Hansel

That's good to know about the crickets! He is looking fabulous! Showers will definitely help to energize him, and will help his appetite too! Try to offer food after the shower. He should be feeling good and frisky.
 
Thanks for the tip, @Andee! He willingly went to his feeder cup for more wax worms today so I am hoping that he will pick up a few tibia with it. I have some silks coming soon too.
 
Your welcome ^^ it's hard to judge how much of a problem crickets can be for a chameleon with MBD. In general Hansel has a lot of mobility, but it's better to be safe. Right now I am working hard on exercising Hope's tongue, if I just use the feeder cup she uses it once and she then gets so close to the feeders she just sticks it out a bit and touches the feeders and bites into them. So I have been using silkworms to hand feed her and force her to exercise her tongue muscles twice in a row.
 
Your welcome ^^ it's hard to judge how much of a problem crickets can be for a chameleon with MBD. In general Hansel has a lot of mobility, but it's better to be safe. Right now I am working hard on exercising Hope's tongue, if I just use the feeder cup she uses it once and she then gets so close to the feeders she just sticks it out a bit and touches the feeders and bites into them. So I have been using silkworms to hand feed her and force her to exercise her tongue muscles twice in a row.

Ok, so how the heck do you get ahold of a cricket to do that? They creep me out more than anything(dubia I have no problem with) and I usually do whatever I can to avoid touching them.
 
Lol I just grab their bodies or wings depending how big they are. Then you pinch their thigh or whatever on their jumping legs. It should just pop off without any pulling.
 
Lol I just grab their bodies or wings depending how big they are. Then you pinch their thigh or whatever on their jumping legs. It should just pop off without any pulling.

NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THIS. I literally just shake crickets in when I have used them in the past. Lord, I hope I can get him to eat more dubia. He did eat one today with the wax worms.
 
Good luck I can understand hating crickets. I have no problem touching them, I just hate them in general and will never raise them until I have hatchlings. So not worth it until then, they are literally disgusting in both scent and many many other ways. And honestly I like insects a lot and have a lot of animals who most normal people would consider disgusting. But I would choose roaches over crickets any day.
 
Update on my Hansel man. He's doing very well. He's taken to his new cage like a champ and is loving the new space so much that he is not as friendly as he was. Lol. I'm ok with that as long as he's getting better. He went from that tiny 12x12 black box into his "hospital" glass enclosure to finally his nice big custom screened in bird cage with live plants. He's eating lots of silk worms and now as of the last couple days I've been getting him to eat the dubia I offer every day. He took down 6 dubia today and 8 silk worms. WAY better appetite. It was a struggle to get him to eat anything at the beginning, silks and wax worms were about all I could get him to eat and even then it was only one or two every couple of days. He's loving the automatic mister. His poos look great, too. Nice white unrates. He's slowly putting weight on and looking all together healthier.
It's harder these days to get a good picture of him since he loves hiding in the plants. But I am loving that he now sleeps all curled up and no longer stretched out like he's clinging to a tight rope and afraid of falling.

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Way to go, Hansel! I am so glad you came here and listened to the advice you got! Those pictures are proof of a very dedicated and adept owner! How are his sheds going? Any more problems with his eyes?
 
Way to go, Hansel! I am so glad you came here and listened to the advice you got! Those pictures are proof of a very dedicated and adept owner! How are his sheds going? Any more problems with his eyes?
I think you may have me confused with someone else...He's never had a problem with his eyes. And I agree this forum is a wealth of info, I've been a part of it since 2013.
 
looking good Hansel... i was thinking also of having a Veil...(y)
Veilds are great, Hansel is my third one. The first I got died after a few months as did all of the ones from that clutch, it was not a good breeder! The second I picked up was one I got that had his back burned and I was able to nurse him back to heath. He was so friendly!! But, after having him a year, we were moving and I found him a home so that he would not have to go through the stress. I wish I would have kept him, but then I had no idea how I would move him. And we ended up in a hotel for three weeks while finding a house. We are looking at another move this summer and my boys are coming with me this time!
 
Ok, so how the heck do you get ahold of a cricket to do that? They creep me out more than anything(dubia I have no problem with) and I usually do whatever I can to avoid touching them.
Put the crickets in a cup and grab a back leg with tweezers, scissors or a hemostat and pull it off. They come off without effort and the crix cannot jump.
 
Just wanted to give a quick update on my Hansel man since I've not been on in a few months. He's doing great. Eating well and loving a big cage. He likes it so much he is no longer the sweet friendly guy he was at the beginning. He doesn't mind me putting feeders in for him but if I even try to get close he hisses and lunges. But he looks great and is gaining weight. He hides a lot of the time but basks a lot as long as no one is watching. Lol. I love his pretty color.



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