at my wits end!

[artemis2000]

hi everyone. i need help, cleo went to the vet and he said she is just on a hunger strike and it will pass. but i dont know what to do! all she has eaten in the last 18 days is 9 waxworms. i know that they are not that good but i have tried everything from giving her a shower to putting food in her mouth and having her spit it out. here is what i have tried to feed her, crickets all sizes from 2 week up to large, kingworms, mealworms, beetles, earthworms, moths, waxworms, which she ate once, butterworms she is getting super skinny and i am starting to worry. i let her out which she was gung ho for but still nothing. she is drinking fine so i have been trying to put her vitamins and calcium in the water. while she was out i changed her cage around but she still comes to the front when im home and just sits there. i gave her a sand box on your advise which is 15 deep by 12 x12. she isnt interested in it either the vet said she dose not have eggs. any advise wwould be really appreciated
thanks
glen

 

[kinyonga]

Did the xray the vet took show follicles (round "eggs")?

You said that she was in with 28 other chameleons including males when you bought her and that she was about 10 months old....so IMHO she had to be gravid when you got her. I think you said you got her about the middle of May?? If she was just gravid when you got her she should have laid eggs by the middle of June (or earlier if she was gravid before that since she could have been sexually mature/producing eggs for a couple of months before you bought her). It seems very strange to me that she has no eggs in her....but she is showing gravid/non-receptive coloration and looks quite plump...and she's been with males.

 

[pssh]

Try silkworms, hornworms, Flies, or butterflies. (pssst, I have butterflies, silkworms, AND flies. PM me if you're interested.

 

[artemis2000]

cleo

sorry for all the faffing but i am just going by what the vet said. he looked at her and took and xray and said that there was nothing so he said she was on a hunger strike and that this would pass with time. i have no faith in him though as i said we have 4 vets here 2 knowing nothing about reptiles, 1 knowing only very little and this guy, so i dont trust him. all i know is what i said that she was with 26 others and she was the last one when we got her a while back and up until now she has never had any problems. and she was with males and females and they said she was 6 months old. thanks for the offer on the bugs but there would be no way of getting them so i will try to get silkies here and butterflys also.
once again thanks for everything people as i dont know what to do!
she islooking mighty skinny and im starting to worry

glen

 

[pssh]

Oh... Are you not in America? If you try breeding flies, they may spike her interest. Also, painted lady butterflies and red admiral butterflies are non-toxic.

 

[artemis2000]

sorry i am from vancouver island canada

 

[laurie]

I would make some bug juice. Just crickets, ensure & pedalite. I put them all together in a cheap blender for my chameleons, them strain the stuff, put it in a syringe with NO Needle. Gently open her mouth and carefully put it in a bit at a time. It has saved a number of my chams who quit eating for longer than I was comfortable with. Hope this helps.

 

[JDH]

Glen,

I'm in the same boat as you right now. My girl has had no problems eating since I've had her, but she just stopped eating on the 13th and to the best of my knowledge has only eaten two wax worms since then. I've tried several different bugs and worms each day, but no luck.

Did you see the xray from the Vet? I will post a picture of my xray so you know what to look for. The smaller circles are the eggs. I've placed a laying bind in her cage and have filled it with both play sand and dirt at different times, but the only interest she has shown in either the sand or dirt is eating it.

Is your girl still pooping? If she is then she's eating something when you're not watching. (dirt, sand, leaves)

 

[artemis2000]

i did see the xray and there were nothing that looked like eggs or anything, she just stopped eating ,thanks for the pic of your xray it helps to know what to look for, as for poop there hasnt been anything in about 2 weeks so i know that she isnt eating anything, i will try your bug juice sugestion too and see if this helps
thanks
glen

 

[pssh]

Well, a healthy chameleon can go for more than a month without eating and still be fine. I would get a scale and monitor weight.

 

[jannb]

Did your vet do a fecal? Sorry if I missed this. It could be parasites. Parasites can cause them to stop eating. Is it too hot? Are the feeders too big? Please fill out the ask for help form so we can see how you are keeping her. https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ I would try to find a different vet and until then feed the bug juice as Laurie said.

 

[ataraxia]

sounds like the cham has parasites imo. what are the temps in the cage and lighting? if your weather will permit this...give her as much natural outside sunlight as you can. this usually perks up an appetite. keep an eye on her while she is outside too. as soon as any of mine start to gape i bring them to the shade.

now some might flame me..there is some stuff made by zoomed called caloric jump start. this along with some pedialyte and bug guts i have success getting chams back to health. i do only use the caloric once/twice a week and use approx. quarter to half teaspoon.