Supperworms in poop

[Smeagol]

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 30 X 30 X 71 screen Repitarium
Lighting - reptisun 5.0, 75 w house bulb
Temperature - basking 84-89( somtimes turn on the ceramic heat bulb for the chilly days) ambient temp 79-82. have 2 therm. 1 digital.
Humidity - 50%-70% mister goes one every 2.5 hrs, dripper (tupperware w/hole) about 16oz/day. have a digital humitity gauge.
Plants - 2 large pothos, branches vines
Placement - low traffic. Cage is ontop of a table 4' off the ground.
Location - NY

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Panther, male about 1.5 years old. Had him a little over a year.
Handling - every other day due to feeding
Feeding - about 6-8 Super worms every other day, sometimes throw in a couple wax worms.
Supplements - zoo med calcium w/out d3 4x a week, reptivite w/d3 2x month, and herptivite multivitamin 1x month.
Watering - have a mist system on every 3.5 hours for 3-4 minutes, see him drink ocationally.
Fecal Description - Today he had 2 bowel movements. 1st looked normal, 2nd looks just like the superworms I fed him yesterday.
History -Noticed his left eye closing 1st week I got him. Treated him for months with different medications, showers, back and forth to the vet...This led to him being blind in 1 eye which effected his aim for food. I have been hand feeding him every other day since about last september.

Current Problem: Today he had 1 normal poop, and then there was one right next to it which looks like there are about 3 or 4 of the superworms tangled together I had fed him yesterday, as if he pooped it out. What would cause this? Thanks in advanced.

 

[steviejcsc]

Hey!
I have heard of this happening before!
Some animals will swallow the worms whole and pass them whole.
I go to a pet store that warned me against using them because if the animal does not chomp the worm really good then they will swallow it whole, and there is a chance the worm will try to eat it's way out of the animal....

 

[smpliprfct]

a super worm will NEVER be able to eat its way out of a cham after ingestion....the acids in the stomach make sure of that.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

The superworms that you are seeing did not come from the rear. They were regurgitated. Try to feed fewer worms in one feeding.

 

[draetish]

Hey!
I have heard of this happening before!
Some animals will swallow the worms whole and pass them whole.
I go to a pet store that warned me against using them because if the animal does not chomp the worm really good then they will swallow it whole, and there is a chance the worm will try to eat it's way out of the animal....

This is a myth! I think you are feeding him too late in the day so the worms don't have time to digest completely. Also he needs more variety in his diet like silkworms and hornworms if he is a worm guy. Also you should be gutloading the supers. It would be a good idea to take a fresh poop sample to your vet for a check for parasites too.

 

[Smeagol]

I do change it up occationally, but the supers are his staple. I always crush the heads to be sure they don't bite him. I feed him about 12pm, still to late? Is this something I should worry about? Do you recommend feeding everyday 3-4 worms instead of every other day?

 

[Syn]

Edit: Wow I totally didn't read that right. Nevermind lmao.

 

[Miss Lily]

They need time to bask and digest food before lights out. When my first female finished laying I fed her a juicy waxworm and turned her lights out soon after as it was well past lights out time. A day or so later she pooped it out as it went in.

 

[Dez and Delilah]

Supers are great but you should keep some softer worms that are easier to digest. The description you gave does sound like it was thown up rather than digested improperly.

 

[CNorton]

Well, a simple solution would be a varied diet. Superworms are not the best staple feeder. Crickets or roaches work much better. I'm guessing you use supers because you have to hand feed him?

Chameleon's don't have to chew their food to digest it. Most reptiles have very strong digestive systems that are capable of breaking down and processing whole insects. Remember, their metabolism works best when they are able to eat earlier in the day and warm up. Once warm, they are able to use that thermal energy to digest.

 

[Ryan Jarosek]

The superworms that you are seeing did not come from the rear. They were regurgitated. Try to feed fewer worms in one feeding.

..... uh..... .......

Also IMO you should to add properly gutloaded crickets and ditch the wax worms. You might as well inject the fat in him.

 

[Smeagol]

I do give him the supers because I have to hand feed. I can't stomach roaches unfirtunatley, and he seems to freak out with the crickets tickling his face, lol. I thought those would be best because they have more chitin (thats what I've read). Thanx for all the info all!

 

[chamyndst8]

A cham that I had a while ago ate some crickets just before night time. When he was eating them he did swallow them whole without much chewing. Two days later he pooped out the crickets whole. Semi-digested, but still somewhat whole. They weren't regurgitated because I saw him poop them out. That was the only time I've ever notice this happen. Also I would suggest that you try using horn worms because they are really soft. Unlike superworms which have a hard outer shell. Horn worms are also a good source of calcium.