Feeding problem - should I be concerned?

[tipposan]

We have a graceful chameleon that we've had for about 14 months now. When we first got it (not sure if male or female) feeding was good about 4-7 small crickets a day.

Crickets are gut loaded before feeding and twice a week they are dust coated with a multivitamin (ExoTerra).

Over the course of a year, it has gone up to 4-5 large crickets and has been able to eat a female praying mantis. We have been able to feed it crickets from a tweezer and help it drink with the use of a straw and syringe.

As of lately, I have noticed that there are times that it will catch the cricket with its tongue and after the cricket is withdrawn into it's mouth somehow the cricket wriggles free. This has happened both when catching by itself and when we feed it.

I originally thought that the large crickets were too big so I switched back to small/medium ones and fed them to the cham. About 60% of the time it would eat successfully but there still are times when the cricket would wriggle free.

Still having poop - looks normal in colour.
Hasn't shed for quite a while (only 3 times that I could tell since we got it)

Only change that we have done is change from tap water to Distilled water because of the deposits on the glass.

Any thoughts....

 

[kinyonga]

Can you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread at the top of the health forum please. Be specific about the supplements please.

 

[carol5208]

Have you ever dusted your feeders with calcium or just the multivitamin? Could you post a couple pics if possible? Is your chameleon shooting its tongue ok?

 

[tipposan]

Only ever used Multi Vitamin by Exo Terra - powder supplement for reptiles and amphibians.

Tongue seems to shoot fine. No problems there. The problem seems to be with keeping the crickets in his mouth. They seem to break free before he can swallow.

The only other thing that I have notice (which may be nothing at all) is that he used to do this thing with his tongue that I can only describe as if the cham was moistening his tongue before shooting it.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Please answer all the questions in the how to ask for help sticky, so that we can better help you.

Since crickets seem to be the prey you most offer, You need a vitamin and phosphorus Free calcium supplement like Mineral-O made by sticky tongue farms. Or Rep-call plain calcium.

The exoterra vitamin product has very little calcium. And I wouldn't use it twice a week, but rather 2-3 times a month

Exo-Terra Multi-vitamin
Guaranteed Analysis: Crude Protein (min)14.0% Copper2.5 ppm Crude Fat (min)1.2% Zinc6.5 ppm Crude Fiber (max)8.0% Iodine0.75 ppm Moisture (max)12.0% Manganese6.5 ppm Ash (max)9.0%Choline81.44 mg/lb Calcium (min)4.4%Menadione0.907 mg/lb Calcium (max)4.6%Biotin0.004 mg/lb Salt (max)0.00275% Inositol4.989 mg/lb Potassium (min)0.0033% Beta Carotene4.082 mg/lb Sulfur (min)0.011% Vitamin D39,979 IU/lb Magnesium2 ppm Vitamin E45.3 IU/lb Iron77 ppm
INGREDIENTS: Dried seaweed meal, dried yeast, oyster shell flour, dextrose, beta-carotene, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), biotin, inositol, choline chloride, salt, calcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, potassium chloride, manganese oxide, ferrous fumarate, calcium sulfate, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, potassium Sticky Tongue Farms: Miner-All-O
Guaranteed Analysis Per Kilo: Calcium 34% -36%, Manganese; 453.66 mg., Zinc; 544.39 mg., Iron; 136.10 mg., Copper; 113.42 mg., Iodine; 36.29 mg., Cobalt; 3.63 mg., Magnesium; 453.66 mg., Selenium; 11.023. mg.

MineralO
INGREDIENTS: Calcium Carbonate, Dextrose, Zinc Sulfate, Manganese Sulfate, Magnesium Oxide, Iron Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Ethyione Diamine Dihydriodide, Cobalt Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Iron Oxide, Natural flavors. And the following trace elements from naturally grown aquatic vegetation; Sulfur, Aluminum, Silicon, Copper, Bromine, Barium, Tellurium, Yttrium, Sodium, Lanthanum, Uranium, Neodymium, Cerium, Titanium, Vanadium, Niobium, Dysporosium, Gadolinium, Erbium, Ytterbium, Germanium, Praseodymium, Samarium, Thallium, Scandium, Rubidium, Nickel, Holmium, Tin, Thorium, Europium, Terbium, Palladium, Gallium, Chromium, Lutecium, Thulium, Tungsten, Antimony, Cesium, Bismuth, Rhodium, Tantalum, Rhenium, Osmium Iridum.