Not Eating/Constantly Molting/Losing Weight

[Delphinejq3]

HELP!

I've had my fire belly newt now for almost 10 years. About a month and a half ago he got himself stuck and injured part of his belly and back (towards his tail). He has since recovered from his injures. He has stopped eating and is losing weigh quickly (you can see his spine). We have tried changing his diet from frozen shrimp (which he had eaten faithfully for years) to frozen blood worms. He is an odd newt because he prefers to be on land rather than in the water. He's moving when he is out of the tank but not while in it.

Any ideas on how to get him to eat?

 

[Jennewt]

Try earthworms. Try feeding him with a toothpick or tweezers. Beyond that there isn't much you can do.

 

[Delphinejq3]

What kind of earthworms? How do i go about feeding him with a toothpick/ tweezer?


Thanks for replying

 

[Azhael]

Any earthworm from the genera Lumbricus or Eisenia are perfect. You can dig them up from pesticide-free areas, buy them online or from baitshops.
To feed with a toothpick you just cut a small piece of earthworms and pin it with the pick, then move it around in front of the newt.

 

[Delphinejq3]

I tried feeding him cut up earthworms this weekend with a toothpick. Wants nothing to do with them. He is getting so thin, I feel like I've exasperated all options.

 

[bdubz]

If he used to eat on land more than in water, you could try mealworms. I don't have any fire bellies but some of my eastern newts refuse earthworms but will happily eat mealworms.

 

[Shizeric]

You could also try live blood worms.

 

[Kaysie]

Or waxworms. I've rarely seen an animal turn down waxworms.

Keep trying with the earthworms. Leave small, wiggly sections in front of him and leave him be. Try feeding when it's dark, without turning on the lights too much.