He's not eating... much

Rieger202

New Member
  • Your Chameleon - His name is Dabbles, he's a Panther Chameleon, 6 months old. In my care for 4.5 of those months.
  • Handling - Never have
  • Feeding - I feed him mainly crickets. Usually put around 20 in his feeder cup in the mornings. I give them powdered cricket food. Recently introduced some wax worms, but that is when this all started.
  • Supplements - Give him calcium without D3 on most days, 2-4 times a month with. Sometimes repashy multi vitamin. Rarely though.
  • Watering - I manually spray the cage in the morning, and set up a large dripper for over the day. Sometimes i spray when i get home from work, usually not though because he is asleep already. I see him drinking, but not very often, and very rarely when im spraying.
  • Fecal Description - Never tested and im posting a pic.
  • History - He's from Florida, FL Chams.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - 2 side shower curtain, 1 side screen, top screen, front is plastic see through. its 2x4
  • Lighting - Not sure brand, but using 100 wat heating bulb, and UVB bulb, its on from about 9am-9pm
  • Temperature - Basking is around 95, the rest is usually room temp. Usually temp is good, sometimes it gets a little cold though, down into 50s, i have a night heater now though for that.
  • Humidity - These have been staying pretty low recently, I think i need to mist more to keep these up. When i check its usually around 35-40 %.
  • What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - I use an umbrella tree, just got it to replace the old dead fichus. Also have a golden devil ivy plant.
  • Placement - It sits on a 2ft high stand.
  • Location - San Francisco Bay Area, California

Current Problem - He's not eating very much at all. It has dropped Drastically. Maybe like 4-6 crickets every 2 days. His poop also looks different, hes pooping much less, and some small behavior changes, hard to describe though. It started when I gave him some wax worms. Im worried he may have injested some of the sediment the worms came in he, small very small wood chip things. I feel like theyre so small though he should have passed them no problem. His eyes are not sunken, no weird fungus or growth around his mouth. Looked in his mouth (when he got mad at me), and didn't see much. Not really sure what to do here. He looks healthy, can't see his ribs regularly.

This has been going on for almost two weeks now.

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Thanks!
 

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  • Your Chameleon - His name is Dabbles, he's a Panther Chameleon, 6 months old. In my care for 4.5 of those months.
  • Handling - Never have
  • Feeding - I feed him mainly crickets. Usually put around 20 in his feeder cup in the mornings. I give them powdered cricket food. Recently introduced some wax worms, but that is when this all started.
  • Supplements - Give him calcium without D3 on most days, 2-4 times a month with. Sometimes repashy multi vitamin. Rarely though.
  • Watering - I manually spray the cage in the morning, and set up a large dripper for over the day. Sometimes i spray when i get home from work, usually not though because he is asleep already. I see him drinking, but not very often, and very rarely when im spraying.
  • Fecal Description - Never tested and im posting a pic.
  • History - He's from Florida, FL Chams.
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - 2 side shower curtain, 1 side screen, top screen, front is plastic see through. its 2x4
  • Lighting - Not sure brand, but using 100 wat heating bulb, and UVB bulb, its on from about 9am-9pm
  • Temperature - Basking is around 95, the rest is usually room temp. Usually temp is good, sometimes it gets a little cold though, down into 50s, i have a night heater now though for that.
  • Humidity - These have been staying pretty low recently, I think i need to mist more to keep these up. When i check its usually around 35-40 %.
  • What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - I use an umbrella tree, just got it to replace the old dead fichus. Also have a golden devil ivy plant.
  • Placement - It sits on a 2ft high stand.
  • Location - San Francisco Bay Area, California

Current Problem - He's not eating very much at all. It has dropped Drastically. Maybe like 4-6 crickets every 2 days. His poop also looks different, hes pooping much less, and some small behavior changes, hard to describe though. It started when I gave him some wax worms. Im worried he may have injested some of the sediment the worms came in he, small very small wood chip things. I feel like theyre so small though he should have passed them no problem. His eyes are not sunken, no weird fungus or growth around his mouth. Looked in his mouth (when he got mad at me), and didn't see much. Not really sure what to do here. He looks healthy, can't see his ribs regularly.

This has been going on for almost two weeks now.

Any help is greatly appreciated,

Thanks!
That is a poo that shows that he is VERY dehydrated. Misting once a day is not nearly enough. He may or may not be drinking from the dripper. Misting for 3-5 minutes a 3-5 times a day is needed. The longer sessions will stimulate them to drink and it gives them the opportunity to clean out their eyes. Not misting enough can also cause eye infection since they can't get the debris out.

Also, his basking temp is WAY too hot for a juvenile panther. It should be about 80-82. It's even too hot for an adult panther....After 9 months it can go higher but only to 90.
Dropping to 50 at night is not a problem and in face it is good for their digestion and metabolism. He needs the temp drop at night.


Please read over the care sheet...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/
 
That is a poo that shows that he is VERY dehydrated. Misting once a day is not nearly enough. He may or may not be drinking from the dripper. Misting for 3-5 minutes a 3-5 times a day is needed. The longer sessions will stimulate them to drink and it gives them the opportunity to clean out their eyes. Not misting enough can also cause eye infection since they can't get the debris out.

Also, his basking temp is WAY too hot for a juvenile panther. It should be about 80-82. It's even too hot for an adult panther....After 9 months it can go higher but only to 90.
Dropping to 50 at night is not a problem and in face it is good for their digestion and metabolism. He needs the temp drop at night.


Please read over the care sheet...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/panther/
Thanks for the Info! I'll set up an auto mister, and I will mist him for longer as well. I'll take a look at his basking spot as well.
 
Thanks for the Info! I'll set up an auto mister, and I will mist him for longer as well. I'll take a look at his basking spot as well.
An auto mister is really the way to go for sure. I waited way too long before investing in one and now I can't imagine not having one.
 
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