Only wants rodents

[laurarfl]

My 4yo B&W woke up in Mid-March and looks great. She didn't want to eat much in the way of fruits or veggies, but would eat F/T rodents and quail. I've been trying to expand her diet, but she will eat nothing but rodents now. She won't touch any veggies or fruit, any sort of meat, fish, etc. She ate like a champ last year. Temps, etc, are fine...stools are fine...she looks and acts great otherwise.

[txrepgirl]

Our Zeus did the same thing.He stoped hibernating at the end of March.All he wanted to eat was Rodents.He just started to eat some grapes,lean ground turkey,salmon and crickets a few days ago.I don't know either why he did that.Just keep offering him different things.Sorry that I can't help you on that one.Good luck and please keep us posted.Oh,I for got to tell you that I did force feed Zeus with some chicken/turkey baby food with some calcium and vitamine powder.I was worried that he would get impacted with all the hair from the rodents and since I didn't see him drink any water I also didn't wanted him to get dehydrated ( I got the baby food tip from the vet :wink: ).

[LisaN]

What about if you try a stronger smelling meat rather then just turkey. Such as; elk, deer, buffalo, beef heart or even chicken livers and gizzards. I spoiled mine pretty bad so that they really only wanted rodents and these other meats helped me with that. They are even eating a ton of grapes and other vegetation when I mix everything together in their bowl.

LisaN

[laurarfl]

Thanks for the tips. She's drinking and humidity is up. She poos and pees just fine. I'll try some different foods...I just hate wasting food ARGH! I guess I could feed it to someone else around here....

[Warner]

Try some smelt (fish - cheap stuff) cut into chunks. It's usually sold with the heads cut off and gutted, so all you have to do is cut the fish into bite sized chunks. Al (my red) loves smelt. I need to get some more for him, actually!

Warner

[txrepgirl]

Yea I have seen them before.Do you leave the bones in the fish ?

[Warner]

The ones I've seen they do....just gut them and cut the heads off. If you could get them with the heads on that would probably be even better. The ones I have seen are about $2 a pound....simple to feed. Just freeze them and thaw the chunks out as needed.

Warner

[txrepgirl]

I'm sorry but I'm sooooo lost right now ( maybe because I'm on here late at night again and my brain doesn't work :lol: ).Why would it be better if I can get them with the head on if I have to cut them of any way .

[laurarfl]

Hmmm.....

I would think that heads are good and yummy...brains, eyes, and bones.

However, freezing fish causes thiaminase to build up which can lead to a thiamin deficiency. This enzyme is in the organs (I think), which would be reason to remove the guts and head. I just supplement and feed fish occasionally. I think it's more of a problem in crocodilians who are overfed frozen fish. (It's been a while, I hope I'm stating this correctly)

I have small, whole frozen fish in my freezer, but she says, "No thanks!" I tried cat food even (just for once), cooked chicken that my baby tegu was eating, eggs, raw beef...nope, nope, nope. She only wants grapes and mice.

[Warner]

I'm sorry but I'm sooooo lost right now ( maybe because I'm on here late at night again and my brain doesn't work :lol: ).Why would it be better if I can get them with the head on if I have to cut them of any way .

What I meant was it would be BETTER if you found them being sold with the heads still on. All the ones I have seen (and just bought some today in fact!) have been gutted and had their heads cut off.

Warner