Jackson is very sick.

[Czar Nicholas]

My jackson has been living with me for around 3 months but this last week he hasn't been eating or drinking. Some of his ribs are showing. I've tried force feeding him. I've been feeding him meal worms with the occasional gutloaded cricket. Specs:
18x18x36 Reptibreeze screen terrarium
Exoterra UVB 100
Live plants
Kentucky
I havent taken him to a vet
He recently started to shed about the same time as hunger strike, but now he is almost done.
I spritz his cage and himself 2-3 times a day.
Humidity: 65
Temp: 70
I handle him about once every 2 days for 5 minutes.
He is positioned in my room about 8 feet away from both windows.

 

[chameleonowner32]

From what I can.see in the pics he is a she. She is super dehydrated. Read up on how to give her a shower and do so.

 

[Lathis]

Ditto - SHE is super dehydrated. That's what the sunken, dark eyes usually mean. She needs water and humidity ASAP. You can do a prolonged shower method:

1. Turn the shower on WARM, not hot. Aim the shower head at the wall.
2. Put her on a plant or vine in the shower. Position the plant so that it sits where the water can bounce off the wall and hit the plant. Don't put the plant directly in the spray.
3. Monitor her! If she falls off or climbs down and is weak, she could drown.
4. Let her stay in the shower for at least 20 minutes.

After that, you need to mister her or make sure a dripper is running regularly if she has any hope of rehydrating. Is the relative humidity really 65%? If so, that's good. Jackson's like a lot of water and high humidity, even for chameleons.

She may not be eating for a few reasons, these two seem most likely

1. Dehydration!
2. Temperatures too low to digest her food

You mention you have a UVB light, which is excellent. She absolutely needs a UVB light. Do you have a basking spot? She should have one spot in the cage that is warmer than the other areas to properly digest food and help per regulate her temperatures. If you don't have a basking spot now, you need to get one now. Don't buy something expensive: go to Home Depot, get a cheap light hood with a clamp (usually next to the lightbulbs or in the shop light aisle, less than $10) and a 60 watt normal light bulb - nothing blue or red, don't waste the money.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-150-Watt-Incandescent-Clamp-Light-CE-300PDQ/100354511#.Upt2SsRDsb0

Set up the light over one corner of the cage and put a branch or vine about 8" under the light. The temperature at the basking spot should be right at 85*F with 70*F at the rest of the cage.

Hydration first! Then food. When she's properly hydrated again (this may take several days) and has a proper basking temperature, see if her appetite comes back.

Post any questions here or PM me if you need a quick response on anything - I will keep an eye on this all day. I'm sure others will jump in with advise too.

 

[Czar Nicholas]

Thank you, I have her in the shower as we speak, I saw her open her mouth and I have never been happier.

 

[spottea]

After a good shower, see if you can find her something more nutritious and yummier than mealworms and crickets. My Jackson gets bored really easily with her food, and likes a variety of different foods. ( don't we all!)
See if you can get her some dubia roaches which are quite easy to take care of, or small hornworms. Check out the links for feeding on this site. I'm sure your baby just needs some spoiling. Good luck!

 

[Lathis]

Thank you, I have her in the shower as we speak, I saw her open her mouth and I have never been happier.

Yay! Give her a nice long shower, let her drink and enjoy the humidity, and keep us posted.

 

[Vito the Veiled]

Yeah. Even try offering her some fruit and veggies once she gets better. It's something different, and she might really like them. Good luck!

 

[ridgebax1]

Think of mealworms as McDonald's french fries, tasty but not nutritious. Hornworms and silkworms are two really good feeders that have a high moisture content and can help with rehydration. There are several sponsors on the forums that sell them and can probably ship overnight. That is pricy so don't know what you can afford. And if she is more intent on drinking the standard shipping takes a couple days and she may be more ready to eat by then.

 

[Czar Nicholas]

I've had her in the shower for about 20 minutes and she's taken like 6 or 7 big gulps. I think I'll take her out and try to feed her in a hour or so once she's gathered herself together.

 

[Czar Nicholas]

Okay, good thing I have like ten bajillion 60 watt lightbulbs in the garage.