Superworm addiction

[rickd5]

My 10 month old panther Ned refuses to eat any feeder but super worms for about a week and a half now. I've tried hornworms ,dubia, and crickets. He used to eat all of these and now hisses when I present them to him. He went three days without eating anything and then I gave in and he instantly ate the worm. Tried cup freding.. Throwing them in there.. And by hand he just won't touch anything else.

If anyone has any suggestions. He is just a growing boy so I'm scared to put him on a strike.

 

[rickd5]

Here is a couple pictures of him this morning

 

[camimom]

Let him go a few days without food, then try any bug but supers.

hes doing it because you are feeding his addiction.

He knows if he holds out, youll feed him what he wants.

hes a spoiled kid, lol.

 

[CLP]

Let him go a few days without food, then try any bug but supers.

hes doing it because you are feeding his addiction.

He knows if he holds out, youll feed him what he wants.

hes a spoiled kid, lol.

Agreed. At his age, and since he seems well fed, he can go more than a few days without food. He's spoiled, and wants his worms. You have to make him eat something else. Just keep in mind - when you're feeling guilty around day 4 that this is for his health. He can't eat nothing but superworms! You just need to get him hungry enough. He won't starve himself, but he wants you to think he will

 

[rickd5]

Well despite me worrying about him not getting enough food. I will try and starve him for a few days again. I tried 3 days before but maybe more is necessary as you pointed out.

Its bizarre to me that hornworms were once his favorite and now he won't touch them.Same goes with Dubia's

Only thing I have never tried is Silk worms just can't get a hold of any atm.

P.S. -Would trying to stick(force) the crickets in his mouth when he gapes just cause him to hate them even more (or me lol)?

aww... I love Ned why does he have to do this

 

[camimom]

Itd probably cause him to hate you.

he could go an easy week without food and still be ok.

Just go several days and offer no food, show him nothing.

that's how I got my guys eating roaches.

 

[rickd5]

OKay. I think I am going to try 4 days and then show him some.
He is due for panacur on the 16th as well anyways.. I forgot to mention he was on that 2 weeks ago for a small case of single celled parasite(I forget the name).. it wasn't anything major though, he was eating fine while on it as well I was putting it on a dubia and he was taking it without hesitation.

 

[SPork]

I know nemesis used to cup feed him crickets, have you tried to offer him crickets that way?

 

[rickd5]

Every way possible man. Hand feeeding. Cup feeding. I even have a feeding cup with mesh they run up and he still doesn't want them. He just loves his supers he eats them right out of my gfs hand. So I'm going to try the strike thing I guess.

BTW spork do you have any silkies available I have not tried those

 

[Saldarya]

I let my guy go a week after he started his SW addiction. He came around......

 

[SPork]

Sorry, i don't right now. If i did you would be more than welcome to come and take some to try to get him eating again.

 

[chefboyardee]

rick I have some silks that are just about pre-pupation if your boy can eat something that big, I also have one or two runts that are half an inch shorter or so. I have enough separated for myself that Im going to get to breed so if youre willing to drive up this way I can hook you up w/ some, Im up in Pasadena

 

[rickd5]

Yes I am more than willing to drive.. Anything for this guy. When ru available next. I work retail so my hours always fluctuate. Thanks for support on this.

 

[chefboyardee]

Im free this weekend, shoot me a PM and we'll figure out a time that works

 

[tkilgour]

I've run into this issue before. Simply quit feeding the cham for a few days and he will develop a taste for other bugs.

 

[rickd5]

Thanks! Update: he ate one cricket today and then was over it! But that's a start haha

 

[sandrachameleon]

My 10 month old panther Ned refuses to eat any feeder but super worms for about a week and a half now. I've tried hornworms ,dubia, and crickets. He used to eat all of these and now hisses when I present them to him. He went three days without eating anything and then I gave in and he instantly ate the worm. Tried cup freding.. Throwing them in there.. And by hand he just won't touch anything else.

If anyone has any suggestions. He is just a growing boy so I'm scared to put him on a strike.

Stop offering superworms. that's all you have to do. He'll eat something else when he is hungry enough. 3 days isn't very long, especially since he's been eating fatty supers.

 

[rickd5]

Yes I took superworms out of his diet. He ate one cricket off the side of his cage today and he went for a 2nd and missed but was over it after that (he has never been a bullseye) I left some in his feeder cup(made with mesh so they crawl up and down it) and now he is just pacing up and down around it staring it down.

Problem is tomorrow he is due for his 2nd round of a 5 day treatment of panacur(2 weeks after first dosage). I was dropping it onto a dubia's belly before and he was eating them up. Any suggestions if he won't eat.. I don't want to have to put it on supers to have him take it.

-I know dropping it into his mouth is an option but I've went through that before and its stressful.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I missed the note about the parasite issue.
I'd let him have his superworm addiction until the treatment is finished and about a week has gone by. Then stop with the supers once that problem is behind him.

If his aim is off, it could be a sign of illness / lack of particular vitamins.

 

[rickd5]

I missed the note about the parasite issue.
I'd let him have his superworm addiction until the treatment is finished and about a week has gone by. Then stop with the supers once that problem is behind him.

If his aim is off, it could be a sign of illness / lack of particular vitamins.

Thanks Sandra, always refreshing hearing from you. Okay yes I went to try and feed him dubias this morning and he was over it. I put some panacur in a cap and rubbed a superworm in it coated in Repashy cal+(LOD).... im very sure there was enough panacur on there(atleast a drop stayed on the slippery shell).

The guy at the pet store I know that breeds panther's also told me Feeding supers all the time isn't soo bad if I gutload and supplement well...he had a stubborn panther live 8 years on almost exclusively supers but all in all he told me crickets are obviously better staple with a mixture of feeders... better that he eats something than nothing.


-So I've concluded that I NEED to feed supers if that's all he's going to eat, at least while he's on his panacur routine, hope this is the best choice.