I just recently started posting on here but I already have a question/concern lol
So I have a western hog named Norman, he weighs around 16-17g (I need to weigh him to be sure again) and i recently rearranged his furniture and gave him more substrate (on saturday). Now he fed the next day, Sunday, and he tends to be a good eater for me but now that it’s been a few days he’s essentially buried himself in his substrate and hasn’t come out even to bask or anything.
I tried to feed him yesterday, since he doesn’t like to eat from tongs I just left it in a dish for him and he didn’t even try to eat it, but the meal on Sunday was 2 small pinkies rather than his normal one bigger one (but it should’ve been the same amount of food weight wise). I’ve also tried to feed him today, but no sight of him but his tail poking out a hole he dug.
So I’m wondering if this is just normal behavior or if I should be more concerned. He’s usually pretty good about adjusting but I’m wondering if I maybe added too much to his enclosure
Try getting a can of tuna in water and soaking the meal in the juice. You can also try dipping it in boiling water for a few seconds to remove smell. It’s normal for them to be fearful. They typically grow out of it with handling.
I don’t want to discount your suggestion but he has been feeding without the need for scenting as long as I’m not watching him eat. I don’t think he’s scared (I could be wrong though) and he hasn’t needed scenting before which is why im a bit concerned
Hoggies love their burrowing. Giving him more substrate and new enrichment and he’s likely just enjoying the extra digging capabilities. I’ve got an adult female that will basically ignore food if she’s burrowed. I’d consider giving him a couple more days to get settled, then perhaps dig him up at feeding time (I know most will tell you not to do this, but if he’s comfortable with you, you’re fine) so you can show him and let him get the scent of the food. Some are just…odd. Either way, I wouldn’t even start to worry yet.
I wouldn’t opt for scenting at this stage since he’s had a good track record. Hognoses can be finicky and even slight changes, though positive, can throw them off. I see you tried to feed yesterday and today is that right? I would recommend only offering once every 5-6 days and no handling until feeding normally. If you havent already, for the next meal you can place it in the evening and leave overnight. Definitely no need to worry at this point as they can go a while without eating as long as they are healthy otherwise. Also make sure to double check that temps and overall husbandry is still on point.
I feed like every 4 days because he’s still on pinkies, which I think is good for his age and how big he is, I thought about digging him up but I didn’t want to stress him out. He generally eats within an hour or two of me putting it in his tank though so I’ve never left it overnight. I think it might be that he’s just borrowing to his hearts content lol
Definitely then just give him a few more days and see if he starts coming to the surface once he’s got his tunnels the way he wants them. I mean, if you think about it, he’s got a whole network to rebuild to get pathways to the newly arranged furniture!
That’s true. I appreciate the help I’m an anxious pet parent so I get out of order really easily lol. Thank you guys for offering suggestions and advice <3
Definitely agree with @noodlehaus and @ghsaltie No need to scent if he is an established eater, which he is. And he seems to be comfortable with you as well. Also as what has already been said, with the added substrate you have given him, he is probably in “HOG” heaven! Hoggies love to burrow and dig around in the wild, hence the cute little turned up snooty snoot! So don’t sweat the small stuff and give him some space. You might be out a few pinks until he has worked up an appetite but hey it’s worth it! A happy hoggie is a hungry hoggie!
He poked his head out as I was turning his lights off for the night got worried for nothing so I may try to feed him on Sunday just to give him a break to get hungry again
I’ve got about a dozen of them and have had a couple that weren’t eating scented go off food while growing with no obvious explanation and brought them back on by scenting. I personally use a ft house gecko. If he doesn’t take on the next try I wouldn’t discount it. I’ve never had problems switching them off of scenting once they’re taking consistently. If the fear is he’s not eating, and the goal is getting him to eat…
I also mentioned boiling his meal to remove/reduce the rodent smell. If you’re concerned about scenting, boiling is an option that comes with no drawbacks.
As @noodlehaus mentioned, they’re odd feeders compared to most of the common captive species.
Every 4 days but his last meal was bigger than what I’d previously fed. I think it may just be he’s not hungry yet and is still exploring his enclosure since I changed up his enrichment
That’s what I’ve been doing, since I got some bigger pinkies at the start but they looked too big for him when I got him. We’ve been varying if I give him like two smaller ones or one bigger one for a few feedings now so I’ll probably go to feeding every 5 days or so
I’m an anxious pet parent so I get out of order really easily lol. Thank you guys for offering suggestions and advice <3
got worried for nothing so I may try to feed him on Sunday just to give him a break to get hungry again
