WARNING: Controversial Subject, Be nice!

AZChamFan said:
The additional information was extremely helpful. Once again - didn't mean to judge you in any way. It's just impossible to know these things unless we ask or the information is given in advance. You are indeed taking excellent care of him!!! To be honest he looks perfectly healthy to me!!! The only thing I might add is that it is not generally recommended to add extra supplements to the gut load, meaning the same supplements which you powder the feeders with, as long as you are using nutritious high quality gut loads. There are some members here selling dry gut loads of high quality and Repashy brand is also well respected. Stay away from Fluker's!
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Yes i understand they are a more complicated reptile to keep and most people post without having the proper husbandry to start with. Between the information on this forum and a friend of mine who is also a herper, i have learned how to take good care of him. I just wish the stupid plant would grow leaves on the FRONT instead of the back near the window!! Lol. That's the lighting though i got my eye on them jungle dawns let me tell ya.

I bought the flukers plain calcium because at the time, i couldn't find anything else for sale. When it's time to buy new, i'll probably go with repashy. As for the bugs, i'm about to buy a cage and start breeding hornworms.. thats going to be fun! I know how to buy the cage and set it up for the most part but need help with a chow recipe and soil content/humidity etc.
 
He really does look fine, honestly almost all correct weight adults are able to thin themselves out and you should be able to see his ribs. If he is in a resting position and you see his ribs, possibly a dip neat his spine and where his ribs would begin and also can make out his hip bones he would be underweight. Right now I am battling with weight gain with my blind panther, you can easily see all the issues that I labeled above, but he is gaining well and plumping up. He's gained about 20+ grams in a span of 2 weeks if I am correct and I am very happy.
 
JlaPinska said:
Yes i understand they are a more complicated reptile to keep and most people post without having the proper husbandry to start with. Between the information on this forum and a friend of mine who is also a herper, i have learned how to take good care of him. I just wish the stupid plant would grow leaves on the FRONT instead of the back near the window!! Lol. That's the lighting though i got my eye on them jungle dawns let me tell ya.

I bought the flukers plain calcium because at the time, i couldn't find anything else for sale. When it's time to buy new, i'll probably go with repashy. As for the bugs, i'm about to buy a cage and start breeding hornworms.. thats going to be fun! I know how to buy the cage and set it up for the most part but need help with a chow recipe and soil content/humidity etc.
Click to expand...

Oops actually I was mainly referring to the Flukers gut load. I'm honestly not familiar with their Calcium but that sounds like a good idea to switch when the time comes. Repashy has a good powdered gut load called Superload which I like to sprinkle on the greens, etc that I give the feeders, and I also use their Bug Burger. However there are other good ones as well!
 
He looks good to me!

Read what Ferritinmyshoes says about pinkie mice in this thread. She's a good vet and knows what she's talking about...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/when-can-veiled-chameleons-eat-pinky-mice.54300/

Pinkie mice are high in protein and low in fat...high protein can lead to gout and organ damage...
http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp

Regarding feeding/gutloading insects...crickets can be fed dandelion greens, kale, collards, escarole, endive, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, carrots and a bit of fruit such as berries, melon, apple, pear, etc. Go easy on spinach it binds calcium so it can't be used. Romaine is good for moisture but there are better options for the most part. All of these greens, veggies and fruit can be fed to the chameleon.

As for feeding as much as he wants...you might end up with a fat male. I always say feed a male veiled as much as it can eat in a coup!le of minutes and then leave a cricket or two for a snack later. Do you ever feed waxworms to him as a treat?
 
Hasn't it been said before (correct me if I'm wrong, or tag the wrong person, sorry) but @jannb or another has said that veileds are shape-shifters... one minute they look skinny and other time a chubster? I have felt the same way about Ophelia and the only thing that puts my mind at ease is weighing weekly. I keep a chart - or I'd go bonkers from stress and worry lol
 
Andee said:
He really does look fine, honestly almost all correct weight adults are able to thin themselves out and you should be able to see his ribs. If he is in a resting position and you see his ribs, possibly a dip neat his spine and where his ribs would begin and also can make out his hip bones he would be underweight. Right now I am battling with weight gain with my blind panther, you can easily see all the issues that I labeled above, but he is gaining well and plumping up. He's gained about 20+ grams in a span of 2 weeks if I am correct and I am very happy.
Click to expand...

That's awesome of you to take care of a special needs chameleon!!!! And great to hear that he is doing well :)
I can see his ribs when he is just standing there. Or like when he's roaming his cage. Not when he is resting, fired up, or eating. But cant see his hips or nothing like that. He is very muscular and has a strong bite. (i was hand feeding him superworms and he went to grab the worm and missed and bit me lol!!)
 
AZChamFan said:
Oops actually I was mainly referring to the Flukers gut load. I'm honestly not familiar with their Calcium but that sounds like a good idea to switch when the time comes. Repashy has a good powdered gut load called Superload which I like to sprinkle on the greens, etc that I give the feeders, and I also use their Bug Burger. However there are other good ones as well!
Click to expand...

Can i feed either of those gut loads to hornworms?
 
opheliaeatsbugs said:
Hasn't it been said before (correct me if I'm wrong, or tag the wrong person, sorry) but @jannb or another has said that veileds are shape-shifters... one minute they look skinny and other time a chubster? I have felt the same way about Ophelia and the only thing that puts my mind at ease is weighing weekly. I keep a chart - or I'd go bonkers from stress and worry lol
Click to expand...

I wouldn't know i haven't been on the forum in a while lol i usually only logon when i have a question or concern for my cham. But that is a very on point description. I love how when he's being lazy he will just lay on a branch and let his legs hang, he looks chubby when he does that. Then when he fires up he puffs up and thins out and looks like a massive leaf. It's amazing!!!!! I love showing all my friends when they come over.
 
JlaPinska said:
Can i feed either of those gut loads to hornworms?
Click to expand...

Not that I know of!!! Definitely not the powdered Superload and I doubt the Bug Burger would be good either even though they might eat it if desperate. I always stick with the silkworm chow for them. Have you used that before? It's a powder you make into a gel - available from numerous places like Mulberry Farms and Coastal Silkworms. It's a bit pricey though!
 
AZChamFan said:
Not that I know of!!! Definitely not the powdered Superload and I doubt the Bug Burger would be good either even though they might eat it if desperate. I always stick with the silkworm chow for them. Have you used that before? It's a powder you make into a gel - available from numerous places like Mulberry Farms and Coastal Silkworms.
Click to expand...

No never heard of it and I have never ordered from them but i probably will if i can't manage to make the chow myself.
 
kinyonga said:
He looks good to me!

Read what Ferritinmyshoes says about pinkie mice in this thread. She's a good vet and knows what she's talking about...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/when-can-veiled-chameleons-eat-pinky-mice.54300/

Pinkie mice are high in protein and low in fat...high protein can lead to gout and organ damage...
http://www.rodentpro.com/qpage_articles_03.asp

Regarding feeding/gutloading insects...crickets can be fed dandelion greens, kale, collards, escarole, endive, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, carrots and a bit of fruit such as berries, melon, apple, pear, etc. Go easy on spinach it binds calcium so it can't be used. Romaine is good for moisture but there are better options for the most part. All of these greens, veggies and fruit can be fed to the chameleon.

As for feeding as much as he wants...you might end up with a fat male. I always say feed a male veiled as much as it can eat in a coup!le of minutes and then leave a cricket or two for a snack later. Do you ever feed waxworms to him as a treat?
Click to expand...

Yes i feed them many of the things you have listed. i've never given my chameleon any of the fruits you have mentioned because i didn't know that anything outside of red grapes was safe to give him. i'm going to make a note of all this. I don't know i've been giving him 14 superworms at a time, he usually eats those all at once. Then another day i'll give him a dozen crickets which he eats like half of and then snacks on them the next day. I give him 2-3 adult dubia at a time and he usually will eat one or two and snack on what's left the next day again. I give him horn worms also on random days of the week. I wait until they are rather large before giving them to him and he just literally snarfs them down like no big deal lol. I have never been able to give him wax worms because i'm limited to what i can buy locally and silk/wax and there's one other caterpillar worm i know i'm forgetting. But none of my LPS are able to get them in. My mailman had a cow last time i ordered a shipment of varied bugs and he delivered to my door and chewed me out :rolleyes: told me to pick them up at the post office, which i can't do because my husband uses the car to go to work 6 days a week.
 
Lol, your mailman can't refuse to deliver insects. Mine are labeled "live bait", mailman would never guess what could be in there. Man, I dare a mailman to try and chew me out for an order. That wouldn't end well for them.
 
Goose502 said:
Lol, your mailman can't refuse to deliver insects. Mine are labeled "live bait", mailman would never guess what could be in there. Man, I dare a mailman to try and chew me out for an order. That wouldn't end well for them.
Click to expand...

well he did, i guess it was hot that day and he said the bugs can die while being hauled around in the mail truck because of the outside temperature and to go a live arrival guarantee that it was best if i went and picked then up. i don't care i will probably still make him deliver them honestly lol
 
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