Please help!

jinsana

New Member
Please help! NOT EATING

I just got my first chameleon almost a week ago, a rudis chameleon. He is very tiny maybe 1 1/2". The girl I bought him off of said she fed him 2-3 pin head or 1/8" crickets a day. I have owned other reptileS so I know about the lighting and everything. It all seems to be fine according to what I've read. All he has done since I got him is sleep. He moves around the cage a little but he is not eating at all. I bought Repto Boost to try and stimulate his appetite but I can't really get him to drink it. I got him to eat one small cricket (which was actually pretty big for him) 2 days ago and he hasn't eaten since. I don't know if he's drinking, I have the water dripping but I haven't seen him drink. I've also been working 12-15 a day all week so I very well could have missed it. Is this normal? I know sometimes reptile can go a little while without eating when you first get them, but he is SO tiny and he's only eaten once in 5 days. Please help!!!
 

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you need to fill out the "how to ask for help " - it is a form to help others try to help pin point what may be causing this - he should not be sleeping in the day at all, so you are correct, you have an issue -
fill this out :) trust me- its not to pick you or your husbandry apart, but to try to help - he is so tiny- cute little guy

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
 
Ok thanks, here it is.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Rudis chameleon. I do not know age or sex. I have had it for almost a week.

Handling - I take him out of his cage every day and put him in a small container to feed him the crickets because his cage is too large and he will never catch them.

Feeding - I've tried to feed him crickets and meal worms.

Supplements - I use flukers calcium/d3 powder and I've been trying to use Repta Boost to stimulate his appetite.

Watering - I mist the cage twice a day and have a water dropping tube running into the cage onto a plant for him to drink.

Fecal Description - I have not seen any droppings

History - He used to eat 2-3 pin head or 1/8" crickets per day

Cage Info:
Cage Type - I have a small reptibreeze set up, all screen.

Lighting - I do not know the brand of the lights as it was all purchased from someone. There is a heat lamp and a uv light.

Temperature - The cage is usually around 78 degrees. It drops to about 68 at night.

Humidity - The humidity is at 60% most of the time, right after I mist the cage it goes up to about 80%

Plants - Fake plants

Placement - The cage is on a night stand next to my bed. There are no drafts or anything.

Location - I am in RI, USA

Current Problem - He has only eaten once in the last 5 days and it was only 1 cricket. I cannot get him to drink the Repta Boost. He is also very lethargic and is constantly sleeping. I don't know if he sleeps all day because I am at work most of the day but when I do see him, he is always asleep.
 
Ok thanks, here it is.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Rudis chameleon. I do not know age or sex. I have had it for almost a week.

Handling - I take him out of his cage every day and put him in a small container to feed him the crickets because his cage is too large and he will never catch them. I would not be taking him out everyday - that can be stressful- I would get him a smaller cage to start out in, or cup feed him - you can use a 2 oz deli , pin heads can not get out of this - and he can shoot that far into the cup from a sick you clip the deli to
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Feeding - I've tried to feed him crickets and meal worms. meal worms are not good feeders - try baby dubia

Supplements - I use flukers calcium/d3 powder and I've been trying to use Repta Boost to stimulate his appetite.Cal/ with NO D3 2 - 3 X's a week - to much D3 can cause issues - he needs very little - being a montane species - he will be more sensitive to D3 - he only needs it like once a mo ( if that- I only use it about every 5/6 weeks on my Jax, and not at all in the summer because they are out side )

Watering - I mist the cage twice a day and have a water dropping tube running into the cage onto a plant for him to drink.

Fecal Description - I have not seen any droppings - you need to find out if he is going - he may be impacted - place a papertowel on the bottom to try to see if you find any - he may also be going , just in the plants

History - He used to eat 2-3 pin head or 1/8" crickets per day I do not think that is enough - but not knowing his age - can you ask the person you got it form the age ? babies need more

Cage Info:
Cage Type - I have a small reptibreeze set up, all screen. what size ?

Lighting - I do not know the brand of the lights as it was all purchased from someone. There is a heat lamp and a uv light. I would get new- they are only good for 6 mos tops- and you do not know how old these are

Temperature - The cage is usually around 78 degrees. It drops to about 68 at night.I would MAYBE up your basking area - but dont let him get burned - the night drop is good- they need that - do not use any type of heat/ light at night

Humidity - The humidity is at 60% most of the time, right after I mist the cage it goes up to about 80%

Plants - Fake plants

Placement - The cage is on a night stand next to my bed. There are no drafts or anything.

Location - I am in RI, USA

Current Problem - He has only eaten once in the last 5 days and it was only 1 cricket. I cannot get him to drink the Repta Boost. He is also very lethargic and is constantly sleeping. I don't know if he sleeps all day because I am at work most of the day but when I do see him, he is always asleep.

I would read the care sheet on Jax - that would be close to his care, but again l- I do not keep this kind - there are others on here who do, and can give you maybe better advice- the things I pointed out- I just my op/ - you are not doing to bad- but they are less forgiving of husbandry mistakes - so you need to get him sorted asap - what is in the bottom of your cage ? anything ?? I hope I helped a bit-and I am sure someone else can help too :)
 
Ok the girl told me to give him the D3 as well. I will stop using it and get a new calcium. He is definitely a baby, I posted a picture at the top of him. He's only about 1 1/2". I believe there is eco earth at the bottom of the cage. Again, that came in it already and it looks like what I have for my tortoise. I will replace the bulbs today. I have the basking bulb off to the side over a low branch so he can't get really close unless he goes to the top of the mesh and hangs under it, which he has done. We turn the lights on and shut them all off around the same time every day. I think the cage is 16x16x20. I haven't measured it so I'm not positive, as I said I purchased this all together and set up.
 
Ok the girl told me to give him the D3 as well. I will stop using it and get a new calcium. He is definitely a baby, I posted a picture at the top of him. He's only about 1 1/2". I believe there is eco earth at the bottom of the cage. Again, that came in it already and it looks like what I have for my tortoise. I will replace the bulbs today. I have the basking bulb off to the side over a low branch so he can't get really close unless he goes to the top of the mesh and hangs under it, which he has done. We turn the lights on and shut them all off around the same time every day. I think the cage is 16x16x20. I haven't measured it so I'm not positive, as I said I purchased this all together and set up.

ok, get the stuff out of the bottom of the cage - nothing is best - being a tiny baby he can easily eat that - you can try other small feeders too - fr/ flies, baby dubia, new born silkworms - he needs way more food , the dif/ food items may get him to eat again for you- I hope he does better - sure is a cutie !! also try to get live plants for him - how are you checking your humidity ? you may want to pic up a dig/ probe - not saying is not that high- but for an open screen cage- I am jealous if it is 60 % all time - lol
 
Ok I will empty it as soon as I get home. Should I just put the food on the bottom of the cage or in a dish? Thank you, he is adorable I love him! I can't believe how tiny he is, poor little guy :-(
 
Ok I will empty it as soon as I get home. Should I just put the food on the bottom of the cage or in a dish? Thank you, he is adorable I love him! I can't believe how tiny he is, poor little guy :-(
I would use a dish/deli - the food items will be small, they will just climb out thew the screen- when I have babies, I keep a few dif/ deli cups all thew out the cage, and then also let lose some crix/ but not to many - crix can bite them at night as they get bigger - you can loop vines very close the the edge of the dish/deli- and he should be able to shoot that far to get them - go up to the sponsor pages, and get some little goodies for your little guy :)
 
Ok I will empty it as soon as I get home. Should I just put the food on the bottom of the cage or in a dish? Thank you, he is adorable I love him! I can't believe how tiny he is, poor little guy :-(

Try a feeder cup hanging on the side of the cage
 
Definitely will thank you so much! What about him sleeping all day? Do you think he has just no energy from not eating or could it be something else?
 
Definitely will thank you so much! What about him sleeping all day? Do you think he has just no energy from not eating or could it be something else?

That can be stress/ illness - he def/ needs to eat much more - I would try to get some stuff ordered today for him ( bug wise ) most may not ship until Monday tho - and check your local pet shop for fr/ flies - just to get something else in him - you can also order flies in the sponsor pages - also, I would find a REPTILE vet who knows chams now, just encase you need to take him later - be sure to ask if the treat CHAMELEONS, not just lizards ;)
 
Will do, I'm going to stop at the store on the way home. There is a reptile vet near me but he is away at a conference until Monday that's why I started giving the Repto Booster, suggestion of the exotic vet tech. I will find out about treating chameleons specifically though that's a good idea. Thank you so much for your help! I hope my baby gets better!
 
When my rudis (t. Sternfeldi) was a baby he ate fruit flies, and LOVEd Em' he'd eat at least 20 a day. I'd definitely try the fruit flies, and just so you know he is most likely trioceros sternfeldi as rudis are extremely hard to get, they are very closely related, sternfeldi's used to be considered rudis, but are now they're own breed
 
Hope this helps.
I got my 2 month old panther chameleon 3 and a half months ago.
I know it's not the same species as yours but I went through similar drama.
He would not eat in the beginning, my breeder gave me baby silkworms and said that was the best food and he wouldn't touch them.
He would eat like one tiny cricket a day if that.
I would throw crickets in his tiny cage and most of them would die.
I work 6 days a week, 60 hours a week, so my time is limited.

He gained only 1 gram in the first month, from 2.5 grams to 3.5 grams.

And than, he started to eat like a horse.
It was like all of a sudden, when he started to acquire a taste for the silkworms.
Now he weighs 47 grams, handfeeds.
Super healthy.

So sometimes the first month with a juvenile is the hardest.
He was my first baby cham so I tend to over pamper him and worry more than I should.

So hopefully the same happens with you.

Pics are right when I got him and yesterday.

Good luck.
 

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If you can get him fruit flies try putting a small piece of fruit where it's easy for him to get to. The fruit will draw the fruit flies to it and make it easy for him to catch- taking him out of the cage to eat is probably pretty stressful -
 
So I bought a new UV bulb and heat bulb. I think the bulbs were very old, the UV was all yellow at the bottom! I got him some fruit flies and put them in the cup but they all escaped around the cage. They are all gone so hopefully it's because he ate them and they didn't get out! I'll try placing a piece of fruit as suggested so they're less mobile. I ordered some silk worms and they will be here today or tomorrow. He is a lot more active though. He still sleeps a little but when I go to check on him, he's in a different spot sleeping each time so he is getting around. He seems to be doing much better! Thank you for all of your help!
 
Awh, I'm so sorry to hear that :( don't give up on chameleons though, I would try again with another cham around 3 months old. The same thing happened to me- I got a baby cham only a few weeks old, and she didn't make it. But I got another one. Three months old, and now hes four months and thriving! :) I hope you don't give up :)
 
Thank you :-( I would like to get another one. Maybe in a while, we have 4 tortoises right now that have outgrown their enclosures so I'm going to get everyone situated and then do some more research. I also bought him off of someone instead of a reliable place, so maybe he was sick to begin with. Any ideas of a reputable place to get one?
 
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