Help! My 18 month old Panther Chameleon isn't eating or pooping..

Hi,

I bought a male Panther Chameleon that I named Mo about two or three months ago. When I first got him, he was eating mealworms out of my hand daily (3-5)..as well as eating crickets (about fifteen in a week). The crickets are dusted before they are put in the cage. I cleaned his cage five days ago. Since then he has only eaten one mealworm and no crickets. He also hasn't pooped, there is one urates (the white things?) but it is kind of yellow.

I called the place I bought him and they said to soak him in an inch of water for 45 minutes to help him poop, but nothing happened.... I'm just worried that there is something wrong because his eating and pooping schedules seem really off from what they were just a week ago. Am I overfeeding by chance? Is this a more serious problem that I need to see a vet about?

A little more info:

I handle him maybe once a week at most. He gets misted two to three times a day, I use a spray bottle to get the leaves in his cage wet, and he also has a dripper that runs all the time. And his eyes don't look sunken in.

I have a screen cage. For lighting I have a Flukes UVB 75W, Flukes UVB 100W, and a normal house light (compact fluorescent). I usually only have one of the red lights on at a time. The white light is on for 10 hours a day.
His cage is usually 95-80 during the day and 70-80 at night. To measure the temperature I have a small thermometer near the top of the cage.

There are real branches in his cage at three or four different elevations, with more sticks to connect everything. There are also two different groupings of fake leaves in his cage. His cage is situated in my living room in the corner, on a table. The top of the cage is around six feet off the ground.



Thanks for your help!

It may be the meal worms. Some say too many can cause impaction. May need to make a vet appointment

Everyone says mealworms can cause impaction due to the high chitin content. As jdub said, this could be your problem. They're definately not something you steadily want to feed your chameleon. People say superworms are definitely better than mealworms, but still not great. If you have to have one staple, crickets or dubia roaches are good.

The best way is to vary their diet up with various feeder types that are well gutloaded (if you're not familiar with gutloading, please read up on it). Also, if you're not supplementing your feeders with calcium withouth D3, calcium w/D3 & a mutivitamin, you need to do so. The D3 & multivit. only a couple of times a month, calc. w/o D3 the majority of the time.

Most people on these boards only keep two types of bulbs for the most part. I regular household incandescant bulb between 40w-75w depending on your species & how cool your home is. Also a linear (long & straight) repti-sun 5.0 UVB flourescent. Everyone claims it's the "best" UVB bulb.

If he doesn't start eating/pooping soon, don't hestitate to get him to a vet fast!

Ben and Manik6 have made some excellent suggestions. I would like to add a few things. See if you can get him to eat some silkworms or hornworms they should help him to poop. Stay away from the mealworms. They are ok for treats but not for everyday feedings.

Also you are keeping him too hot. Panthers should be kept at 85 for their basking temp. You need to change your lighting. All you need is 2 lights a tube style UVB bulb like this:
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...por-bulbs/-/zoo-med-24-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/

and a regular household bulb (not a coil) for basking probably a 40 watt.

You need 3 supplements as mentioned above. I use these three. 1st, 3rd & 5th: http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/

Also so you need to gutload his feeders with collard greens they are excellent. You can also use kale, carrots, butternut squash apple and orange. You can also buy a premixed gut load. My vet makes one that I use and one of the Forums members sales it. https://www.chameleonforums.com/dry-gutload-sale-37717/

Where do you live? Maybe someone here can recommend a vet. I'd take him to a good chameleon vet for a check up and get a fecal (take a fresh poop with you)

I live in Santa Cruz CA. I have cockroaches and waxworms that I have been trying to feed him as well, but he doesn't seem to want anything.....

And I don't know if this has anything to do with it, but Mo shed just the front part of his skin around the time that I cleaned his cage last (5 days ago)...

You can try giving him a drop of mineral oil, take him out in the real sunlight (supervised of course,) and giving him a nice long shower (aim water at the wall so mist sprays off onto the plant you put him on.) also, it isn't unheard of for an adult panther to poop only once a week and go on food strikes (especially the food strikes while shedding.) I'd also try to get some nice juicy hornworms and silkworms to spice it up, and tempt him to eat.

pssh said:

You can try giving him a drop of mineral oil, take him out in the real sunlight (supervised of course,) and giving him a nice long shower (aim water at the wall so mist sprays off onto the plant you put him on.) also, it isn't unheard of for an adult panther to poop only once a week and go on food strikes (especially the food strikes while shedding.) I'd also try to get some nice juicy hornworms and silkworms to spice it up, and tempt him to eat.

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Yeah I tried getting him some silkworms but the place I usually go is out..How long can these food strikes last? How long can they go with out eating anything?

A healthy adult panther chameleon can go for a month or more. Just keep offering food (not mealworms or fatty worms) until he gets hungry enough to eat them. If he doesn't poop in another 3-5 days with mineral oil and what not, I'd call your chameleon experienced vet and ask what they suggest.

Seriously, a cham can go a month without eating????? I believe you, but it IS hard to believe!!!! Wouldn't they be nothing but skin and bones by then?

Well, no healthy animal is willingly going to let themselves starve to death. Maybe they'll be stubborn for a week or two but I guarantee that if you keep offering crickets in a cup, he will figure it out on his own from hunger. Hunger is a fantastic motivator.

jdub, since you live in CA, you might want to downgrade the 100 watt bulb. I live in LA, and 100 watt gets way too hot for my chameleons. The highest bulb I used is 75 watt. Now that it summer, I often turn off the heat lamp at noon to achieve the ideal temperature for them.

I am not sure if I get this right.. so, you have 3 lights for him. UVB, heat, and fluorescent light (compact). and, the red light you mentioned is another extra light? did the reptile store recommends you to turn on the red light at night?

How would one administer the mineral oil? I have been trying to find something online, but everywhere pretty much says to use it and not how....

dodolah said:

jdub, since you live in CA, you might want to downgrade the 100 watt bulb. I live in LA, and 100 watt gets way too hot for my chameleons. The highest bulb I used is 75 watt. Now that it summer, I often turn off the heat lamp at noon to achieve the ideal temperature for them.

I am not sure if I get this right.. so, you have 3 lights for him. UVB, heat, and fluorescent light (compact). and, the red light you mentioned is another extra light? did the reptile store recommends you to turn on the red light at night?

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I have two UVB lights I think (they are both red). All the lights came with my chameleon when I bought him. My house gets cold at night and it is hard to keep the temperature in the cage above 75 (on cold days), so sometimes I put both on at once...usually it is one or the other. But I am looking into buying new lights right now (based on a few of the replies I got)

jdub0928 said:

I have two UVB lights I think (they are both red). All the lights came with my chameleon when I bought him. My house gets cold at night and it is hard to keep the temperature in the cage above 75 (on cold days), so sometimes I put both on at once...usually it is one or the other. But I am looking into buying new lights right now (based on a few of the replies I got)

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actually, if the temp goes below 50F, then you can turn on ceramic heater.
Otherwise, you should not turn on any lights at night. Contrary to popular myth, chameleons can see red light. By turning it on, you might have inadvertently disturb his sleep. Also, a ten degree temp drop in temp at night induce a good sleep and in the long run is better for his metabolism and his overall health. Turn off those red lights at night. I have never use any sort of heat light during the night.. Especially, when you live in CA where the climate is warm.

Also, I am not familiar at all of a red UVB light. I have a feeling that it is not a UVB light. There is a huge chance that you actually might not have UVB light at all in the enclosure.

dodolah said:

actually, if the temp goes below 50F, then you can turn on ceramic heater.
Otherwise, you should not turn on any lights at night. Contrary to popular myth, chameleons can see red light. By turning it on, you might have inadvertently disturb his sleep. Also, a ten degree temp drop in temp at night induce a good sleep and in the long run is better for his metabolism and his overall health. Turn off those red lights at night. I have never use any sort of heat light during the night.. Especially, when you live in CA where the climate is warm.

Also, I am not familiar at all of a red UVB light. I have a feeling that it is not a UVB light. There is a huge chance that you actually might not have UVB light at all in the enclosure.

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Sorry about the confusion...my UVB is white its a compact flourescent repti glow 5.0 (oops). The red lights are 75 and 100 W respectively, but I usually just have one on. Where should a heating pad be placed? I heard they can be harmful to chameleons...

A ceramic heater is not a heating pad....its a thing that screws into the light fixture.
Some compacts have been causing problems. The most recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. It has had no bad reports against it.

Like Kinyonga said, ceramic heaters are basically a bulb that emit heat only. Ceramic heater and heating mat are two different things.

Here is what ceramic heater looks like:


BUT, seriously, I do NOT see any need for heating at night AT ALL considering that you live in CA. I have never experienced a night temp at California to drop below 50 F. In fact, constant hot temperature at night can be detrimental to your chameleon's health.

Just noting that California is huge and has wildly varied climates. Yes, "Los Angeles" sort of suggests it doesn't get too cold ever, but there are places in California that get very cold indeed and in fact, snow over during daytime hours.

I've been in daylight snow driving distance from my house.

I'm just offering that out there. (also, I got sort of chastised for suggesting it wasn't a problem to maintain humidity in Southern California....because, you know...someone had issues with it)

jdub, anything that's comfortable for you at night is probably fine for your chameleon. They like a bit of a cool down.

I'm in San Diego and have a plan for cooling down my chameleon should we have a warm summer night..(we don't have air conditioning).

UPDATE: Since my first post I have changed a lot about Mo's enclosure. I got him the long 5.0 UVB like people said, a few more thermometers to make sure I know what the temp is in different parts of the cage, a ceramic heater, and a timer for his lights. I have also tried giving him showers...

He is still very active and seems like himself, but he still refuses to eat......He drinks water and his eyes look fine, but he isn't eating and still isn't pooping (7 or 8 days)....
When should I worry about the lack of a bowel movement? I have read that it could be impaction, but what can I do to help him along? I have mineral oil and can't figure out how to give it to him..