrong ☹️ I'm sorry, maybe someone else will know! The people on eggcave are very smart.

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 9:01 PM

@spenser_dog_123
yeah. I meet some pretty smart people here😸!

Deleted • 2 October 2011 at 9:05 PM

It seems reptiles are fussy eaters! that, or I seriously think it's something natural, iv seen lots of people with this problem as well☹️ I say google a vetinary website, or call your vet immediately check for any blockages, and try live food if the bloodworms are dead, and try dead food if the bloodworms are living. Demand your vet to take your lizard as a patient, even if they say he/she's too small.

armageddondoll • 2 October 2011 at 9:13 PM

@sarahsaurus

Fire belly newts are mostly aquatic. A water dwelling fire belly will usually not accept any food item unless it is under water.
He may also be a picky eater, if the bloodworms were frozen try giving him live ones (and vice versa), and if he still won't eat, try chopped earthworms. You can also try handfeeding him, by holding the worms on a toothpick or chopsticks. It sometimes helps.
There is also a possibility he might be stressed, so make sure he has shady places or cubby holes to hide inside of in his tank, and that the water is proper temperature.

Hope this helps, if not DEFINITELY take him to a amphibian specialist or vet.

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 9:26 PM

@armageddondoll
Sometimes i feed him chopped earthworms and he will eat em but now, he wont eat it. He only eats his food underwater. I also feed him off of toothpocks sometimes. I will try putting more caves and stuff in it.
Thanks!😊

@icicle_9510
Newts are amphibians, not reptiles. Yes i have seen many others with the same problem, somethimes with lizards, newts, cats, dogs, and other pets. I will try doing what you said😊! Thanks!😊

linpug • 2 October 2011 at 9:28 PM

I have a fire belly newt! It was from a teacher! 😊

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 9:30 PM

@linpug
They are adorable!!!!😸:3:3
I got mine at petsmart. $5.00 XD

linpug • 2 October 2011 at 9:31 PM

They are poisonous, but you can't help but to say how cute it is! ❤️

nkiay • 2 October 2011 at 9:32 PM

I don't know about newts. DX Sorry I hope he's okay!

Deleted • 2 October 2011 at 9:34 PM

@sarahsaurus oh. Yeah,, you can tell I'm not a reptile/amphibian expert xD

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 9:38 PM

@linpug
Yeah, i saw a video in discovery chanel. It was about a goliath toad that ate a newt then it died like 1 second later and the newt crawled out of its mouth alive. Pretty cool, but kinda gross.

@nkiay
Me too!

@icicle_9510
its ok.😸

briseis • 2 October 2011 at 9:53 PM

Do you have gravel in your tank? If so, your newt may have tried to eat a piece of it and it's blocking his digestive tract. If you do have a lot of small gravel/rocks in your aquarium I suggest you replace it!

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 9:58 PM

@briseis
I have some rocks that i use as gravel but its like two times the sise of a human fingernail. So he obviously cant eat it. But i'll make sure not to put any in there😊. Thanks

lizardfeather • 2 October 2011 at 10:00 PM

@sarahsaurus THe most likely cause is a hunger strike, if you feed a reptile (or lizard-type thing O.O) the same thing enough they stop eating it. Try finding an alternative food source (maybe like crickets?)

briseis • 2 October 2011 at 10:00 PM

@sarasaurus I hope your newt gets better! I'd think that with all of the reptiles and amphibians on EC not eating that it must have something to do with the season changing. Reptiles and amphibians are cold-blooded so perhaps the change in temperature is affecting their appetite. Maybe you should call your vet just to ask a few questions about it.

sarahsaurus • 2 October 2011 at 10:03 PM

@lizardfeather
I once fed him a cricket from my backyard. Ill try it again and hopefully he will it it😸. Thanks😊!

@briseis
That seems pretty logical, i'll have to learn some more about it. Thanks!😸

Meteoroid • 2 October 2011 at 10:07 PM

Topic moved to the Chit-Chat forum. 😊

lizardfeather • 2 October 2011 at 10:51 PM

@sarahsaurus Just another few questions because there might be other causes 😸

Is it cold where you are? Does he use a heat lamp? Do you heat him at night if it's cold?

If it's cold it may just be the weather, and you might want to consider heating him at night. There are heating pads and infrared heat lamps for this kind of thing 😸

Do you dust your feeders with calcium? (not sure if newts need this you might want to look it up to see if he needs it or not)

If your newt does need this calcium he might be suffering from a lack of it, you might want to do some research.

Anyways I have to go now, so good luck!

sarahsaurus • 3 October 2011 at 8:34 AM

@lizardfeather
Hmmm... Well, i live in chicago and its pretty cold out so ill try heating him. I'll also try the calcium dust. Thanks😸

linpug • 3 October 2011 at 10:44 AM

Lets see. I always give my newt heated blood worms. To make it seem it is alive. (ew) But he also eats small tiny fish. (like minnows) Also, maybe you can get him a rock (Almost touching the surface of the water so he can stick his head out) They like to rest. @sarahsaurus

sarahsaurus • 3 October 2011 at 4:43 PM

@linpug
I give mine frozen bloodworms and sometimes i find earth worms in my yard and chop it up and feed it to him. One other time i fed him a cricket from my yard too. I have a cave in his tank that he likes to go in and he can go on top of it to the surface too.

linpug • 3 October 2011 at 5:52 PM

I think they like live creatures best @sarahsaurus

feathershaft • 3 October 2011 at 5:53 PM

I don't know about newts, but my yabby, stick insect and lizard don't eat when they are about to moult...er, shed their skin. I don't even know if newts moult, but just wait and see.

sarahsaurus • 3 October 2011 at 5:54 PM

@linpug
You siad you heat them to make them seem alive? I dont understand how that makes them seem like they are alive.
@feathershaft
Yes, newts shed their dead skin. Some of them eat it for nutrients, sometimes mine does it too😸

linpug • 3 October 2011 at 5:55 PM

Ah, well it doesn't taste as good frozen.

sarahsaurus • 3 October 2011 at 5:58 PM

@linpug
Oh, ok thanks😸

cafe • 3 October 2011 at 6:14 PM

@sarahsaurus


Also, it makes it seem as the blood worms have body heat. Body heat = Alive.
😸

linpug • 3 October 2011 at 6:18 PM

Actually, they can't sense heat. They aren't snakes. Vipers have pits that sense heat. Also worms aren't mammals or birds... so yeah no body heat.

sarahsaurus • 4 October 2011 at 5:22 PM

Bumpie