Baby veiled's appetite

[Jonah S]

I had a fecal exam and general checkup for my baby male Larry. The vet (she specializes in exotics) said he looked really good. His grip strength is pretty strong, he is constantly observing his surroundings, and he is very proportionate. Best of all, he is free of parasites or anything else that would hinder him. I'm pretty happy about that considering the place I got him from has pretty poor husbandry for their chameleons (as well as everything else in there).

For the most part, Larry has been getting around five crickets a day, right around the 1/4 of an inch mark, maybe a tad bigger but I'm very cautious of the size he gets. Earlier, I gave him about four crickets in a cup and he snatched them all up pretty quickly. A few hours later I put six crickets that were maybe a little below 1/4 of an inch and he ate them all up by the time I checked on him a couple hours later. The place I got him from said he was born on March 18th which would put him at about 15-16 weeks. Given his size however, I think he is a good bit younger (the vet believes the same thing). I doubt that he was given the best nutrition at the store and may have been underfed at times so I want to make sure he is eating as much as he needs without overdoing it. I'm probably going to cut him off for the rest of the day, does 6-10 crickets sound about right though for him? I'm trying to gauge if he will eat because they are in front of him or because he is actually hungry.

 

[jannb]

15 to 20 crickets a day sound more like it.

 

[FroggtheCham]

15 to 20 crickets a day sound more like it.

Yup!!! Babies are eating machines!! This may be redundant, sorry, but be sure to gut load your feeders so he is getting optimal nutrition and not just fillers. Quality is a important as quanitity. Also be sure to dust your bugs. He'll need the extra vites, minerals, and calcium to grow well. Good luck!!

 

[Jonah S]

Yup!!! Babies are eating machines!! This may be redundant, sorry, but be sure to gut load your feeders so he is getting optimal nutrition and not just fillers. Quality is a important as quanitity. Also be sure to dust your bugs. He'll need the extra vites, minerals, and calcium to grow well. Good luck!!

I have been gut loading with collard greens, fruits, pretty much everything I can get my hands on that I found in the gut loading page. I also have been dusting with calcium and I have the calcium with D3 for occasional use. And herptivite once a month

 

[FroggtheCham]

I have been gut loading with collard greens, fruits, pretty much everything I can get my hands on that I found in the gut loading page. I also have been dusting with calcium and I have the calcium with D3 for occasional use. And herptivite once a month

Awesome!! Just feed him some more and you'll have one happy cham!

 

[Jonah S]

I just put some more feeders in his cup and cleaned out a poo he had earlier. There were a few orange crystals in the urate, I'm guessing that means he needs more water? That almost seems strange to me because I mist his house a lot and I'm seein him drink.

 

[FroggtheCham]

I just put some more feeders in his cup and cleaned out a poo he had earlier. There were a few orange crystals in the urate, I'm guessing that means he needs more water? That almost seems strange to me because I mist his house a lot and I'm seein him drink.

Do you have a dripper set up?? Giving him more access to water will help. They need water more often when younger. How often is he pooping?? If you are feeding sparingly, he may not be going as often as he should. This will cause urates to get old and be a bit yellow/orange when they pass. Get a dripper, maybe increase misting time, and feeding and he should be good for you!!

 

[Jonah S]

I don't have a dripper as of yet, I have been misting a ton though. I probably should pick one up. He poo's probably once a day, maybe every day and a half and I must say they are pretty big for his size. The vet had the sample before I brought him in and was surprised to see my little Larry makin turds that big. I have been feeding him twice a day for the most part. This is the first time I have seen crystals and the sample I gave to the vet on Monday didn't have any.

I put about seven crickets in a cup and came back five minutes later and they were all snatched up. I was pretty impressed to be honest. Thanks for the advice

 

[FroggtheCham]

I don't have a dripper as of yet, I have been misting a ton though. I probably should pick one up. He poo's probably once a day, maybe every day and a half and I must say they are pretty big for his size. The vet had the sample before I brought him in and was surprised to see my little Larry makin turds that big. I have been feeding him twice a day for the most part. This is the first time I have seen crystals and the sample I gave to the vet on Monday didn't have any.

I put about seven crickets in a cup and came back five minutes later and they were all snatched up. I was pretty impressed to be honest. Thanks for the advice

You bet!! At his age, he could/should be pooping a couple times a day. Like I said, increasing his water and food will fix that!!! If you don't have a dripper, use a plastic cup, I use a sewing needle and put a very small hole in the bottom. Figure out a way to keep the cup raised off of the screen, it doesn't need to be much, and put in water. It makes a pretty good dripper. The only downfall, is you have to fill it a lot more often. I have my UV hood on my cage and I set the cup on that so the water drips through the screen.

 

[Jonah S]

Just an update, I have been using a drippy cup and upped his feeding (he dusted off 20 crickets today) and his poos/urates look fantastic. The woman at the petstore was surprised to see me getting more crickets today because I blew through 4 dozen of them in just a few days. He is eating like a champ, thanks again

 

[FroggtheCham]

Just an update, I have been using a drippy cup and upped his feeding (he dusted off 20 crickets today) and his poos/urates look fantastic. The woman at the petstore was surprised to see me getting more crickets today because I blew through 4 dozen of them in just a few days. He is eating like a champ, thanks again

I'm so glad to hear he is doing well!!! Don't forget to post some pictures!!! We all love babies .