Does my veiled look healthy? Problems with feeding...

myacarter

myacarter

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I've had my male veiled chameleon, Xander, since April (when he was 4-6 months old.) Everything was going well until August when he stopped eating. He refused to hunt for crickets and we go nervous so we started hand feeding him. He currently refuses to hunt, even if I leave worms in his bowl. He hasn't shot at anything in months but if we place a worm in his mouth he'll eat it. I need some tips on how to get him back on a cricket diet and how to start leaving food in his enclosure again instead of having him open his mouth and us dropping the food inside. Also, does he look healthy? As a first time chameleon owner I'm still learning how to do this. I'm afraid that he isn't in good shape. PLEASE HELP!! I can't afford to go to a vet right now. P.s. these are some current pictures of him. If I got him in April and he was a juvenile, should't he be bigger?
 
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Is it the chameleon in your profile picture? If so, the front elbow looks curved and your cham might have MBD. It could just be the angle of the photo. Your pictures did not upload of your chameleon. Please post pictures of your enclosure as well as the pictures of your chameleon. Also, what would really help is if you fill out the how to ask for help form and post it in a reply to this thread. How are you getting him to open his mouth? Is he doing it on his own?

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/
 
Chameleon Info:

◦ Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, 11-13 months old, i’ve had him since april.

◦ Handling - I handle Xander daily to move him to some of the plants by a big window so that he can bask in the natural light. He gets much happier colors when he’s basking there.

◦ Feeding - Since i’ve been having problems I’ve only been feeding him super worms and wax worms because he refuses to eat the crickets. Yes, I know this is not an ideal diet which is why I’m having problems. They are gut loaded and dusted with calcium though. I feed him 4-5 every other day.

◦ Supplements - I use repribreeze calcium to dust his worms.

◦ Watering - Some problems with drinking occurred around the same time as feeding. I’m currently in the process of installing my dripper but I spray him a few times a day. When he sees the spritzer he will often open his mouth and i’ll spray some water in his mouth which he will drink. He’s basically trained me to give him anything when he opens his mouth.

◦ Fecal Description - He’s never been tested (he came from fl chams if that means anything) but he hasn’t been pooping as much either which is another problem.

◦ History - Nothing history wise but does he look small for 11-13 months? I’m afraid his growth is stunted or something awful like that. Maybe I’m just paranoid but I could really use some advice.



Cage Info:

◦ Cage Type - Screened cage.

◦ Lighting - Reptibreeze cage, XL, i have a basking light and a heat lamp that turn on at 7am and off at 7pm.

◦ Temperature - I just got this cage and have to install the thermometer but his last cage in the same area was about 70 degrees F.

◦ Humidity - Again, have to install but last time it was like 60 percent humidity? I use a humidifier that runs ll day.

◦ Plants - I have fake foliage but I have an orchid at the bottom of his cage.



◦ Placement - The cage is near a big window.

◦ Location - Mid hudson valley, New York.



Current Problem - I’m worried about his health and that he’s trained me to feed him which I cannot maintain. He needs to start eating on his own again. Should I just take him to the vet?
 

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bobbydigital said:
Is it the chameleon in your profile picture? If so, the front elbow looks curved and your cham might have MBD. It could just be the angle of the photo. Your pictures did not upload of your chameleon. Please post pictures of your enclosure as well as the pictures of your chameleon. Also, what would really help is if you fill out the how to ask for help form and post it in a reply to this thread. How are you getting him to open his mouth? Is he doing it on his own?

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/
Click to expand...
I posted the info
 
Here are some pictures of his enclosure.
 

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myacarter said:
Chameleon Info:

◦ Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, 11-13 months old, i’ve had him since april.

◦ Handling - I handle Xander daily to move him to some of the plants by a big window so that he can bask in the natural light. He gets much happier colors when he’s basking there.

◦ Feeding - Since i’ve been having problems I’ve only been feeding him super worms and wax worms because he refuses to eat the crickets. Yes, I know this is not an ideal diet which is why I’m having problems. They are gut loaded and dusted with calcium though. I feed him 4-5 every other day.

◦ Supplements - I use repribreeze calcium to dust his worms.

◦ Watering - Some problems with drinking occurred around the same time as feeding. I’m currently in the process of installing my dripper but I spray him a few times a day. When he sees the spritzer he will often open his mouth and i’ll spray some water in his mouth which he will drink. He’s basically trained me to give him anything when he opens his mouth.

◦ Fecal Description - He’s never been tested (he came from fl chams if that means anything) but he hasn’t been pooping as much either which is another problem.

◦ History - Nothing history wise but does he look small for 11-13 months? I’m afraid his growth is stunted or something awful like that. Maybe I’m just paranoid but I could really use some advice.



Cage Info:

◦ Cage Type - Screened cage.

◦ Lighting - Reptibreeze cage, XL, i have a basking light and a heat lamp that turn on at 7am and off at 7pm.

◦ Temperature - I just got this cage and have to install the thermometer but his last cage in the same area was about 70 degrees F.

◦ Humidity - Again, have to install but last time it was like 60 percent humidity? I use a humidifier that runs ll day.

◦ Plants - I have fake foliage but I have an orchid at the bottom of his cage.



◦ Placement - The cage is near a big window.

◦ Location - Mid hudson valley, New York.



Current Problem - I’m worried about his health and that he’s trained me to feed him which I cannot maintain. He needs to start eating on his own again. Should I just take him to the vet?
Click to expand...
He's spoiled on wax works and superworms, skip one or two feedings and then only offer him crickets. What are you gutloading with? Try some other feeders like silkworms, hornworms butterworms, black soldiers flies and larvae, blue bottle flies, and roaches (red runner, dubias, orange-headed, and ivory-headed roaches can't climb or fly). Don't handle him often, if his happier colors are brighter colors, then he's either pissed or stressed from handling. He needs a better free range set up and uvb cannot pass through windows. Chameleons are like fish, look but don't touch. He needs phosphorus free calcium without D3 every feeding, phosphorus free calcium with D3 twice monthly, and a multivitamin without D3 twice monthly. Give him all the water he wants. He needs to be misted at least 3 times a day, but preferably more, for at least 2 minutes each time, but preferably for 5. Make sure to put the dripper above a plant so it falls onto the leaves below. Make sure to have a drainage system in place, as well. Is your uvb linear or a compact coil? Is your basking light white, red, or blue? Go to the hardware and buy a digital temp gun for basking temps and a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo for ambient temp and humidity levels. Get some live plants since veileds do eat plants. FL Chams has a cham safe plant list on their website.
 
myacarter said:
Here are some pictures of his enclosure.
Click to expand...
He needs more branches and vines, mostly horizontal, everywhere. Along with more plant cover, as well. When you get the money, invest in an automated misting system and a t5HO linear uvb bulb (Zoo Med 10.0) and fixture. Put his cage on a stand, too
 
myacarter said:
He has a basking light and a heat light
Click to expand...
So a basking light, which provides heat & a heat light, which provides heat. But no UVB light such as an Arcadia T5 6% or 12%? Or a Reptisun T5, 10.0 or 5.0? Chameleons need UVB as well as heat to be able to digest & process their food appropriately.
 
Your chameleon has not been getting any UVB, so it cannot utilize the calcium you are giving it. This could quite possibly be the beginning of MBD. It can affect their ability to use their tongue.

You are so very lucky his allowing you to hand feed and water him. You MUST get him a source of UVB now. Even if all you can afford is the crappy swirly bulb, that is better than nothing.
 
I agree with above, if you don't have any uvb and your cham's elbow isn't pointed in the picture, he most likely does have metabolic bone disease
 
ERKleRose said:
He needs more branches and vines, mostly horizontal, everywhere. Along with more plant cover, as well. When you get the money, invest in an automated misting system and a t5HO linear uvb bulb (Zoo Med 10.0) and fixture. Put his cage on a stand, too
Click to expand...
where can I get a stand?
 
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