EATING DIRT!! won't eat bugs!

[Klyde O'Scope]

Why on Earth would he want to eat those tiny bugs when he can have ANYTHING else.

Why... because there's no accounting for taste!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophagia

Geophagia is widespread in the animal kingdom. Galen, the Greek philosopher and physician, was the first to record the use of clay by sick or injured animals in the second century AD. This type of geophagia has been documented in "many species of mammals, birds, reptiles, butterflies and isopods, especially among herbivores".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoopharmacognosy

Zoopharmacognosy is a behaviour in which non-human animals apparently self-medicate by selecting and ingesting or topically applying plants, soils, insects, and psychoactive drugs to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of pathogens and toxins.
....
An example of zoopharmacognosy occurs when dogs eat grass to induce vomiting. However, the behaviour is more diverse than this. Animals ingest or apply non-foods such as clay, charcoal and even toxic plants and invertebrates, apparently to prevent parasitic infestation or poisoning.

Whatever the reason, I think it would be prudent to do whatever is necessary to discontinue and dissuade the behavior in order to prevent impaction, which can be very serious.

Then I would get the animal to a herp vet ASAP.

Just my $.02

 

[CharlieRae]

Why... because there's no accounting for taste!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophagia


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoopharmacognosy


Whatever the reason, I think it would be prudent to do whatever is necessary to discontinue and dissuade the behavior in order to prevent impaction, which can be very serious.

Then I would get the animal to a herp vet ASAP.

Just my $.02

I'm trying to find a vet. It was suggested i get a fecal done & possibly a check up. Finding a herp vet is proving challenging.

 

[Mrjamwin]

Well, I've never really looked. I guess I'll go check when I get home. Why on Earth would he want to eat those tiny bugs when he can have ANYTHING else.

I knew kids growing up that would eat paste and Play doh.

 

[jamest0o0]

Yeah I agree with a fecal as well. He looks healthy, but good to be safe. Is the soil chunky or soft small grains?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I'm trying to find a vet. It was suggested i get a fecal done & possibly a check up. Finding a herp vet is proving challenging.

I dislike asking this, but I dislike making assumptions more...
[Rhetorical] Have you tried the links on finding vets in the shaded area at the top of this forum?
They helped me find a couple of certified (might not be the correct term) herp vets near me.

 

[CharlieRae]

Yeah I agree with a fecal as well. He looks healthy, but good to be safe. Is the soil chunky or soft small grains?

It is fine soil. But I do have some orchid bark mixed into it.

 

[jamest0o0]

The grains of soil I wouldn't worry about personally, my chams have eaten soil and I never had an issue. Chunks of orchid bark I wouldn't want them to swallow though. Can you put a layer of smooth soil on top?

 

[CharlieRae]

I dislike asking this, but I dislike making assumptions more...
[Rhetorical] Have you tried the links on finding vets in the shaded area at the top of this forum?
They helped me find a couple of certified (might not be the correct term) herp vets near me.

I did look through that to try & find a vet. The closest I could find was a 4 hr drive. Which I think would be quite stressful for him. So I'm still looking.

 

[jamest0o0]

Instead of taking him to a vet immediately, if everything else is fine, just find a vet near you that will do a fecal exam. Most vets will do that for you

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I did look through that to try & find a vet. The closest I could find was a 4 hr drive. Which I think would be quite stressful for him. So I'm still looking.

Not as stressful as compaction. IDK how up-to-date those links & listings are, so I'd check with all the local practices (I know—PITA). If they don't have a herp person, they may have an exotics person. Not the best, but better than a 99-44/100% cat & dog doctor (No offense to cat & dog doctors).

A fecal exam can be done locally; I think I'd want someone more experienced for blood analysis or X-rays if necessary.

When I said ASAP above, I meant if he had definitely been ingesting (chowing down) soil. Sorry for any confusion. I'd also take a look at the composition; clay is the worst, followed by silt. IDK about organics like peat, etc.

 

[ChameleonTherapy]

The breeder I got Bodhi from (Bruce at Chameleon Paradise) has me supplementing with the Outdoor (no d3) version of Miner-All 3 days a week to give him trace minerals that the other usual supplements don't provide. This is in addiition to the calcium without d3 he gets 6 days a week. His justification for this is to make up for the trace minerals wild chameleons would get from bugs that have been on or in the earth and picked up minerals from there. My uneducated guess is that your guy could be trying to get something he's not getting from the other supplements?

 

[CharlieRae]

The breeder I got Bodhi from (Bruce at Chameleon Paradise) has me supplementing with the Outdoor (no d3) version of Miner-All 3 days a week to give him trace minerals that the other usual supplements don't provide. This is in addiition to the calcium without d3 he gets 6 days a week. His justification for this is to make up for the trace minerals wild chameleons would get from bugs that have been on or in the earth and picked up minerals from there. My uneducated guess is that your guy could be trying to get something he's not getting from the other supplements?

That's where I got my chameleon! I'll get some of that & see if it helps.

 

[jamest0o0]

I think the idea that they eat dirt to supplement minerals makes sense, but some species do it more than others and for just about no reason. I think this might be an instictual habit rather than them actually knowing they need minerals. Panthers, especially juevenile, will chew on branches and rocks too.

 

[jamest0o0]

Of everyone I've known with bioactive enclosures, IDK any that had impaction problems. Not to say it doesn't happen, but it seems to almost always be accompanied by terrible husbandry

 

[NashansCamos]

Of everyone I've known with bioactive enclosures, IDK any that had impaction problems. Not to say it doesn't happen, but it seems to almost always be accompanied by terrible husbandry

I have heard that a healthy chameleon shouldn’t get impacted but if they eat like loads of it daily then it can’t be good for them

 

[CharlieRae]

I think the idea that they eat dirt to supplement minerals makes sense, but some species do it more than others and for just about no reason. I think this might be an instictual habit rather than them actually knowing they need minerals. Panthers, especially juevenile, will chew on branches and rocks too.

I have caught him chewing on branches when he's outside. Interesting to know. Thanks!

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

We can argue about discuss causes, reasons, whether it should or shouldn't happen...
There's been an awfully lot written about impaction in chameleons, here & elsewhere.

 

[Guacamole331]

I'm at a loss as to what to do with my 9 month old, male, panther chameleon. He won't stop eating dirt! He is now refusing ALL bugs & actively seeking out dirt. He is in a 18x18x24 bioactive enclosure. I have covered the pots mounted on the back wall with rocks, but I don't think I can cover the entire bottom with rocks without damaging my healthy ecosystem?? I have the substrate covered in a thick layer of leaf litter, but he will dig it away to get to the dirt.
I have tried every feeder I can think of. He is refusing all of them. He ate crickets great for around 3 months when I got him. Then stopped eating those & would ONLY eat superworms until about 2 weeks ago. Then he would eat a grasshopper here & there. Now he won't eat those either. I've tried all sizes of dubia, he ate 2 or 3 then refused them. I've tried all sizes of crickets. BSFL & the flies, Wax worms, silkworms & the moths. I will put bugs in his feeder & he will stare at them like hes hungry, then wander off. He ate a jumping spider off my wall last night(9/7). Thats the only thing I've seen him eat in quite a while, that wasn't dirt.
He has a linear T5HO UVB, a linear plant light & a basking light. He was getting the repti.cal & pollen daily(when he was eating). The repashy 2x a month. His temp during the day is between 78 & 80. At night it drops to around 66, which is what we keep our house at. His basking spot is about 87. (which I was told is too hot, so it has been turned down) Humidity is usually around 35-40% (I've been told this is also too low humidity, so i have added a fogger for night time). I gut load all my feeders with a variety of veggies & fruits for a minimum of 48 hrs before offering them to him. I have included pictures of Jupiter & the supplements I use. He is uncharacteristically friendly, always has been. He is active & drinks well. We are in the process of building him a new enclosure with the dimensions of 32x24x48 Photos were taken last night. (9/7)
ANY advice is welcome.

I am having the same issue with my 9 month old veiled chameleon! Has this been resolved? What and how did you do if he began eating again??

 

[Beman]

I am having the same issue with my 9 month old veiled chameleon! Has this been resolved? What and how did you do if he began eating again??

You really should give full info in your own threads... This is the only way we can help you. I suggest you post in your thread about this or make a new one. We will have you fill out the help form so we can find husbandry related issues.

 

[Guacamole331]

You really should give full info in your own threads... This is the only way we can help you. I suggest you post in your thread about this or make a new one. We will have you fill out the help form so we can find husbandry related issues.

I would just like to know what they did to get him to eat and how many days he went without eating.