HELP PLEASE!! pacman feeding problem

[Lija]

Do you have proper humidity and temps now? For best feeding response try to feed him at night, about 30 min after lights are off and temps drop.
He doesnt look good in that pic. Time to force feed him if he doesnt eat on his own. You can start with nightcrawlers coated with reptiboost, cut a piece from pointy end of nightcrawler, coat it with reptiboost and force feed him 1 chunk today, if he is all right, then 2-3 tomorrow. The best would be to force feed critical care formula ( for cats and dogs, available at vet clinics), but it is a bit tricky to feed it when it is your first time feeding.
How to force feed. The best to have a helper who would hold a frog steady, then use plastic card to gently open his mouth and as soon as he do that stick a piece of worm in his mouth. The procedure is stressful but at this point i dont think you have time to waste. You can try to annoy him to open his mouth on his own, gently rub his lips with a worm, sometimes that annoy them to the point they bite and eat it. Try. If not happening force feed. Carry on on pedyalyte baths.


Keep in mind your temps have to be in proper range.

[Abe]

I cant go to the store to get the light fixture until tomorrow. Should i still try to force feed him? His temp is at mid seventees.

[Lija]

That is too low for a day.
Yes tonight try to feed him ( annoying) to start with, if it is not happening force feed, but one chunk of nightcrawler ( length equaldistance between eyes), coated with reptiboost only.

When you get lamp or uth( attached to the side) make sure you dont have huge temp jump. From 75 go for no more then 80 ( day) and then you will have night temp drop fir a few degrees and the following day you can go for 82.

[Abe]

Sure thing. Thanks alot Lija i appreciate your help greatly. Ill update on the progress

[Lija]

You're welcome, hope he is gonna be all right eventually. Good luck with feeding.

[Abe]

I set up Franks heat now. His temp might vary from either 81F or 87F because of the temp guns error margin. Ill feed him again tonight. I was wondering if pacmans like their temps high. The vivs temp varies around the surface so i figure he can regulate as he pleases.

[Mentat]

Temp guns read surface temperature, not the air, which is the reading you need. Recommend get a thermometer that reads the air temp, even if it's one of those glass enclosed ones for aquariums. Stable the temp between 82-84F daytime with a few degree drop at night.

[Abe]

Are termometers pretty accurate or are they an estimate as well?

[Lija]

Digital ones are more accurate with a probe attached to the dead centre of the back wall about 2" above the substrate. I use temp gun as a back up and check the thermometers readings. In some tanks i dont have termometers, so i just use temp gun. It is pretty accurate when you point from farther away to cover bigger area.

Ultimately nothing is 100% reliable, it is all various degrees of accuracy. I never rely on just one gadget per tank. In incubator i have2 different brands of thermometers + controller build in incubator itself and im using my themp gun once in a while.

[deranged chipmunk]

Nothing beats an old fashioned glass mercury thermometer IMHO


Education is the most powerful weapon we can use to change the world ~ Nelson Mandela

[Abe]

So so far ive given Frank about four pedialyte baths and force fed him three times but he'll only eat a small piece of reptaboost dusted crawlers per night because he has trouble swallowing it or it takes him a while. I feed him at about 9:30 pm and cant wait too long for him to swallow to give him another piece because i have to be up at 4:20am for work. Should i try feeding him in the evening and at night in order to get more food and reptaboost in him?

[Lija]

i see we are on a same schedule lol nice coming home early, isnt it? Sucks to wake up early as much lol

You know you dont have to feed a guy at 9:30. Lights in our reptile room and on at 7:30, down and 7:30 in summer, this way i have time to do everything before bed time. They turn off earlier in winter. But really if you prefer feeding in the morning, that is fine, because morning for some people still evening

It doesnt matter when, some would eat and during a day, as long as he eating, stuff him as much as possible, you can offer food at night and morning. For your frog the smaller portions given more frequent the better.

[Abe]

Unfortunately i wake up early because i have a two hour drive to work lol. Ill try to feed him three times a day. I was wondering how you feed your frogs crawlers. Do you always cut them because that sounds like a waste of worms hehe

[Abe]

Also should i continue with the baths?

[Lija]

Yes continue with baths for another day or two, then just let him be and just feed.

[limnologist]

Can you make your frog try to bite you? Cause I would do that to frogs that wouldn't eat and shoved food in their mouths once opened, after that, they figured out what the food was.

[Abe]

Usually i would rub his lips with the food and get him to open his mouth but recently he hasnt done that. I meant if im always gonna have to cut the worms or do the frogs ever eat worms whole.

[Lija]

Yes, you will be able to eventually. The reasoning behind cutting into small pieces for a frog to be able to fit in his stomach whatever he is biting, that is how babies are fed and small frogs too. In your case you gotta be careful giving small portions more often, but look for his reaction, he might not want to eat more then a piece a day, dont force him.

How he is feeing in general?

[Abe]

He doesnt eat on his own. Ive been force feeding him, i feel pretty bad about stressing him like that but i do it hoping he will have the energy to take the food on his own.

[GrifTheGreat]

He doesnt eat on his own. Ive been force feeding him, i feel pretty bad about stressing him like that but i do it hoping he will have the energy to take the food on his own.

Find a product called Repta Boost. Use that to force feed him. You can also contact a vet about getting some Lefeber Carnivor care. Very good at helping their systems restart and get their appetite back.