Don’t know what’s wrong with my chameleon

[Riiiiivera]

I have a veiled chameleon about 3 months in age it’s been about 4 weeks now that I noticed a change in behavior. He’s eating a lot less than what he normally does and he’s recently started trying to eat the dirt from his plants they’re well covered but he’ll just stay near the rocks shooting his tongue at them.

My main problem is the loss of appetite he used to eat around 10-8 bugs everyday didn’t matter what it was he was usually very excited to eat but this last month or so he started eating less and less. He has recently gotten bigger and so have the size of bugs I feed him but something seems off and I wanna be sure he’s ok

I think one of three things could be effecting him. One Is that he is just getting older? I’ve read that as chameleons get bigger they don’t eat as much. Or could it be the feeding schedule I will admit it’s a bit random but I offer him food every day. I’ll say two times out of the week I have time to offer him food early in morning like your supposed to but I usually feed him around 3 or 4 in the afternoon because of work. Or lastly the humidity drop that is required at night. I keep his humidity up with a hand mister and Saran Wrap i wake up in the middle of the night to Maintain 80-90% humidity in his cage but there are gaps where it could drop before I wake up again to make sure it’s where it needs to be

I’ll attach pictures of the covered up pots and him

 

[Blippi the Cham]

Maybe hes about to shed they won't have much appetite when their about to.. When did he last she'd? hes still young 3 ,4 months still eats alot hes about to be juvenile over 4 months that's when they would eat a little less but I would say about to shed

 

[Blippi the Cham]

@Gingero

 

[terrahm]

Yep ^^ he might be about to shed. Also, chams that young should be fed twice a day as much as they'll eat, my baby eats 20-25 1/4 sized crickets a day. I wouldn't transition to once a day until around 4-5 months old. What are you gutloading with? Chams love variety and might be bored of the food/on a hunger strike. Good job putting the rocks over the soil!

 

[Riiiiivera]

Maybe hes about to shed they won't have much appetite when their about to.. When did he last she'd? hes still young 3 ,4 months still eats alot hes about to be juvenile over 4 months that's when they would eat a little less but I would say about to shed

Didn’t think of that I’m hoping that’s all it could be but he last shed on Jan 20

 

[Riiiiivera]

Yep ^^ he might be about to shed. Also, chams that young should be fed twice a day as much as they'll eat, my baby eats 20-25 1/4 sized crickets a day. I wouldn't transition to once a day until around 4-5 months old. What are you gutloading with? Chams love variety and might be bored of the food/on a hunger strike. Good job putting the rocks over the soil!

I gutload with carrots, apple slices, mustard greens, and kale. He gets feed mostly crickets super worms and dubias but I usually switch them out every week so one week it’ll be supers another dubias and so on

 

[terrahm]

I gutload with carrots, apple slices, mustard greens, and kale. He gets feed mostly crickets super worms and dubias but I usually switch them out every week so one week it’ll be supers another dubias and so on

Sounds good to me! Your enclosure looks great as well. Hopefully he's just about to shed.

 

[Blippi the Cham]

True switch it up dubia riaches crickets they will get bored mines stubborn will just eat crickets even thou dubia roaches have more protein from what I read but as long as hes eating idc but yea hopefully yours just shedding but as long as he has food available there one thing if chameleons they won't starve they will eventually eat what they have there go on a hungerstrike but will eventually eat .. Have you changed anything in his habitat ? Do you use feeding cup or free feeding like let bugs loose in there ?

 

[kinyonga]

What supplements specifically are you using and how often for each? How heavily are you dusting the insects?
Has he had a fecal done recently?

 

[Blippi the Cham]

@kinyonga I was just omw to tag you on here lol

 

[Riiiiivera]

True switch it up dubia riaches crickets they will get bored mines stubborn will just eat crickets even thou dubia roaches have more protein from what I read but as long as hes eating idc but yea hopefully yours just shedding but as long as he has food available there one thing if chameleons they won't starve they will eventually eat what they have there go on a hungerstrike but will eventually eat .. Have you changed anything in his habitat ? Do you use feeding cup or free feeding like let bugs loose in there ?

I usually just place it near him with tweezers one by one until I see that he eats the bug and I’ll keep offering like that till he doesn’t eat anymore. Only time I use the cup Is for super worms but he hasn’t had an appetite for them in a while. I also tried feed him small horn worms for the first time and he hissed and puffed at them guess he didn’t like them.

And I clean his cage once a week and some times I’ll take the pothos out so the vine system changes I guess

 

[Riiiiivera]

What supplements specifically are you using and how often for each? How heavily are you dusting the insects?
Has he had a fecal done recently?

I use repti calcium without d3 I use that every feeding and zoo meds reptivite twice a month
I don’t dust them too heavily I think until I see small white spots on them

 

[Blippi the Cham]

Try switching it up on how you feed with a feeder cup ( full throttle feeders ) if not most likely ab to shed again hopefully it is that but keep an eye out hopefully everything turns out good

 

[ERKleRose]

I use repti calcium without d3 I use that every feeding and zoo meds reptivite twice a month
I don’t dust them too heavily I think until I see small white spots on them

Does the Reptivite have D3 in it or no? Has he ever had a fecal float done to check for parasites? What type and strength of UVB bulb do you have, and how far away is it from his basking branch?