In Need of help, both vet and I are stumped!!!

[Shaner]

Hello All,

Ok where to begin?

I will tell you the cage I have for starters:

Cage:

32gallon Flexarium standing up right
2x75w heat lights
1 5.0 exo-terra UVB linear tube (can't get reptisun in our area)
1 live ficus, checked on here plant is good for chams
2 fake bendable vines to walk on
basking spot 6" from light
1 home made drip system with good drainage no stagnant water
mist 3 times a day for 3-5min intervals (ordering misting system soon)
temps are normal for basking area, middle and bottom of cage.
top of cage is 6 feet from the floor and she is in a low traffic area.
I am located in Sudbury Ontario Canada.

Chameleon:
-1 female tamatave
-8 months old - tiny for her age in my care since about 1 month of age.
-been tested for parasites and they are cleared as of April
-had retained shed in her eye that was bothering her, that is cleared
handling is minimal she is very territorial and doesn't like my hand in the cage, once out she is ok. I do bring her outside on warm sunny days for some sun, I leave her on a ficus and sit with her while she soaks in some rays.
-feed mostly crix and superworms, use oatmeal and veggies as gut load
-supplements only zoo med calcium without d3 every 2nd day, give her calcium with d3 twice a month.
-fecal is normal white and brown to dark brown

Here is the current problem:

I was told by the vet since I got her back from getting meds from parasites and a vitamin A shot for the shedding issue to feed her this stuff called Carnivore care. It is a powder substance that you have to mix with water, in the end it looks like spicy mustard. I have to giver her a certain amount due to her weight. So I have done what the vet has said, and now she won't eat bugs period. Nothing, no crix, supers, silks, butter, wax, horns nothing.

I am stumped. I called the vet and they are just as stumped as I am. I have to keep force feeding her this carnivore care and she fights me every single time. I am just stressing the poor thing out. I don't want to have to continue syringe feeding her all the time she is capable of using her tongue, I see her shoot it out for water every once in a while.

The UVB bulb is only 3 months old, and I bring her in the sun so it can't be lack of UVB. I am at wits end here with F**** son of a beep explicit deletive etc... chameleon lol. Don't get me wrong I love the chameleon and I have no intentions on giving up on it, but I am in need of help. If I can't understand it and the vet is stumped...what do I do next?

Please if there is anyone out there that can help me please feel free to chime in at any cost.

Thanks everyone,
Shane

 

[CleanLineChameleons]

WOW stop with the Carnivore Care...this is made for carnivores not insectivores. I would say that digestive tract is shot. You have been giving your chameleon not the right balance of vitamins...you are probably seeing some hypervitaminosis. I would say lots of water to flush her system.

Are you seeing any edema (fluid build up under her throat)?

-chris

 

[Sang]

Ok, well go ahead and post some photos of your chameleon, and the enclosure.


At 3 months old its unlikely to see a hunger strike. but it wouldn't suprise me.
chameleons do that from time to time and will only eat certain foods.

have you tried roach nymphs?

>.> definatly listen to cleanline...

 

[Miss Lily]

Sang - the cham is 8 months old - the UV is 3 months old!

I too was thinking hunger strike. Lily does this when she's receptive - sometimes she won't eat anything at all for a week or so. Maybe she is bored with her feeders too.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Perhaps she has stopped eating because she is getting ready to lay eggs?

I would stop forcing the Carnivore Care.

Offer insects and plenty of water. If she goes without food for a day or two the world will not likely end. If she still isnt eating after a stretch of several days, maybe perhaps consider force feeding her a small silkworm or bug juice (liquified bugs) or similar.

 

[Docility]

i honestly would never use pre fabricated food fat builders unless he was on his death bed, and i would have before then started him on a fatty bug diet. how much did he weigh? i have heard of vet, and had a vet say he was under weight, and that i was starving him, but he weighed 60G at 5-6 months saying he needed to weigh 200G by that time that would be a super fat chameleon am i right

 

[Shaner]

OK I will post some photos of the getup asap and the chameleon.

CLC - I will definatley check that be she doesn't seem to have a buildup in the throat, she seems normal and isn't a different colour.

As for eggs, she is really tiny to be laying eggs. This is the 2nd chameleon I have bought from Global Exotic Pets and they have both had problems.

They are sold really tiny I think that is why. I am not saying don't buy from them as I don't want to slander the business, just be weary.

She weighed only 13.3grams the last time I was in there, but she has only gone through 4 sheds since I have had her. I figured that was normal until I saw some other chams.

Anyways this carnivore care is all I can get into her and at the moment, it is better than nothing. I haven't given it to her in 2 days as I don't want to keep stressing her out. I can but in a little tub of sand....but I don't think she is ready to lay eggs due to her size. She drinks but won't eat...it is really weird.

I will post as soon as I can.

Shane

 

[Shaner]

Ok here are some photos of her getup and herself. I put her on a measuring tape so you can see what I mean about being tiny.

Also to add, I did just move her to this enclosure yesterday. I had a custom built one but she was having the same symptoms. I thought this one is taller and has more cover so she could feel secure.

Thanks for helping me guys I appreciate this.

 

[sandrachameleon]

...Anyways this carnivore care is all I can get into her and at the moment, it is better than nothing.

If you can force that into her, you can force mashed bugs into her instead. If needed, Use a few drops of pedialite or ensure and/or a few drops of water to make it liquidy enough to put in the syringe.

You're right, She is small for 8 months.

 

[Shaner]

Thanks sandra I will try mashing up some bugs.

I just don't understand what the hell I am doing wrong? This is my 2nd cham that I have raised from very very small and problems...My husbandry is fine, lights temps everything....I am starting to wonder if it is me?

This is really getting to me as I won't give up on her. I love Chams so I won't give up on owning and raising one either. But I just feel bad that they are suffering.

Thanks for the advice I will try that, but how will this work for her to start eating on her own?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Force feeding wont help her get back to eating on her own, unless part of the reason for not eating is due to the Carnivore stuff. I'd only force bug juice into her if it was necessary. If she's drinking well, consider letting her go without force feeding, see if she starts eating bugs on her own again. Maybe try offering something she's not had before? A small butterworm or a small silkworm perhaps? Or a small roach in a cup

Is there another vet in your area who could give you a second opinion?

You might not be doing anything overly wrong. Sometimes there are runts and sometimes they just grow really slowly.

 

[Dunnigan]

When i had a problem with my young female not eating, i used this stuff

Reptaid - http://www.chameleonsnorthwest.com/reptaid4.htm

It has lots of good stuff in it like this.

Black Seed - An overall tonic herb known for its effects on the respiratory system, stomach and intestinal tract, kidney and liver, and the circulatory and immune system.

My female wouldn't eat and i administered reptaid for 10 days and by the end of the treatment she was eating like a champ. I did not force feed during that week. I did offer food via cup feeding and water through mistings and through a needle less syringe. I did wait 10 days and admisister another dosage just to be safe. I haven't had a problem since.

 

[Syn]

Sorry just skimming - what type of plant is that?

 

[Shaner]

I believe the plant is called a spider ficus, not sure on the actual plant name though. I had it checked on here first before I put it in the cage and everyone said it was ok to use.

Unfortunatley there is only one vet in my area that deals with reptiles, the next one is 4 hours away in Toronto. I always cup feed my chameleon's I don't let the bugs free roam as if they were to free roam there is alot of hiding spots for them and I don't want them to chew on the chameleon at night when she is sleeping if I miss the bugs.

Now this reptaid stuff, would anyone else recommend this? How do you administer this reptaid stuff, because if you dust your bugs with it....she isn't eating, so it would have to be syringe fed to her.