My new chameleon seems ill

[Spiffy0710]

Sorry to hear your lil' one has MBD Wishing him a great recovery! You did what you needed to do and that is commendable! I will say though that most vets will say mealworms are good to feed; just know, they are great for treats every now and then. Best for these guys are variety with the majority of feeders being a softer bodied buggy. My boys LOVE their Dubai roaches, hornworms, silkworms, butter worms, and crickets. They don't get meals but do get supers as treats often. Good luck and welcome

The roach thing freaks me out!! I do feed him crickets. I've looked into the other worms. How do u buy them and how do u keep them? From what I read, u have to feed the other types of worms food? Of course I'm learning!! Thx for the help!!

 

[Nicholasdeaan]

I'm sorry but that's not true.

Just about any experienced chameleon keeper will say not to feed them mealworms. That's why all these members are suggesting not to. They don't have any nutritional value and have a lot of fat. They also have a very hard exo skeleton which is hard to digest. Impactation is common with mealworms and chams. Try supers ( as treats) wax worms, or silkworms. It is true that mostly petstores feed chams mealworms, because they don't know how to care for them. A perfect example is your cham having MBD, and you bought him from a petstore. Listen to the people on here and you can have a healthy long lived Cham! And take it with a grain of salt. We're only here to try to help.

 

[kinyonga]

What is through vet recommending to do to correct the MBD?

 

[Spiffy0710]

Just about any experienced chameleon keeper will say not to feed them mealworms. That's why all these members are suggesting not to. They don't have any nutritional value and have a lot of fat. They also have a very hard exo skeleton which is hard to digest. Impactation is common with mealworms and chams. Try supers ( as treats) wax worms, or silkworms. It is true that mostly petstores feed chams mealworms, because they don't know how to care for them. A perfect example is your cham having MBD, and you bought him from a petstore. Listen to the people on here and you can have a healthy long lived Cham! And take it with a grain of salt. We're only here to try to help.

I've never suggested to only feed them mealworms. I'm new so I'm learning, all I said was my vet said they were ok to feed. I'm always open to learn what's better for my baby but my baby was sold to the pet store with it, they only had him 4 days before I purchased him. However the comment that only petco feeds mealworms isn't true. I know that for a fact!

 

[Spiffy0710]

I've never suggested to only feed them mealworms. I'm new so I'm learning, all I said was my vet said they were ok to feed. I'm always open to learn what's better for my baby but my baby was sold to the pet store with it, they only had him 4 days before I purchased him. However the comment that only petco feeds mealworms isn't true. I know that for a fact!

Thx for your help!

 

[kinyonga]

The not through....couldn't edit again.

 

[Nicholasdeaan]

I've never suggested to only feed them mealworms. I'm new so I'm learning, all I said was my vet said they were ok to feed. I'm always open to learn what's better for my baby but my baby was sold to the pet store with it, they only had him 4 days before I purchased him. However the comment that only petco feeds mealworms isn't true. I know that for a fact!

Awesome! Glad you're here to learn! You learn something new every day here on the forum. Hope all goes with your boy.

 

[Spiffy0710]

What is through vet recommending to do to correct the MBD?

So I'm giving him injections of calcium 3x's a day for a few days then liquid calcium twice a day for awhile. The needle giving is freaking me out but I do want him to be a happy and healthy Cham! I won't give up on him!

 

[Spiffy0710]

Awesome! Glad you're here to learn! You learn something new every day here on the forum. Hope all goes with your boy.

Thx so much!! I've actually learned quite a bit already! I love the suggestion and things that have worked for others! Tbh I was able to maintain a higher humidity with the posts of others

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Just about any experienced chameleon keeper will say not to feed them mealworms. That's why all these members are suggesting not to. They don't have any nutritional value and have a lot of fat. They also have a very hard exo skeleton which is hard to digest. Impactation is common with mealworms and chams. Try supers ( as treats) wax worms, or silkworms. It is true that mostly petstores feed chams mealworms, because they don't know how to care for them. A perfect example is your cham having MBD, and you bought him from a petstore. Listen to the people on here and you can have a healthy long lived Cham! And take it with a grain of salt. We're only here to try to help.

This. I'm not the type of member to care if you take my advice or not tbh. I'm just offering it. I personally keep crickets, dubia roaches, superworms, Hissing roaches. I feed them all a variety of veggies and or bug burger in a dry form. I do use cricket crack as well. All the stuff you feed your bugs, equals healthier chameleons.

I worked in the pet industry. Convenience is a huge thing to pet stores. Mealworms are easy to keep, cheap to buy in bulk, and no pet store plans on keeping an animal long term, so their immediate nutritional needs are not a concern to them.

Concerning Vets, I've had 'vets" give me some of the worst info ever in this hobby. I once had a tree boa with a mild mouth infection. I knew what I needed when I went in and explained it all to the vet. The moron then told me the temps to keep the animal at and a few other things. I then pulled up the correct temps on my phone for emphasis as I told him I've been keeping reptiles for 40 years, a hell of a lot longer than the years he had been a vet. A good reptile vet is worth their weight in gold to you and your hobby. Avoid the others.

Mealworms suck as a staple diet. But what do I know?

 

[Spiffy0710]

This. I'm not the type of member to care if you take my advice or not tbh. I'm just offering it. I personally keep crickets, dubia roaches, superworms, Hissing roaches. I feed them all a variety of veggies and or bug burger in a dry form. I do use cricket crack as well. All the stuff you feed your bugs, equals healthier chameleons.

I worked in the pet industry. Convenience is a huge thing to pet stores. Mealworms are easy to keep, cheap to buy in bulk, and no pet store plans on keeping an animal long term, so their immediate nutritional needs are not a concern to them.

Concerning Vets, I've had 'vets" give me some of the worst info ever in this hobby. I once had a tree boa with a mild mouth infection. I knew what I needed when I went in and explained it all to the vet. The moron then told me the temps to keep the animal at and a few other things. I then pulled up the correct temps on my phone for emphasis as I told him I've been keeping reptiles for 40 years, a hell of a lot longer than the years he had been a vet. A good reptile vet is worth their weight in gold to you and your hobby. Avoid the others.

Mealworms suck as a staple diet. But what do I know?

Thanks for your advice I get the impression I've said something wrong and I apologize

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Thanks for your advice I get the impression I've said something wrong and I apologize

Oh no. You said nothing wrong and don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just a grumpy hermit who stays in his cave and watches all the new members reinvent the wheel is all.

 

[Blang]

Oh no. You said nothing wrong and don't need to apologize for anything. I'm just a grumpy hermit who stays in his cave and watches all the new members reinvent the wheel is all.

Thank you! And yes mealworms suck!!!!

 

[Nicholasdeaan]

This. I'm not the type of member to care if you take my advice or not tbh. I'm just offering it. I personally keep crickets, dubia roaches, superworms, Hissing roaches. I feed them all a variety of veggies and or bug burger in a dry form. I do use cricket crack as well. All the stuff you feed your bugs, equals healthier chameleons.

I worked in the pet industry. Convenience is a huge thing to pet stores. Mealworms are easy to keep, cheap to buy in bulk, and no pet store plans on keeping an animal long term, so their immediate nutritional needs are not a concern to them.

Concerning Vets, I've had 'vets" give me some of the worst info ever in this hobby. I once had a tree boa with a mild mouth infection. I knew what I needed when I went in and explained it all to the vet. The moron then told me the temps to keep the animal at and a few other things. I then pulled up the correct temps on my phone for emphasis as I told him I've been keeping reptiles for 40 years, a hell of a lot longer than the years he had been a vet. A good reptile vet is worth their weight in gold to you and your hobby. Avoid the others.

Mealworms suck as a staple diet. But what do I know?

Good to know I guess? Lol