Jacksonii not eating!

Hey guys!

I'm cham sitting for a friend of mine, and i'll have him for the entire summer while they are back home. This is morning three, and the chameleon hasn't eaten since it got here and im not sure if its drinking. prior to the chameleon coming to my house, the owner said he thought he had a calcium deficiency because e was sleeping with his mouth open. He still occasionally sits with his moth open, but for the most part just sits there normally.. for the first day and a half he wouldnt leave the wall of the cage (prior to coming over, i think he was left in on open environment potted tree as they had him on a 28th floor balcony so there was no escape. i thought i would give him the first two days to get use to the new cage and people and all that, but were on day three and he still hasnt had anything to eat... I have tried hand feeding him multiple times, and there has been 2 crickets in his cage with him since he got here. i've had to replace 1 cricket as i found it dead on the floor. we keep him outside during the day, and bring him in at night.

Please help, id rather not explain a dead chameloen to my friend!!

Can you please post some pics of him and how you are keeping him? Often times when chameleons are moved or put into a new environment they will not eat as it is a stressful time for them. As far as the mouth being open, that would not be from a calcium deficiency. Unless the mouth was misshapen and would not close that would be a different story as that would be a sign of Metabolic Bone Disease which is caused from a calcium deficiency. If his mouth is open he is either too hot, or may have something more serious like a respiratory infection. How hot is outside? Is in the direct sun?

I can try to post some pictures tomorrow, but its just a standard 1ft wide, 2 feet long, 3ft high cage with some fake vines and real branches (the branches from his original tree) He's kept out side in hawaiin weather underneath a tree where he gets really good broken sun light. I just found out that his owners have been hand feeding him with tweezers, but when i try to feed him with my hands (no tweezers) he doesnt go for it.... do the tweezers make that much of a difference?

Oh so you live in Hawaii. I know there are wild Jackson's there that can stand the heat and sun. It is just when they are in a confined area like a cage, they can overheat. That is good he is getting natural sunlight. I wonder why they think he has a calcium deficiency? Yes, if that is the way he is used to being fed that can make a difference. They really are creatures of habit and when removed from their familiar surroundings or a change in their daily routine, it can take awhile. If it makes you feel any better, I took in a Panther chameleon from another member and he did not eat for 11 days! If they are healthy, they can go a few weeks or even longer without eating believe it or not. Try and make sure he is drinking though.

I am not sure if he is drinking or not, he has a dripper almost always. He stll hasn't eaten and my girlfriend said that while i was at work today he was sitting the same way he is in the picture, but open eyes "like he couldn't hold his head up" what do i do?!

If he is closing his eyes during the day then you have a problem. They don't sleep during the day at all and that indicates a sign of illness usually. His eyes are closed in the first pic. It looks like day to me in the pic. Where you have the cage outside, is he actually getting any sunlight, or is he in the shade all day? If he is in the shade, he will need to get some hours of sunlight. Also I would get a spray bottle and put warm water in it and mist the cage down. He can get wet also, that is fine. I use a hose for mine outside and put the nozzle on the misting setting. If he is not drinking, I would try dripping water on the end of his nose. Keep doing that for a few minutes. It might take him that long to stimulate him to drink. I would also add some more foliage to that cage. It is way too bare.

The pictures were taken at night so he's just sleeping in them. he has a nice spot under a short tree that gives him broken sunlight throughout the day. Hes much more active today, he was moving around the cage while i was moving him back outside. I was trying originally to use the spray bottle for him to drink directly from ( by spraying the stream into his mouth) but i dont think he was trained for that so he didnt really do it. right now the dripper is set up on the side where all the vines come together, but ill start trying to spray it down every so often. I'll try to fine some more branches too.

i think he might just be shedding, and dont they tend to not eat when they shed?

zoneo said:

i think he might just be shedding, and dont they tend to not eat when they shed?

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Yes, he is shedding. Some will eat and some will not. It is an individual thing.

His owners said that he has been spot shedding a few times (only shedding a part of his body) and that his appetite is much less, but he still eats... judging by the amount of dead skin on his tail, i have a feeling it is going to be a much bigger shed so im hoping thats why its different this time.