Chameleon not eating

[haleyallanah]

Hey guys. I'm hoping you can help me out. My chameleon hasn't been eating lately. I've had him for just over a year, he seems to be drinking normally and he's not showing any other strange behavior. But I don't think he's eaten anything at all in three or four days.

 

[haleyallanah]

This is the best picture he'll let me get of him right now.

 

[kinyonga]

Were there been any changes to his environment around the time this started? Temperature?

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

With the information you gave there is not much to indicate what could be wrong with him. Most times, chams will stop eating if their environment changes (even if it seems irrelevant to us) or when they are sick. The best thing to do would be to fill out the ask for help form.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.


Pictures are helpful

 

[haleyallanah]

Were there been any changes to his environment around the time this started? Temperature?

To the best of my knowledge, no! That's part of my confusion.

 

[haleyallanah]

Chameleon Info:

• 
  
  
  • Your Chameleon - His name is Randall. I bought him at the very beginning of his life and I've had him for almost two years.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? He comes out probably once or twice a day, not usually for very long though. Usually 10-15 minutes
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? I'm primarily feeding him crickets. I gut load them with potatoes and carrots usually. I'd say he usually gets 4-5 a day, and usually
  • eats them all.
  • Supplements - this is the only thing I can think may be throwing him off. I only just started calcium dusting (I know I should've been! Luckily the vet doesn't think I've caused any damage.) He refused to eat the calcium dusted ones, and I think it was around that time that he stopped eating.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have a misting system that goes off every few hours. I see him drink frequently
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? He's never been tested, but there haven't been any changes here.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Nothing I can think of!

Cage Info:

• 
  
  
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Glass with screen at the top. Not sure of the size.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I have no idea about brand, model or anything. But he has a UVA/UVB light plus his heat lamp. They're usually on from 8-10.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I don't really know. He does have a basking spot.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? No idea.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a few live plants. I'm honestly not sure what kind. My mom is the plant person, so she picked them (and we made sure they're safe for him).
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? It's a few feet off the floor. Not too close to any vents and not in a super high traffic area.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Canada.

 

[Gwendalyn.brock]

Chameleon Info:

• 
  
  
  • Your Chameleon - His name is Randall. I bought him at the very beginning of his life and I've had him for almost two years.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? He comes out probably once or twice a day, not usually for very long though. Usually 10-15 minutes
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? I'm primarily feeding him crickets. I gut load them with potatoes and carrots usually. I'd say he usually gets 4-5 a day, and usually
  • eats them all.
  • Supplements - this is the only thing I can think may be throwing him off. I only just started calcium dusting (I know I should've been! Luckily the vet doesn't think I've caused any damage.) He refused to eat the calcium dusted ones, and I think it was around that time that he stopped eating.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have a misting system that goes off every few hours. I see him drink frequently
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? He's never been tested, but there haven't been any changes here.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Nothing I can think of!

Cage Info:

• 
  
  
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Glass with screen at the top. Not sure of the size.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? I have no idea about brand, model or anything. But he has a UVA/UVB light plus his heat lamp. They're usually on from 8-10.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I don't really know. He does have a basking spot.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? No idea.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have a few live plants. I'm honestly not sure what kind. My mom is the plant person, so she picked them (and we made sure they're safe for him).
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? It's a few feet off the floor. Not too close to any vents and not in a super high traffic area.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Canada.

Based on what you have written, I would say maybe just starting to dust them may be throwing him off since he's not used to it. You should get a digital thermometer and hygrometer to be sure that the temps and humidity are where they need to be, especially since it is winter.

 

[kinyonga]

Could very well be that it's just because you just started dusting.

I think you should know the temperatures in the cage.

It's important to feed/gutload the insects properly. For crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms I recommend using a wide variety of greens such as collards, escarole, endive, dandelion greens, kale, etc and veggies such as carrots, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, etc.

It's also recommended that you dust at most feedings with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to help make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects.

Its recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin. PrOformed sources of vitamin A cannot build up in the system and lead to health issues while prEformed sources can and this leaves it up to you to decide whether the chameleon needs prEformed or not.

It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous - free calcium / D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest of the D3 from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to overdoses but D3 from exposure to UVB won't likely as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the UVB when it wants to.