veiled cham not pooping?
- Thread starter NotZack
- Start date
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
Can you fill out this form please? It will give us some more context.
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- 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?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
NotZack
Member
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - My chameleon hasn't gone to the bathroom in 2-3 days. Constipated?
Other - He is staying active, eating alot, and drinking alot.
- Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, a month to 3 months (not quite sure). First week being with me.
- Handling - Not much because of the first week.
- Feeding - Parsley, crickets with occasional calcium, meal worms, and lastly cauliflowers?Meal worms are treats, 8-10 crickets a day, and one of the veggies for one or twice a week. feeding crickets every day, 1-2 meal worms every 3 days, a veggie every other day. fruits and fluckers feeder
- Supplements - dusting 3 times a week with flukers calcium.
- Watering - Drips, misting from bottle. I mist every hours for two minutes at a time. I see him drink pretty often.
- Fecal Description - Regular droppings, brown and some white at the end. I haven't tested him for anything. (a struggle to find a vet with experience for chams.)
- History - Nothing except since I first got him he was a nice chameleon, also when I first fed him crickets using a cup he didn't need training at all, he just used it.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - it is a screen cage. 16x16x20 inches (Length, width, hieght)
- Lighting - zoomed day and night (getting a uvb light tomorrow which is a 5.0 uvb)
- Temperature - 70 f*- around 90 f*. 68 f* lowest overnight temp. analog temp. thermostat, mesuring top, middle, and bottom.
- Humidity - not sure.. I use a dripper and mister. Soon to get a humidity gauge, but putting a hand in it seems like 70%-80% humidity.
- Plants - I use plastic plants. but use bigger vegetables as live plants to snack on.
- Placement - near my bed? No close ac/fans. around 43 inches away from the ground
- Location - Virginia, eastern america.
Current Problem - My chameleon hasn't gone to the bathroom in 2-3 days. Constipated?
Other - He is staying active, eating alot, and drinking alot.
andrearamirezo91
Avid Member
How long have you had him for? How long has he been without the UVB? From what I have learned this is essential.
Also, I see you wrote you only occasionally dust his crickets with calcium without D3. I’m pretty sure this has to be done every day. Without the UVB and the calcium he could be on his way to getting MBD. My knowledge is very basic so someone with more experience might be able to help figure out why he’s not digesting properly. Meanwhile I’d make sure he’s getting his calcium and UVB daily.
Also, he’s gonna need a multivitamin and calcium plus D3 added to his crickets twice a month. I also learned that mealworms aren’t very nutritious and might be hard to digest due to their hard outer shell. People suggested I use superworms instead of mealworms since they have a higher nutritional value. My knowledge is very basic but I do hope this helps a little.
Also, I see you wrote you only occasionally dust his crickets with calcium without D3. I’m pretty sure this has to be done every day. Without the UVB and the calcium he could be on his way to getting MBD. My knowledge is very basic so someone with more experience might be able to help figure out why he’s not digesting properly. Meanwhile I’d make sure he’s getting his calcium and UVB daily.
Also, he’s gonna need a multivitamin and calcium plus D3 added to his crickets twice a month. I also learned that mealworms aren’t very nutritious and might be hard to digest due to their hard outer shell. People suggested I use superworms instead of mealworms since they have a higher nutritional value. My knowledge is very basic but I do hope this helps a little.
NotZack
Member
Thank you very much! I have my uvb bulb coming in, and I must have had a typo. I ment to say I only have calcium with D3, but I ordered calcium without it for weekly use. I will keep updating about this subject though! For now y'all (on the forums) have helped me so much I can't wait to get the uvb (reptisun 5.0 uvb) in tomorrow.
andrearamirezo91
Avid Member
Awesome! I did see you said you ordered your light 
make sure you only give him the D3 like twice a monh because too much of it could build up and cause a whole other set of problems for your baby
make sure you only give him the D3 like twice a monh because too much of it could build up and cause a whole other set of problems for your baby
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
You should get the mealworms out of the diet. They can cause impaction and are mainly composed of chitin, which chameleons can't digest very well, if at all.
@andrearamirezo91 , you are incorrect. Calcium with D3 should not be given with every feeding. It should be given maybe twice a month, every two feedings, etc. Make sure its spaced out. Nonetheless, you should be feeding every time with calcium sans D3. This is very important.
Also, you should have at least one real plant in your enclosure. This is one of the most crucial elements in a chameleon cage. Just providing raw veggies does not count as a live plant.
For the temp and humidity, you should look to invest in a digital gauge for both. They are more accurate than analog gauges and they last longer.
For gutloading, take a look at these two links:
- The Basics of Gutloading
- Gutloading Ingredients
@andrearamirezo91 , you are incorrect. Calcium with D3 should not be given with every feeding. It should be given maybe twice a month, every two feedings, etc. Make sure its spaced out. Nonetheless, you should be feeding every time with calcium sans D3. This is very important.
Also, you should have at least one real plant in your enclosure. This is one of the most crucial elements in a chameleon cage. Just providing raw veggies does not count as a live plant.
For the temp and humidity, you should look to invest in a digital gauge for both. They are more accurate than analog gauges and they last longer.
For gutloading, take a look at these two links:
- The Basics of Gutloading
- Gutloading Ingredients
NotZack
Member
I[m kinda scared because I fed him at least a couple meal worms, but stopped right when I found this site (so basically one day and 4 meal worms, then stopped and took it out of the diet.)
Do you think he will be fine?
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
I believe he will be fine. Impaction is just a risk, and not guaranteed to happen with every mealworm he eats. Maybe one or two mealworms every so often is alright, but it is a risk you choose or do not choose to take with your cham. If you are looking for a great alternative, I suggest dubia roaches. My veiled is obsessed with them and they are very healthy for chams.
Last edited:
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
Keep us updated with the poop. If he doesn't poop in the next two days or so, then I would probably try to visit a vet. Chams are real good at hiding illnesses and such, and once it finally shows, it can be too late. They go downhill fast.
It is good that you are worried about your new baby. It is good to be on the lookout.
It is good that you are worried about your new baby. It is good to be on the lookout.
Mary Blake Sullivan
New Member
I need help. My two year old veiled chameleon is having problems. She lives in a 2x2x4ft cage with a mister that keeps her humidity up with three pothos plants in organic soil. I would normally feed 5-6 crickets every other day and some meal worms now and then. The last month she wont touch anything but a couple crickets once a week. I usually dust calcium usually and the plus on occasion. Now I came home and her back legs wont grab anymore or seem to engage. Her tail can hook at the end but will not curl. Help me! She has never laid eggs by the way also I have a UVB and heat bulb for her
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andrearamirezo91
Avid Member
I would try opening your own thread and filling in the "How to ask for help form". It really is crucial for other members to try to pinpoint what you might be doing wrong. I'm pasting it below so you don't have to go through the trouble of finding it yourself
Good luck! People here are extremely helpful, but they'll need to know all about your husbandry to be able to pinpoint what may be going on. Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- 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?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
andrearamirezo91
Avid Member
I fed mine some mealworms for a few days before they told me I shouldn't, and he was just fine. I wouldn't worry about that too much but I would definitely get his supplementation in check asap. So you basically need three different powders:
-Calcium without D3: Dust his food daily
-Calcium with D3: Use it twice a month instead of your regular calcium
-Multivitamin: Twice a month.
These can all be found in the pet store.
NotZack
Member
UPDATE
I haven't seen tojo poop yet, but I just installed the uvb and fed him 4 crickets this morning! (I was almost out and getting more this after noon.)
Hoping that this does the trick but, any warning about UVB lights?
CamrynTheCham22
Avid Member
Yes!!! So happy for you!
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