Chameleon formula

[Spiffy0710]

does anyone know how long I should continue to syringe feed my chameleon Oxbow carnivore care formula? He had mbd and I'm nursing him back to health. He's doing good but he's choosing the formula over bugs. Will he only want that or will his natural instinct kick back in eventually?? I've been sneaking in waxworms while I feed him and he's eating them but he won't eat them out of his bowl. He's finally walking and climbing again so he's feeling much much better

 

[Virgil1972]

With MBD you probably will want to consult with a vet. The vet can check to see if your chams bones are getting better, and advise you on what to do.

 

[Spiffy0710]

With MBD you probably will want to consult with a vet. The vet can check to see if your chams bones are getting better, and advise you on what to do.

He has been to the vet. He's doing much much better but he doesn't actually have a chameleon so to get him off the formula would be a question for someone who has successfully done it

 

[jajeanpierre]

Is his jaw weak from the MBD?

Properly raised and gut loaded bugs should be better than Carnivore Care once he is out of crisis. I don't think the Carnivore Care has any roughage in it based on how much is fed per kilogram of body weight. I think the Carnivore Care should be an emergency food source only.

However, if he is having trouble using his jaw (or tongue) because it is so demineralized that it is rubbery, you may need to continue for a long time. His tongue has a bone in it and it uses bones in the throat to launch it.

You must be particularly careful that your bugs are very, very healthy and well fed. I always prefer wild caught bugs. Commercial food is fed on the cheapest garbage they can get away with. You know the sayings, "Garbage in, garbage out" and "You are what you eat." I read a Consumer Report on bacteria in hamburger, and in the report they discussed what was fed to feed lot cattle. They actually fed the manure from chicken houses. If that is what goes into food for human consumption, I can only imagine the garbage that goes into crickets bred for feeding fish.

 

[Spiffy0710]

Is his jaw weak from the MBD?

Properly raised and gut loaded bugs should be better than Carnivore Care once he is out of crisis. I don't think the Carnivore Care has any roughage in it based on how much is fed per kilogram of body weight. I think the Carnivore Care should be an emergency food source only.

However, if he is having trouble using his jaw (or tongue) because it is so demineralized that it is rubbery, you may need to continue for a long time. His tongue has a bone in it and it uses bones in the throat to launch it.

You must be particularly careful that your bugs are very, very healthy and well fed. I always prefer wild caught bugs. Commercial food is fed on the cheapest garbage they can get away with. You know the sayings, "Garbage in, garbage out" and "You are what you eat." I read a Consumer Report on bacteria in hamburger, and in the report they discussed what was fed to feed lot cattle. They actually fed the manure from chicken houses. If that is what goes into food for human consumption, I can only imagine the garbage that goes into crickets bred for feeding fish.

No his jaw seems fine, the vet told me to feed him this due to him not eating when he got so sick. It's been a mth now and he seems to want the formula over bugs. I buy the crickets then feed them the dry food and water quencher but I add fresh cut coleslaw mix (cabbage and carrot) cut carrots, lettuce, apples, strawberries, banana, spinach, celery and pretty much any veggies I have. Since he had mbd when I got him, I've tried to get my buggies well fed prior to my baby eating them however he's not eating them at the moment. I finally got him to eat a cricket yesterday by putting it in his mouth while formula feeding. I have no idea if his tongue is working fine yet or not but he's finally climbing and acting as a chameleon versus sitting black in the bottom of the cage.