Why does my new veiled chameleon not want to eat?

[cambriz]

I’ll go into detail here sorry guys, I recently purchased a veiled chameleon from Petco yesterday ( I know it’s not the best way to get a chameleon but I really wanted to save her from there ) and she’s actually not fully grown yet, not really sure how old she is because they didn’t know either, I have been trying to give her live worms to eat from the brand SuperBugs and so far she hasn’t tried eating them at all whether it’s hand feeding or in her bowl, I’m assuming it’s due to the stress of her move from her cage at Petco to the one I have for her at home , her mesh cage temp is at 75 and I’ve bought her a humidifier and mist and a lot of branches for her to climb etc so I’m not thinking it’s because she isn’t comfortable, but she doesn’t seem to eat, she seems active in the sense that she climbs around, any type of tips I can get? Thanks!

 

[DartFrogKeeper]

Maybe she needs smaller food? I got a baby veiled recently, and right at first he would not eat the crickets I was offering because they were too big. However, he did immediately go after fruit flies and tiny dubias. A few weeks later and now he's going after crickets just fine. So maybe she just needs smaller prey for a little while.

 

[MrsM]

Hey welcome.
So there can be numerous reasons why your chameleon isn’t eating, and it is very important to get a thorough review of your setup.
I feel very strongly that your best bet is to fill out the “how to ask for help “ questions I’m gonna provide and get feedback.
Please answer thoroughly and take some photos of your enclosure.
I am going to point out a few things early:
1. I can see that you have a red lamp and some dome lighting. You will need to get rid of the red lamp and get a linear tube T5ho uvb bulb.
2. How are you measuring the temperature? What is the temperature at her basking spot?
3. Yes she is probably stressed from switching homes, but this can be reduced by giving her more space and denser vines/foliage. How big is her cage? Don’t answer here just fill the whole questionnaire out.
Finally
4. You mentioned hand feeding and a bowl with a name brand of insect. This hand feeding may be intimidating to her. Have you tried letting her small dusted crickets or Dubia roaches on her own?

Please fill this out:

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Harley510]

Assuming the pet store just threw crickets into the enclosure they had her in i’d recommend doing the same until she is comfortable with her new home. it isn’t unusual for chameleons to not eat when being rehomed it is a very stressful time for them. make sure the temps, humidity, lighting, and overall husbandry is all correct and just toss in a few small crickets until you buy or purchase a cricket cup. I’d recommend leaving it alone for a week or two and keep th stress levels down.

Also offer some horn worms and make sure it’s well hydrated who knows how improperly hydrated it was at the pet store.

 

[Rst_Cham]

Agree with above, please take time to fill out the form. Your lighting appears incorrect and will cause problems (a lot of Petcos provide misinformation about chameleon needs so I'm sorry if they sold you that lighting!)

If you fill out the form, including what other kind of insects you've tried, we can try to help get your little cutie pie on track. Welcome to the forums!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

4-5 months, chams that age tend do do better with free range feeding. Toss some small crickets in and back off.

Crickets should be no larger than the space between her eyes.