Hand Feeding Injured Chameleon...Help?

[Kipka]

I saw some silk worms at the reptile store I purchase him from and the were like almost as long as he was. Are they all that huge? I also think that this is the only possible place that I could get them from. I only have an option between two stores.

Is there some kind of liquid calcium I could give him at all?

 

[carol5208]

Is the chameleon in your avatar the same chameleon we are talking about?

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

Breed silks. They start very small.

 

[KellysChameleons]

He needs a reptisun 5.0 or 10.0 for uvb bulb

 

[carol5208]

you are in washington so you have two silk breeders in California who can ship to you. Coastal Silkworms and Mulberry farms.

 

[Kipka]

Yes. But that was when he was only 2 months old.
Are there options other than silk worms?

Is it difficult to keep them/ breed them?
I live in a very small space.

 

[Elizadolots]

Hi, Kipka! Phoenix worms are very high in calcium (you can also dust them to add to their calcium load) they are not so very different from wax worms that it would be a huge change for your chameleon. You can even get them at Pet Smart and PetCo. They are also called "Repti Worms" and "Calci Worms". I've seen them in "double packs" with super worms at both the big box stores. Check the date, if it's more than 2 weeks old, don't buy it. You can buy them from any number of providers.

They're super wiggly so very appealing to chameleons.

If you can do online ordering, Mulberry Farms will sell you both baby silkworms (and the stuff to keep them alive) and Phoenix worms....that might make the shipping worthwhile. Here's their link: http://www.mulberryfarms.com/

I suggest the medium silkworms...they are up to an inch long which should be small enough for you baby and they come with 2 weeks worth of food.

 

[Kipka]

Hi, Kipka! Phoenix worms are very high in calcium (you can also dust them to add to their calcium load) they are not so very different from wax worms that it would be a huge change for your chameleon. You can even get them at Pet Smart and PetCo. They are also called "Repti Worms" and "Calci Worms". I've seen them in "double packs" with super worms at both the big box stores. Check the date, if it's more than 2 weeks old, don't buy it. You can buy them from any number of providers.

They're super wiggly so very appealing to chameleons.

If you can do online ordering, Mulberry Farms will sell you both baby silkworms (and the stuff to keep them alive) and Phoenix worms....that might make the shipping worthwhile. Here's their link: http://www.mulberryfarms.com/

I suggest the medium silkworms...they are up to an inch long which should be small enough for you baby and they come with 2 weeks worth of food.

I am on that site now actually!

I did not see those cups before and was trying to do them separately and it was getting expensive

Thank you for pointing those out.

 

[Elizadolots]

Excellent! Phoenix worms are really great nutrition and if your chameleon is a worm guy, he should love them. The combination of silk worms and phoenix worms should help him out a lot.

 

[Kipka]

Oh no.
The shipping I am worried about though.
Mostly because it has been well into the 90s here lately and so now I am thinking this may not work

I am going to go on a hunt tomorrow for other worms and supplements. Hopefully someone somewhere will be able to help.

 

[Elizadolots]

Yeah, the heat is a problem. I just read their advisory on it. I wish they had better cold pack available. However, as I said, Phoenix/Repti/Calci worms are often available at Petco and Petsmart. Hopefully one of them will be able to help you (by the way, utilize the phone....make them go look on the shelf for the product and tell you the date on the container (they mark them when they come in)...don't drive around!).

 

[jaredg87]

You might have to try force feeding him.
BUGJUICE
get a syringe with no needle a small one
get the feeders add em in a bowl with some liquid calcium,water,eggyolks,and some pedialyte.
whiz it or mush it all up and put it in the syrynge and force feed him in small amounts 3 times a day

 

[Kipka]

You might have to try force feeding him.
BUGJUICE
get a syringe with no needle a small one
get the feeders add em in a bowl with some liquid calcium,water,eggyolks,and some pedialyte.
whiz it or mush it all up and put it in the syrynge and force feed him in small amounts 3 times a day

I am afraid this is what I am going to have to do.
He has gone from not wanting to eat to completely uninterested in any food. Even worms.

ASDJasKLDJsd. This is so stressful :,(

If he won't eat bug juice I am afraid it will be back to the vet. Perhaps a different one this time

 

[jaredg87]

yes and if hes NOT eating you want to start asap cause if hes sick he needs nutrients ASAP!
call for vets who specialize in exotic animals and ask if they have chameleon experience. lots of vets will say they do charge you a nut and do very little to help.
bug juice is a superb idea if hes not eating
you can mush worms, crickets, and feeders
and add his supplements and calcium to the mix so he gets what he needs

 

[Hoj]

I have to admit i just skipped to the end of this one but I had a cham with no tounge ( rip Camo ) and what i did as he required only hand feeding was take the crickets and place them in a cup in the fridge for a few minutes to slow them down then i cut off their hopper legs and anteni if they were real long, it made things alot easier for me and Camo

 

[Elizadolots]

One additional suggestion on feeding the Phoenix worms. You can get liquid calcium and a worm inflator (you'd get the worm inflator at a place that sells a lot of fishing equipment) and basically fill a worm with liquid calcium. That might be a good way to get calcium into him fast.

 

[tatz4ever]

One additional suggestion on feeding the Phoenix worms. You can get liquid calcium and a worm inflator (you'd get the worm inflator at a place that sells a lot of fishing equipment) and basically fill a worm with liquid calcium. That might be a good way to get calcium into him fast.

Worm inflator is probably way too big for Phoenix worms. An insulin syringe would do the job. Very good suggestion to up the calcium load!

 

[carol5208]

Kipka, the little chameleon in your avatar does not have MBD. So that means he developed it under your care. We need to figure out why this happened so you can prevent the MBD from progressing any further. Are you sure your zilla is a UVB light?