Feeding Strike...

[samfish]

My Male Veiled, about 6 months old, has gone on a "feeding strike" for the last few days.

I have fed him a variety of insects the entire time I have owned him-- primarily gutloaded and dusted crickets and dubia roaches, with some superworms and occasional silkworms and hornworms.

Whenever I offered a new food source, he accepted it immediately, but continued to eat other foods just as well. He seemed to love Dubia Roaches when first offered, continued to eat crickets, and also ate superworms and other "treats" when offered.

However, the last 3 days, he has refused to eat the dubia roaches and crickets. I try cup feeding in different locations, free ranging, different sizes of insects, etc. but he will not eat a single one. However, if I put a superworm anywhere in the cage, he eats it immediately.


What is the best way to handle the situation? I do not want him to be addicted to superworms, but also do not want him to "starve"

Should I offer only Dubia Roaches and Crickets until he begins eating them? Should I offer small quantities of superworms so he gets some food? Any other recommendations?

 

[nick barta]

Don't feed him for a few days, then offer feeders that he is refusing to eat, when hungry he will eat!

Be sure your basking light is on, they stop eating if they can't get their temperatures up, and also check to be sure the basking branch has not slipped down.

CHEERS!

Nick

 

[ChamDE86]

+1 on Nick's statement. Chameleons can go a couple of weeks without food. If he doesn't eat, try again in a couple of days. Unless he's suffering from an illness, he'll eventually break and give in. Good luck.

 

[MissLissa]

My 7 month male suddenly decreased his appetite too, and became much more picky about what he will eat, day-to-day. I think, for my guy, it's just that he is very near full size and doesn't have the massive caloric requirements that a quick growing baby has. I've started offering a single kind of feeder per day- if he doesn't eat it, too bad he has to wait for the next day. He was holding out for crickets (his current fav) but they are only offered twice a week in the rotation. At first he held out for those two days, but now he will pretty much eat whatever I put in front of him. I also keep a feeding log for all my animals, so I know what and how much he is eating, and track his weekly weight. So far, he is eating 4-5 days a week, usually M-(T)-W-F-(S) and still gaining weight.

I would double check his temps, hydration, humidity, etc, and give him a good once over to make sure his mouth is fine. etc, just in case!

 

[samfish]

Thanks for the replies

Everything else is fine and normal.

Basking Light, Temperatures, and UV are all normal-- I find him spending plenty of time basking, and other time exploring the cage, similar to always. He still drinks when I spray him on a normal schedule, so he his hydrated.

Sometimes when I approach the cage, he even climbs down to his feeding cup. If there are roaches/crickets in the cup, or I put roaches/crickets in the cup, he ignores them. If I put a superworm, he eats it right away. That is further evidence all else is OK and he is just not interested in the roaches/crickets right now.

I will hold out against his hunger strike (and maybe use this as an opportunity to try training him to hand-feed too!)

 

[imari361]

Have the same problem with my baby. She's in a super worm binge. Though she was excited to eat a butterfly when we took her outside.

 

[paulkaranik]

He might be ready to shed. My Jackson does that