Constipated

[zsazsa85]

Hi everyone,

I have a veiled cham -a months old and is constipated. G tries to poop for days now and nothing just pee. He did this to me before in December but after a week pooped finally. Now he hasn't pooped for almost two weeks. I checked the plants.
He tries it but nothing. Eats though. I give him crickets, butterworms, and three weeks ago silks but he there was no problem with pooping. Crix and worms are gutloaded with Sandrachameleon's dry gutload, such as oatmeal-dry italian spices-coconut-sesame-roasted seaweed mix. I make it. I give them fresh veggies and fruits (strawberry, blueb.,carrot, apple, ...)
I tried poor olive oil drops orally, senna leaves tee(with more water) and nothing...What else can I try?????I am soooo worried now. i can see him drinking btw. His appetite is less a little in the last 2-3 days,but still has. But I don't know, is it ok if he eats? I don't want him to explode.
Oh almost forgot: I have live plants too, but all soil is covered so I don't think G is constipated. Can't be.

Thanks guys!

 

[Carlton]

Hi everyone,

I have a veiled cham -a months old and is constipated. G tries to poop for days now and nothing just pee. He did this to me before in December but after a week pooped finally. Now he hasn't pooped for almost two weeks. I checked the plants.
He tries it but nothing. Eats though. I give him crickets, butterworms, and three weeks ago silks but he there was no problem with pooping. Crix and worms are gutloaded with Sandrachameleon's dry gutload, such as oatmeal-dry italian spices-coconut-sesame-roasted seaweed mix. I make it. I give them fresh veggies and fruits (strawberry, blueb.,carrot, apple, ...)
I tried poor olive oil drops orally, senna leaves tee(with more water) and nothing...What else can I try?????I am soooo worried now. i can see him drinking btw. His appetite is less a little in the last 2-3 days,but still has. But I don't know, is it ok if he eats? I don't want him to explode.
Oh almost forgot: I have live plants too, but all soil is covered so I don't think G is constipated. Can't be.

Thanks guys!

Constipation can happen if the cham is dehydrated. Water keeps things moving, so let him drink as much as he wants. Exercise also helps as does a little excitement. Sometimes a trip to a sunny bright window, outside in a cage, or free roaming around a room can change the routine enough too.

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you Carlton! I'll do that right now. And I give him water and I can see him drinking and has nice pee every time.
I can I feed him? Or better not to give anything? Because he is hungry...

 

[TruBlu]

Hiya.. you can either -

if you have an automatic mister, fill it with warm water and leave it on for half an hour

or put the cham on a plant in the shower with the water deflecting off the wall, again leave him/ her in there for half an hour or so.

Also, as Carlton says free roaming has tempted mine to go, but then again you have got to catch the turd once he drops it if he's free roaming

These top 2 things without fail have worked for me in the past

 

[zsazsa85]

I took him out yesterday and gave him a quick shower 'cause he just didn't want to be on the plant. But I'll do it today as well! I am so worried now.I have a mistking and it is on about 7 times a day for 2.5 min.(It is very dry here)

 

[Juanita2014]

Worked for my friend's Panther (Adult male)

she held him in warm water for about half an hour, then massaged his belly gently, 5 min after there was poop.

 

[zsazsa85]

she held him in warm water for about half an hour, then massaged his belly gently, 5 min after there was poop.

I tried it the day before yesterday,but he always climbed back on my arm,but I'll try again. I do everything you guys suggest. I'm done with the 25 min.misting in his cage.He has appetite. What goes in should come out!!

 

[zsazsa85]

Ok, I tried today the bath thing. G was in and out the water for about 15-20 min.I massaged gently the belly but nothing. I'll do it tomorrow again and ordered horn-and silkworms, they arrive on Friday...I hope he will be ok til then....

 

[Psychobunny]

You dont actually have to put them in the warm water, that could cause the animal much stress, you can get a wash cloth, soak it in warm water, and apply it to your chams lower half like a compress and leave it there for as long as you can.
Try the olive oil again. A few drops on a feeder, or piece of Romain.

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you Psychobunny! I'll do that today then!

 

[mabrams]

Just a couple more thoughts - I've been keeping lizards of different sorts for over 30 years, and have dealt with impaction a couple times. If he's truly impacted, he'll stop eating. Everything comes to a stop - if the waste can't leave, there's no room for more. The fact that he is still eating is a good sign - don't stop feeding him! Not only does he need the nutrition, but eating helps stimulate the digestive tract to move. If he is really in trouble, he will stop eating, so I wouldn't get panicky yet. My advice is keep feeding him, and as others have suggested, work on hydration.

 

[zsazsa85]

Just a couple more thoughts - I've been keeping lizards of different sorts for over 30 years, and have dealt with impaction a couple times. If he's truly impacted, he'll stop eating. Everything comes to a stop - if the waste can't leave, there's no room for more. The fact that he is still eating is a good sign - don't stop feeding him! Not only does he need the nutrition, but eating helps stimulate the digestive tract to move. If he is really in trouble, he will stop eating, so I wouldn't get panicky yet. My advice is keep feeding him, and as others have suggested, work on hydration.

Thank you so much! I wasn't sure about feeding. He is not into the crix in the feeding cup now,but the ones who escaped,loves to hunt them down. There is no problem with worms though, he eats them. I don't mind he doesn't eat crix very much recently, their chitin doesn't help in this situation. I have butterworms now,the silks and horns arrive tomorrow,so I hope horns will do their job.
Fortunately I'm home, so I can try to give him more olive oil and senna leaves tee and water...
And he is active!
Is there any laxative for reptiles btw?

 

[pigglett79]

My panther George has been constipated for over 2 weeks, going on 3. Over the past week and a half I tried olive oil twice, nothing. He stopped eating over a week ago. I tried belly rubs, getting him out and moving, warm water, warm wash cloth, nothing happened. Today I was not going to give up. We rubbed his belly, put a warm wash cloth on him and then put him in the shower, within a minute in the shower he pooped the biggest poop I have ever seen come out of a chameleon. He then drank like crazy.

He hasn’t been eating or drinking much or moving around much. I think possible due to the discomfort of the constipation. And of course he drank a ton of water in the shower, right after I switch to RO water and am trying to see if not drinking tap water will help his edema........Figures.

Anyway, figured I would add my experience to see if it helps.

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you Pigglett79! Any advice helps!
I just did it. Well not the shower but in the sink and the faucet and towel. Nothing happened yet but I'll try it again!
I'm glad yours could poop finally! I actually had dream about my cham and big poop piles...I want it to come true!

 

[zsazsa85]

Pigglett!!! He just pooped!!!! I am soooo happy, I actually cried! Not a big one but it is something! It was pretty solid, more solid as usual,but no wonder...He was out free ranged for about 3 hours, shower, your water idea,and a lot of moving! He was very active.
Thank you! I hope tomorrow he will poop out the rest now.

 

[pigglett79]

Pigglett!!! He just pooped!!!! I am soooo happy, I actually cried! Not a big one but it is something! It was pretty solid, more solid as usual,but no wonder...He was out free ranged for about 3 hours, shower, your water idea,and a lot of moving! He was very active.
Thank you! I hope tomorrow he will poop out the rest now.

YAY! congrat! Itsnt it great? haha.

 

[zsazsa85]

It is unbelievable how happy can a poop make us?! And since he spent hours out of his cage today,he wants to come out now. I could barely put him back

 

[mabrams]

Yaaaaay for poop!

 

[zsazsa85]

Thanks! no poop today but hopefully he is over the hard part...

 

[Dr O]

Thanks! no poop today but hopefully he is over the hard part...

no pun intended?

one thing i would like to add to a lot of good info already posted--re: Psychobunny's comment on baths and stress:

-if your cham goes berserk in water, then i absolutely agree---too much stress!! however, ime some chams will either slowly walk around in belly-high lukewarm water, while most will stand up on 2 legs and do their slow-motion scrabble with their front feet trying to climb out (but not show any real stress colors).

the reason i prefer to keep mine "dunked" is twofold. most obvious is that it's warming their belly nicely and getting things moving. but the main reason is that the cloaca can absorb a tremendous amount of water, virtually as hydrating as oral. so not only are they absorbing extra water which helps everything, but it's also coming at the fecal from the other direction, helping to soften it even more. mine don't usually poop in the water (10-15 minutes total), but within the hour after it's almost always successful.