my veiled chameleon too skinny?

[ukulelecham]

Hi there! So ive been having some concerns about my chameleon being too skinny? im not sure exactly how old he is - though i believe he is between 7-8 months and I've had him for 6 months. I feed him 10-15 dusted crickets a day and I havent been feeding him more than 15 because he usually eats less then 15 or even when I've given him 10 he hasnt eaten all of them. Im not sure if I should be concerned about that? Or if I should make a change in his diet? I also will feed him at the max 3 mealworms a day, though he does not get them everyday (I give them as a treat). ive heard chameleons ribs can be visible when they stretch and stuff but sometimes i'll see them when he's barely stretching? im going to attach some photos and maybe if anyone has any advice on if this is normal or not that would be great! thanks!

 

[ukulelecham]

also there are points where you cant see his ribs like when he's standing still

 

[JacksJill]

His diet could use an upgrade. I would drop the meal worms and replace them with super worms, dubia, hornworms and/or silkworms. He should have access to fresh veggies from the gut load list and his crickets should be fed from that list if they aren't already. "The same vegetables used for gutloading can also be offered to your veiled chameleon to snack on. Leafy greens, sliced vegetables and fruit, and berries can all be attached to cage furnishings with a clip or placed in a feeding cup for easy feeding."

Gut Load List
"Best - These gutloading ingredients are best because they are highest in calcium, low in phosphorus, oxalates and goitrogens. They should be the primary components of your gutload: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress and alfalfa.

Good - These gutloading ingredients are good because they are moderately high in calcium and other vitamins/minerals. They should be used in addition to those from the previous category: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy and green beans.

As far as seeing his ribs is concerned I would pay more attention to his tail base and casque to judge his weight. In skinny or dehydrated chams the ligaments in the side of tail become visible. Tracking his weight on a food scale is a very good way to monitor weight. If you think he's eating but not gaining weight or growing maybe he should have a fecal test for parasites.

 

[ukulelecham]

His diet could use an upgrade. I would drop the meal worms and replace them with super worms, dubia, hornworms and/or silkworms. He should have access to fresh veggies from the gut load list and his crickets should be fed from that list if they aren't already. "The same vegetables used for gutloading can also be offered to your veiled chameleon to snack on. Leafy greens, sliced vegetables and fruit, and berries can all be attached to cage furnishings with a clip or placed in a feeding cup for easy feeding."

Gut Load List
"Best - These gutloading ingredients are best because they are highest in calcium, low in phosphorus, oxalates and goitrogens. They should be the primary components of your gutload: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress and alfalfa.

Good - These gutloading ingredients are good because they are moderately high in calcium and other vitamins/minerals. They should be used in addition to those from the previous category: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy and green beans.

As far as seeing his ribs is concerned I would pay more attention to his tail base and casque to judge his weight. In skinny or dehydrated chams the ligaments in the side of tail become visible. Tracking his weight on a food scale is a very good way to monitor weight. If you think he's eating but not gaining weight or growing maybe he should have a fecal test for parasites.

Thanks so much!! I'll definitely be upgrading his diet to make sure he's getting what he needs

 

[Graves923]

definitely try adding dandelion greens and escarole. My veiled loved dandelion greens.

Your cham doesnt look too skinny. His front legs are pretty thin in my opinion but making the diet changes above will help him put on alittle more weight and keep him healthy

 

[Gillie]

Hi there! So ive been having some concerns about my chameleon being too skinny? im not sure exactly how old he is - though i believe he is between 7-8 months and I've had him for 6 months. I feed him 10-15 dusted crickets a day and I havent been feeding him more than 15 because he usually eats less then 15 or even when I've given him 10 he hasnt eaten all of them. Im not sure if I should be concerned about that? Or if I should make a change in his diet? I also will feed him at the max 3 mealworms a day, though he does not get them everyday (I give them as a treat). ive heard chameleons ribs can be visible when they stretch and stuff but sometimes i'll see them when he's barely stretching? im going to attach some photos and maybe if anyone has any advice on if this is normal or not that would be great! thanks!

My cham is 3 or 4 months old. I've had him for like 3 weeks. All is good but at times I can see his ribs too and it has me thinking I'm doing something wrong. He eats, he is a fat boy. What ever I put in he eats. So is his ribs showing "somewhat" something I should worry bout?

 

[OrangeJuice]

My cham is 3 or 4 months old. I've had him for like 3 weeks. All is good but at times I can see his ribs too and it has me thinking I'm doing something wrong. He eats, he is a fat boy. What ever I put in he eats. So is his ribs showing "somewhat" something I should worry bout?

Keep in mind when veiled bask they stretch out and look very skinny. They just do it to absorb the heat. Most of the time you can see ribs even if they are well fed, so to really see if they're the right weight I'd put em on a scale. In the picture I have he's basking, but you can't see his ribs. So definitely rely on actual numbers, these guys are deceiving