Juvenile chameleon barely eating

HaroldR12

New Member
Hi everyone, I’m a new chameleon dad and I’ve been worried because she hasn’t been eating a lot. She had a cricket 2 days ago and that’s the last thing she ate. I got my female veiled chameleon 3 weeks ago and she’s approx 1-2 months and I know she should be eating a lot, but I can’t get her to eat. When I first got her I thought it would be normal for her to not eat for a couple days because she was in a new environment and it would take some time for her to get used to it. It took her 9 days to eat her first worms (she had 5 waxworms) and after that I have tried free range, cup feeding, I also upgraded her cage yesterday to see if it works but she’s not eating. Today she pooped and I couldn’t notice if it was healthy poop because she was on one of the vines so some of the poop was in the plant below her and some of it ended up in the bottom of the cage. Also I’d like to share some additional information, her basking spot temperature is between 79-83F, and the other parts of the cage have temperatures around 74F, with humidity of 40-50% during the day, and higher than 70% during the night. I mist it 3 times a day, one before turning on her lamps, one after I get from work, and the last misting session is a few minutes after turning off her basking lamp.
I need some tips/help. Should I wait a little longer before taking her to the vet??
 

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So I do see that you have some big changes to make for your sweet girl. The first and most important is uvb. The screw in type bulbs aren’t able to provide adequate uvb levels at any farther away than 2-3”. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Then you’ll want her basking area to be about 8” below and she’ll get the correct uvb levels she needs. Without correct uvb (and supplementation), she has no way to convert the calcium into a form her body can use. As she looks quite young, she has no resources for her body to fall back on and can go downhill very fast.
It looks like you’ve got the chameleon kit. This will need to be replaced soon as the minimum size for an adult is a 2x2x4’ enclosure. She also needs more branches, vines and live safe plants. The most accurate and current source of info is https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ I strongly recommend that you have a full husbandry review though to find exactly what needs to be changed and feedback on how best to do so. Just answer the following (copy/paste) and one of us will be able to look it over and offer more in depth help.
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
So I do see that you have some big changes to make for your sweet girl. The first and most important is uvb. The screw in type bulbs aren’t able to provide adequate uvb levels at any farther away than 2-3”. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Then you’ll want her basking area to be about 8” below and she’ll get the correct uvb levels she needs. Without correct uvb (and supplementation), she has no way to convert the calcium into a form her body can use. As she looks quite young, she has no resources for her body to fall back on and can go downhill very fast.
It looks like you’ve got the chameleon kit. This will need to be replaced soon as the minimum size for an adult is a 2x2x4’ enclosure. She also needs more branches, vines and live safe plants. The most accurate and current source of info is https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ I strongly recommend that you have a full husbandry review though to find exactly what needs to be changed and feedback on how best to do so. Just answer the following (copy/paste) and one of us will be able to look it over and offer more in depth help.
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
Thank you for your help! Is this good? I just want to make sure before I buy it. Also I’ll do the husbandry review! I really appreciate it
 

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