Bug Juice Recipe
- Thread starter lisa h
- Start date
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Is your chameleon eating on it's own at all?
If so your best bet is to bump up your gut load and amount you are feeding and not force feed.
Otherwise, here is the recipe:
http://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html
-Brad
If so your best bet is to bump up your gut load and amount you are feeding and not force feed.
Otherwise, here is the recipe:
http://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html
-Brad
Thanks Brad. As far as I can tell she hasn't eaten for the last 2 or 3 days. I did manage to get some water into her today, so I'd like to boost her with just a bit of the bug juice until she's eating on her own.
Brad Ramsey
Retired Moderator
Two or three days is not that long.
You need to monitor her closely and determine whether or not she is eating on her own.
Force feeding can do more harm than good and should not be practiced if the chameleon is capable of eating on her own.
Have you had a fecal done on her?
-Brad
She's lost a lot of weight, so I don't know if I should wait another day or two. She's still young (4/5 months?) She does look better after the forced drinking. She took the water readily once I had the syringe opening her mouth. Is water sufficient at this time? She does not cup feed, so I can only guess if she is eating. I haven't seen her hunt in the last few days. She will only eat crickets, though I have offered her small supers and silkworms in the past. I got her from a petstore because she was almost dead. I would have a fecal done, but she hasn't done anything. I will collect one as soon as I see one, and get it straight to a vet. Unfortunately the vet care she has gotten thus far has not been competent. Our "exotic" vet admitted she hadn't seen chams "for years and years"
Leilaskeeper
New Member
Perhaps I can offer some advice. I just nursed a very dehydrated panther back to health. She wouldn't eat for over 2 weeks.
Be very attentive. Offer showers often. Try feeding with a syringe while giving a shower. I did a lot of searches on bug juice and I used the following:
pedialyte, some crix, some butterworms, multivitamin, cal w. d3, water, egg yolk. I mashed it up with a mortar and pestle and fed via syringe 2 times daily. It's a challenge to get them to take it but you have to keep on them.
Keep the temps higher around 88-90. Keep humidity stable.
Try to give privacy and space - observe from afar. Only approach the enclosure when showering/feeding. I introduced crickets to her after I noticed her strength was increasing. I would hold the cricket close to her, let her see the bug - even if she wasn't interested. Within a week of providing the liquid diet, she hunted her first cricket. Today she is fattened up and looking fantastic
I really hope the best for the cham - don't give up!
Be very attentive. Offer showers often. Try feeding with a syringe while giving a shower. I did a lot of searches on bug juice and I used the following:
pedialyte, some crix, some butterworms, multivitamin, cal w. d3, water, egg yolk. I mashed it up with a mortar and pestle and fed via syringe 2 times daily. It's a challenge to get them to take it but you have to keep on them.
Keep the temps higher around 88-90. Keep humidity stable.
Try to give privacy and space - observe from afar. Only approach the enclosure when showering/feeding. I introduced crickets to her after I noticed her strength was increasing. I would hold the cricket close to her, let her see the bug - even if she wasn't interested. Within a week of providing the liquid diet, she hunted her first cricket. Today she is fattened up and looking fantastic
I really hope the best for the cham - don't give up!
Perhaps I can offer some advice. I just nursed a very dehydrated panther back to health. She wouldn't eat for over 2 weeks.
Be very attentive. Offer showers often. Try feeding with a syringe while giving a shower. I did a lot of searches on bug juice and I used the following:
pedialyte, some crix, some butterworms, multivitamin, cal w. d3, water, egg yolk. I mashed it up with a mortar and pestle and fed via syringe 2 times daily. It's a challenge to get them to take it but you have to keep on them.
Keep the temps higher around 88-90. Keep humidity stable.
Try to give privacy and space - observe from afar. Only approach the enclosure when showering/feeding. I introduced crickets to her after I noticed her strength was increasing. I would hold the cricket close to her, let her see the bug - even if she wasn't interested. Within a week of providing the liquid diet, she hunted her first cricket. Today she is fattened up and looking fantastic
I really hope the best for the cham - don't give up!
Thank you so much! I was just worried about how long she could go without food. I'm going to start the bug juice today. I've been back and forth on it. Do I want to stress her more? She is still a baby though. I know chams stress when handled, even if they don't appear so. Unfortunately I've had to handle her almost everyday since I got her to clean her mouth, give her showers, etc. I don't want to do more than I have to, but when I do have to handle her, she is a very good patient. I'm having a lot of trouble finding anyone that sells good feeders, but I'll get what I can.
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Thanks to all who helped. Unfortunately Leonard passed away late Sunday morning. I did get a chance to feed her the bug juice early Sunday, but I could tell she was weak as her grip was not good. She tried hard to make it, but the bad start at the petstore was too much for her. I went back today to get my money back, and I told them the whole story of what happened. Got my money back, but they really didn't seem to care -- not that I expected otherwise.
chamlover
New Member
Sorry to hear that he passed. That's why as much as i hate to do it, i will not purchase a sick cham from ANYONE...I have offered to rescue them and some except, some don't. But at least they didn't make any money and might think twice before selling another sick one. When you start with one that is that sick, it is really hard, if not impossible, to turn them around.
Just for future knowledge, i have rescued many chams and other reptiles using the bug juice but my latest trip to the vet, he showed me a new product. It's only available through the vet but it saves you from smushing up bugs and worms (yuck). It's called Carnivore Care and it's put out by Oxford. It's great stuff and just powder. All you do is add water. Soooo much easier.
Just for future knowledge, i have rescued many chams and other reptiles using the bug juice but my latest trip to the vet, he showed me a new product. It's only available through the vet but it saves you from smushing up bugs and worms (yuck). It's called Carnivore Care and it's put out by Oxford. It's great stuff and just powder. All you do is add water. Soooo much easier.
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