Won't eat?
- Thread starter rgargiulo
- Start date
JaxyGirl
Avid Member
Hi there, Welcome to the forum!!! Sorry to hear that your cham is having troubles. Here is a form that you can fill out to help members help you determine what might be the cause of your cham not eating.
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.
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.
Elizadolots
New Member
Be patient. It can take awhile to adjust to a new cage. Unless this is a little baby, it can go days without eating. You might try taking all the feeders out for a day. Let him spend a day with nothing to distract him from examining his new surroundings. Then introduce whatever you think his favorite feeder is.
Chameleon Info:
* Chameleon - Veiled, male, I have had it for 4 days. loaner from brother who had for 1 month. Moved from 2'x1.5'x2' (WxDxH) cage to 2.5'x2.5'x5' cage
* Handling - Handled chameleon once for move
* Feeding - Have soldier fly larva (native), calcium dusted crickets, grasshoopers (native) and super worm in feeding dish. Dallop of sweet potato - baby food on seperate dish. Attempted to feed @ 6 am and 6 pm by hand with chop sticks? Not gut loaded...need it to eat first.
* Supplements -
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? - ice cubes on top of cage and water to drizzle plants, twice daily. Beleive it drank once?
* Fecal Description - None noticed to date
* History - Chameleon was in large natural cage (12'x6'x8') with two other chameleons. May have been stressed by agreeseive female. Separated and moved to smaller cage. very shy.
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Screen, 2.5'x2.5'x5' (WxDxH)
* Lighting - Just added UV light. Cage is in window sill. Canned incadescent light about 3 feet above cage. Need to add heat lamp.
* Temperature - 75 F inside house
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Live and artificial plants. one larger "devils back" and another larger plant. Neither produce sap
* Placement - cage located in window that faces east. Ceiling fan about 8-10 feet away. Air Vent does not blow on cage. Top of cage is 5 feet tall. Bottom of cage rest on floor.
* Location - Gulfport MS (coastline), local temperatures in summer in 80-90s with high humidity.
* Chameleon - Veiled, male, I have had it for 4 days. loaner from brother who had for 1 month. Moved from 2'x1.5'x2' (WxDxH) cage to 2.5'x2.5'x5' cage
* Handling - Handled chameleon once for move
* Feeding - Have soldier fly larva (native), calcium dusted crickets, grasshoopers (native) and super worm in feeding dish. Dallop of sweet potato - baby food on seperate dish. Attempted to feed @ 6 am and 6 pm by hand with chop sticks? Not gut loaded...need it to eat first.
* Supplements -
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? - ice cubes on top of cage and water to drizzle plants, twice daily. Beleive it drank once?
* Fecal Description - None noticed to date
* History - Chameleon was in large natural cage (12'x6'x8') with two other chameleons. May have been stressed by agreeseive female. Separated and moved to smaller cage. very shy.
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Screen, 2.5'x2.5'x5' (WxDxH)
* Lighting - Just added UV light. Cage is in window sill. Canned incadescent light about 3 feet above cage. Need to add heat lamp.
* Temperature - 75 F inside house
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Live and artificial plants. one larger "devils back" and another larger plant. Neither produce sap
* Placement - cage located in window that faces east. Ceiling fan about 8-10 feet away. Air Vent does not blow on cage. Top of cage is 5 feet tall. Bottom of cage rest on floor.
* Location - Gulfport MS (coastline), local temperatures in summer in 80-90s with high humidity.
vinny knight cham
New Member
if it ia still a babyy u will have a proble wid the cage as babys will find it har to look for fo in large spaces remember
if he/she is a adult try 1 0r 2 wax worms there like a chocolate bar for a chameleon (but remember it may get there appetite going but don't over do it like chocolate bars these waxwom are very fatty and could cause heaart problems if used as a permenent feeder)but after using these for a couple of days start on small crix and get bigger and bigger crix until they starting eating flouently again !good luck my peep!lmao
if he/she is a adult try 1 0r 2 wax worms there like a chocolate bar for a chameleon (but remember it may get there appetite going but don't over do it like chocolate bars these waxwom are very fatty and could cause heaart problems if used as a permenent feeder)but after using these for a couple of days start on small crix and get bigger and bigger crix until they starting eating flouently again !good luck my peep!lmao
It might just be the move that has put it off the food at the moment...if is was eating for your brother.
Supplements...has your brother used supplements? If so, which specific ones and how often for each? Was your brother feeding it WC insects?
Gutloading...if you are feeding all WC insects I'm not sure if you will need to gutload them or not...although it likely won't hurt in any case. The "danger" in using WC insects is that they might carry parasites or bacteria (if they are garbage/carion eaters).
Ice cubes will produce water that is quite cold for the chameleon...you can use a deli cup with a small hole punched in the bottom for a dripper.
An incandescent household light in a dome can be used as a heat light.
Supplements...has your brother used supplements? If so, which specific ones and how often for each? Was your brother feeding it WC insects?
Gutloading...if you are feeding all WC insects I'm not sure if you will need to gutload them or not...although it likely won't hurt in any case. The "danger" in using WC insects is that they might carry parasites or bacteria (if they are garbage/carion eaters).
Ice cubes will produce water that is quite cold for the chameleon...you can use a deli cup with a small hole punched in the bottom for a dripper.
An incandescent household light in a dome can be used as a heat light.
