1-2 month chameleon not eating and sleeping during the day

[Fluffy_0103]

Hello, I recently got a baby veiled chameleon I’ve had veggie for about a week he started eating like 3 days after I got him and was very active but for the past couple days he hasn’t eaten and has been sleeping all day when he tries to eat he doesn’t shoot his tongue and hesitates to go after his worms. I’m not sure what I can do please help - Oh also I’m not sure if he’s a he but the picture is veggie now

 

[Lindasjackson]

I’ll see if I can tag some people in to help but I really think you need to take him to a reptile vet if there is something wrong with his tongue. Maybe he injured it. Do you feed him with tongs?
@kinyonga @Beman @ERKleRose

 

[ERKleRose]

Welcome on here, and I love his name! For the best help, could you fill out this form in as much detail as possible, include more pics of Veggie (his whole body and a side-view pic of the back of his back feet-if he has tarsal spurs, then he is indeed a boy), his entire enclosure, and his lights:

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

The lack of tongue use and sleeping doing the day are not good signs, neither is the not eating if his enclosure is set up properly. Where do you live, we can try to help you find an exotics vet with lots of reputable chameleon experience

 

[Fluffy_0103]

I’ll see if I can tag some people in to help but I really think you need to take him to a reptile vet if there is something wrong with his tongue. Maybe he injured it. Do you feed him with tongs?
@kinyonga @Beman @ERKleRose

No I usually put the worm on my hand and he comes and gets it

 

[ERKleRose]

No I usually put the worm on my hand and he comes and gets it

That could be super stressful for him to eat if that’s the only way you’re feeding him, as he probably hasn’t acclimated to his own cage, let alone you

 

[Fluffy_0103]

Welcome on here, and I love his name! For the best help, could you fill out this form in as much detail as possible, include more pics of Veggie (his whole body and a side-view pic of the back of his back feet-if he has tarsal spurs, then he is indeed a boy), his entire enclosure, and his lights:

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

The lack of tongue use and sleeping doing the day are not good signs, neither is the not eating if his enclosure is set up properly. Where do you live, we can try to help you find an exotics vet with lots of reputable chameleon experience

I’m not 100% sure on whether veggie is a boy or a girl although I think he’s a boy. He is a veiled chameleon and I got him last Sunday at a reptile expo in Vallejo CA. I feed him black soldier fly larvae and I let some fruit flies loose in his enclosure but I don’t think he’s caught any. I’ve handled him a bit today so I could move his fake plant closer to his light I don’t really have a feeding schedule I usually just try to feed him whenever. Since I got him I believe he’s only eaten twice. The first time he ate he ate 2 worms and the second only 1. I bought repashy superfoods calcium plus and dusted a mealworm with it but he wouldn’t take it. I mist his enclosure at least 3 times a day with a spray bottle and have a diy dripper above some of his plants. I’ve only seen him drink once. He hasn’t been tested for parasites and maybe it’s because i ha e some moss at the bottom of his enclosure but I can’t find his poop. His enclosure is screen the dimensions (idk if I’m putting this in right) 31 in height 18 for his door and back and 17 1/2 for the sides. his basking spot is 94 and the floor is 75. I don’t remember what brand his lights are or anything because I threw away the boxes they came in. The humidity is around 40%. I currently don’t have any live plants. I will soon though I’m trying to make his enclosure bio active. I live in sj. The top of the cage is about 5 feet above the ground. There are air vents around but they are not on and sometimes I put my fan next o him but it doesn’t flow into his enclosure nor does it take away from it.

 

[Fluffy_0103]

That could be super stressful for him to eat if that’s the only way you’re feeding him, as he probably hasn’t acclimated to his own cage, let alone you

Today I put his worms in a small tray and it looked like he was trying to eat them but didn’t actually take any

 

[Lindasjackson]

What I do is count how many I put in then I go away and leave hom alone and after a few hours I come back and count how many are left. Then I know how many my Cham has eaten. He needs privacy to eat. it looks like you got the chameleon kit by zoo med. the compact uvb light they include is no good because the uvb doesn’t penetrate far enough into his enclosure to help him at all. You need either a reptisun 5.0 bulb with an 18 inch t5ho bfixture or you can use an Arcadia 6% with same T5ho fixture and set it across the top of his enclosure over his basking spot. You wanna make sure his basking branch is 8-9 inches below the light. You can use the basking light that comes in the kit as long as it’s a 60-70 watt only. Make sure basking temps don’t go over 82-84 degrees. 94 is way too hot! as for his supplements you should lightly dust his feeders with plain calcium, no D3 every feeding. Although you don’t need to dust bsfl. Then use a vitamins supplement with D3 twice a month. He should be eating like 15 small insects twice a day or as much as he’ll eat. He’s really tiny so make sure your giving him tiny insects no bigger that the width of his head between his eyes. Chams don’t need any heat or lights at night and temps can get down to 50 without harming him. He needs complete darkness to sleep. Humidity during the day should be 40-60% and at night 75-100%. I know there’s more info but I’m not an expert, I’m just telling you what I’ve heard the experts tell people with veiled chams.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I use a bird seed cup like you’d put in a bird cage. I got the deepest one I could find. I put my feeders in it then I hang/brace it on a branch and my cham readily eats from it. The crickets don’t seem to be able to get out of it very easily. its good for worms or roaches or any feeders really.

 

[Beman]

The baby is way too hot... Dehydrating from the heat and basically slowly dying. At this age adding heat is not needed when they have the warmth from the UVB lighting. The uvb needs to be across the middle of the cage and would have a specific distance to basking needed depending on the fixture type and the bulbs strength.
BSFL are something it has probably never seen also a bit too large for a baby that small. Pin head crickets only right now and lots of them every day. The repashy you bought is too strong for a baby and can overdose it on vitamin A and D3.

Turn off the heat fixture... Move the uvb forward to the middle and tell us what exactly it is so we can give you specifics for distance.

Mist the baby well morning and evening and add a dripper so it has constant access to water on the plants.

 

[Lindasjackson]

Listen to beman, she’s the expert!

 

[Fluffy_0103]

What I do is count how many I put in then I go away and leave hom alone and after a few hours I come back and count how many are left. Then I know how many my Cham has eaten. He needs privacy to eat. it looks like you got the chameleon kit by zoo med. the compact uvb light they include is no good because the uvb doesn’t penetrate far enough into his enclosure to help him at all. You need either a reptisun 5.0 bulb with an 18 inch t5ho bfixture or you can use an Arcadia 6% with same T5ho fixture and set it across the top of his enclosure over his basking spot. You wanna make sure his basking branch is 8-9 inches below the light. You can use the basking light that comes in the kit as long as it’s a 60-70 watt only. Make sure basking temps don’t go over 82-84 degrees. 94 is way too hot! as for his supplements you should lightly dust his feeders with plain calcium, no D3 every feeding. Although you don’t need to dust bsfl. Then use a vitamins supplement with D3 twice a month. He should be eating like 15 small insects twice a day or as much as he’ll eat. He’s really tiny so make sure your giving him tiny insects no bigger that the width of his head between his eyes. Chams don’t need any heat or lights at night and temps can get down to 50 without harming him. He needs complete darkness to sleep. Humidity during the day should be 40-60% and at night 75-100%. I know there’s more info but I’m not an expert, I’m just telling you what I’ve heard the experts tell people with veiled chams.

Thank you! I’ll be making sure everything is right for him. I didn’t get the kit though, I bought his uvb light from petco and his regular light came with the cage I got at the expo

 

[Beman]

Thank you! I’ll be making sure everything is right for him. I didn’t get the kit though, I bought his uvb light from petco and his regular light came with the cage I got at the expo

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[ERKleRose]

His cage needs work, too. Mainly taking out the moss and fake plants. You want tons of branches (none from toxic or sap-producing trees), vines (no Exo Terra, moss, or fake vines with leaves on them), and plants (veiled-tested only and properly cleaned, repotted in organic soil with no chemical fertilizers, and large rocks too big for him to eat covering the soil) throughout the cage. If you don't have one already, you'll want a drainage system installed under the cage (not in it), too. What brands of supplements are you going to be buying (not all are created equal)? Here's two cage set-up links, a veiled-tested plant link, and feeder and gutload charts:
(link no longer valid)
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
PS- Reading through every single module and the veiled species profile, along with listening to as many podcast episodes as possible from The Chameleon Academy is highly recommend if you haven't done that yet!

 

[Flick boy]

Hi @Fluffy_0103 . If you have an email address you can link it to the forum so you don't miss anything. 1st click on your profile picture 2nd click on your account 3rd click on preferences

Don't know if this is any help but thought I'd share your little guy/gal is cute

 

[Beman]

@Fluffy_0103 Please scroll up and read all messages.