i think i have a hunger strike

[John33871]

well i dont think my guy has been eating for the last few days. ive read some of the threads with hunger strikes in them but didnt really find how long they can last. monday im going to be ordering some new feeders for him. how long has anyone had to deal with a hunger strike for until your chameleon ate?

 

[Phatturk]

My guy didn't eat for almost 4 days when I moved him to his new cage(unless he was eating the plants). Normally he would go nutts for silk worms but he wouldn't touch them for days. That really pissed me off cuz I lost a lot of worms that I specially ordered for this move. Finally he ended up eating meal worms and still dosen't seem to want to eat anything else so its been about 2 weeks now of only meal worms. I would say be prepared with lots of options for food, no telling what is finally going to interest them. I have got Crix, mealworms, silkworms, wax worms, and roaches. Before this move I would always break his hunger strikes with a silkworm or a wax worm, he couldn't resist them.

 

[Geckoxp]

my cham is going through something at the moment. It started right before his shed a little bit ago and has continued. I purchased silkies, wax worms, horn worms, butter worms and more crickets thinking anything will get him going again and well he just will not take to worms at all. I believe he did eat a horn worm but I didn't see it happen nor can I find it so who knows but the other worms forget it. I just put a bunch of cricks in this morning and he nabbed at a couple but that was it.

Who knows what the answer is but I keep weighing him to make sure he isn't losing weight and he has stayed at around 60-64g for the past week now. I have noticed he has also released his sperm plug too so it maybe just a teenage thing he is going through. Who knows but we shall see.

 

[royden]

I'm about a month into a hunger strike. In the last month he's gone for up to 2 days without touching a thing. In the last week and a half I've got him eating about one medium sized to large roach nymph a day, which is actually pretty good, but definately not where he used to be. And even then it takes a lot of prompting to get him to eat that single roach. I have to practically hand it to him on a silver platter.

It sucks, but for me it's allowed my roach population to grow, so it's not all bad.

I would increase your dusting a bit.

 

[Treetop Chameleons]

i had the same prob for almost a month. i tryed everything, then i just changed the vitamin light and all of a suden she was eating again. so try just changing your lights it worked for me.

 

[bleudolphin]

It has been a month for me. I have not been able to get her to eat a thing. I took her to the vet. He could not find anything. I have tried crickets, silkies, wax, butter, meal, and superworms but she won't eat a think. She is so skinny, I am not sure she will pull out of it. My vet tried to force feed but no luck. I fear that she is going to die. She is still drinking. Everytime I spray her cage I see her drinking. It just kills me to see her waste away. Anyone have any ideas, I think I have exhausted everything I can think of. My vet thought I should put her down but I just can't seem to give up.

 

[jesseesperto]

lots of talk about lights lately. I had the same prob for a while. He also had eye problems. This was indeed all because of lighting. Not saying thats your problem. What lights are you using? To much can really affect the complete health all around of your cham. I use a zoo med repti sun5.0. and a 100watt basking bulb. Thats it!! I have made myself crazy looking for the best. a lot of people will give the wrong info. I was actually killing my cham cause I was mis informed about lighting. This was by who I thought knew everything. I think there was a post today or yesterday about this topic also. Check your temps also. The best advice I can give is read,read ,read. You can find all the best books at the resources sec of this forum. Let us know how things work out. If he does not eat anything for over 3 days. I would be concerned.

 

[royden]

I'm sorry to hear that Jody.

 

[jesseesperto]

It has been a month for me. I have not been able to get her to eat a thing. I took her to the vet. He could not find anything. I have tried crickets, silkies, wax, butter, meal, and superworms but she won't eat a think. She is so skinny, I am not sure she will pull out of it. My vet tried to force feed but no luck. I fear that she is going to die. She is still drinking. Everytime I spray her cage I see her drinking. It just kills me to see her waste away. Anyone have any ideas, I think I have exhausted everything I can think of. My vet thought I should put her down but I just can't seem to give up.

I just read your reply. I didnt read all the posts before i posted. Dont give up. That vet should have a better solution for you than that. Need more info on your situation. Cage, lights, how old is your cham?.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

well i dont think my guy has been eating for the last few days. ive read some of the threads with hunger strikes in them but didnt really find how long they can last. monday im going to be ordering some new feeders for him. how long has anyone had to deal with a hunger strike for until your chameleon ate?

The longest we had happen was six days (although I did catch him eating a bit of his plant on day 5/6- but not his feeders). What happened was we brought a receptive female veiled cham into the room and the male veiled caught site of her. He pouted and didn't eat for 2 days. We then had him mate with the female, and afterwards he didn't eat for 4 more days (2 days spent with her, and 2 days afterwards), for 6 days total. The whole time he remained active and energetic. Just didn't seem to want to eat (*except for a few bites of a plant). We tried enticing him with various of his favorites, to no avail. But he is a chubby, robust, 3 yr old, which was probably in his favor. After 6 days he suddenly began eating again. During this time he did drink. THis particular male veiled does hunger strikes a few times a year, which may be a natural purge/fasting thing for him. His first hunger strike was when he reached sexual maturity and went into rut (he was about 6 mo old). We took him to a herp vet at that time, who said it was normal. When some male chams first reach sexual maturity and the hormones start flowing they will become very active in their enclosure, pacing, (searching for a mate- even though they really know there isn't one in there- it's just a hormone thing) and they will lose interest in food for a few days.

But each cham is different, and certainly a hunger strike is a reason for concern. Especially in a young, developing cham.

 

[bleudolphin]

She is a 6 month old panther. she is in a 30" x 30" x 5.5' tall all screen cage. I have a reptisun 5.0 I have a 100 watt basking light. Her basking area is usually around 87 degrees with temps at the bottom of around 72. I have a drip system. I also spray her cage 3-4 times a day. I have had a lot of trouble just finding a vet that would look at her. Just about everyone that I called said they don't deal with Chameleons.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

She is a 6 month old panther. she is in a 30" x 30" x 5.5' tall all screen cage. I have a reptisun 5.0 I have a 100 watt basking light. Her basking area is usually around 87 degrees with temps at the bottom of around 72. I have a drip system. I also spray her cage 3-4 times a day. I have had a lot of trouble just finding a vet that would look at her. Just about everyone that I called said they don't deal with Chameleons.

Is your reptisun 5.0 a linear (long) tube or a compact (coiled)? Where in Oregon are you located? DId the vet to a fecal exam or bloodwork? How are her urates and poop (if any?

 

[bleudolphin]

her retptisun is a tube. They did a blood test. I live in gladstone, just south of Portland. Don't have a fecel sample because she hasn't eaten. But her urates are white.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

She is a 6 month old panther. she is in a 30" x 30" x 5.5' tall all screen cage. I have a reptisun 5.0 I have a 100 watt basking light. Her basking area is usually around 87 degrees with temps at the bottom of around 72. I have a drip system. I also spray her cage 3-4 times a day. I have had a lot of trouble just finding a vet that would look at her. Just about everyone that I called said they don't deal with Chameleons.

You should probably start a new thread, with a title like- my cham hasn't eaten in a month! SOme of the more experienced folks will see that and respond. They may not catch your postings in the middle of this thread. I understand your deep concern. This could be very critical, especially at her age. What kind of plants does she have- has she been eating them?

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

her retptisun is a tube. They did a blood test. I live in gladstone, just south of Portland. Don't have a fecel sample because she hasn't eaten. But her urates are white.

Here is a phone number to a breeder in the Portland area, Pam of Pamschams. SHe should be able to hook you up with a qualified vet, and give you some sound advice: 360-636-4923

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

her retptisun is a tube. They did a blood test. I live in gladstone, just south of Portland. Don't have a fecel sample because she hasn't eaten. But her urates are white.

I see you posted last month about moving her into her new cage, and that at that time she stopped eating. The cage she is in now seems very large for a 6 mo old. I wonder if that could be the problem. SOmetimes more than one heat lamp is used for a cage that size, to give a greater range of area in the 80's temp range. Sometimes the second heat lamp is positioned somewhere along the side of the enclosure. I wonder if she is overwhelmed, or if too much of her enclosure is in the 70's temp ranges and she is cold? I do know that too cold a temp will lower their metabolism to the point where they will not eat. All this also began in October, when the outside temps dropped. If the vet can find nothing wrong, then perhaps it is that there was a distinct drop in her temps when she moved into the new cage.

 

[Geckoxp]

His first hunger strike was when he reached sexual maturity and went into rut (he was about 6 mo old). We took him to a herp vet at that time, who said it was normal. When some male chams first reach sexual maturity and the hormones start flowing they will become very active in their enclosure, pacing, (searching for a mate- even though they really know there isn't one in there- it's just a hormone thing) and they will lose interest in food for a few days.

But each cham is different, and certainly a hunger strike is a reason for concern. Especially in a young, developing cham.

I think thats going on with mine....he hit the 5 1/2 to 6 month area and slowed his eating down to just a couple cricks a day and began pacing the cage all over...I did see his leftover plugs on the cage floor and he is pooing every day so he is getting something. His morning routine is eating and he has slowed that way down. I am trying the every 2 days with him and that should get him going again....still will not touch worms though.

 

[jesseesperto]

She is a 6 month old panther. she is in a 30" x 30" x 5.5' tall all screen cage. I have a reptisun 5.0 I have a 100 watt basking light. Her basking area is usually around 87 degrees with temps at the bottom of around 72. I have a drip system. I also spray her cage 3-4 times a day. I have had a lot of trouble just finding a vet that would look at her. Just about everyone that I called said they don't deal with Chameleons.

There has to be something. Is there a lot of traffic? people walking by her, tv playing, I see a lot of plants, are they real? is there a lot of bugs in her cage? Maybe take everything out for a bit. if there are crickets and worms all over they can upset her also. then try a wax worm or a nice fat cricket..

 

[John33871]

wow, i did think they would do that for a month! well he seems to be healthy. i stuck my hand inside to see if i could get him out and force him to eat, but no luck. he hissed and gave my hand a head butt then ran away. scared the piss out of me, lol. well i got some funny pictures of lil jon and the crickets all sun bathing together, i thought it was funny, lol.