Jackson's chameleon not eating

[LSepkowski]

I noticed his loss of appetite about 3 days before he started shedding. It's been about a week since he started shedding, and the most he has eaten in one day was 3. Other days he won't eat at all, or maybe 1 or 2. Today I put 2 crickets in his cage and he didn't try to eat them. He used to eat 4-7 crickets daily. Im concerned because I think he's underweight already I got him this way at a reptile show. The breeder said he was captive bred, so I don't think it could be parasites. I've also tried giving him wax worms because I know they are a treat for chameleons and I was hoping it would put a little meat on his bones. he won't eat them though. I'm not sure what to do.
Also, can anyone from jersey recommend a good vet or reptile specialist that I could go to. I don't want to waste my time and money going to someone who has no clue about chameleons.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson's chameleon, Male, Not sure of the age, but he's 5 inches from snout to his butt. I've had him for 5 weeks now?
Handling - I only handle him once every few days for a minute or two. He doesn't like it too much?
Feeding - I give him gut loaded crickets once a day. He'll eat anywhere from 4 - 7? I usually feed him in the morning, and then again later in the day. I am gut loading my feeders with collard greens, endive, and dandelion.
Supplements - I've been lightly dusting my cricket with calcium with d3 (i know that i should be dusting him with calcium without d3, but i haven't been able to find anything at petco or petsmart.)
Watering - I use a drip system, a mister and a spray bottle. I mist 4-5 times a day with a fog maker and I spray the cage with a bottle in between? I have seen my chameleon drink, but i don't see it every day?
Fecal Description - His droppings are a medium/dark brown color. He hasn't been testes for parasites, but he was captive bred.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen. 18x12x22 inches?
Lighting - Repti Glow 18" "Tropical Terrarium Lamp 5.0 UVB," which emits 30% UVA and 5% UVB. It stays on for 12 hours a day.
Temperature - My day time temp is anywhere from 75-79 degrees. Night time temp is 68-71 degrees? I have a digital thermometer sitting on the back wall of the middle of the cage.
Humidity - The humidity is 50%-70%, This is definitely an area where I need to work on. Its very dry in my room so its hard to keep the humidity up all the time. The humidifier I'm using now it manual, so i need to be there to turn it on, which obviously doesn't work out well when I'm not home.
Plants - I have a pothos, a scheffiera arboricola (hawian umbrella), dracaena fragrans (corn plant), and adracaena fragrans (green dracaena)
Placement - My cage is on a dresser in my room. The top of the cage is about 5 feet off the floor. No vents or windows. It's not highly trafficked.
Location - I live in central New Jersey, which is sooo dry during the winter time.

A few notes. I know the temp is a little high, which it hard to control because my room is fed soo much heat through the vent. The temps have been the same since I got him, so I'm thinking that might not be the cause, because he was eating with the temp. that high before. Also, I noticed a change in his appetite after I added the plants to his cage. The pothos was in the cage since I got him, but the other ones I added more recently. Thanks for everyone help in advanced!

 

[LSepkowski]

Oh and here are some picture of him taken on my macbook. They're bad quality but I don't have a camera so this is the best I can do. I don't think these picture show how skinny he is either. I can usually see his ribs and his arms are so scrawny. I feel so bad, I really want to help him.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/files/8/9/9/2/photo_59_original.jpg

https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/files/8/9/9/2/photo_62_original.jpg

 

[pssh]

Well this could be an age thing. As chameleons become older they only need to eat 6-8 crickets or the equivalent of, 3 days a week. It also could be parasites as crickets (even from stores) have been known to have/carry parasites. It would be a good idea to get a fecal done and to have a check up anyways.

 

[Lizardlover]

Have you tried other feeders? If he is a w/c than it may be a parasite problem, but you said he is not, none the less it still may be a parasite problem, so as Pssh suggested get a fecal done.

are you mixing up his diet enough?

there are so many things you could feed him that may spark his interest in eating again.


hornworms, green grasshoppers, cabbage loppers, banana roaches, katydids, pretty much anything green could spark his interest in eating again if that is the problem. I would also try flies as Jacksonii are known to like flies.

in your picture he does not look underweight to me, he actually looks pretty healthy.

 

[Carlton]

I noticed his loss of appetite about 3 days before he started shedding. It's been about a week since he started shedding, and the most he has eaten in one day was 3. Other days he won't eat at all, or maybe 1 or 2. Today I put 2 crickets in his cage and he didn't try to eat them. He used to eat 4-7 crickets daily. Im concerned because I think he's underweight already I got him this way at a reptile show. The breeder said he was captive bred, so I don't think it could be parasites. I've also tried giving him wax worms because I know they are a treat for chameleons and I was hoping it would put a little meat on his bones. he won't eat them though. I'm not sure what to do.
Also, can anyone from jersey recommend a good vet or reptile specialist that I could go to. I don't want to waste my time and money going to someone who has no clue about chameleons.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson's chameleon, Male, Not sure of the age, but he's 5 inches from snout to his butt. I've had him for 5 weeks now?
Handling - I only handle him once every few days for a minute or two. He doesn't like it too much?
Feeding - I give him gut loaded crickets once a day. He'll eat anywhere from 4 - 7? I usually feed him in the morning, and then again later in the day. I am gut loading my feeders with collard greens, endive, and dandelion.
Supplements - I've been lightly dusting my cricket with calcium with d3 (i know that i should be dusting him with calcium without d3, but i haven't been able to find anything at petco or petsmart.)
Watering - I use a drip system, a mister and a spray bottle. I mist 4-5 times a day with a fog maker and I spray the cage with a bottle in between? I have seen my chameleon drink, but i don't see it every day?
Fecal Description - His droppings are a medium/dark brown color. He hasn't been testes for parasites, but he was captive bred.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen. 18x12x22 inches?
Lighting - Repti Glow 18" "Tropical Terrarium Lamp 5.0 UVB," which emits 30% UVA and 5% UVB. It stays on for 12 hours a day.
Temperature - My day time temp is anywhere from 75-79 degrees. Night time temp is 68-71 degrees? I have a digital thermometer sitting on the back wall of the middle of the cage.
Humidity - The humidity is 50%-70%, This is definitely an area where I need to work on. Its very dry in my room so its hard to keep the humidity up all the time. The humidifier I'm using now it manual, so i need to be there to turn it on, which obviously doesn't work out well when I'm not home.
Plants - I have a pothos, a scheffiera arboricola (hawian umbrella), dracaena fragrans (corn plant), and adracaena fragrans (green dracaena)
Placement - My cage is on a dresser in my room. The top of the cage is about 5 feet off the floor. No vents or windows. It's not highly trafficked.
Location - I live in central New Jersey, which is sooo dry during the winter time.

A few notes. I know the temp is a little high, which it hard to control because my room is fed soo much heat through the vent. The temps have been the same since I got him, so I'm thinking that might not be the cause, because he was eating with the temp. that high before. Also, I noticed a change in his appetite after I added the plants to his cage. The pothos was in the cage since I got him, but the other ones I added more recently. Thanks for everyone help in advanced!

Any cham can carry parasites...cb or not. Getting a fecal tested is simple and the only way to know. You won't really know if your cham is truly cb or not and it may not matter.

Try feeding him every other day. Older chams don't need to eat nearly as much as babies. They can get bored too. Chams often love flying insects such as cultured houseflies, and green insects such as silkworms or tomato hornworms (cultured...you can grow them and feed the smaller young ones). Calcium with D3 can be overdosed and montane species like jax are more sensitive to it. Look for plain calcium blocks sold for birds and grind it to a powder.

Dehydration can decrease appetite, and in our winters is a common time for it to get worse. The temp increase won't help. Try a smaller watt basking light or move it away from the top of the cage. A bit more of a temp drop at night and NO lights might help. Is there a cooler area to put the cage? Block the heat vent or deflect the flow of warm air? Use a multiple setting lamp timer to cycle your humidifier on and off while you are away. The more leaf surfaces in the cage the better as they provide more drinking areas and more evaporative surfaces to maintain humidity. Try hanging some plastic sheeting on the back or sides of your cage...this can really help.

 

[Lizardlover]

Any cham can carry parasites...cb or not. Getting a fecal tested is simple and the only way to know. You won't really know if your cham is truly cb or not and it may not matter.

Try feeding him every other day. Older chams don't need to eat nearly as much as babies. They can get bored too. Chams often love flying insects such as cultured houseflies, and green insects such as silkworms or tomato hornworms (cultured...you can grow them and feed the smaller young ones). Calcium with D3 can be overdosed and montane species like jax are more sensitive to it. Look for plain calcium blocks sold for birds and grind it to a powder.

Dehydration can decrease appetite, and in our winters is a common time for it to get worse. The temp increase won't help. Try a smaller watt basking light or move it away from the top of the cage. A bit more of a temp drop at night and NO lights might help. Is there a cooler area to put the cage? Block the heat vent or deflect the flow of warm air? Use a multiple setting lamp timer to cycle your humidifier on and off while you are away. The more leaf surfaces in the cage the better as they provide more drinking areas and more evaporative surfaces to maintain humidity. Try hanging some plastic sheeting on the back or sides of your cage...this can really help.

uhm....what kind of silkworms do you use?