1 year WC Oustalet not eating yet. Worry yet?

[PoshPenny]

So tomorrow marks the 6th day he has been in my care. I am not sure if he is eating. He went through the stress of repticon, plus a new home inside a house verses his old home which was outside in Florida, from
his real home in Madagascar or possibly a wild one from Florida. He is a WC.

He is drinking though. On day four of him not eating I slipped him some reptiboost during his hellacious gaping and hissing at me. His free range didn't go so hot. He is in a 18x18x36 currently, his new cage arrives on Tuesday, it's a 24x 24 x48, no pet stores in a 100 mile radius had a extra large reptibreeze. They had the large only. He wants out constantly, roams the cage, climbs the mesh. He will spy on me when I'm tending to Frita, whom he can't see. But he is interested at what I'm doing. He is scared I know, so I limit my presence. His vet appt is Feb 8th with the zoo Atlanta herp vet.

His urates are white, perfectly white. I saw poop today, which was the reptiboost I believe. He has his basking site in the mid 80's.
10.0 reptizoom. Dripper and I water him like crazy.
Iv offered meal worms, super worms, butter worms, crickets. He was eating dubias before he came to me. I'm out of dubias. But I ordered more.

Should I worry yet? Iv tried cup feeding and letting him hunt. I don't like giving the reptiboost since it's usually during a gape. The vet said to just let him calm down. Any advise will be appreciated. I don't want to stress him but him not eating is stressing me out. He is a big boy and frankly I'm scared of getting bit, but feel like gloves will scare him too.

I'm just so worried. Little Frita came to me half dead. I nurses her back to health, I won't give up on this guy. Iv been reading every thing possible. Fecals and parasites, blood test and X-ray will be done on the 8th. Two of his spine spikes are worn down, so I'd like a X-ray to find out what's going on internally. Check for mbd. Fractures, ect... Here is his picture.

 

[MelissaB]

Hope he starts eating and settling in soon. I worry about mine all the time, too. Could he have worn down the 2 spikes by rubbing them on the screen?

 

[PoshPenny]

Oh no, not in my care--they were like that when I got him, but I suspect with the poor import conditions he could have been cramped. I'll never buy another WC unless I have a huge outside free range and we move to Florida! This has to be a culture shock. I hate seeing him scared.

 

[MelissaB]

Poor guy, that has to be a big adjustment for him. Once he learns that you're not a threat, things should get better. Hopefully the vet visit will go well.

 

[PoshPenny]

Do you think I should worry yet? I'm still not too concerned but I don't want to down play things either. I just don't know if I should give reptiboost every other day as a precaution.

 

[MelissaB]

I'm not sure. I haven't had any experience with a WC or an Oustie. He's drinking, so that's a good thing. I don't know if giving him reptiboost is good or bad. I would think it would be good for him, but the stress of giving it to him might not be. Hopefully someone with more experience will let you know what they think.

 

[rshewfel]

Hello

I don't think you need to be extremely worried but I would figure something out to get him to eat. Like I said in my post almost all of my wildcaught chameleons eat within a few hours of receiving them. He might be eating. You can tell in his stool if he is eating crickets. The stool would have cricket parts in it.

I would make sure he can not see you, except when you are watering him and feeding him. Like I said in a previous post I put up a barrier between my new chameleons and the rest of the room. This is because they will often not like to hunt if you are in their view. You can simply hang a sheet around his cage. Once you place the crickets in his cage, step behind the sheet at peek through it. Sometimes you can just view his image through the sheet.

I try three different ways of feeding. Just release the crickets in his cage. I try bowl feeding. My bowls are different shades of green and brown. I don't know if this is really necessary. Also, I have 12" tweezers. I grab the cricket or roach by the leg and hold it on a leaf. I am still standing behind the sheet with just my arm exposed.

Anyway, just try different things. A chameleon not eating you six day is not normal from my experience. You need to figure it out before he goes to long without eating.

Good luck to you

 

[PoshPenny]

I just found fresh poo!! Sneaky sucker is eating the plants!!! He ate half the pathos. And some super worms. And guess who came out of his cage just now during his misting!!!! Hoggle!! I immediately pushed his free range over and he climbed on it!!! Yay!!!!!

I have a fire going in the studio and the temp in here is about 75, he started moving around a lot more. So excited.

 

[qdude46]

A fire? You meant free range right?

 

[PoshPenny]

My chams are kept in my studio which is separated in a way, I have a fire place in my half, but it heats the whole room.

thats a 10x20 back drop. The chams are over here on my study.

. Frita stays covered. She is a snob and hates my face if she sees it too long.

 

[MelissaB]

Good! Sneaky boy! I'm happy to hear he's eating. Sounds like he's enjoying his free range time, too.

 

[PoshPenny]

I'm sitting in here with him. But far away. I moved the lamp away from him. It's very warm in here, so if he wants to bask he can go to the part under him. The lamps bulbs are protected with screen. I use 40 watts so the screen does not get too hot either. But either way I just feel more comfortable being in here with him.

He is hiding in his other pathos now. I'm pretending to not see him. I try not to look at him at all when I walk on his half. I just still want to be in here with him. I'm excited he came out nice and slow, no gaping. It was like he was saying "ok, here we go lady, don't eat me!"

Of which I replied, "I'm a vegetarian!!!"

 

[MelissaB]

Sounds like he's getting a little more comfortable.

 

[PoshPenny]

I spoke too soon. He just threw up?!? But now is acting fine. I put him back in his enclosure after checking to see if he was choking or swallowed something. I didn't touch his head, just looked down his mouth during his gaping. I let him crawl on a stick and put him back. He almost bit me. Called the vet too.

I feel so discouraged. I'm so afraid I'm in over my head and won't be skilled enough to take care of him. I'm not sure if I should give him to a more experienced owner after his check up on the 8th. If never give away a sick animal. But Im terrified of him and I feel horrible admitting it. It makes me choke up almost, I wanted him so bad and but Im scared to even clean his cage, he lunges at me and I jump every time. I'm afraid I'll fail him. Sorry to vent on this, but I feel horrible. I don't give up ever, and try to succeed but if I kill him because I mess up somehow I'll be devastated.

 

[rshewfel]

Glad he is eating. He will eventually get used to you. Just give him time and privacy.

My male Deremensis, who has a mouth infection right now, was extremely shy when I got him 3 months ago. He is also wild caught. Just yesterday, I held him on one hand while holding a dubia with my tweezers in the other hand. He grabbed the dubia and I snuck him his oral antibiotic while he was chomping away.

Anyway, glad he is eating. Give him time, he will adjust.

 

[MelissaB]

Penny, don't be so hard on yourself. You're doing the very best you can. I hope he feels better, and doesn't throw up again. Maybe when he feels better and is settled in he won't be as aggressive. I feel so bad for you, I wish there was something I could do to help you.

 

[rshewfel]

I spoke too soon. He just threw up?!? But now is acting fine. I put him back in his enclosure after checking to see if he was choking or swallowed something. I didn't touch his head, just looked down his mouth during his gaping. I let him crawl on a stick and put him back. He almost bit me. Called the vet too.

I feel so discouraged. I'm so afraid I'm in over my head and won't be skilled enough to take care of him. I'm not sure if I should give him to a more experienced owner after his check up on the 8th. If never give away a sick animal. But Im terrified of him and I feel horrible admitting it. It makes me choke up almost, I wanted him so bad and but Im scared to even clean his cage, he lunges at me and I jump every time. I'm afraid I'll fail him. Sorry to vent on this, but I feel horrible. I don't give up ever, and try to succeed but if I kill him because I mess up somehow I'll be devastated.

I was typing my other post while you wrote this. I would not worry to much about him regurgitating his food. It happens every once in a while. Not common but does happen. Could be he was stressed out after he ate or that he ate to much. I would feed him a small amount again, then gradually increase his food amount. I'm also not joking about the privacy, mine hardly see me the first month.

I personally never recommend wild caught chameleons as pets. If you don't feel you can handle it, there is no shame in finding someone who can. Reptile Pets Direct has some captive bred babies for $40 ea. Raising one from a baby lets you get to know it before it is huge and intimidating.

 

[PoshPenny]

After the vet visit with the zoo Atlanta herp vet I'll decide what to do. Until then I'm staying positive.

My first day interning in my clinicals I saw some pretty horrible things. If I can
Survive that I can do this, I'm gonna pull up my big girl britches and make this work. Even if he is being a total jerk wad.


I gotta try and stay positive. My fear of failure is larger than my joy of having him. My first micro test I made a 85 on my first two exams, the next test I had to make a 96 to promise an A in the course or drop--I remember having a mental breakdown at the end of the test and freaking out in fear of failure. I realized I'm doing the same thing with this Cham. My fear of killing him is freaking me out that he isn't even dead yet and I'm already preparing myself for failure. My husband told me to have some faith in myself.

He isn't a gator. So if he bites me, at least he is not gator. Just keep saying that. He..isn't..an effin gator....eh...

 

[kplatvoet]

Wow - it sounds like your having a bad day- seems to me your doing a pretty good job caring for a difficult guy- can you imagine what would have happened to the poor guy if you hadn't bought him - he most likely would have been bought by someone who would not have put the effort you are... you did the research - and he will calm down-
I'm quite new to this but the trick I use for calming my guys down when I first got them was flying insects- my panther used to run and hide till I gave him blue bottle flies- he got so excited hunting them that he forgot that I was there- I don't know how it would work with such a big guy but give yourself some time - and stop kicking yourself ...

 

[PoshPenny]

Thank you, I will look into the flys. Do you buy them as larvae?

I put some fruit on a stick earlier for him and he fought with it for 10 mins then ate it. He has bravado for sure. He is a regular king of the jungle. After seeing him kick that bananas butt I don't feel quite as bad.

Seriously thinking of changing his name to Don Quixote. We are all windmills to him.