Hi! I'm new here. I currently do not own a chameleon, but I am thinking about adopting one. She is about a year old, and she has been diagnosed with metabolic bone disease. The vet said she should only be fed super worms from now on, and to dust them 3x a week. My main worry is, what is her life span good robe because of this? What are other things I should be aware of? I just really want to know what I'm getting into before I make the commitment.
Metabolic bone disease questions
- Thread starter Skye
- Start date
xraygirl
Established Member
I personally wouldn't go for a female chameleon as my first, because of the egg laying (unless it's a jackson) whether bred or not. Egg layers need to have a laying bin set up for them to lay their eggs in at anytime. Their laying bins need to be a decent size and depth too, with a proper sand to water mix where the female can dig a tunnel that will hold it's shape. They should be left alone to lay eggs, if they aren't able to lay, they could become egg bound and die if not taken to a vet for help.
I, as a first time owner again, probably would steer clear of the MBD situation until I read so much of it that my brain would hurt. Superworms only? That's a bit strange to me. Silkworms and phoenix worms are great for MBD chams because of their calcium content. Nothing but supers is rough on their gut and not as nutritious as what a dubia, cricket, hornworms, silkworm, phoenix worm, etc would be. I feed supers 1-2 times a week, because I worry about impaction issues.
Can you post a picture of the chameleon?
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
IMHO there's no reason to restrict her diet to superworms only. Bizarre advice. How nutritious her feeders are depends a lot on what you will be feeding THEM. There are some very good insect gutloads available from forum sponsors. Dusting is only part of the equation, gutloading is just as or more important. Proper lighting as well. If her case of MBD is mild, she may do just fine with proper care. I agree...show us a photo and describe her current treatment and diet. We could probably help you judge if she's a good idea or not.
