Chameleon Burrito!

[Remkon]

Besides, for the most part, these chameleons were born into captivity, and have been around people from day one. A cat born into captivity is more friendly and social than a feral alley cat, and I think this does apply to chameleons, if not quite to the same extent.

A cat gives birth to it's young and nurtures and raises them until they are ready to vent for themselves...
A cat may be a solitary animal by nature but certainly has social capabilities because of this. Humans made use of this trait and over hundreds of years of breeding and exploiting this trade created your housecat.

Chameleons meet only to mate, they lay their eggs and abandon them. If they encounter their offspring it's food. They don't have a social bone in their bodies. Humans are not keeping these animals for long and have no reasons for selective breeding to create a more affecrionate chameleon.

It's comparing apples to pears.

 

[alphakenc]

I believe the most important factor here is "what is causing the chameleon NOT POOPING??"Something is not right here,what goes in the stomach must poop out,every animal does that even human like us.
Could it be the feeder problem....or hydration problem?? Temperatures??

 

[phantomchameleon]

I believe the most important factor here is "what is causing the chameleon NOT POOPING??"Something is not right here,what goes in the stomach must poop out,every animal does that even human like us.
Could it be the feeder problem....or hydration problem?? Temperatures??

The vet said it could be the fact that i have been feeding him more hard shell things, like superworms.

 

[Theveiled]

The vet said it could be the fact that i have been feeding him more hard shell things, like superworms.

You should try to get him some hornworms or silkworms! They will help him a ton and most chams go crazy for them!

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

A cat gives birth to it's young and nurtures and raises them until they are ready to vent for themselves...
A cat may be a solitary animal by nature but certainly has social capabilities because of this. Humans made use of this trait and over hundreds of years of breeding and exploiting this trade created your housecat.

Chameleons meet only to mate, they lay their eggs and abandon them. If they encounter their offspring it's food. They don't have a social bone in their bodies. Humans are not keeping these animals for long and have no reasons for selective breeding to create a more affecrionate chameleon.

It's comparing apples to pears.

I agree humans haven't been keeping them for long but I know of a lot of breeders who only bred their social/friendly chameleons. So in a roundabout way it is possible, eventually, and maybe far off into the future, that maybe it's not such an apple and pear thing? We're just at the beginning of something that's been going for centuries with another species. I'm not saying chameleons will one day not eat their young or you'll be able to take them on hikes or something I just think that the more friendly ones that come from captivity and then breed has the same possibility to be a bit more freer with their social skills.

 

[alphakenc]

That is the problem with hard shell worm,try feed some hornworm or silkworm,and keep her more hydrated,shower the cham more,then if u want , u can dry the cham with a towel,forget about the burrito part.

 

[distortionz]

You're on the right track.. too much chitin in the diet from the supers will cause constipation.. But when you tap him on the nose twice he lays on his back? that's not normal. your chameleon isn't special or different your just doing stressful stuff to him. Interacting with your chameleon should be hand feeding, letting him climb on you or free ranging and that's really about it..

 

[phantomchameleon]

You're on the right track.. too much chitin in the diet from the supers will cause constipation.. But when you tap him on the nose twice he lays on his back? that's not normal. your chameleon isn't special or different your just doing stressful stuff to him. Interacting with your chameleon should be hand feeding, letting him climb on you or free ranging and that's really about it..

Its also not normal that when I tap his nose again he's fine. Please read the comment about when I took him to the vet today

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

What are your temps like? Also how warm was the towel you put him in? i'm just wondering because he may need more heat and that's why he seems to "like" the towel

 

[phantomchameleon]

The temps are always 80-90, and the towel itself was 80 i think?

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

i would lower the temp to basking 80-84 and the coolest spot around 75

 

[wavingsnail]

I appreciate your concern and advice but there is nothing wrong with my chameleon at the moment, except the pooping problem

There might not be anything wrong with your chameleon yet , but there is definitely something wrong with the way you are interacting with and handling your chameleon.

It seems like once every few months a member like you pops up talking about how special their chameleon is and the 'funny' things they do, then members such as myself point out that the animal is obviously stressed and not doing well. Then the keeper of this one in a million chameleon argues that we don't know what we're talking about, we argue back for a time, and ultimately the keeper of this chameleon stops posting all together.

I'm assuming the reason for this is that the Cham ultimately succumbs to the daily stresses it is being forced to endure, and dies .

I would love to be proven wrong on this , but I have been keeping lizards of all types long enough to know that I'm probably right on this one.

As far as your vet monitoring your chameleons heart rate, there Are a lot of factors at play there. temperature being the biggest. When a reptile is not at optimum temperature, its metabolism and heart rate slow down, so unless your vet was keeping your chameleon at appropriate temperatures while monitoring its heart rate , the data he gathered is worthless .

 

[phantomchameleon]

There might not be anything wrong with your chameleon yet , but there is definitely something wrong with the way you are interacting with and handling your chameleon.

It seems like once every few months a member like you pops up talking about how special their chameleon is and the 'funny' things they do, then members such as myself point out that the animal is obviously stressed and not doing well. Then the keeper of this one in a million chameleon argues that we don't know what we're talking about, we argue back for a time, and ultimately the keeper of this chameleon stops posting all together.

I'm assuming the reason for this is that the Cham ultimately succumbs to the daily stresses it is being forced to endure, and dies .

I would love to be proven wrong on this , but I have been keeping lizards of all types long enough to know that I'm probably right on this one.

As far as your vet monitoring your chameleons heart rate, there Are a lot of factors at play there. temperature being the biggest. When a reptile is not at optimum temperature, its metabolism and heart rate slow down, so unless your vet was keeping your chameleon at appropriate temperatures while monitoring its heart rate , the data he gathered is worthless .

It was in fact under a heat lamp to keep him warm because the office itself was cold, and we didn't want anything to happen to him
As much as i appreciate your concern, I believe im going to trust a vet who has reptiles and a chameleon himself and has a degree.

 

[wavingsnail]

The same vet who told you to bathe it.

Good luck.

 

[phantomchameleon]

The same vet who told you to bathe it.

Good luck.

If you read the previous, you would know it actually helps chameleons with constipation. Warm water helps loosen muscles, anyone with at least some medical/vet experience knows this.

 

[CharlieCharmingo]

Uhm, just a simple FYI, the weird poop could also be from stress along with temps. Also make sure he has places in his cage where he can be completely hidden. That could also be a stress factor. Live plants better than fake plants etc. Again best of luck with your chameleon. However if that picture of a person with their chameleon flipped over on its back is your chameleon I really do hope you'll take some of the things being said on here with a grain of salt and AT least (aside from feeding and the shower and over dose on supers) you stop handling him for a week. Chameleons stress over the littlest things so I would really put some consideration into what's in his cage with him, what's in the room with him, what you are wearing that could stress him, how you approach and grab him, etc.

 

[wavingsnail]

Okay , I'm going to make this nice and simple for you:

Chameleons are easily stressed animals

Reptiles in general, but chameleons in particular, do not handle stress well.

Stress in reptiles leads to a weakened immune system and loss of appetite, both of which will ultimately prove fatal.

So, by soaking your chameleon , an animal that is not aquatic in the slightest , you are stressing it.

Do you understand, now?

As not only a nurse, but a nurse that has been keeping reptiles for over half of my life , I can assure you that I have a bit more than "some" medical experience. I am well aware of warm water aiding in defecation in reptiles. I am also aware that a smarter move would have been to feed a high water content food item like hornworms.

But since we're talking about knowledge , I'm going to flip the coin and point out that anyone who had done even the most minimal of research on chameleons (or insectivore reptiles in general) would know that feeders with high chitin content like superworms can and will lead to constipation when fed in high volume.

So there's that.

 

[phantomchameleon]

Okay , I'm going to make this nice and simple for you:

Chameleons are easily stressed animals

Reptiles in general, but chameleons in particular, do not handle stress well.

Stress in reptiles leads to a weakened immune system and loss of appetite, both of which will ultimately prove fatal.

So, by soaking your chameleon , an animal that is not aquatic in the slightest , you are stressing it.

Do you understand, now?

As not only a nurse, but a nurse that has been keeping reptiles for over half of my life , I can assure you that I have a bit more than "some" medical experience. I am well aware of warm water aiding in defecation in reptiles. I am also aware that a smarter move would have been to feed a high water content food item like hornworms.

But since we're talking about knowledge , I'm going to flip the coin and point out that anyone who had done even the most minimal of research on chameleons (or insectivore reptiles in general) would know that feeders with high chitin content like superworms can and will lead to constipation when fed in high volume.

So there's that.

How many times do i have to say that he wasn't stressed at all by the soak. He was fine. He didn't close his eyes, he wasn't trying to get out, and his colors didn't turn darker or lighter. The fecals, the blood work, and the x-ray proved that there is nothing wrong at the moment with him. Especially the heart rate test proved that he isn't stressed at all by my handling. I've already begun giving him silk worms along with the super worms.
I am aware that chameleons are easily stressed animals. I came into this knowing they would be difficult to take care of. I know a smarter move would have been to feed him horn worms, but i have no access to them.

So there's that

 

[wavingsnail]

You clearly have access to the Internet , so you in fact do have access to hornworms.

Fecals, bloodwork and x-rays also will not show stress in a reptile, and I'm sorry if your vet made you think that they would .

Reptiles are not mammals. They cannot verbalize stress, illness or pain. In fact, by the time a reptile shows physical signs of stress, you're in trouble .

The reason for this is that a visibly weak, Ill or injured animal is exactly what a predator looks for when looking for lunch, because that means easy picking.

But, hey, what the hell do I know.

 

[serenaj25]

How many times do i have to say that he wasn't stressed at all by the soak. He was fine. He didn't close his eyes, he wasn't trying to get out, and his colors didn't turn darker or lighter. The fecals, the blood work, and the x-ray proved that there is nothing wrong at the moment with him. Especially the heart rate test proved that he isn't stressed at all by my handling. I've already begun giving him silk worms along with the super worms.
I am aware that chameleons are easily stressed animals. I came into this knowing they would be difficult to take care of. I know a smarter move would have been to feed him horn worms, but i have no access to them.

So there's that

i don't by any means want to offend or judge you and your cham, but the behavior your animal is showing is not normal and no matter what a vet says, the behavior is just not normal. everyone on this thread is just trying to help you and make sure that your chameleon is doing well and by shutting down what everyone says to defend yourself is not going to help you. i am telling you that your chameleon is showing signs of severe distress even if your vet doesn't agree. as a fellow owner i would like to offer my advice and tell you to reduce the amount of handling you do with your boy and stop feeding superworms for awhile until everything is back to normal. i wish you all the best with getting him back to normal