Feeling totally disheartened

[emiliopchameleo]

Here's my basic information-- and at the bottom I hope someone can help me out.


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - 7 month old panther chameleon (male)
Handling - Not handled
Feeding - 4-5 crickets a day, trying to get him interested in worms but no luck so far
Supplements - Repashy calcium with D
Watering - Dripper system over Artificial plant leaves, misted 2-3 times a day, dripper 2x a day
Fecal- brown plus white and yellow urates
History- I originally got a panther from a breeder, and he came home, ate for a few days and then he stopped, activity level dropped and he just seemed to be not doing well, the breeder exchanged him for me for a different male, (this was Monday) and now I have this guy and he doesn't seem to have interest in crickets at all, even though that was his exclusive diet....

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Alum. Screen cage, 4ft by 2 x 2
Lighting - ExoTerra UVB100 bulb (26w) and 100w basking spot lamp and night bulb (50w)
Temperature - 89* basking, and 75* ambient-- measured with reptile room digital thermometer, and checked with temp gun
Humidity - around 60-80% in reptile room, maintained with humidifier
Plants - Artificial
Placement - Cage is in the reptile room, in the corner, sheltered on two sides by walls and then a third side by a snake rack. It is raised off the floor about 1.5 ft
Location - Central Alberta

Current Problem - as I mentioned in the history portion, this is my second panther, as my first was taken back by the breeder when he stopped eating. I've had my replacement for about 5 days, and I haven't seen him eat, and I've retrieved all the feeders from his drip pan or the cage. I feel like my setup has something wrong with it. I don't know if my lighting is deficient or something? I am really down about all this... I don't want to make this guy sick!!

 

[laurie]

I am going to put my responses in red so they are easy to see, I hope this helps.

Here's my basic information-- and at the bottom I hope someone can help me out.


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - 7 month old panther chameleon (male)
Handling - Not handled
Feeding - 4-5 crickets a day, trying to get him interested in worms but no luck so far
He needs to be eating 10 to 12 crickets. What size are the crickets? They might be to big or to small. Try to get some silk worms or some horn worms. Flys are great to get they wanting food. They love anything that flys.

Supplements - Repashy calcium with D
You need 3 supplements, the calcium + d3 that you have should be used only twice a month, you need plain calcium (no d3), this should be used at most feedings, he also needs a mineral, like Mineral for example. You that twice a month also. Only use 1 supplement at a time do not combine them

Watering - Dripper system over Artificial plant leaves, misted 2-3 times a day, dripper 2x a day
He should have a dripper running most of the time. I use a gallon jug with a tiny pin hole in it. How long do you spray him and do you see him drink? Real plants will hold water better and give him a better chance for a drink.

Fecal- brown plus white and yellow urates
If his urates have yellow in them, he is most likely dehydrated. You can sit him on a plant in the bathroom while water hits the wall and bounces toward him, that will help.

History- I originally got a panther from a breeder, and he came home, ate for a few days and then he stopped, activity level dropped and he just seemed to be not doing well, the breeder exchanged him for me for a different male, (this was Monday) and now I have this guy and he doesn't seem to have interest in crickets at all, even though that was his exclusive diet....

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Alum. Screen cage, 4ft by 2 x 2
Cage is an excellent size.

Lighting - ExoTerra UVB100 bulb (26w) and 100w basking spot lamp and night bulb (50w)
Both the uvb and basking lamp are good if the temps stay where you want them to be. He should not have a night light, it will interupt his sleep. If it gets to cold at your house get a heat emmiter. That is a ceramic bulb that puts out heat but no light.Do not get it close to your cham as they get hot.

Temperature - 89* basking, and 75* ambient-- measured with reptile room digital thermometer, and checked with temp gun
ok

Humidity - around 60-80% in reptile room, maintained with humidifier
ok but it needs to be cleaned every day.I have two and I switch them for cleaning.

Plants - Artificial
This is a big issue for me. a lot of people use fake plants but live plants help with the humidity, are better for the chams to walk on, and retain water on the leaves longer for your cham to have more drinking chances.
Placement - Cage is in the reptile room, in the corner, sheltered on two sides by walls and then a third side by a snake rack. It is raised off the floor about 1.5 ft
If your cham is near a snake you are causing the cham major stress. Snakes are a natural predator for chams and your cham most likes thinks it is going to get eaten. I would try to get your cham as fat form any snakes as you can, and make very sure the cham can never see a snake.

Location - Central Alberta

Current Problem - as I mentioned in the history portion, this is my second panther, as my first was taken back by the breeder when he stopped eating. I've had my replacement for about 5 days, and I haven't seen him eat, and I've retrieved all the feeders from his drip pan or the cage. I feel like my setup has something wrong with it. I don't know if my lighting is deficient or something? I am really down about all this... I don't want to make this guy sick!!

Hang in there we will get this guy healthy and happy. Your first three things are supplements, variety of feeders and far, far from snakes.

 

[ridgebax1]

You could also try some horn worms or silk worms. They are sold by a couple of the site sponsors. My guy loves them and they can help with hydration. I agree the snakes could be freaking him out if they are visible from his enclosure. He may be afraid to come out to eat.

 

[kinyonga]

Can the chameleon see the snakes?

 

[emiliopchameleo]

Thank you all for your responses. I wondered if it was the snakes that we're causing the issue because we have almost 80 of them. Though he can't see them (as far as I can figure-- at least not well enough to be able to tell what they are...most humans can go in there and not tell what's in there) but I'm wondering if he can smell them?? At any rate, it's got to be something causing stress, and that's what my best guess was---

We're moving to a new house right away, and he will be away from snakes there, but I will move him out of there today anyhow.

 

[laurie]

Moving him away from the snakes is a great start. Now offer a variety of feeders and supplement him well and you should be on your way.

 

[JFodera]

The ordeal of being moved, coupled with a brand new environment, will often (obviously) stress a chameleon. When we introduce prey into this new environment they sometimes become even more stressed, resulting in a loss of appetite or interest in food. In fact, I've heard breeders recommend that a new owner does not attempt to feed their chameleon for the first few days. A chameleon's dismissal of food can be so concerning to us keepers that we try twice as hard to get them to eat, and consequently only succeed in stressing them even further.

If your chameleon was eating regularly and healthily before you received him, he will be just fine waiting a seemingly long time for his next meal- up to a week or more. Starving like this obviously isn't ideal, but reptiles can regulate their metabolism in ways their warm-blooded admirers cannot. You might want to try leaving him be for the next few days; not only will this ensure he is really hungry when you do finally entice him with some nice (gut fed!) insects, but it will give him some time to settle and calm down after the move.

Good luck!