how to 'fatten up' a cham

[Lala0]

my 5 moths old male panther is looking a bit thin, what bugs can i use to fatten him up, along with increasing his food?

thx

 

[K9Luvn]

Has he been checked for parasites? Sandra Chameleon has some great info on feeders

 

[drcrossfire]

What do you feed/gutload?

 

[Lala0]

Has he been checked for parasites? Sandra Chameleon has some great info on feeders

he is not wild caught and from reputable breeder so dont think its parasites. i gona start feeding him more. I have heard wax worms are a good treat but are fatty? is this true?

 

[ibdragons]

Silkworms,horned worms baaam there u have it

 

[Lala0]

What do you feed/gutload?

yes gutload with salad and fruit

 

[Lala0]

Silkworms,horned worms baaam there u have it

V hard to get in the UK... wax worms?

 

[K9Luvn]

Parasites can always be an issue for any reptile or animal. Even chams from reputable breeders can have parasites or get parasites/ worms.... If a cham is not gaining weight I suggest a fecal. They should periodically be tested as a part of routine care.

I will try to find the list of bugs. Silks are good

 

[drcrossfire]

There are a lot of factors to consider-- what type of chameleon is this? What do you keep your temperatures at? How often do you mist?

As for gutload-- certain things are best to gutload with, and on rotation. Mustard greens, turnip greens, carrots, papaya, alfalfa, etc.. are all good gutload options.

One thing you do not want to do is just start offering a lot of fatty foods. Fat can build up on organs and cause problems later in life. A good option may be to offer adult crickets or superworms (if he is of size)-- if not, maybe a large meal worm (1-2) per week. Silks may help as well

dont overdo fatty foods

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Like Dr said dont feed the fatty foods to your cham. Good options are dubia roaches, banana roaches, grasshppers (approp size) Silkworms, Hornworms, crickets, stick bugs, mantis, houseflies, blue bottle flies, & superworms & the occas mealworm.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

There are a lot of factors to consider-- what type of chameleon is this? What do you keep your temperatures at? How often do you mist?

As for gutload-- certain things are best to gutload with, and on rotation. Mustard greens, turnip greens, carrots, papaya, alfalfa, etc.. are all good gutload options.

One thing you do not want to do is just start offering a lot of fatty foods. Fat can build up on organs and cause problems later in life. A good option may be to offer adult crickets or superworms (if he is of size)-- if not, maybe a large meal worm (1-2) per week. Silks may help as well

dont overdo fatty foods

Excellent spot on recommendations! The response to a skinny animal should not immediately be "fatten it up", it should be "why is it skinny?". Animals are not just skinny because they need more fat and this approach can lead to many detrimental health problems. There is a reason for being skinny and we need to identify it first so it can be corrected in the appropriate way.

Can you fill out the form to give us a better look at your husbandry?

 

[BocaJan]

Like Dr said dont feed the fatty foods to your cham. Good options are dubia roaches, banana roaches, grasshppers (approp size) Silkworms, Hornworms, crickets, stick bugs, mantis, houseflies, blue bottle flies, & superworms & the occas mealworm.

I have found when any of mine seem to not be growing well or looking thin, I check the basking temp and up the temp by 5 degrees. It is amazing how well it works.

 

[K9Luvn]

There are a lot of factors to consider-- what type of chameleon is this? What do you keep your temperatures at? How often do you mist?

As for gutload-- certain things are best to gutload with, and on rotation. Mustard greens, turnip greens, carrots, papaya, alfalfa, etc.. are all good gutload options.

One thing you do not want to do is just start offering a lot of fatty foods. Fat can build up on organs and cause problems later in life. A good option may be to offer adult crickets or superworms (if he is of size)-- if not, maybe a large meal worm (1-2) per week. Silks may help as well

dont overdo fatty foods

^^^ agreed ^^^
This is a good equivalence chart that one of of sponsors shows. http://greatlakeshornworm.com/