How often should I be feeding

[oneillchameleons]

I wasn't aware that she had dropped 52 grams. That's a massive loss in weight. If that's the case, by all means, feed her whatever she will eat. The feeding schedule above is for females who are at a healthy weight at about six months old. I've gone over the post again and I can't see much wrong with your husbandry, other than you don't mention d3 or multivitamins. Has she been getting any? Also you mention that ambient temp is 27 Celsius (82 f). That's a bit high(only a couple degrees, but can't rule anything out) unless it's under the basking light, which should be around 28 Celsius (84 f) for a female of that age. Is your cage big enough to put a shoebox sized Tupperware in it? I'd place one right at the bottom and put my feeders in there. Gives the illusion of free range feeding without the feeders roaming the cage. I'd also try a bigger variety of insects, as she could just be bored with locusts and waxworms (waxworms should only be given as a treat really). Give crickets, hornworms, superworms, moths, roaches etc a try and see if it'll stimulate her appetite. You should also put a small laying bin in with her at all times, just in case.

 

[R.H]

I wasn't aware that she had dropped 52 grams. That's a massive loss in weight. If that's the case, by all means, feed her whatever she will eat. The feeding schedule above is for females who are at a healthy weight at about six months old. I've gone over the post again and I can't see much wrong with your husbandry, other than you don't mention d3 or multivitamins. Has she been getting any? Also you mention that ambient temp is 27 Celsius (82 f). That's a bit high(only a couple degrees, but can't rule anything out) unless it's under the basking light, which should be around 28 Celsius (84 f) for a female of that age. Is your cage big enough to put a shoebox sized Tupperware in it? I'd place one right at the bottom and put my feeders in there. Gives the illusion of free range feeding without the feeders roaming the cage. I'd also try a bigger variety of insects, as she could just be bored with locusts and waxworms (waxworms should only be given as a treat really). Give crickets, hornworms, superworms, moths, roaches etc a try and see if it'll stimulate her appetite. You should also put a small laying bin in with her at all times, just in case.

really appreciate all ur advice , so I have a digital dimmin thermostat iv put for temp of 28 mid tank during the day however it can only ever reach 26.5 mid tank and never seems to reach full request at night shes on 22 which heat stays off all night ( my room naturally that temp at night)

iv added a little dripper today and she noticed it straight away , iv just made a feeder which I hope i can get in tonight ready for feed tomoz.
she's started eating crickets small/med!!

I am goin out tomoz to look for a large platic tupaware box to fill with compost and put in back corner of her viv incase she needs to lay, however her 1st lay was in corner of Bob ( NO laying bin)!!

sorry if there is a misunderstanding , her current weight is 52 g at 10 months, she was 60g back in Nov when vet weigh her.

her supplementation is repashy superfoods calcium plus, which contain -calcium, vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E.
I gutload all my live food with this I have ordered liquid multivitamins which will b here Friday.

 

[R.H]

this is her home, does it look ok??

 

[oneillchameleons]

Ok there's a few things I'm seeing that you may have to change. First off 52 grams at 10 months really isn't all that small, as average female weight at 1 year is around 80 grams (although she may be on the small side) More foliage and branches are needed at different height of the cage. Most people here are partial to screen cages because it helps to regulate humidity without it staying moist all day, but many people use glass without problems, as long as it's kept clean and the air is circulated well. Temperature should be 28 degrees ONLY directly under her basking light. That is still high for an ambient temperature, and could cause issues with thermoregulation. The substrate in your enclosure should be discarded, as it harbours massive amounts of bacteria and makes cleaning difficult, unless it is bio active (isopods, springtails etc.). Your supplementation MUST BE CHANGED. That is too much vitamins to be getting every feeding. Check the gutload pages on this forum, and start gutloading your feeders according to them. This is the best way to deliver vitamins and nutrition to your Cham. If you can, cancel your order for liquid vitamins or send it back (liquid vitamins have a much shorter shelf life than powder) and go with the supplement schedule found on this site.

All powder supplements.
Phosphorous free Calcium WITHOUT d3 every feeding
Phosphorous free calcium WITH d3 every two weeks
Multivitamin every two weeks (not at same time as calcium without d3

 

[R.H]

well that's good to know that 52g isn't small, I was so worried about that. The only reason I'm gutloading everyfeed is because she hasn't been eating properly for weeks and didn't feel she was gettin enough vits , she had a calcium shot in Dec from vet.

ok so the powder I have now, ur saying use gutload every 2 weeks?
Then just buy a multi vitamin with No D3 in powder- no liquid?

I use nutrobal its a calcium balancee and multivitamin supplement to help bone growth in lizards i use that aswell repashy for my bearded dragons it has NO D3 in it.

I can easily add more levels and folage just didn't want to over do it, yes I was thinking about removing all substate on my next big clean in couple weeks, I only had the clay balls to soak up excess water and moss as a soft landin as when she was really poorly she kept falling!!

REALLY APPRECIATE UR ADVICE

 

[R.H]

I feel really annoyed that my vet didn't batter an eyelid and said what I was doing was good.
I told him what I use and how I use it, he did suggest a multivitamin with a-c-e in it. That's why I ordered liquid form.

 

[Andee]

Liquids are really strong and easily absorbed, they are only really suggested for deficient chameleons. She doesn't look like she's doing bad. She doesn't look like she's hippy at all and looks at a pretty ok weight and could just be small at the moment. She could of lost the weight because of the egg laying and the desire to eat less because she was no longer carrying eggs. However it is still a pretty big loss. She may be desiring a change up in the food regime. Chameleons, especially purely insectivores like panthers, like to have at least three feeder type of insects. I would say 5-6 is the best number to hit because it allows for the chameleon to never have that boredom and you to always fall back on something if something runs out.

I feed lots of things
When I have a good supply I feed stick insects, I have a colony of dubia roaches as my main staple, I feed black soldier flies and their larvae, I feed wax worms on occasion and especially to my rescues, I feed small super worms, I feed silkworms and the moths when I have a supply, I have a colony of giant green banana roaches growing, and then I often buy crickets as a treat about once a week. I sometimes order extra enrichment feeders or treats such as hornworms maybe once every other month, and different kinds of flies. Occasionally I'll get butterworms. I only have two chameleons but they eat enough on their own plus all my other reptiles and the rescues I have going in and out my door. I also just like raising the insects myself.

 

[R.H]

wow what a combination, yes im waitin on order for morio worms , calci worms and silk worms I have small/med crickets and was wprms atm.

I'm really confused about my suppliments......

Thank u that's so nice to hear that someone think she's lookin good ;-) , I'm trying hard with her. And feel I Amazin that she isn't really as small as I thought and that she's pretty normal

 

[Andee]

If I'm correct Repashy is one of the few supplements that can be used every feeding... But I'm not sure I know there is one supplement that can be used every feeding that has the vitamins in one. But I can't remember the name since I don't do it that way... Most people don't use that one from what I understand so it's not well known knowledge.

Actually I retract that statement, if you are using calcium plus it shouldn't be used every feeding, only Repashy LoD should.

 

[R.H]

If I'm correct Repashy is one of the few supplements that can be used every feeding... But I'm not sure I know there is one supplement that can be used every feeding that has the vitamins in one. But I can't remember the name since I don't do it that way... Most people don't use that one from what I understand so it's not well known knowledge.

Actually I retract that statement, if you are using calcium plus it shouldn't be used every feeding, only Repashy LoD should.

The one in using is repashy calcium plus??

well im from u.k and this is quite a popular supplement hence why I'm so confused :-( i was told I can gutload every feed with this .

 

[Andee]

Wait you are gutloading with it? Not dusting?

 

[R.H]

Wait you are gutloading with it? Not dusting?

yes gut loading my insects 12-24 hours before feeding them to my princess ( shes only started eating again wednesday) however my locusts used to b gutloaded a d she had them in there 24/7 and didnt touch them, shes now eating about 3 lil crickets aday

 

[Andee]

Oh ok, just reread your post so your using Nutrobal as your dusting method? Sorry I didn't seem to catch that earlier.

Your gutloading method should be fine. I use Calcium D3 and a Multivitamin in my homemade roach chow so it should be fine. Does the Nutrobal have D3 in it? Sorry I'm not very familiar with it >.<'

 

[R.H]

Oh ok, just reread your post so your using Nutrobal as your dusting method? Sorry I didn't seem to catch that earlier.

Your gutloading method should be fine. I use Calcium D3 and a Multivitamin in my homemade roach chow so it should be fine. Does the Nutrobal have D3 in it? Sorry I'm not very familiar with it >.<'

i was just saying to the other person that I use nutrobol for my bearded dragons to dust there salad etc, and wheather that is what I should be usin aswell as repashy ?? nutrobol has NO D3 in it.

 

[Andee]

Gutloading is great and all, and sometimes it is enough but I would add a dusting especially since you live in the UK and I expect she doesn't get too much natural sun? I would dust at least every three feedings with the Nutrobol depending on whether you suspect MBD or not, which she doesn't look like she has. I would dust as well as feed the repashy, just dust less than is recommended. It's what I do with my chameleons. I feed a very healthy roach chow, year round to all my feeders that I dust, such as roaches and crickets. Everything else that I've mentioned remains undusted, I figure the dusted feeders are so high in calcium and vitamins that they balance out the other feeders. A lot of people are able to gutload with a very specific and varied diet, and not have to dust. But she's still growing and producing eggs so I wouldn't do that with her.

 

[R.H]

Gutloading is great and all, and sometimes it is enough but I would add a dusting especially since you live in the UK and I expect she doesn't get too much natural sun? I would dust at least every three feedings with the Nutrobol depending on whether you suspect MBD or not, which she doesn't look like she has. I would dust as well as feed the repashy, just dust less than is recommended. It's what I do with my chameleons. I feed a very healthy roach chow, year round to all my feeders that I dust, such as roaches and crickets. Everything else that I've mentioned remains undusted, I figure the dusted feeders are so high in calcium and vitamins that they balance out the other feeders. A lot of people are able to gutload with a very specific and varied diet, and not have to dust. But she's still growing and producing eggs so I wouldn't do that with her.

no she's never been out side since I got her last July, settlin In period then wasn't warm enough. ok so I will gut load as usual tonight then in 3 days time dust aswell. Makes sense and I understand