Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Screen cage 48x36x36
Lighting -
Sunglo florescent tube 5.0; heating/basking light 250 watt
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot
temp at basking is about 90
temp? What is the temperature at night?
I have a ceramic heater that I keep on low, if temp falls below 60 it goes on.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Drip runs for 2 hours in am, 2 hrs in afternoon; misting by hand 3 to 4 times daily until plants are dripping.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
shiffleria, ficus, pathos
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?
corner of living room. low traffic area. no fans, far from vent.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
veiled, male, purchased 7/3/07, at purchase he was about 2" including tail.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Silkworms. fed mulberry mush of course. miner all 1 3x week. reptivit once in 2 weeks.
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
miner all 1 3x week. reptivit once in 2 weeks.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
He won't eat, or drink.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
urates are yellowish.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
He had been doing great, then about a month ago I noticed one morning he looked like he had been eating dirt, and was on the bottom of the enclousure. I took him out, rinsed him off, he opened his mouth, and I used a teaspoon with water to rinse his mouth. Since then he does not eat. I have been force feeding him everyother day by picking him up, and pissing him off, and he opens his mouth to get mad at me, and I stick a silk worm in his mouth. He then eats it. Then I use a dropper and put water in his mouth, as he is chewing.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
He still won't eat with out me doing this. I put worms in his cage, like I always have (he went off crickets a few months ago) with some lettuce greens, and he ignores it. I let him go 4 days, to see if he would eat on his own, and he looked like death warmed over. His mouth looks fine to me when he opens it to try to bite me, and I shove a worm in.... I took him to my vet, (2 weeks ago) who did a fecal and came up clean, he looked at him and said that he was dehydrated so I really pushed fluids, but he just won't eat or drink !!!
Is it time to let this guy just commit reptile suicide by starvation ???!!! I cannot imagine doing that. I'm trying everything that I know how to do. I'm a long time tortoise and Iguana fan, and have fostered stubborn iguanas that refused to feed in my day, but this cham has me at wits end.
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Screen cage 48x36x36
Lighting -
Sunglo florescent tube 5.0; heating/basking light 250 watt
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot
temp at basking is about 90
temp? What is the temperature at night?
I have a ceramic heater that I keep on low, if temp falls below 60 it goes on.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Drip runs for 2 hours in am, 2 hrs in afternoon; misting by hand 3 to 4 times daily until plants are dripping.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
shiffleria, ficus, pathos
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?
corner of living room. low traffic area. no fans, far from vent.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
veiled, male, purchased 7/3/07, at purchase he was about 2" including tail.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Silkworms. fed mulberry mush of course. miner all 1 3x week. reptivit once in 2 weeks.
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
miner all 1 3x week. reptivit once in 2 weeks.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
He won't eat, or drink.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
urates are yellowish.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
He had been doing great, then about a month ago I noticed one morning he looked like he had been eating dirt, and was on the bottom of the enclousure. I took him out, rinsed him off, he opened his mouth, and I used a teaspoon with water to rinse his mouth. Since then he does not eat. I have been force feeding him everyother day by picking him up, and pissing him off, and he opens his mouth to get mad at me, and I stick a silk worm in his mouth. He then eats it. Then I use a dropper and put water in his mouth, as he is chewing.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
He still won't eat with out me doing this. I put worms in his cage, like I always have (he went off crickets a few months ago) with some lettuce greens, and he ignores it. I let him go 4 days, to see if he would eat on his own, and he looked like death warmed over. His mouth looks fine to me when he opens it to try to bite me, and I shove a worm in.... I took him to my vet, (2 weeks ago) who did a fecal and came up clean, he looked at him and said that he was dehydrated so I really pushed fluids, but he just won't eat or drink !!!
Is it time to let this guy just commit reptile suicide by starvation ???!!! I cannot imagine doing that. I'm trying everything that I know how to do. I'm a long time tortoise and Iguana fan, and have fostered stubborn iguanas that refused to feed in my day, but this cham has me at wits end.