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dalton6501

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Please help.....I have bought a Panther Chameleon in June and the little guy is just not getting bigger. Can anyone look at some pictures and tell me if you think he is a Panther or not. Maybe I have been taken and he is not what I was told he is.

Thanks Dalton
 

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Hi there! It does look like a panther Dalton. In order to help you figure out why he is not growing we need more info. We need to know about his cage (size, type, lighting, heating, furnishings) and he feeding (type of food, amount, supplementation routine, etc.). There are many reasons for a cham failing to thrive. Your little one does look skinny to me. It's important that we help you figure things out soon. So......can you help us help you by giving us more info?
 
Well, I have him in a mesh screened habitat about 2ft x 2ft . I feed him pin head crickets everyday that have been dusted with vit cal. He has to different lights they told me to get for him one is a round light for heat and one is a strip light they say I need for his bone growth. I am sorry but I am very new to this world. I am at work and can get the exact names tonight. Please tell me what I should have him in. The breeder told me he was ok in an aquarium for the first 2 mon. I just this month put him in this vented habitat. He eats about 3 - 5 crickets a day!

Thanks for your time,
Dalton
 
Definitely he needs more food. I recommend at least 10 crix a day and some small meal worms as a treat and to add some variety.

Are there such things as runts in chams? I would assume so. I have a boxer who is only half the size of all of her brothers and sisters. Nature sure is amazing.

Where did you get yours? Any pics of parents? I assume you bought her at a major retailer?
 
dalton6501 said:
Well, I have him in a mesh screened habitat about 2ft x 2ft . I feed him pin head crickets everyday that have been dusted with vit cal. He has to different lights they told me to get for him one is a round light for heat and one is a strip light they say I need for his bone growth. I am sorry but I am very new to this world. I am at work and can get the exact names tonight. Please tell me what I should have him in. The breeder told me he was ok in an aquarium for the first 2 mon. I just this month put him in this vented habitat. He eats about 3 - 5 crickets a day!

Thanks for your time,
Dalton
Click to expand...


You're feeding him 3 to 5 pinheads a day? At his age, he should eat bigger crickets (like half-grown), and offer 8 to 10 of them. Looking at the picture, he's really small. You're not teasing us? I would think he would be thinner, but perhaps nature has a way of responding to such low food levels. Anyway, you've got to feed him larger crickets, but he's not ready for the half grown ones...perhaps 1/4 grown crickets.
 
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Was this cham just hatched when you got him? when my chams are that small they have food available to them all the time. he will not over eat but will be able to get what he needs to grow. just make sure not to have too many cricks in the cage at once so they do not have him for dinner.
 
I would also try feeding some nice medium sized silkworms!! They're soft and pliable, full of calcium and highly nutritious. Of course that would be in addition to the crickets as suggested!

Dyesub Dave. :D
 
Your Little Guy

Hi again Dalton! Thanks for giving us more info. In my experience every clutch does have one or two "runts" or babies that need a little extra help growing. I have always had a couple that just go crazy with growth and have to be separated out from the smaller siblings fairly soon. I agree with the 1/4 cricket size that the others suggested. Do you know what your cage temperature range is? Temperature at this stage is pretty important too. What does he do during the day? Is he cruising around a lot? A young one like this should spend a lot of time moving around. He needs to be able to find the crickets in that size cage. One tip I have for you is to help keep the crickets coming towards the top of the cage and away from your baby at night. Get a paper or styrofoam cup and trim it so it's ony 1" deep. Stick a paperclip in the side of it to form a little hanger. You can twist and bend the paper clip to make it hold the cup more stable. Put a little gutload and a small section of orange or apple in the cup. Hang this on a foliage branch about 2/3 up the cage. This will attract the crickets to where your baby hangs out and give them something to eat at night other than your baby. Keep us informed on your little one :)
 
wouldnt a chameleon that small have trouble eating crickets almost as big as it?
id keep with pinheads or a size up if he can take them. i have a 4month old panther a little bigger than that guy whos on hydia fruit flies and is doing fine. just keep feeding him until he doesnt want to eat anymore. unless his hypothalamus is damaged he wont eat himself to death.
 
Thanks

Well, I took him to the vet Saturday and the only thing the vet can tell me is that he look healthy other then being small. "tell me something I don't know" LOL
I bought him at a State Reptile show. I was told he was 5 weeks old.

I was afraid to get the big crickets because I was told they have to fit the size between his eyes. The vet did suggest that I start gut loading my crickets + dust them.
I have noticed that he is starting to change colors a lot. Black, white, bright green with bright red under him.

Can anyone tell me what type of Panther he may be?
Thanks for all of the feed back.
 
turrgon said:
wouldnt a chameleon that small have trouble eating crickets almost as big as it?
id keep with pinheads or a size up if he can take them. i have a 4month old panther a little bigger than that guy whos on hydia fruit flies and is doing fine. just keep feeding him until he doesnt want to eat anymore. unless his hypothalamus is damaged he wont eat himself to death.
Click to expand...
No a chameleon that size would be fine with 1/4 inch.
 
dalton6501 said:
Well, I took him to the vet Saturday and the only thing the vet can tell me is that he look healthy other then being small. "tell me something I don't know" LOL
I bought him at a State Reptile show. I was told he was 5 weeks old.

I was afraid to get the big crickets because I was told they have to fit the size between his eyes. The vet did suggest that I start gut loading my crickets + dust them.
I have noticed that he is starting to change colors a lot. Black, white, bright green with bright red under him.

Can anyone tell me what type of Panther he may be?
Thanks for all of the feed back.
Click to expand...

Not until he gets more color...didnt the seller tell you? The size of the cricket can be as long as the headis wide...not the space between his eyes.
 
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dalton6501 said:
The vet did suggest that I start gut loading my crickets + dust them.
Click to expand...

How have you been feeding him to this point? You should always gut load your crix with greens and such. I use sweet potatoe, apple, carrots and colard greens along with a pre-made mix and water crystals. If you aren't gut loading your crix then it is like eating potatoe chips... you may get full but it isn't very healthy!

Are you dusting him now? If so, with what? You need to be dusting with calcium every feeding (one minus D3), and with a D3 dust 2-3 times a month (Mineral 2-3 times a month is good as well.
 
Please fill in the page on the top of the Health Clinic page "How to ask for help"...it might help if we know what you are doing to keep your chameleon.
 
Thanks

Well, I took him to the vet Saturday and the only thing the vet can tell me is that he look healthy other then being small. "tell me something I don't know" LOL
I bought him at a State Reptile show. I was told he was 5 weeks old.

I was afraid to get the big crickets because I was told they have to fit the size between his eyes. The vet did suggest that I start gut loading my crickets + dust them.
I have noticed that he is starting to change colors a lot. Black, white, bright green with bright red under him.

Can anyone tell me what type of Panther he may be?
Thanks for all of the feed back.
 
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