My Veiled has stopped eating!! Help!

[gino_simmons]

My veiled has completely stopped eating the past few days, and before that would always eat out of my hand freely. I know she's ready to lay eggs because she has showed all the signs including getting much bigger, darker colors, she has actually showed the gravid colors before (dark greenish black, light blue & gold).
-Since Ive noticed the past few days that she hasnt been eating, what should i do?
-Should I leave her cage completely covered and not disturb her?
-Should I keep trying to feed her or not?

Heres all the info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? I have a female veiled, I'm not sure how old she is, but I got her late July 2016 and at that time she looked maybe 3 months old or so. So if i had to estimate, maybe shes 6-8 months?
  
  
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I used to handle her all the time, usually once a day, and since she has gotten her darker colors the past few weeks, I havent held her. I think its been about 3 weeks since Ive held her.
  
  
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I feed her medium to large crickets, I feed the crickets the yellow cricket quencher stuff and occasionally collard greens and fruits.
  
  
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? On supplements, i dust the crickets every day with Calcium without D3, twice a month without D3 and twice a month with multivitamin.
  
  
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have a small dripper that drips constantly throughout the day onto a schefflera plant, but the plant is not very large yet cause I just recently got it, so its not super accessible to her since shes always at the top of her cage, but she still drinks water.
  
  
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Has been the same for a while, I think she got constipated not too long ago because she had smalls poops for a long time and all of a sudden had huge ones, and her urate is usually white, but occasionally has some yellow or is 1/4 or 1/2 yellow sometimes as well.
  
  
• 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? 24x24x48 screen cage, just moved her from her smaller 16x16x32 cage a couple weeks ago.
  
  
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?I have the lights that came with the 'Zoo med chameleon kit', as well as a basking fixture (flukers) and 100 watt bulb from zoo med. Lights on at 7:15 am and off at 7:15pm.
  
  
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? General temp is between 73-78 degrees. Current basking is approx 80. I have a digital thermometer in the basking area and mid cage.
  
  
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? The typical range is 40-50%. Of course it’s higher right after misting. Also have a digital hygrometer.
  
  
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a schefflera, its not huge because I just recently got it, and I have 2 fake plants.
  
  
• Placement - Near my couch and sort of on the same side as my door, but I dont sit on my couch too often unless Im feeding her, and I only go in and out of my room a few times a day when shes awake, to go to school or work.
  
  
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Portland, OR. weather is constantly changing and different here, we had a snow storm a couple days ago and now its bright and sunny lol.

ALSO: I have other forums regarding other things on my chameleon, which might provide more information. Thank you all for the help!

 

[Remkon]

It's normal that they don't eat (as much) when they are about to lay eggs, I'd worry about the egg laying and not so much about her eating, they can go without for quite a while.
Just make sure she has everything set up to lay eggs and give her a lot of privacy, she may abandon her hole if she's disturbed to much when trying to lay.

Good luck!

 

[gino_simmons]

It's normal that they don't eat (as much) when they are about to lay eggs, I'd worry about the egg laying and not so much about her eating, they can go without for quite a while.
Just make sure she has everything set up to lay eggs and give her a lot of privacy, she may abandon her hole if she's disturbed to much when trying to lay.

Good luck!

I have a 5 gallon Lowe's bucket with soil and sand in it, its about a 60:40 mix, 60% play sand, and I dont have any plants in there, but I do have a couple vines leading towards the bucket. Is there anything else I should do? I also have her cage covered with a tarp on 3 sides and the front side I have another cover that I can take off which would still leave 3 sides covered.