Bad drinking habit

[Lala0]

So a few weeks ago i was concerned about my chams hydration so I put my hand mister near his mouth and he started drinking. I did this for about a week just to ensure he was all good. Now I he is starting to become dehydrated again and he drinks when I offer the hand mister. My concern is that he is waiting for me to offer the water even though he has a misting system go off every 2 hours. What should I do?

Would my best option be a dripper?

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Dripper are very effective. Having the drops slowly bounce off a leaf, or drop from a branch is best way I've found to get a chameleon interested in drinking.

 

[jannb]

IMO you should always have a dripper. There's no way they can get enough water from mist alone. I use mist, dripper and dropper. Just look how much water my guy takes in and he was still drinking after the video stopped.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RUOI09JWHw&list=UUQ0-BXKaSumOoRdvTs-MQNg&index=4&feature=plcp

 

[Lala0]

Ok thanks, will get a dripper on Friday!

 

[Psychobunny]

IMO you should always have a dripper. There's no way they can get enough water from mist alone. I use mist, dripper and dropper. Just look how much water my guy takes in and he was still drinking after the video stopped.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RUOI09JWHw&list=UUQ0-BXKaSumOoRdvTs-MQNg&index=4&feature=plcp

Yeah, I found this to be true. Even though I saturate these cages when I mist, I dont know HOW many times a day, it's always the dripper that I see them respond and drink too.

Only one time when I was misting, did I see a positive drinking response from my jacksons.
I had misted him by hand with the water running down his face, for a long time until he finally opened his mouth.
By then, my hand was nearly numb!!!

When I turn my home-made dripper on, he goes and sticks his head under it! LOL

 

[Carlton]

So a few weeks ago i was concerned about my chams hydration so I put my hand mister near his mouth and he started drinking. I did this for about a week just to ensure he was all good. Now I he is starting to become dehydrated again and he drinks when I offer the hand mister. My concern is that he is waiting for me to offer the water even though he has a misting system go off every 2 hours. What should I do?

Would my best option be a dripper?

IMHO, having a cham who will drink from a hand held sprayer is great! You can keep very close track of how much and how often he's getting a full drink every day. It is a great time to enjoy up close time with your cham. It also teaches your cham that you are not a threat and a source of good things. If you ever need to give it medications it could simplify that too. What you may need to do is check the humidity cycle in your cham's cage. If your cham is getting dehydrated between hand sprayings each day it is probably too dry despite your misting. I've taught most of my chams to drink directly from a syringe or sprayer, and once they are hydrated and stable from a good prolonged drink, they just don't need to drink multiple times every day if their humidity level in the cage/room is correct. Now if you are concerned that you can't always be there to offer water directly, that's another problem.

 

[Lala0]

IMHO, having a cham who will drink from a hand held sprayer is great! You can keep very close track of how much and how often he's getting a full drink every day. It is a great time to enjoy up close time with your cham. It also teaches your cham that you are not a threat and a source of good things. If you ever need to give it medications it could simplify that too. What you may need to do is check the humidity cycle in your cham's cage. If your cham is getting dehydrated between hand sprayings each day it is probably too dry despite your misting. I've taught most of my chams to drink directly from a syringe or sprayer, and once they are hydrated and stable from a good prolonged drink, they just don't need to drink multiple times every day if their humidity level in the cage/room is correct. Now if you are concerned that you can't always be there to offer water directly, that's another problem.

I have a misting system that goes off for 45 seconds every 2 hours so he has ample time to drink. The humidity is also fine. I don't mind letting him drink from the hand mister but if I go away for a night or two I want to know that he will drink from the leaves as well. I think a dripper is the way to go