Zeus needs help!!!

[carol5208]

You should be gutloading your crickets with fresh fruits and vegetables. You are in Canada so I am not sure if places in the US ship to your place. You can try LLL reptile. they sell all the supplements. They are in the US though. There are plenty of members on here that live in Canda, I am sure they can let you know where to get supplements. One is sandrachameleon, you can private message her and ask.

 

[rcutchens]

I will definitely get rid of the basking light and see how he reacts in the next few days. I will pick up the linear UV light when I can afford it, but I am really nervous about removing the substrate. I would hate for Zeus to fall on that hard glass. His food is never left to roam, if any get out of the tub we put them back.

I think that will help. At a minimum it will keep the temperature in his terrarium more regulated. He should still have a heat source he can use for basking if he wants to. The UV light may be enough based on what you've posted, however.

Now for the nutritional stuff. Where can I find the Calcium w/o D3? I can only purchase crickets, superworms, and mealworms at my pet store. Not really much for variety. I feed the crickets a gut load formula from Rep Cal. A full hand full for 100 crickets. Should I be doing more than that? Can you over gut load? Zeus refuses to eat any veggies or fruits. Am I preparing it wrong? Thin slices and small torn up leaves.

I had trouble finding all the Rep-Cal supplements locally myself so I ended up ordering them from LLLReptile. They carry all the supplements that are recommended by other members of this forum -

Calcium without D3
Calcium with D3 (which you have)
Herptivite

As for the feeders, I'd steer clear of the mealworms because I'm told they have high amounts of chitin which is hard for chameleons to digest. I would probably skip any superworms for right now too but if he'd take those and not crickets, however, I'd go ahead and give him some but even those should be given in moderation. I'd just stick to good, gutloaded crickets until he's regained his appetite and strength.

As for the gutload, I can't imagine that there's anything wrong with the Rep-Cal product you've been using but, being a dry gutload, I'd consider adding to the variety you offer your crickets by giving them some fresh fruits and veggies. There are some great articles posted on this site regarding all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies you can use. Plus, I think the added bonus of using these for gutload is they have more moisture and should add water and moisture to your crickets. Another thing I'd almost forgotten to mention but I'm sure you do, make sure your offering your crickets fluids either through water directly (though they can easily drown) water pillows or water crystals.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html

I gave Zeus a shower and he LOVED IT!! He refused to sit on the plants, so I let him sit on my arm. He layed down and drank from the droplets that formed on my skin. He still seems very lethargic though, and still not eating.

That's awesome on the shower! If he liked it and it didn't seem to stress him out too much you may consider placing him in there daily for a short period of time just to make sure he gets good hydration.

As for being lethargic, it could just be that he's not feeling the best and he may be a little weak. It may take a few days for him to start feeling better and get back around to wanting to eat. Just like with humans and other animals, when feeling sick they feel tired, weakened and can experience a loss of appetite. However, when they start feeling better again their appetite is one of the first things to return and then they get their energy back. Hydration and water is still something that remains very important to humans and animals even when they aren't feeling well and, as you know, people and animals can go longer without food then they can without water.

If you just continue to take some of the steps and advice offered out here for Zeus and remain patient and vigilante hopefully you'll find that he starts feeling better and his appetite returns.

 

[karstar]

Zeus ate 3 crickets today and seems a little happier. I caught him closing his eye and squeezing it real funny this morning. I will get that bulb changed as soon as possible. I just want to thank all of you for your suggestions and reccommendations for the last few days. I think I might just stick around.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Are you sure? Zeus is so small. It is 24" high. When he was smaller he fell alot and I would hate to see him get hurt.

Well, usually at 5 months they will have outgrown a cage that is only 24" high. If not now, soon.
He should not be falling alot, btw, so there may be a health problem. You could put a folded towel on the cage floor, rather than the substrate, if you want something to cushion a fall. He would be less likely to injest the cloth, if accidentally a cricket got out of the container. Easier to clean a cloth than most substrates too.

Ive been in Edmonton, so I get that its cold (and low humidity) there. A night heat source may be necessary. But you might instead of the black bulb use a ceramic heat bulb (emits no light at all) or better still heat the room he is in with a safe electric plug in oil-filled radiator. That's how I keep my cham room from getting below ~65F at night when the rest of the house is colder.

I hope you do stick around. He's a cute chameleon, and he's lucky to have an owner that is trying to learn a lot and do the best for him.

 

[rcutchens]

Hey Karstar - hadn't been on a few days. Any update on Zeus - how is he doing?

 

[karstar]

Zeus is doing great! I found a 50 watt basking bulb that keeps the highest temp around 85-87 and the bottom of the tank stays around 75. I think it is enough heat for him because he doesnt stay under the basking area for more than 20 mins at a time. I see him gaping occasionally. He has regained some of his appetite. About 6 or 7 crickets a day. We managed to get him to eat some arugla leaves. Only a few times a week though. I give him a shower every few days. He definitely has his energy back, wont sit still for the shower so I get a little soaked lol. His colors are back to their vibrant normal ones so he must be feeling alot better. Still no luck on the hunt for Calcium without D3 though I will keep searching.

 

[rcutchens]

Zeus is doing great! I found a 50 watt basking bulb that keeps the highest temp around 85-87 and the bottom of the tank stays around 75. I think it is enough heat for him because he doesnt stay under the basking area for more than 20 mins at a time. I see him gaping occasionally. He has regained some of his appetite. About 6 or 7 crickets a day. We managed to get him to eat some arugla leaves. Only a few times a week though. I give him a shower every few days. He definitely has his energy back, wont sit still for the shower so I get a little soaked lol. His colors are back to their vibrant normal ones so he must be feeling alot better. Still no luck on the hunt for Calcium without D3 though I will keep searching.

Hey!!!! That's AWESOME NEW, karstar!

Glat to hear that Zeus seems to be on the mend and hopefully some of the adjustments you've made are helping him!

As for the Calcium without D3, I think that it's pretty important to find some and start supplementing him with it sooner rather than later. If his diet is lacking in calcium then the amount of calcium in his blood will also be deficient which could lead to his body using calcium from his bones and result in MBD. At least that's my layman's understanding of the need for supplementing reptiles with calcium. I personally couldn't find the Rep-Cal brand I was looking for locally and ended up ordering all supplements and vitamins from LLL Reptile online. They have all that I'm told are needed to keep a chameleon healthy and the prices are EXCELLENT!

http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/

I have since found the Calcium with D3 and Herptivite here at one of the local Pet Smart's but they are nearly $4 more each so, even with shipping I feel like I got a much better deal from LLL Reptile.

Good luck and please post some pics of Zeus when you have a chance and assuming he's up for taking them!