One month hunger strike help!!

[Dylan]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - 9 month old Veiled. Had him since 4 months
Handling - Everyday to let him roam outside the cage.
Feeding - described later.
Supplements - Repashy, although he doesn't eat.
Watering - drip, manual misting, 4 times daily.
Fecal Description - seems normal, small in size
History - none

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen 2x2x4
Lighting - zoomed uvb 5.0, 75 watt basking. 11 on, 13 off for winter hours.
Temperature - 82 basking, 74 rest of cage. have two zoomed thermometers
Humidity - constant 50%, spikes with misting. zoo med hydrometer.
Plants - Golden Pothos
Placement - Low traffic, top of cage 8ft. no vents
Location - eastern north carolina

CURRENT PROBLEM

It has been at least a month and while he eats, it's usually a worm a day, if that. I've been throwing money in the garbage buying feeders and having them remain un eaten. He's eats hornworms and silkworms right now but at the rate he eats them, 90% of what I buy either runs out of food or dies of age. I have an entire roach colony he refuses to eat. He gave up on crickets a month ago. He used to eat superworms within a second but now he doesn't even look at them. In the past month I've supplied him with, hornworms, silkworms, dubias, crickets, and superworms. He eats the hornworms and silkworms but barely. I really need help because it can't be healthy and it's getting extremely expensive for since I'm 19 and trying to pay for college.

I have to work today so I may be slow to respond. Sorry.

 

[Dylan]

I took these today. My flash is broken so I was using a flashlight as light.

 

[Sinfulintent]

I'm not sure how to help you here, hopefully someone will, I just wanted to say that the flashlight thing worked great lol.

 

[Decadancin]

Not sure if it is the angle of the photo, but he looks dehydrated also. Is he drinking from the drip or during misting? You may have to consider force feeding soon if this doesn't get better, but I would try feeding every other day for a little bit just to change up the routine. This may cause a renewed interest in food if it is not readily available. Hope your boy starts eating better for you soon!

You may want to try a bit higher basking temperature as well. More like 88 - 90 degrees.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hello, your guy looks good I had this issue with my boy Rinty at about the same age. He still won't eat roaches (I think I tricked him with a freshly molted one, but he is not falling for it twice lol).
I don't think he is dehydrated but not sure. You seem to have enough watering to me.
I agree with Decadancin that raising the basking temp. is a good idea. Also what I did was not offer him any food at all except crickets until he ate. Lasted 3 whole weeks and he is fine

If he is eating a bit then I think this is just a hunger strike. Now he is mostly grown up he needs a lot less food for growing and of course not for heating himself up........
So he needs a surprisingly small amount of food now (compared to when he was a baby). Here is a great all-round caresheet I always recommend to people with Veileds - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html
Don't be alarmed by how much he 'should' be eating - my guy still eats a lot less than the caresheet says. The repashy is the calcium plus? It seems like you have his setup good, so if there are no other issues he won't starve himself to death..... Hope this helps

 

[carol5208]

Honestly, I think he looks pretty darn good. His legs do not look thin and his casque does not look all sunken in either. I am going to disagree with the other member on dehyration and I would not force feed him either as that can be super stressful. He is eating a bug here and there and obviously it is enough to sustain him.

 

[dom1959]

i also think he looks pretty good,
maybe he is ready for every other day feeding?

hang in there, he looks healthy considering,

 

[Decadancin]

Could just be the shadows from the lighting causing him to look a bit thin in the face. I don't think force feeding is the answer, especially if he is still eating on his own and not losing weight, but if there is considerable weight loss this is one solution. Sounds to me that this is kinda normal for his age and unless there are other issues, you should be able to save some money on feeders!

 

[Dylan]

Thanks for all the replies! I just got home. As far as the dehydration goes, I see him drink a lot and his urate is white but his casque has had some old dead skin hanging on from a previous shed for I'd say a few weeks now. I'm glad he looks to be healthy, that was my main concern. It still sucks that I'm wasting so much money on bugs. Thanks for the replies again!

 

[carol5208]

try some flying insects if you have acces to them. Moths, dragon flies etc. If his urate is white then he is hydrated and good thing that he is drinking. I am sure in the wild they go day without finding food. He is still eating, just not as much as you would like, but like I said he looks good to me!

 

[Dylan]

There are tons of insects in the wild where I live and I always thought it was a bad idea to catch them but I see people on the forums doing it. Is that a bad idea to try? I see hornworms every other day and grasshoppers and grubs, in the summer anyway. And where could I buy some moths or dragonflies?

 

[carol5208]

I guess the real risk is bugs that have been exposed to pesticides or bugs that are supposedly toxic themselves to chameleons. I have heard never to feed wc hornworms as they eat tomato plants which are said to be toxic. But then there was a member who said he fed the wc horns with no problems. I am too chicken to try and I just buy them!! The moths and dragon flies I catch in my yard. I keep them for a few days as I figure if they do not die, then they probably were not exposed to any pesticides. Silkworms will hatch into moths and so will hornworms, but it is a process to get there that takes many weeks. There is a grasshopper that is supposed to be toxic also. I think it is called a Lubber, but don't quote me on this!!

 

[Dylan]

haha okay, thank you! I think its too cold here for the bugs to be out but once summer gets here I'll be running around like a fool catching dragon flies

 

[ataraxia]

He used to eat superworms within a second but now he doesn't even look at them.

Did you ever at a point just offer super worms?

 

[Cainschams]

Honestly, I think he looks pretty darn good. His legs do not look thin and his casque does not look all sunken in either. I am going to disagree with the other member on dehyration and I would not force feed him either as that can be super stressful. He is eating a bug here and there and obviously it is enough to sustain him.

I agree! Nice casque, cheeks are nice and full and the limbs are nice. I do agree about raising his basking temp also.

Could just be the shadows from the lighting causing him to look a bit thin in the face.

This is probably because A LOT of the panthers and veileds and even jacksons on this forum are overweight. It may give off the perception that that is how they are supposed to look. If someone came to me and asked what theirs should look like Id give no hesitation to point them to this one.

There are tons of insects in the wild where I live and I always thought it was a bad idea to catch them but I see people on the forums doing it. Is that a bad idea to try? I see hornworms every other day and grasshoppers and grubs, in the summer anyway. And where could I buy some moths or dragonflies?

I feed off WC insects all the time in the warmer months. Make sure you collect them from a pesticide free area. I feed moths, crickets, various spiders, various hoppers and leaf insects (not lubbers though!) etc. Just know what you are collecting is safe to feed off. Hoppers are lubbers are not. Usually the lubbers are a lot more colorful when the hoppers are more uniform greens and browns.

If he is eating that little make sure the bugs are well gut loaded. Another thing you can do to add a little extra nutrition is dust with wheat grass powder, spirulina, dried honey or bee pollen. If you try blue bottle flies you can dust with those and they kinda eat some of the bee pollen/dried honey mix.

I wouldnt worry. He looks great. Just raise up his basking temp some. If you need to bump up wattage of the bulb make sure its not going to burn him. I always try to set the bulbs off the tops of my cages.

 

[DavidBuchan]

If he is eating that little make sure the bugs are well gut loaded. Another thing you can do to add a little extra nutrition is dust with wheat grass powder, spirulina, dried honey or bee pollen. If you try blue bottle flies you can dust with those and they kinda eat some of the bee pollen/dried honey mix.

I wouldnt worry. He looks great. Just raise up his basking temp some. If you need to bump up wattage of the bulb make sure its not going to burn him. I always try to set the bulbs off the tops of my cages.

Yes! Gutloading is now even more important - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

Good commercial gutloads include Cricket Crack or Repashy Bug Burger. I advise against using Flukers products for gutloading purposes.

 

[dlegare]

I agree with Davidbuchan. I think he looks well hydrated. He also IMO looks pretty well developed, not undernourished. Compared to crickets Hornworms and Silkworms have lots more moisture and edible bulk, their entire body is essentially edible, and full of moisture. I think for whatever reason the guy is hooked on the caterpillars.

 

[Psychobunny]

My veiled is about the same age.
Your's looks fine.
I feed Smeagie every other day, but when he starts to only want one or two
cricks (roaches, whatever!) I switch to 3 times a week.

Dont forget, your veiled also needs fresh green veggies, like kale and such, to stay healthy.

 

[Dylan]

Did you ever at a point just offer super worms?

Yes I did. For When he first started to refuse crickets all I had at the time was superworms so for about a week or so that's all he wanted/ate. For a while, the second he saw a superworm it would be gone but them he seemed to lose some interest in them but I haven't fed them in a while. I've been using silks and hornworms for the time being.

 

[Dylan]

Thanks for all the replies. I think I am going to get some BB flies. They're pretty cheap and I want to test out some flying bugs.