Can't keep food down, vomiting

[Zephyr]

I haven't even had Nagini for a week and she doesn't seem to be doing so well. After her long drive home (traded my juvie bearded dragon for her) she was alert and active. We were home maybe 15 minutes and she vomited up her breakfast that the previous owners had fed (two supers). I just passed this off as her being car sick. Previous owners were experienced, had her on paper towels, and he belly is nice and soft.. she had just recently shed. Anyways, I offered her some reptiworms one night and she vomited them up the next night (partoally digested, white section of calcium, but fully intact reptiworms (some started moving later on. Anyways, she did this again tonight noy long after I turned her lights off. She's still moving around and is very active at night, but her color seems off. Any ideas? I've drcided to cut off food for a few days to let her adjust more. Basking temp is around 94, theres an UTH as well as a 60w day bulb for heat. She has all her hides.. does anyone have any ideas as to what I should do?

She is still trying to eat, and isn't resisting food.. she just can't seem to digest it.

 

[LZRDGRL]

Your "day bulb" isn't bright white day light, is it? If so, get rid of it and use a red light/heat lamp or a black light. Leopard geckos don't bask; they need belly heat. You can achieve this by a UTH or by an overhead heat lamp.

One week isn't enough yet to get her acclimatized to her new surroundings, so I wouldn't worry just yet. Make sure she can feel safe and has dark spots to hide in (and isn't exposed to white light).

If her vomiting continues for 2-3 weeks, I would contact the person you got her from and return her, or take her to a vet. Have you tested her stool for parasites? It might be a good idea, anyway.

Chrissy

 

[Zephyr]

Your "day bulb" isn't bright white day light, is it? If so, get rid of it and use a red light/heat lamp or a black light. Leopard geckos don't bask; they need belly heat. You can achieve this by a UTH or by an overhead heat lamp.

One week isn't enough yet to get her acclimatized to her new surroundings, so I wouldn't worry just yet. Make sure she can feel safe and has dark spots to hide in (and isn't exposed to white light).

If her vomiting continues for 2-3 weeks, I would contact the person you got her from and return her, or take her to a vet. Have you tested her stool for parasites? It might be a good idea, anyway.

Chrissy

No, it is a heat bulb and is not very bright at all (nothing at all like uvb). It was used by her previous owners, and I have only been using it because the UTH doesn't get as warm as I'd like it to. I'll keep an eye on her. I haven't been able to test her stool due to her vomiting up her food. Should I continue to hold back food?
.

 

[LZRDGRL]

I wouldn't hold back food. She might actually be very hungry, because she hasn't kept anything in yet. Just keep trying, and good luck!! :main_yes:

Chrissy

 

[Zephyr]

I wouldn't hold back food. She might actually be very hungry, because she hasn't kept anything in yet. Just keep trying, and good luck!! :main_yes:

Chrissy

Okay! Thanks! Should I try mixing up the food? Like, if she's stil vomiting this weekend should I pick up some small crickets or some mealies?

 

[fl_orchidslave]

She needs to eat, but I would try a smaller meal twice a day until she's able to get back up to regular amounts. It's hard on them to regurgitate. Some geckos are goofy and will overeat if allowed to. Not saying this is the case here at all, but it does happen, and they get obese if it continues. The goofballs beg with their eyes like a dog! Most likely the car trip did indeed trigger the initial episode tho.

 

[Zephyr]

Thanks everyone! She seems to be a bit better today. I came home from school and she was out and about looking around her tank. I gave her three small reptiworms and she gobbled them up, it looks like she ate her two from this morning too. She looked a little dark in coloration and dull yesterday, today she seems a lot brighter. Here's a pic of her chowing down when I got home:

 

[Adinar]

Aren't reptiworms the same thing as waxworms?

 

[Zephyr]

Aren't reptiworms the same thing as waxworms?

Haha, No - waxworms are moth larvae. Reptiworms are Black soldier fly larvae (maggots 'gut loaded' a special diet for reptile feeding). Reptiworms, Phoenixworms, and caliworms ate all the same species but are all fed completely different diets. Making the nutritional ratios for each brand different. As for reptiworms compared to waxworms...

Reptiworms:
Protein: 15.71%, Calcium: 0.43%, Phosphorous: 0.30%, Ca/P: 1.43, and Crude Fat: 8.09%.

Waxworms: Can someone find the nutrition analysis of a waxworm? I'm on my phone and google is not cooperating.

 

[Adinar]

Hm, sounds interesting. Have you had much luck with them with other animals? Or tried giving her something else to see if she can keep it down?

 

[Zephyr]

Hm, sounds interesting. Have you had much luck with them with other animals? Or tried giving her something else to see if she can keep it down?

My old Leos and my bearded dragons Love reptiworms. As for Nagini, she seems to be holding down food better. She hasn't vomited up food from this morning, I gave her a few more worms around 3, and a little bit more around 7. So far she seems to be doing well. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed! She was being fed supers, but vomited them up so I immediately took them out of the picture (for size). She also vomited up mealworms.

 

[Zephyr]

I've been feeding small meals of 2-3 reptiworms 2-3 times daily (in hopes of keeping her full and helping her gain a little weight). She's hold them down all day, then at night she seems to be regurgitating partially digested food. It's too large to be feces, and if she's pushing that out from the rear - dear me that wouldn't feel good! Anyways, she's still readily eating like a pig. But today I had another idea, I do have some canned crickets (small) I used as salad toppers for my bearded dragon. I grabbed some tweezers and wiggled them in front of her face and she gobbled them up like mad! She won't eat them alone out of a bowl, but as long as I drop them one-by-one in the tank or shake them with tweezers, she chows down. I'm hoping she won't vomit with this meal. The crickets are small, and very soft.. so I'll keep trying them.