Weight gain!

[ChamelaChameleon]

@Beman @MissSkittles Today's Vet visit. Carmelo is 262g. . He was down to 218g. I only feed him 2 feeders and a hornworm everyother day. How could he gain weight? Besides he's been on a hunger strike. He definitely munches on the Money Tree and Pothos plants.
Can he gain weight from the plants? I'm in shock! No mouth rot. What is going on here?

 

[Beman]

@Beman @MissSkittles Today's Vet visit. Carmelo is 262g. . He was down to 218g. I only feed him 2 feeders and a hornworm everyother day. How could he gain weight? Besides he's been on a hunger strike. He definitely munches on the Money Tree and Pothos plants.
Can he gain weight from the plants? I'm in shock! No mouth rot. What is going on here?

You need to weigh him again to be sure. Make sure your deducting the stand or bowl your using by weighing it first.

 

[Beman]

Also when was the 218 weigh in?

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

Also when was the 218 weigh in?

218g March 2023.

 

[Beman]

218g March 2023.

And you are positive of the weight today? Did you do it or did the vet do it? Can you reweigh him? I am wondering if the first weight was correct.

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

The Vet Tech weighed him. I saw her zero out the scale but I'll weigh him at home. I bring my scale to 0 after I put the bowl in place so that it does not include bowl weight. I was in shock. I didn't ask him to be re-weighed. I've been totally committed to his food plan. 2 feeders and 1 hornworm. Can I feed him 2 times a week?

 

[Beman]

The Vet Tech weighed him. I saw her zero out the scale but I'll weigh him at home. I bring my scale to 0 after I put the bowl in place so that it does not include bowl weight. I was in shock. I didn't ask him to be re-weighed. I've been totally committed to his food plan. 2 feeders and 1 hornworm. Can I feed him 2 times a week?

Weigh him again when you get home to be sure and then we can discuss further. I just want to confirm that it is a real gain. And the prior weight you had on him was that at the vet or at home with you?

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

232g was at his 1st Vet visit December 2022. March of 2023 he was at 218g, I weighed him at home. I just weighed him - 262g validated. I weighed him 3 times as if the scale was going to change! Nope, the scale remains at 262g. I'm in shock and have no explanation. I'm the only one feeding him. He eats 2 feeders and 1 hornworm everyother day. Now this explains why he can go on extended hunger strikes. He's got plenty of fat stores!

 

[Beman]

232g was at his 1st Vet visit December 2022. March of 2023 he was at 218g, I weighed him at home. I just weighed him - 262g validated. I weighed him 3 times as if the scale was going to change! Nope, the scale remains at 262g. I'm in shock and have no explanation. I'm the only one feeding him. He eats 2 feeders and 1 hornworm everyother day. Now this explains why he can go on extended hunger strikes. He's got plenty of fat stores!

First I am really wondering if the march weight was accurate. So here is the issue. You need to be weighing monthly at home. You have to find the sweet spot for how many feeders will slowly allow him to reduce weight rather than gain. Then when you get the weight down where you need it you have to find the right amount to maintain weight.

Beman is 15 inches long and has his sweet spot to maintain 150 grams but it is literally no more than 6-7 feeders a week. No feeder is larger than 1/2 inch in size. I feed Beman 2 times a week only. In reality for his size he should be leaner but I had tried for years and could not get him under 150. And yes part of me feels bad because I know he could eat 20 a week if I let him. But him staying within limits for his health is more important because too many issues arise when they are obese.

So right now your feeding every other day 3 feeders. So he is rotating between 12 feeders one week to 9 the next and so on. His intake is too much. If we discount the March weight (I really doubt this one is accurate) and we go from the December weight to the current weight. That is a 30 gram gain in 10 months average it out and it is 3 grams a month. This again is why I mention weighing him monthly. To know if he is stable on weight, reducing in weight, or gaining in weight.

Do you know what his total length is or length from tip of nose to vent is? This will give me a better idea on where he should be weight wise.

 

[ChamelaChameleon]

No, I don't know his length but I'll get it later. He was definitely 218g in March. I started feeding grasshoppers but only 2 per feeding. I will start weighing him monthly. What about the plant intake? I'm sure he's probably packing on some calories from the Money Tree and Pothos leaves.

 

[Beman]

No, I don't know his length but I'll get it later. He was definitely 218g in March. I started feeding grasshoppers but only 2 per feeding. I will start weighing him monthly. What about the plant intake? I'm sure he's probably packing on some calories from the Money Tree and Pothos leaves.

No, I would not contribute it to plant eating. Beman did this actively until about a year ago and I saw no weight fluctuations on his monthly weigh ins. You are not looking at the same protein intake as you are with insects. I am not sure how grasshoppers compare to crickets or dubia.