Force feeding

[vangarret2000]

So I need to force feed my Cham. Vet orders. Yesterday I gave him a horn worm and a silk worm. It is hard to get him to eat as he just tries to spit it out if you don't stick it down his throat. It also sucks that I am gonna have to do this multiple times a day to get all the bugs he needs in him. Does anyone know a better way to get them to eat or something better to feed them if being force fed.

I saw this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOzJk-Vq4Xo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

But I can't find that product anywhere. I think it might not be available in Canada mabey. Anyone know of a similar product I could buy?

 

[Kate]

Can I ask why he needs to be force fed, and for how long?

 

[Hoj]

Ok there are three ways I have done this, bare with me as typing it out may be difficult.

holding the chameleon in your hand make a O out of your thumb and index finger and have the chams head come through there.

then you can do one of three things either very gentley pinch the skin under the jaw and very gentley pull down on the skin untill he open his mouth.
or take a thin pc of plastic the edge of a tiny spatula or credit card has worked for me, and starting at the back corner of the mouth get the card between the lips and slowly and gentley slid it around to the front applying a tiny bit of force to get him to open.
third way is to use your fingers and block his nostrals they will open to take a breath.

one other way i have force fed chams is to get them drinking and just time it right and pop a feeder in their open mouth.

I have also found it way easier if you remove the hopper legs from the cricket if that is waht you are using.

Hope that helps a bit
__________________

 

[Alexl]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOzJk-Vq4Xo&feature=youtube_gdata_player

I think this video shows a very dangerous way to forcefeed for unexperienced people (or let's say it's not the safest way). You always need to keep the chameleon's head between the fingers to prevent the chameleon hurting itself during feeding. I've seen some reptiles with mucosal lesions after their owner tried to forcefeed similar to this (the reptiles just tried to take their heads away). Opening the chameleon's mouth works better and faster with a little tongue blade crossways (those wooden ones which are half as small as the ones used in humans). And the pipette need to be placed behind the trachea before feeding to prevent aspirating food. Mostly it works the shown way, but larger amounts of prepared food and an upset chameleon might raise the chance it doesn't. And a pneumonia isn't that nice additionally... That's why a vet should show the right forecefeeding to his patient owners before leaving them go and try it without instructions.

 

[vangarret2000]

Can I ask why he needs to be force fed, and for how long?

This explaIns why

https://www.chameleonforums.com/help-help-help-89085/index3.html#post833430

 

[Kate]

This explaIns why

https://www.chameleonforums.com/help-help-help-89085/index3.html#post833430

Sorry, didn't make the link.ddd I've read here about making a " liquid soup" out of squished up crickets and feeding them via a syringe.

 

[Alexl]

Did you have a look at the Oxbow website yet? Oxbow produces "Carnivore Care" and they got distributors in Canada, too (see the link for adresses).

 

[vangarret2000]

Did you have a look at the Oxbow website yet? Oxbow produces "Carnivore Care" and they got distributors in Canada, too (see the link for adresses).

Do those places just distribute to stores or is that where you actually have to go to buy the stuff? I have found any in te pet stores where I live

 

[Preekoo]

What ive found effective, when i had to shoot some baby food pears with a syringe into my chams mouth because he was compacted a while back, is just pinch the corners of his mouth very lightly and he shoul open up. I had my mom shoot it into his mouth lol. He actually seemed to like it after he stopped hissen.

 

[Alexl]

Do those places just distribute to stores or is that where you actually have to go to buy the stuff?

You can ask your vet to order it.

 

[ChameleonMom]

I have been hand (force) feeding my 4 year old veiled for almost 2 years now and have found success in creating the "O" with my fingers, and using my fingers to stabilize his veil while I use my other hand to place my fingernail into the line of his mouth. I don't use any force, I wait for him to try to extract my fingernail, in doing so he opens his mouth, making his lower jaw go down, and when he does this, in goes the cricket!!

I used to tug gently on the skin under his chin to get him to open up but a year and a half ago, when I was out of town and had him at the vet for boarding, the vet wasn't as experienced in hand feeding as I was (or he was just being stubborn) and she ended up tugging too hard on his chin skin and caused a lesion. It has since healed but he has a 'scar' and I figured it wasn't cool if I was then tugging on the scar tissue, so I came up with this new way to feed and it works great for us both.

My guy hates that I have to hand feed him (he had an eye infection at 2 years of age which has since been cured, but now he can't focus both eyes on his feeders to eat. He's constantly 'missing' them by an inch to the side, every time!) But he's resigned to the fact of hand feeding and strangely enough, we've bonded even more closely now that he's dependent on me for his food!