Face injury still not eating

[emma_5774]

Poor little guy! Yes the vet is right, if you start messing with trying to force feed him you could either make the injury worse or cause a new one. I would try bsfl if I were you because wax worms aren’t very good for him and they can be kinda big for his little mouth.

I saw this right after ordering baby wax worms If they are too big I will try cutting them (I did that with horn worms) and if that doesn't work I will order the black soldier fly larve! Someone said to get them to help him gain weight! We weighed him with a food scale a few days ago and it said he was 10grams. Is that a normal weight for a 4 month old Panther?

 

[bruce the cham]

View attachment 321132
this is him 2 days ago. He started shedding again so I have been giving hin warm baths to help the shed come off. I don't think he has anymore shed on him now. If you need a more recent photo I can try and get one after my doctors appointment!

can i see a more recant one please

 

[Lindasjackson]

Chameleons are dry shedders so please stop bathing him. You don’t want to cause him problems shedding.

 

[JacksJill]

Chameleons are lazy and as long as he is getting enough to eat by force feeding he probably won't bother to eat on his own. You will eventually need to wean him off of feedings to get him hungry enough to feed himself. You have a tough call to make as to how long to skip feedings because he is injured and still growing. I would start by skipping occasional days and maybe skip two now and then and see if he goes for a bug. Make sure the bugs you start with are very small he is going to have a hard time chewing without an intact lip. If you feed bsfl or wax worms puncture them with a pin so they get digested as he may not puncture them well himself at this point.
If you are feeding him Carnivore Care or some other enriched formula I would switch to an insect based formula with no added supplements and just add a touch of plain calcium yourself 6 days out of 7. Use the enriched formula no more than once a week. He will end up getting too much of the multivitamins and it could be stunting his growth. I use a plain cricket powder for body builders available on line.

 

[emma_5774]

Chameleons are dry shedders so please stop bathing him. You don’t want to cause him problems shedding.

noted thank you!

 

[emma_5774]

Chameleons are dry shedders so please stop bathing him. You don’t want to cause him problems shedding.

I actually looked into this more and many people have said they are not dry shedders as they are from humid wet places! when i say bathe i do not put him in a bowl of water. i turn on my sink and set him on a plant where only part of it is under the running water and he sits under it. he never puts his head under and he seems to really enjoy it. i have found that he will drink the water drops on the leaves as well! which lets me know he is staying hydrated! he lets me know when he is done with his shower and i have found he sheds easier with the showers! i also did ask a vet and they said if he isnt upset by it why stop! if you still think that they are dry shedders please explain more about it and maybe direct me to websites that say that! i appreciate your help!

 

[emma_5774]

Chameleons are lazy and as long as he is getting enough to eat by force feeding he probably won't bother to eat on his own. You will eventually need to wean him off of feedings to get him hungry enough to feed himself. You have a tough call to make as to how long to skip feedings because he is injured and still growing. I would start by skipping occasional days and maybe skip two now and then and see if he goes for a bug. Make sure the bugs you start with are very small he is going to have a hard time chewing without an intact lip. If you feed bsfl or wax worms puncture them with a pin so they get digested as he may not puncture them well himself at this point.
If you are feeding him Carnivore Care or some other enriched formula I would switch to an insect based formula with no added supplements and just add a touch of plain calcium yourself 6 days out of 7. Use the enriched formula no more than once a week. He will end up getting too much of the multivitamins and it could be stunting his growth. I use a plain cricket powder for body builders available on line.

I believe I have already responded to you but here is an update! I did get both wax worms and bsfl! since he is so tiny I have to cut them in half to make sure he doesnt choke! I have also found that when they are cut the open side will "stick" to his mouth and when he wants to he will lick it off and then eat it! He still wont shoot out his tongue and doesn't really seem to care but as long as i dont have to force it in his mouth i am okay with how he is eating! i was thinking about trying silk worms next because ive heard chameleons like those as well. should i give them a try or keep giving him bsfl and wax worms? I only give him the wax worms once or twice a week because of all the fat in them. I give him 5 worms a day because I was told babies should have 8-12 small crickets and the worms are about the size of 2 small crickets so hes getting the equivalent of 10 small crickets daily. Is that too much, too little, or enough? Should he be eating them all at once or should I space it out through the day? He eats them all at once and I normally feed him around 1-3pm.

 

[emma_5774]

can i see a more recant one please

Hi sorry I am really bad at checking my emails for notifications about this! Here are photos taken in the past week!

 

[JacksJill]

Silks are an excellent choice. You should give them a try.