5 Month Panther irregular appetite

[urbanlegend1544]

Hey guys I got a panther from a breeder about a month and a half ago. When i first got him he was health and ate immediately. However recently in the past two weeks i have noticed his appetite is nearly gone. I use to give him 8-10 small to medium sized crickets every morning. Now he will not eat crickets, i also feed him superworms which seems to be the only thing he will eat now ( even though it is one or two worms) I have tried to give him hornworms, he had one but is now uninterested, I have also tried dubia Roaches, he ate a few but left a few in the cage. He still drinks water every day and is active, i have been letting him roam around my room for a few hours everyday and let him sit in natural sunlight but it hasn't changed much.
He is starting to worry me as it has been 2 weeks since he has eaten what i think is a normal amount, i can see small amounts of lose skin on his body and am wondering if this is a hunger strike and he is getting picky or if he may have contracted a parasite.

 

[MamatoElvis]

Take a fecal to your vet. That way you can know one way or the other about parasites. It's good to get fecals 3 or 4 times a year anyway. Whenever my guy gets a bit picky I try something that flys. Blue bottle flies, green banana roaches, dragonflies, moths or butterflies ( nothing to colorful, bright colorful ones could be toxic).

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum!

Sorry that your cham isn't feeling well.
Sometimes a cham needs changes to things in its environment and sometimes it is illness or parasites.
So many of us here were given wrong or incomplete care instructions when we first got our chams, so we understand how even the most caring pet owners can make care mistakes.

The best way for people to give you good, reliable advice is for you to copy and paste the questions from here https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
and then add all your answers.

The more info you give, the better the info can be.

 

[Wowbango]

You mentioned that he has loose skin? Is he shedding? My guy will usually not eat much for a few days prior to shedding, and this seems to be normal. 2 Weeks is an awful long time though. Can you please fill out the form at the top of this forum on how to ask for help so we can get an idea of his husbandry?

 

[urbanlegend1544]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - He is an Ambilobe chameleon, he is a little over five months, and have cared for him since the end of July
Handling - He is still learning but over the last few weeks he has gone from not handling to walking on my hand
Feeding - I use to feed him 8-10 small medium crickets a day in the morning and a few worms in the early afternoon. I gut loader with a commercial hydration and vitamins along with fresh produce.
Supplements - I have rep- cal calcium with d3 used once a week, rep-cal Herptivite
Watering - I spray the cage at least 5 times a day with a spray bottle and have a dripper that runs during the middle of the day. I see him drink everyday.
Fecal Description - I have not tested him for parasites, He had one poop 4 days ago that had extra clear mucus but i believe that is from a hornworm he ate. Last we he was slightly dehydrated but i think that was due to shedding
History - He shed last week and noticed him being irratable before and after the shedding process but his hunger has not returned.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen on all sides 24''x24''x48''
Lighting - I have a 100 watt bulb for heat and a zoo med 18inch uvb 5% fluorescent tube
Temperature - The hottest basking spot is 90 degrees, with the bottom of the cage usually around 70
Humidity - The cage is never less than 50% usually at 60% from constant misting( i am in college and my roommates help me take care of my guy so i have them spray if the leaves are dry.
Plants - I have a pothos and a Benjamin Ficus
Placement - No fans, his is placed in a hallway next to my bedroom. The hallway is a small area that has doors closing it off completely. It is in a relatively low traffic area. It is in a corner on a table with curtains on the other two sides for lights for once he goes to bed
Location - San Luis Obispo, California

Current Problem - He is not eating much, at first i thought it was from shedding but it is yet to return, it has been about a week since he finished shedding. Other thought of mine is i may have been feeding him to large of bugs for his age could that impact how he has been eating? Thanks for the help guys.

 

[Wowbango]

The only thing that jumps out as me is that you may be overdosing him on the vitamin and D3. The Calcium with D3 and Multivitamin should only be provided once every two weeks (twice a month). His feeder should be dusted with calcium without D at every feeding. Other than that, I can't really think of anything regarding your husbandry that could be causing an issue. I would suggest you get a FECAL done just to make sure there isn't a deeper issue.