Forcefed young chameleon.

bbyoda said:
Try fruit flies to start - get a cup of them and just open it up and put it in the enclosure. Easy prey and enticing because they fly around.

Chameleons this young should be eating pretty constantly so keep trying to entice with tasty foods that are the right size for him.

Perhaps baby Silkworms or hornworms would also be enticing for him and provide some hydration. Wax worms should be fed in moderation / as treats only. He might also respond more to free range pinhead crickets rather than being cup fed.

Is the bowl visible to him from his basking spot? Maybe try a shooting gallery that goes on the screen instead.

I'm not as experienced as other members like @kinyonga who is already helping or @Beman who hopefully can review your form soon, but I don't see any glaring issues in your husbandry. And he's only been in your care for a couple weeks. Where did you get him from? A breeder? Petco/Petsmart?

When you mist - you're spraying the leaves/plants at the top of the enclosure? They drink the droplets from leaves as the rain falls down them in the wild, so you want to simulate that. I think with your temps you could also get a fogger to use at night and that helps with hydration as well.
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The cup is in an area he can see from the basking area. He's eaten from it before and it's always in the same spot. I got him from petco.
 
I don't have time to look through everything, but sunekn eyes are a very serious sign. I feel it has been a misconception on these forums that it means dehydration, it means IMO the animals is dying in most cases(without intervention). Whether it be extreme dehydration, parasites, organ failure, etc. They do suck them in sometimes when they're very stressed or scared, but it's temporary, wouldn't go through the night or anything like that. I think a chameleon with sunken eyes needs vet attention, along with any immediate husbandry changes you can make.
 
jamest0o0 said:
I don't have time to look through everything, but sunekn eyes are a very serious sign. I feel it has been a misconception on these forums that it means dehydration, it means IMO the animals is dying in most cases(without intervention). Whether it be extreme dehydration, parasites, organ failure, etc. They do suck them in sometimes when they're very stressed or scared, but it's temporary, wouldn't go through the night or anything like that. I think a chameleon with sunken eyes needs vet attention, along with any immediate husbandry changes you can make.
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If I move him into a bigger cage right now will it stress him out more? Or will it be better?
 
He doesn't need a bigger cage right now. He's so young and small he's fine in a smaller one for now.

Sounds like he need a great vet, a fecal test for parasites, and better food options.

Where are you located? We might be able to recommend a vet.
 
Btw Petco and Petsmart babies do tend to have parasites and health issues because of the way they're bred and cared for, sadly. Hence the suggestion for a fecal test. (Along with what @jamest0o0 pointed out about sunken eyes being a sign for that too.)
 
bbyoda said:
He doesn't need a bigger cage right now. He's so young and small he's fine in a smaller one for now.

Sounds like he need a great vet, a fecal test for parasites, and better food options.

Where are you located? We might be able to recommend a vet.
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I'm in Minneapolis, MN. I've read that dubias roaches are the best so I have a mix of x-small dubias roaches, along with soldier ant larva and wax worms right now. I know wax worms should only be used as a treat, but right now, I just want him to eat. I'm also getting fruitflies tomorrow and hoping he will eat them since they are really small.
 
lx21 said:
Hmmm, I'm not sure. How would I check to see if something is wrong?
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Since he's already upset, I wouldn't handle him to look right now...give him a bit of time to settle down. Can you see what I'm talking about though...dark mark on left side of the mouth and lips not shutting perfectly?
 
kinyonga said:
Since he's already upset, I wouldn't handle him to look right now...give him a bit of time to settle down. Can you see what I'm talking about though...dark mark on left side of the mouth and lips not shutting perfectly?
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Yes I see what you are talking about. That was the side where the syringe was when I was feeding him. I was trying to be as gentle as I could, but maybe I hurt him by accident when I was trying to feed him? I will definitely try to keep an eye on it.
 
Wishing you and Dexter the best of luck. A great vet and listening to the experienced members here can go a long way.
 
You need a reptile vet. Baby is extremely thin. And there is definitely some swelling on the lip line. Something very serious is going on here. forcevfeeding a cham is very stressful especially if you do not know how to handle them to do it properly. Also I suspect a mouth infection which can make eating and messing with their mouth painful. Could have parasites leading to such a low weight and thin appearance. Or infection of the mouth has just progressed that much.

I am in the process of moving and unable to go through your form/info but I am going to tag two people that can. @AmandaS @MissSkittles Can you look at the info they provided on the first page and provide feedback?
 
Beman said:
You need a reptile vet. Baby is extremely thin. And there is definitely some swelling on the lip line. Something very serious is going on here. forcevfeeding a cham is very stressful especially if you do not know how to handle them to do it properly. Also I suspect a mouth infection which can make eating and messing with their mouth painful. Could have parasites leading to such a low weight and thin appearance. Or infection of the mouth has just progressed that much.

I am in the process of moving and unable to go through your form/info but I am going to tag two people that can. @AmandaS @MissSkittles Can you look at the info they provided on the first page and provide feedback?
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Thank you. The vet emailed me back so I'm going to try to make an appointment today and take him in.
 
lx21 said:
Thank you. The vet emailed me back so I'm going to try to make an appointment today and take him in.
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please make sure they know how to treat reptiles and have the experience to do so. Regular vets do not have the training or hands on experience to know how to properly work with this species. Put him in a dark box so he sleeps on his way to the vet. This will make it less stressful on baby. Take a fresh fecal if you have one.
 
Beman said:
please make sure they know how to treat reptiles and have the experience to do so. Regular vets do not have the training or hands on experience to know how to properly work with this species. Put him in a dark box so he sleeps on his way to the vet. This will make it less stressful on baby. Take a fresh fecal if you have one.
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Thank you, I was actually wondering how to transport him with as little stress as possible. Yes the vet is a reptile vet.
 
Update: Took him to the vet, and told them about his mouth too. Vet said there didn't seem to be anything wrong with his mouth, but gave me some antibiotics just in case, along with deworming meds and powder food to mix with water and to feed to him until he eats on his own. They also gave him a vitamin injection. He seemed to do better today with the forcefeeding. Got him some fruitflues too, but have'nt seen him eat yet. Still not moving around too much yet, but hopefully he will get better soon.
 
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