Female jacksons hunger strike

Dgood

Established Member
hello everyone, it's been awhile since I've posted again, but unfortunately my female jax chameleon has been going on a hunger strike for a week and a half now. She won't take crickets or roaches from a cup any more, so she would only eat superworms, calci worms and wax worm or two. But she slowly worked her way off those. Two days ago she took 3 nicely gut loaded and dusted crickets from my hand and couple Calci worms too. Since than she has only eaten two calci worms. She has been drinking very well though she stays very hydrated she drinks from the dripper every other day. I lost a baby veiled cham a while ago because he was sick when I purchased him, but I've had my jax for over a year and I want to make sure she doesn't fade away. I'm planning on scheduling a vet app. After the thanksgiving rush, could anyone around the northern area of colorado reccomend a vet for me? Thanks everyone in advance


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, Jackson's chameleon,sex female, and age of your chameleon approx 2 21/2 How long has it been in your care? One year 6 months.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Only to move to free range maybe once a week
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Her usual diet is crickets/Dubia roaches and claciworms,mealworms,superworms,hornworms,black soldier flies.What amount?3-5 crickets/roaches and 1-2 various worms. What is the schedule? I feed in the morning before work around 8oclock.How are you gut-loading your feeders?I blend carrots/mango/Apple/oranges/mustard greens/butternut squash/ and sometimes papaya and a couple slices of bell pepper.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use repti calcium no d/3 two to three times a week and reptivite with d/3 1 time a month
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Little dripperHow often and how long to you mist? Mistking with two nozzles, 7 times throughout the day for 1 1/2 minutes.Do you see your chameleon drinking? Yes she did today
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.havent seen recent droppings. Last week they looked normal with a white urate, a little bit of orange at the end. Last week I also watched her drop a slug one morning along with a urate. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. None that I know of....

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage24x24x48in reptibreeze, 3 sides covered with jungle shower curtain. (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? All living things hood with 10.0 reptisun needs replaced in 2 months. Lights on at 7:30 off at 7:30, than I turn the room light off at 7:45
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?basking is around 81-83 the lower part of the cage is around 66-71. Drops to 55-60 at night. Measuring with digital thermometer
Humidity - What are your humidity levels?drops to 40 after misting 90% How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Mistking, d.i.y humidifier! and a humidifier for the room.What do you use to measure humidity? Digital hydrometer.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? 2 shefferla abricloa, and two pothos
Placement - Where is your cage located? In the chameleon room.Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? The vent in the cham room is always closed unless it's too cold outside.At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? Basking branch is eye level with me, I'm 6'1.
Location - Where are you geographically located? Northern Colorado

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. She is slowley not eating, she will barley take any food she hasn't eaten a staple feeder in two days and before that 4 days. She still has a very strong grip, her eyes are nice and round, not sunken at all. She has been displaying much darker colors lately too, but when she sleeps she is lime green, and sometimes I'll check on her and she's very green and no dark colors. I mentioned she dropped a slug not too long ago.. Could that have anything to do with her hunger strike? Any info or input is greatly appreciated thanks in advance.


Pictures are helpful
 
I know something very big with chams is they get bored eating out of a cup every day. Maybe try to see if she will hunt for her crickets in her cage?
 
I have tried a couple times and she did take one or two, but the crickets find the way to the light and be right next her and i dont see her take them. But sometimes ill check and one of the crickets that were basking would be gone but its hard to say if it just ran off or she ate it
 
I would try to clear out some of her cage and throw in 1 or 2 and if they climb near the light push them down to her. It worked with my cham.
 
There would be no way to know if that was the case with out getting xrays right?
 
If she only dropped a slug or two, my guess is she is getting ready to deliver the rest. She may have released the slug due to stress or make room for others' needs. They will slowly taper off any food, and within 1-4 (usually) days deliver the rest. Make sure to keep her hydrated during the process. Pregnancy is 6-9 months.
 
If she only dropped a slug or two, my guess is she is getting ready to deliver the rest. She may have released the slug due to stress or make room for others' needs. They will slowly taper off any food, and within 1-4 (usually) days deliver the rest. Make sure to keep her hydrated during the process. Pregnancy is 6-9 months.

Good info junglefries thanks. She still hasnt taken any food but she drank again last night. Also when i went to turn the lights on this morning and i watched her drop another slug. So that makes 3 she has dropped in about a week and a half. How many slugs usually are dropped when she is delivering? Does this mean she is preggo??
 
Probably a good idea ha ha. If she does have babies o have almost everything i need to raise them..... But i don't think i have the time for three chams and babies!! I may just have to make time. I know jacksons can retain sperm until she is ready to deliver, but why would she wait thus long? Ive had her for over a year and a half
 
This is the worst ive seen her yet she is very dark and is trying to get as close as she can to her light.
 
It's good that she's dropping them rather than retaining them. Hope she will be okay. If she starts to go downhill I would get her to a vet ASAP.

I'll be very surprised if there are any live babies at this point.
 
She dropped 10 total and finally worked her way down back to her normal basking spot. She seems alright I tried to get her to drink but she didn't want to at the moment so I put on the dripper and let her try to relax. I'll be calling the vet tomo if she doesn't take some food by than, let's hope she does
 
An update for today, she dropped two more slugs this morning, and drank a ton of water and she actually ate a cricket off my hand too good news!! Let's hope it's all uphill from here. :)
 
Ok so I have made a vet app because she hasn't released any more slugs and still won't eat........ Although she did drink a lot yesterday and ate one freshly gutloaded cricket but nothing since...... Her vet app. Is on Tuesday at the colorado state university exotic pet clinic. I'm pretty nervous this is my first vet app and I'm not sure the proper way to transport her there and anything else I can do to make the process as stress free as possible for her any tips or advice would be very greatly appreciated, thanks everyone.
 
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