Why is my reptile not eating?
This is one the most common reasons we see snakes, lizards, turtles and tortoises. There are many different things that can cause anorexia (aka not eating) in reptiles. The most common causes include intestinal parasites, temperature and humidity issues, mouth infections, and respiratory infections.
Intestinal parasites
In addition to a thorough physical exam, the first time we see a reptile, we always check a fecal sample for parasites. Almost all of our reptile patients initially come to use with intestinal parasites, and infections may have been present a long time (sometimes it takes months for a reptile infected with intestinal with parasites to show symptoms). The origin of most of these intestinal parasites is the place where the reptile was purchased. When a large number of reptiles are housed together intestinal parasites and other disease complexes are common.
Luckily, it is easy to diagnose and treat intestinal parasites. There are two ways we check a fecal sample - by looking at a direct smear under the microscope to check for protozoa (like Giardia), and a fecal floatation to look for eggs of intestinal nematode worms. Both of these infections can be treated with specific dewormers. We perform 3 deworming treatments 2 weeks apart and then recheck a fecal. By that time, most of our patients are eating better, are more active, any diarrhea has resolved, and we can no longer see any signs of infection.
Temperature and Humidity Problems
There are very specific temperature and humidity ranges for reptiles depending on the species you own. If the temperature is too low or too high, or if there is not enough humidity in the environment, reptiles can stop eating. This is because they are ectothermic (meaning their internal body temperature is dependent on the external environment) and their metabolism, immune system health and other important bodily functions are directly related to how warm they are. If reptiles are kept too cold, their metabolism slow, and with it their appetites. Many other serious problems can arise from improper husbandry, so it is very important to speak with a veterinarian knowledgeable in exotic animal medicine to make sure you are feeding and housing your reptile appropriately.
Mouth Infections
This is simple - if your mouth hurts, you don't want to eat. Mouth rot is a term for bacterial infections in the mouth. These can be devastating to reptiles because the reptiles will not stop eating completely until the infection is very advanced. Treatment is a combination of antibiotics, mouth washes and force feeding if necessary until your reptile is able to eat again on his/her own. Other signs of mouth rot infections include reddened tissues around the mouth, swellings in the jaw or nose, or a whistling sound when breathing. Your reptile needs to be seen by a veterinarian if any of these signs are present.
Respiratory Diseases
Upper respiratory infections are common in reptiles and usually occur because of poor husbandry (inappropriate temperature or humidity settings, poor substrate choices). If the reptile is concentrating on breathing, or if the infection is causing the reptile to feel too sick, anorexia may develop. Usually with correction of husbandry issues and antibiotics these reptiles rebound well.
When do I need to bring my reptile in?
If your reptile skips 2 or 3 meals in a row (this could be 3 days or 3 weeks depending on the type of reptile) he or she needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian (or if there are more concerning symptoms than anorexia alone). A thorough physical exam and a fecal examination would be the first steps to diagnosing the cause of your reptile's anorexia. Some other testing that may be recommended includes x-rays or bloodwork such as a complete blood count and/or a biochemistry panel. Treatment will be directed by the results of the diagnostic testing.
Some other causes of anorexia in reptiles:
Improper time of feeding
Improper size or type of food being given
Improper cage setup
Hormonal issues (time of the year, egg-bound)
Intestinal cancers
Food aversion (such as with bites from live prey)
Overfeeding
Intestinal foreign bodies/impactions
Kidney disease
Intestinal infections
Viral infections
And many more....
Intestinal parasites
In addition to a thorough physical exam, the first time we see a reptile, we always check a fecal sample for parasites. Almost all of our reptile patients initially come to use with intestinal parasites, and infections may have been present a long time (sometimes it takes months for a reptile infected with intestinal with parasites to show symptoms). The origin of most of these intestinal parasites is the place where the reptile was purchased. When a large number of reptiles are housed together intestinal parasites and other disease complexes are common.
Luckily, it is easy to diagnose and treat intestinal parasites. There are two ways we check a fecal sample - by looking at a direct smear under the microscope to check for protozoa (like Giardia), and a fecal floatation to look for eggs of intestinal nematode worms. Both of these infections can be treated with specific dewormers. We perform 3 deworming treatments 2 weeks apart and then recheck a fecal. By that time, most of our patients are eating better, are more active, any diarrhea has resolved, and we can no longer see any signs of infection.
Temperature and Humidity Problems
There are very specific temperature and humidity ranges for reptiles depending on the species you own. If the temperature is too low or too high, or if there is not enough humidity in the environment, reptiles can stop eating. This is because they are ectothermic (meaning their internal body temperature is dependent on the external environment) and their metabolism, immune system health and other important bodily functions are directly related to how warm they are. If reptiles are kept too cold, their metabolism slow, and with it their appetites. Many other serious problems can arise from improper husbandry, so it is very important to speak with a veterinarian knowledgeable in exotic animal medicine to make sure you are feeding and housing your reptile appropriately.
Mouth Infections
This is simple - if your mouth hurts, you don't want to eat. Mouth rot is a term for bacterial infections in the mouth. These can be devastating to reptiles because the reptiles will not stop eating completely until the infection is very advanced. Treatment is a combination of antibiotics, mouth washes and force feeding if necessary until your reptile is able to eat again on his/her own. Other signs of mouth rot infections include reddened tissues around the mouth, swellings in the jaw or nose, or a whistling sound when breathing. Your reptile needs to be seen by a veterinarian if any of these signs are present.
Respiratory Diseases
Upper respiratory infections are common in reptiles and usually occur because of poor husbandry (inappropriate temperature or humidity settings, poor substrate choices). If the reptile is concentrating on breathing, or if the infection is causing the reptile to feel too sick, anorexia may develop. Usually with correction of husbandry issues and antibiotics these reptiles rebound well.
When do I need to bring my reptile in?
If your reptile skips 2 or 3 meals in a row (this could be 3 days or 3 weeks depending on the type of reptile) he or she needs to be evaluated by a veterinarian (or if there are more concerning symptoms than anorexia alone). A thorough physical exam and a fecal examination would be the first steps to diagnosing the cause of your reptile's anorexia. Some other testing that may be recommended includes x-rays or bloodwork such as a complete blood count and/or a biochemistry panel. Treatment will be directed by the results of the diagnostic testing.
Some other causes of anorexia in reptiles:
Improper time of feeding
Improper size or type of food being given
Improper cage setup
Hormonal issues (time of the year, egg-bound)
Intestinal cancers
Food aversion (such as with bites from live prey)
Overfeeding
Intestinal foreign bodies/impactions
Kidney disease
Intestinal infections
Viral infections
And many more....