Eating Question

carol5208

carol5208

Chameleon Enthusiast
Is ther anything physically wrong that will cause a chameleon not to eat? I am a little worried about my 9 mo old panther. All the husbandry is fine, lights, humidity, supplements etc. I have been on here for 4 months and have everything the way it needs to be. Right now I am offering crickets, supers and waiting on silkworms. The place I get the silks from has been out for a couple of weeks. Been waiting on that. Anyways, he is drinking, and quite active. I take him our for sun and free range everyday. He quit eating crick about 2 weeks ago. He has only eaten one super since saturday. He pooped a big one of Saturday also and it looked fine. Just wondering if there is anything else I could be missing here. no, I have not a had a fecal done. Can a parasite cause losss of appetitie? How long before he does not eat that I should start freaking out?
 
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Hi - it's quite common for chams to go on food strike every now and then and as your little guy gets older the number of items he eats will slow down too. Chams can also be fussy eaters - they like to have a variety in their diet and will sometimes go on food strike if they get bored. Try to get some locusts for him which are a good staple in place of crickets. He might also be throwing a woobler because your usual supplier has run out of silkies!
If he is continuing to drink ok and seems normal in his behaviour and in himself, i wouldn't be overly concerned :)
 
Chameleons do get bored with there food. At 9 months old I would only offer food every 2 to 3 days. Parasites can also cause loss of appetitie. I would recommend a fecal since you have not had one. They can get parasites from the feeders they eat. My vet recommends a check up and fecal every 6 months.
 
jann, would they continue to be active and drink if they had a parasite or does it only effect their eating habits? thanks
 
carol5208 said:
jann, would they continue to be active and drink if they had a parasite or does it only effect their eating habits? thanks
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Yes. The first time I took Luie to the vet he would not give me a poop to take. My vet ranted and raved about how great he looked. Then a few weeks later I mailed him a poop overnight for a fecal and he was loaded with coccidia, which is very bad, and also had pinworms and hookworms. By the time they are showing signs of sickness it could be too late.
 
Was he not eating then? Have you ever had a cham that did not eat that was not sick or had a parasite? I am not sure now if he is not eating except that one super on Saturday that he will poop.
 
My chameleons have always acted completely normal when their poop checks positive for parasites. I have fecals about every 3 months and probably 25% of the time they have either pinworms or hookworms and Luie has had cociddia twice.

Not only would I recommend a fecal I would highly recommend that you not offer him so much food. He may just be sick of it......like Lisa's veiled Stanley.
 
ok, I am going to see if I can get a poop out of him. The only thing is I am leaving the house here and no one will be home most of the day. If he goes it will probably be dried up by the time I get home. If I get one you put in a ziplock with a wet paper towel right?
 
carol5208 said:
ok, I am going to see if I can get a poop out of him. The only thing is I am leaving the house here and no one will be home most of the day. If he goes it will probably be dried up by the time I get home. If I get one you put in a ziplock with a wet paper towel right?
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Yes and put it in the frig. I wouldn't use one over 24 hours old because some parasites wont show up then. The fresher the better.
 
Oh and dont forget!
Youll have to do another one in a couple days after your first fecal..
Cuz it doesnt always show up the first time!
 
Don't offer him any food at all today and wait until tomorrow afternoon and then offer him a feeder and see if he will eat. If you have feeders in his cage now, take them out and don't offer him any food tomorrow and wait until Wed. morning to offer him a feeder. If he eats one then give him all that he wants and then skip the next day.
 
so what do you do then if they dont eat and you cannot get a fecal?. The silkworms should be here I am praying tomorrow but they are gonna be small. I dont even know if he will eat them. He just shows no interst in food. Drank water today though. I have him on my patio right now and he is sunning in a little tree I have out there
 
carol5208 said:
so what do you do then if they dont eat and you cannot get a fecal?. The silkworms should be here I am praying tomorrow but they are gonna be small. I dont even know if he will eat them. He just shows no interst in food. Drank water today though. I have him on my patio right now and he is sunning in a little tree I have out there
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You take him to the vet. He might be sick. If one of my chams went longer than a week without eating or pooping I'd have them at the vet.
 
ok thanks! Will do everything you said and I will keep you posted. Let hope for a poop when I am home!!
 
Actuallt your gonna have to hope for THREE poops :D
Thats the recommened fecal test to do before your 100% sure he has nothing :D

Also showering migth help him pass a poop or taking him out side in the sun for a bit with some warm warm mistings
 
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