BCam
New Member
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem -
I'm having an issue with feeding and Cam's appetite. I've been giving him crickets and dubai roaches since I first got him, and then introduced superworms and meal worms on top of that. I feed all the insects Dandelion Greens, Collard Greens, and carrots.
He stopped eating about a week and 1/2 ago. He was eating 5-6 crickets a day before this, along with 2-3 dubai roaches. I'd give him a superworm or 2 and meal worm or 2 every few days mixed in with the crickets and roaches. About a week and 1/2 ago he just stopped eating the crickets, had no interest in the roaches and only ate when I'd feed him a superworm. I stopped doing this because I've read on these forums about how they shouldn't be eating solely superworms, and they should be more of a treat. Last week on Tuesday he hadn't eaten in a few days, so I went and bought three hornworms at the local pet store in Brooklyn. They were about 3-4 inches long, but the minute I put one in his cage on my hand, he ate it. He refused any normal feeders the following morning on Wednesday, so I gave him another hornworm early afternoon. He grabbed it right off one of his perch dowels. It took him a while to eat it and he kept his mouth open long after finishing it.
I watched and he kept his mouth open most of the night until he fell asleep, and then the following day once he woke up all day. His temperatures were fine in the cage and I misted him because I was worried he was thirsty since he was keeping his mouth open since the night before. I didn't give him the third hornworm I had gotten because I was worried something happened with them since he wouldn't close his mouth.
I live in two locations (split the week between the two which is why he has two cages, one in BK and one upstate). When I drove upstate Thursday afternoon for work, he seemed fine in his travel box, light green and asleep on his towel. When I got here he went into his other cage, the larger one, and continued to keep his mouth wide open all day. I decided to drive him to my local vet here to see their exotic pet doctor and he gave him a good look over, said he seemed fine, but he was a little worried about him possibly having MBD. He said other than that, he seemed very healthy, no tongue/mouth problems. He prescribed Calcium Borogluconate 23% to give him twice a day for two weeks, which I started Thursday night. Since starting him on the medicine he has definitely stopped keeping his mouth open.
I want to note that I also installed the
24" HO T5 Double Bulb fixture with Arcadia 6% and 6.5k Day-light Bulb in his larger cage here on Friday (which is 24x24x48 inches)
I kept the combo dome I had gotten him when first purchased (Zoomed) and keep just the 70 watt house light / heat lamp on, set to one side of his cage, with the Arcadia UVB on the other. He is definitely more active in his cage with the Arcadia bulbs and spend more time under there than when I had the smaller UVB bulb on in the combo dome with his heat bulb. I also installed a dripper cup I made for him yesterday morning, and he loves it. He sits under it most of the day, marching around his cage but always ending up there, freezing when it's dripping on his head or body. He hasn't had his mouth open for two straight days now like he was keeping it since Tuesday. It's only open every once in a while (once every couple hours, but not for long periods of time like before)
The problem is, he still will not eat crickets, roaches, or anything but a superworm. I fed him two Superworms Friday, because he wouldn't eat anything else and was making me nervous since he hadn't eaten a cricket or roach for over a week and a half at that point. I haven't fed him since Friday(two superworms he snatched up quickly), and this morning he was not interested in any dubai roaches. I'm worried he is either having issues eating or is on a hunger strike for anything but a mealworm or superworm.
I'm trying to continue to feed his roaches, superworms, and crickets so they're gutloaded for when he is ready for them, but he seems to have zero interest in his usual food when I place it in his cage for him.
Is he just nervous because he changes cages every 3-4 days? He seems happy in both his cages, and very active, but maybe that is affecting his hunger? Just worried cause it's over a week of no crickets or dubai's.
Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated. I've been searching the forums and just want to make sure I'm doing things correctly for him. I attached a few photos of him from yesterday, when we went outside for an hour after I had to take him out to give him his medicine, and he seemed to really like the grass and plants in my garden. He turned really light colors/almost a blue green and light green after the first 20 minutes when he was dark green/spotted.
- Your Chameleon - Jackon, male, and a year old (unsure) I've had him for about a month.
- Handling - once every week or two so that he gets some sunlight.
- Feeding - crickets, mealworms, dubai roaches, and superworms (mostly crickets and roaches with occasional worm)
- Supplements - Repashy calcium plus, once every two weeks. Light dusting on his 4-5 feeders each morning of Multivitamin and Calcium supplements from LightYourReptiles.
- Watering - Misting by hand 3-4 times a day for a few minutes. He drinks from the leaves of the pothos plant in his cage or the fake plant leaves. Also has a new dripper which he basically just sits under.
- Fecal Description - Dark brown ball, along with a pure white ball.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - 2 screen cages, one 18x18x36 and one 24x24x48". Both ReptiBreeze.
- Lighting - One heat bulb (70 watt house bulb) and one Arcadia dual tube fixture. I keep them on from 8am-8pm usually. I usually turn his heat lamp off for a little while if it gets too warm in his cage.
- Temperature - 85-80his basking spot at the top of the cage and low 70's towards the bottom.
- Humidity - Not the best levels, 40-70 depending on the weather here.
- Plants - A schefflera plant potted with large stones on top of the soil in each cage, along with a large bromeliad in the larger cage.
- Placement - Cages are on a two foot/three foot tall table so the top of it is about 5ft/7ft tall.
- Location - Brooklyn, NY.
Current Problem -
I'm having an issue with feeding and Cam's appetite. I've been giving him crickets and dubai roaches since I first got him, and then introduced superworms and meal worms on top of that. I feed all the insects Dandelion Greens, Collard Greens, and carrots.
He stopped eating about a week and 1/2 ago. He was eating 5-6 crickets a day before this, along with 2-3 dubai roaches. I'd give him a superworm or 2 and meal worm or 2 every few days mixed in with the crickets and roaches. About a week and 1/2 ago he just stopped eating the crickets, had no interest in the roaches and only ate when I'd feed him a superworm. I stopped doing this because I've read on these forums about how they shouldn't be eating solely superworms, and they should be more of a treat. Last week on Tuesday he hadn't eaten in a few days, so I went and bought three hornworms at the local pet store in Brooklyn. They were about 3-4 inches long, but the minute I put one in his cage on my hand, he ate it. He refused any normal feeders the following morning on Wednesday, so I gave him another hornworm early afternoon. He grabbed it right off one of his perch dowels. It took him a while to eat it and he kept his mouth open long after finishing it.
I watched and he kept his mouth open most of the night until he fell asleep, and then the following day once he woke up all day. His temperatures were fine in the cage and I misted him because I was worried he was thirsty since he was keeping his mouth open since the night before. I didn't give him the third hornworm I had gotten because I was worried something happened with them since he wouldn't close his mouth.
I live in two locations (split the week between the two which is why he has two cages, one in BK and one upstate). When I drove upstate Thursday afternoon for work, he seemed fine in his travel box, light green and asleep on his towel. When I got here he went into his other cage, the larger one, and continued to keep his mouth wide open all day. I decided to drive him to my local vet here to see their exotic pet doctor and he gave him a good look over, said he seemed fine, but he was a little worried about him possibly having MBD. He said other than that, he seemed very healthy, no tongue/mouth problems. He prescribed Calcium Borogluconate 23% to give him twice a day for two weeks, which I started Thursday night. Since starting him on the medicine he has definitely stopped keeping his mouth open.
I want to note that I also installed the
24" HO T5 Double Bulb fixture with Arcadia 6% and 6.5k Day-light Bulb in his larger cage here on Friday (which is 24x24x48 inches)
I kept the combo dome I had gotten him when first purchased (Zoomed) and keep just the 70 watt house light / heat lamp on, set to one side of his cage, with the Arcadia UVB on the other. He is definitely more active in his cage with the Arcadia bulbs and spend more time under there than when I had the smaller UVB bulb on in the combo dome with his heat bulb. I also installed a dripper cup I made for him yesterday morning, and he loves it. He sits under it most of the day, marching around his cage but always ending up there, freezing when it's dripping on his head or body. He hasn't had his mouth open for two straight days now like he was keeping it since Tuesday. It's only open every once in a while (once every couple hours, but not for long periods of time like before)
The problem is, he still will not eat crickets, roaches, or anything but a superworm. I fed him two Superworms Friday, because he wouldn't eat anything else and was making me nervous since he hadn't eaten a cricket or roach for over a week and a half at that point. I haven't fed him since Friday(two superworms he snatched up quickly), and this morning he was not interested in any dubai roaches. I'm worried he is either having issues eating or is on a hunger strike for anything but a mealworm or superworm.
I'm trying to continue to feed his roaches, superworms, and crickets so they're gutloaded for when he is ready for them, but he seems to have zero interest in his usual food when I place it in his cage for him.
Is he just nervous because he changes cages every 3-4 days? He seems happy in both his cages, and very active, but maybe that is affecting his hunger? Just worried cause it's over a week of no crickets or dubai's.
Any ideas or suggestions would be much appreciated. I've been searching the forums and just want to make sure I'm doing things correctly for him. I attached a few photos of him from yesterday, when we went outside for an hour after I had to take him out to give him his medicine, and he seemed to really like the grass and plants in my garden. He turned really light colors/almost a blue green and light green after the first 20 minutes when he was dark green/spotted.
