Chameleon not really eatting
- Thread starter Zoeb
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Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
She can go a couple of weeks with no food so she can go quite a while with just a cricket a day. When did she first show receptive colors? Given how active she is I think this is just her hormones changing and driving her to explore and find a mate. Males display the exact same behavior at this age. I believe at this point she is receptive, not gravid, biologicaly speaking there is a huge difference between the two. A female looking for a mate will be very active but not eating much, but once she reaches the gravid phase this will reverse. As long as she isn’t showing any other concerning behavior I think your fine. Privacy is not required at this point but can’t hurt. Just keep offering food as I believe her appetite will pickup again soon once she starts developing the eggs.
A current pic would really help.
A current pic would really help.
Got a pic yesterday of her running aroung the outside of her cage. Pg 2. Will try get one later when i get in.
She started with the blue stripes on her casque about the 5th nov with blue and bright yellowspots down her back. Thats when the behaviour changed.
April McGregor
Established Member
Where abouts in North East UK are you? I'll have a little look at what the best vets are nearest to you
Ive got an appointment with swanbridge vets at north ferriby on Wednesday. A guy called paul. Paul what i dunno but apparently he is an exotic vet and they deal with chameleons.
Its 38 pounds for an appointment and i will see what he knows when i get there. Oh the drama that it's gonna be though, my cham is affraid of hands so hes gonna get bitten
Im in humberside in a village called south cave about 7 miles west of hull
April McGregor
Established Member
Oh brilliant thats good!
Ive not heard of them, if he's specifically has experience with chameleons you should be good, let us know how is goes
April McGregor
Established Member
Im sure the vet will understand haha, maybe try bringing a treat for Paul to try had feed before handling, he may not take it but just knowing the hand has held a treat for him should make him feel a little less threatened
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Got you, she looks perfectly healthy. But since you already have the appointment and it’s cheap I’d bring her in anyway. Chams are very good at hiding illness.
Gonna get her parasite tested if not too expensive just for piece of mind.
For 38quid it is well worth it to not worry I think. He only has one appointment too so and with christmas coming better safe than sorry
Brodybreaux25
Chameleon Enthusiast
Now t
Now thats a lay bin! She’s bigger than I thought she was, your on the right track.
Shes puffed up a lot. She looks tiny when running around.
I did wonder if the lay bin may be a bit to exposed though and maybe should stick some fake plants in it. She does trek across it often to end up with muddy feet.
We kept her sand one that was a bit small to make a climbing tree to come out on as thats the only way she comes out of the cage. But she is faster than usaine bolt when on it and escapes pretty fast at the moment to explore which is how we ended up trying to catch her the other day.
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Well April to let you know how it went. The vet is called Paul Knott and was fantastic. His knowledge is amazing and the handling was great. He rotates around East Yorkshire in the humberside area his appointment costing 38 pound.
The verdict, the poor husbandry from previous owners not providing UVB mainly more than lack of d3 has made her bones soft. Since we have had her we have started to correct that which will be a long process to improve but with the onset of her producing eggs 1.5 months into her new care, her body is using calcium stores which she doesn't have as we are correcting and we can't replenish as she's not eatting, so although her bones arnt bent yet her casque, jaw and legs a bit soft with mild MBD. She is carrying eggs but does not have the energy for oxy-whatever it is to make her lay eggs. So we have critical care liquid calcium twice a day which cost 12 pounds and some solution for dehydration and energy to help her out although she is not dehydrated yet. Then when she's stronger she will return for an injection to lay in 2 weeks if hasn't laid before.
I have given her 1 syringe of liquid calcium medicine in her mouth already and then within the hour she wanted to eat although her tongue was stuck (she tried to project but only half came out) and she ended up biting my partners finger to take the hopper without using her tongue. Anyone had this before? Her tongue was fine this morning when getting a soldier fly.
Oh and got the vet to check her nose out. Probably a stuck bit of shed that got bateria trapped and took too long to heal due to how much energy she is using that she doesn't have stored. It's like a scar from a long scab but not infected or anything that needs treating.
Poor thing is in the wars, but vet did say that if she had remained in the previous conditions when rescued its likely she would already be dead from MBD so I'm not doing such a bad job. ☺
Poor thing is in the wars, but vet did say that if she had remained in the previous conditions when rescued its likely she would already be dead from MBD so I'm not doing such a bad job. ☺
April McGregor
Established Member
Luckily she has a dedicated owner to nurse her back to health! With the treatment advised to you, I'm sure, over time she will be just fine. Good luck to you and your cham
Vet did warn me that its gonna take time and we may go through the same every time she needs to lay with the egg producing tipping the balance scales so to speak of the calcium stores, but he said we will cross that bridge when get there now we know the problem. He said where shes at at this stage it can be mostly reversed as she has soft bones but no deformities yet.
We will see. I have enough critical care solution for a year and time to nurse.
One thing vet man said that i didnt know, to share the knowledge. With the onset of MBD in egg laying females, they use lots of energy running around looking for males and a lay bin that it runs out and that why my cham puts herself to bed 2 hours early sometimes whilst the lights are still on. I have to reduce he daylight hours at the moment to around 9/10 to allow time for her to rest but still allow time for the meds to help her recover.
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