Hospital cage? and not eating

Aquaseafoam

New Member
My cham hasn't eaten in about 2 weeks. I offered roaches and crickets (he used to love crickets!) he has never tried to eat worm-like feeders.
So, he hasn't eaten in a while, he will sometimes come over to the feeder cup and watch them, but doesn't try to catch them.
He is getting skinny, I can see his ribs. He doesn't look dehydrated he just won't eat! His color looks good still, but he isn't moving around much, he hangs around mid cage and won't come to the top.
Yesterday I got him to eat 1 waxworm by touching the side of his mouth and sticking it halfway in when he opened up. then I placed him back near the basking lamp.. after a few seconds he swallowed the worm. Today I fed him 3 with the same method.
Thats the background, but I am giving you this to ask about a hospital cage... I can't have free range feeders in this cage. I am thinking that a smaller, screen enclosure would be better for him, at least until he puts on some weight. Then he wouldn't have to move around so much to reach food, and he seemed to like hunting/catching them better than eating from a cup.

Cage- about 24x24x36, pvc and 1/4" hardware cloth
Lighting... be specific- reptisun 5.0 tube (and a daylight bulb) and domed basking light
Water intake- mist 3xday plus dripper
Food and supplements- thats the problem, won't eat and so doesn't get supplements!
 
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If he's not eating or drinking, then he's probably getting dehydrated. Try the shower to get him hydrated a little. Also look into silkworms, they're very high in water content and you can free range them because they don't go anywhere.

Other than that, get him to the vet.
 
Its a C. chamaeleon, isn't it?

What is the basking temperature at?

I can't tell from the pictures in your gallery if its male or female....but if its a female I wonder if it could have eggs?

Can you post a couple of recent pictures please?

Regarding supplements, what do you use when it is eating? Schedule?
 
I thought it was a C. chameleon, but now i'm not sure it isn't C. africanus. If so, it is a female- no spurs.
Supplements are Ca 3x week, Ca+D3 2x week, and vits- 1x week, one day off.
I'll get the temp tomorrow when the lights are back on..
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Okay, where he is hanging out is about 87 degrees, but his highest basking spot is 95 degrees.
I soaked him in pedialyte for a couple minutes today and fed another wax worm. He is actually looking better, I don't think he was drinking before! so he is probably filling out a little from the hydration.
Is it safe to feed him this many worms after a long period of empty stomach?
First day- 1 waxworm
day2- 3 waxworms
day3- 2 waxworms
today- 1 so far
I had soaked him in water the past 3 days too.
I have also set up a humidifier next to his cage, it will turn off when the lights do.
I am looking for a herp vet now, however it really snowed last night so I doubt I could get in today... and tomorrow i will be visiting my dad who just had surgery.... fingers crossed.
 
Thanks for the links- they were very helpful.

She had access to the plant's soil, and now I have repotted them and replaced the top few inches with sand.
 
(S)he looks better today, Nice white urates, although the worms don't look fully digested.. I didn't clean it up yet just spotted them from the cage. I'm just glad they passed after reading those articles, I was afraid feeding her dehydrated would cause a big problem. I haven't fed anything since then, but misting several times a day along with a dripper. I haven't soaked her anymore either so as not to stress her. Today she was at the bottom of the ficus (in the sand) but I didn't see any scratching or digging spots. Maybe Reptar really is girl!?
Since the worms passed, I'll offer some crickets and see if she eats anything.
 
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