Help my chameleon is not eating properly

[RangoTango123]

I have 4 month old Jackson’s chameleon and lately he hasn’t been eating properly, I usually feed him 5 crickets a day dusted in calcium powder, but now he will hardly snack on any of the crickets that I try to offer him or put in his cage. Please let me know anything I might be able to change or do to get him eating again! Thanks, Harry.

 

[PabloTheCham]

Is he shedding? This may explain it. A little trick I use is when he hisses at me, I put a worm in his mouth and then he eats it. He just keeps his mouth open with this confused look on his face XD Then he just eats it. If he is dehydrated, just use a dropper like this one:
https://biologyproducts.com/glass-d...xaADb1i9uKTCK_5KYCBjJ3EC4fNk2MbcaAuH-EALw_wcB

Hope he eats again!

 

[Lennoncham]

Can you please fill out the help form so we can give better advice?


Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[RangoTango123]

Is he shedding? This may explain it. A little trick I use is when he hisses at me, I put a worm in his mouth and then he eats it. He just keeps his mouth open with this confused look on his face XD Then he just eats it. If he is dehydrated, just use a dropper like this one:
https://biologyproducts.com/glass-d...xaADb1i9uKTCK_5KYCBjJ3EC4fNk2MbcaAuH-EALw_wcB

Hope he eats again!
[/QUOTE
Thank you for your help ?, but he started acting like this before he started shedding and he’s not very aggressive

 

[PabloTheCham]

So he never hisses at you? If you get your hand close it should hiss.

 

[PabloTheCham]

So he never hisses at you? If you get your hand close it should hiss.

Like mine is doing in my profile pic XD

 

[RangoTango123]

Can you please fill out the help form so we can give better advice?


Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

So he never hisses at you? If you get your hand close it should hiss.

no?, he just scrambles away

 

[kinyonga]

Answering the qHeat ions might help.

 

[RangoTango123]

Can you please fill out the help form so we can give better advice?


Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

My chameleon has a mesh cage and the cage size 24”x24” x48”, my cage is located close to my fan but closer towards the window so he can get sunlight, the lighting I use is a Zoo Med moonlight reptile bulb that’s 60 w, I’ll often handle my chameleon once or twice a week usually to clean his cage and then I’ll take him outside and let him crawl on my Mexican avacado tree, I usually feed him crickets I’ve tried other insects and bugs but he doesn’t seem to like them and he use to eat mealworms but he stopped eating those, and yes I usually gutload my crickets with oranges and other fruits, and my chameleon Rango is a Jackson’s chameleon and he is a male and I’ve had him for about two months now.

 

[kinyonga]

Where do you live?

If the light is coming through glass then it's not giving your chameleon any UVB.

You don't mention using a UVB light. Without UVB your chameleon will likely develop MBD....unless you're taking him outside long enough each day. I would recommend the long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light.

There should be no light or heat at night unless your house is freezing (below 55F)!

You didn't mention the basking temperature. For a basking bulb you can use a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that puts the basking temperature in the right range. @JacksJill ...can you please help with this and correct anything else I may have said wrong? Thanks!

Feeding/gutloading crickets, locusts, superworms, roaches should include veggies and greens and just a small amount of fruit.

What supplements are you using and how often with each? Please name the brands and tell us if they have phos, vitamin A (preformed or prOformed) or vitamin D3.

How are you providing water? How often?
What's your cage made of? Size?
Plants? Real or fake?

 

[RangoTango123]

Thanks for the reply ,I live in South Georgia, it’s usually mid 70’s, and yes I have a UVB light that I keep on for 12 hours a day, my house stays around mid 60’s at night time so he can sleep good I also turn his heat lamp off at night whenever he sleeps so he can stay at a good temperature, I use d3 supplements reptivite by Zoo med, I have a mister that automatically mists the leaves and stuff, and I have just fake plants in his cage and I’m planning to buy real ones, my cage is made of mesh.

 

[kinyonga]

Not enough information on the supplements...so let's try it this way.
For years I have used RepCal phos free calcium powder lightly at all feedings but 4 a month. This helps to make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phos found in most feeder insects.

At 2 feedings a month, I use RepCal phos free calcium/D3 powder lightly. This provides some D3 but leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of it from its exposure to the UVB you provide for it. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health problems...D3 produced from exposure to the uvb won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB at will.

I dust twice a month with herptivite lightly. It has a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A so it won't build up in the system and leaves it up to you to decide if the chameleon needs some prEformed vitamin A.

However...with jacksons chameleon, you will likely only want to do the D3 and vitamin powder once a month...ask @JacksJill .

 

[JacksJill]

For my Jackson's I only use a 40-50 watt basking bulb. I shoot for 80-82 F basking and 72 ambient daytime and as close to 60 F as possible at night. You need a UVB t5 light 12 hours a day. A coiled compact florescent won't do the job.
Yes supplements of full strength D3 and multi vitamin each are only given very lightly once a month. If you use a low D3 all in one like Repashy Calcium Plus LoD then you just give it every two weeks, Use very lightly. Give plain calcium 2-3 times per week.

 

[RangoTango123]

Ok thank for the response I will do that