NEED URGENT HELP!

[dillchameleon]

Hi everyone. New to chameleon forums and I need urgent help. This is my veiled chameleon, Dill. I got him from petsmart a little over a week ago. In the week I’ve had him, he’s eaten 1 cricket total. Only 1. I’ve offered him crickets, mealworms, wax worms, and Dubia roaches every day, morning and night since I’ve had him and he’s rejected everything. The past 24 hours he hasn’t really moved from this plant in the bottom of his cage. I’m now noticing his eyes are closed, which is unusual. It is currently around 9 PM so his lights have been on for around 14 hours, so maybe he’s sleeping? I don’t know, but I’m really panicking about him not eating. I truly cannot afford a vet bill right now as much as I want to take him. Here’s some information about my husbandry and feeding. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong and how to save my baby.

Cage: 24*24*48 Reptibreeze XL screen enclosure
Plants: all live plants that have been washed. Rocks are placed in soil so he doesn’t eat it.
Lighting: 60 watt house bulb paired with T5 HO linear UVB bulb
Water: mini dripper (daytime) as well as fogger (night time)
Also in enclosure: styrofoam vines that Neptune the chameleon (YouTube channel) recommended, outdoor logs and sticks, and paper towels on bottom of enclosure

I don’t know for sure the gender of Dill, I’m just assuming he’s male because that’s what petsmart told me. I wasn’t planning on buying from pet smart originally because of what I’ve heard, but the two women who were caring for him seemed very responsible and knowledgeable about him. I put months of effort into this, and I’ve only had him for a week. I don’t know what I could possibly be doing wrong, so this is a plea for HELP!

 

[dillchameleon]

View attachment 328167
Hi everyone. New to chameleon forums and I need urgent help. This is my veiled chameleon, Dill. I got him from petsmart a little over a week ago. In the week I’ve had him, he’s eaten 1 cricket total. Only 1. I’ve offered him crickets, mealworms, wax worms, and Dubia roaches every day, morning and night since I’ve had him and he’s rejected everything. The past 24 hours he hasn’t really moved from this plant in the bottom of his cage. I’m now noticing his eyes are closed, which is unusual. It is currently around 9 PM so his lights have been on for around 14 hours, so maybe he’s sleeping? I don’t know, but I’m really panicking about him not eating. I truly cannot afford a vet bill right now as much as I want to take him. Here’s some information about my husbandry and feeding. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong and how to save my baby.

Cage: 24*24*48 Reptibreeze XL screen enclosure
Plants: all live plants that have been washed. Rocks are placed in soil so he doesn’t eat it.
Lighting: 60 watt house bulb paired with T5 HO linear UVB bulb
Water: mini dripper (daytime) as well as fogger (night time)
Also in enclosure: styrofoam vines that Neptune the chameleon (YouTube channel) recommended, outdoor logs and sticks, and paper towels on bottom of enclosure

I don’t know for sure the gender of Dill, I’m just assuming he’s male because that’s what petsmart told me. I wasn’t planning on buying from pet smart originally because of what I’ve heard, but the two women who were caring for him seemed very responsible and knowledgeable about him. I put months of effort into this, and I’ve only had him for a week. I don’t know what I could possibly be doing wrong, so this is a plea for HELP!

Here is the cage, lights are off and fogger is running. Just turned on overhead lights for this photo

 

[kinyonga]

Hard to tell if it's a male..I can't see all of him. Look on the heels for tarsal spurs.

Whats the basking temperature where he sits closest to the light?

 

[kinyonga]

No lights on at night...right?

 

[dillchameleon]

Here’s a full pic of him. I turned back on his light and held the thermometer to the basking light area and it read 72 degrees. I don’t think that’s right though. I’d say closer to 80

 

[dillchameleon]

No lights on at night...right?

Right. I turn them on at 7:30 AM and off at 7:30 PM. Turned them off at 9:30 tonight because I had to work

 

[kinyonga]

80F would be good...72 is too cool.

I can't see the back of the heel.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Right. I turn them on at 7:30 AM and off at 7:30 PM. Turned them off at 9:30 tonight because I had to work

For the lights, I'd suggest getting a timer. Manual ones are fairly cheap on amazon and that way if you're not home, you can keep the 12 hour on/off rotation and keep your little one on a good schedule. I'm no expert so I can't really comment on the rest... but every little bit helps I hope!

 

[kinyonga]

A timer would be a good idea for the lights...they're cheap.

 

[dillchameleon]

A timer would be a good idea for the lights...they're cheap.

Ok thanks I did not know that was a thing. I’ll definitely look into that… as for the eating- I’m really panicking he will die. Do you have any advice?

 

[dillchameleon]

For the lights, I'd suggest getting a timer. Manual ones are fairly cheap on amazon and that way if you're not home, you can keep the 12 hour on/off rotation and keep your little one on a good schedule. I'm no expert so I can't really comment on the rest... but every little bit helps I hope!

Thank you! I appreciate your help. Do you have any advice regarding the eating? I sort of just need someone to calm me down, haha. Really freaking out

 

[CalamityCrow]

I'd say if it's been ~14 hours with lights on, he may just be trying to sleep since that's his normal schedule. Possible it's more than that, but I'm not a vet.

How are you feeding him? By hand? Free-range? from a cup?

He's probably stressed from the big change in his world, trying to acclimate. There could be a lot of reasons he's not eating, but I'd say try and eliminate the easy ones first. Is there a lot of human (or animal) traffic in view of his cage? I've got one side of my guy's cage blocked off with some fabric so he can't see most of the living room. Make sure he feels like he can safely hide. You look to have a good number of plants in there so that's great!

In that vein, are you getting into the cage a lot? Trying to handle him? He may just need to be left alone for a little while so he can get used to his environment.

ALso you say you have a dripper and a fogger... Do you have a mister? That'll give the cage a good coating of water so he's got lots of options for drinking.

And, are the crickets you're feeding him smaller than the width of the space between his eyes? If they're too big, he won't go for them.

Just some thoughts... ALways hard to tell with these guys.

 

[dillchameleon]

I'd say if it's been ~14 hours with lights on, he may just be trying to sleep since that's his normal schedule. Possible it's more than that, but I'm not a vet.

How are you feeding him? By hand? Free-range? from a cup?

He's probably stressed from the big change in his world, trying to acclimate. There could be a lot of reasons he's not eating, but I'd say try and eliminate the easy ones first. Is there a lot of human (or animal) traffic in view of his cage? I've got one side of my guy's cage blocked off with some fabric so he can't see most of the living room. Make sure he feels like he can safely hide. You look to have a good number of plants in there so that's great!

In that vein, are you getting into the cage a lot? Trying to handle him? He may just need to be left alone for a little while so he can get used to his environment.

ALso you say you have a dripper and a fogger... Do you have a mister? That'll give the cage a good coating of water so he's got lots of options for drinking.

And, are the crickets you're feeding him smaller than the width of the space between his eyes? If they're too big, he won't go for them.

Just some thoughts... ALways hard to tell with these guys.

I do have a mister. Not an automatic one, just a little hand mister I’ve used a couple of times. I don’t mist him directly but instead just water down the plants. The crickets are pretty big so I think that may be a problem. I’ll go buy some small ones tomorrow. In the 9 days I’ve had him I’ve handled him twice. Once on the 5th day and once on the 7th day. Both were for less than 5 minutes and my only purpose of doing so was trying to get him to eat. I’ve tried cup feeding and tong feeding. The one cricket he ate was from tong feeding. Also, there’s no traffic anywhere near his cage. The only time there would be anyone bothering him it would be me. I’m only active in this room for probably an hour or two per day as it is my bedroom and I go to school During the day. No other animals or people are ever in my room

 

[CalamityCrow]

I do have a mister. Not an automatic one, just a little hand mister I’ve used a couple of times. I don’t mist him directly but instead just water down the plants. The crickets are pretty big so I think that may be a problem. I’ll go buy some small ones tomorrow. In the 9 days I’ve had him I’ve handled him twice. Once on the 5th day and once on the 7th day. Both were for less than 5 minutes and my only purpose of doing so was trying to get him to eat. I’ve tried cup feeding and tong feeding. The one cricket he ate was from tong feeding. Also, there’s no traffic anywhere near his cage. The only time there would be anyone bothering him it would be me. I’m only active in this room for probably an hour or two per day as it is my bedroom and I go to school During the day. No other animals or people are ever in my room

Sorry for the barrage of questions - trying to gauge. Great to hear there's little traffic.

If the crickets are too big that's almost certainly the problem. Babies are often free-range fed with small crickets (and before that, fruit flies) so he's probably used to that. Definitely pick up some small ones and see if that helps. I had that problem for a short time with my baby panther because what I had was just a bit too big. He'd try and eat one and then spit it out because he couldn't chew/swallow it.

I'd also urge you to refrain from tong feeding. Little cham tongues are very fragile and it's possible that their tongues could be injured by hitting the tongs or you reacting with surprise when he shoots it at the cricket and cause injury. Hand feeding would be much better. Ideally you can cup feed, that way you can track how many crickets he's eating. For now, I'd try some hand feeding and maybe some free range - put some carrots or something in the bottom of the cage for the crickets to eat at night so they don't nibble on your cham.

I would also look at getting a feeder cup. I used one for my guy and can track down to the individual bug what he eats - it REALLY helps me keep track of whether he's having issues, eating well, maybe going into a shed, etc. It also helps me make sure he's getting his vitamins on the day he gets those.

This is a good one to get: https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/shooting-gallery-chameleon-feeder/ - in one of these the bugs can crawl around on the screen but can't really escape the cup (Crickets are escape artists so you may lose one or two). It allows the cham to see them and shoot at them.

That site also sells feeder insects. I've been buying from Dubia.com and have had great luck with them as well (They're in the Kansas/Missouri area and so closer to where I am than Rainbow Mealworms). A variety is gonna be good for him. Crickets are a great staple and so are dubias, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, and sometimes hornworms for treats. Though personally I only got them once and I hated everything about them, especially how STRONGLY they stuck to stuff so I'll probably not get them very much.

All that to say... right now, get him some smaller bugs and see if he's interested.

 

[dillchameleon]

Sorry for the barrage of questions - trying to gauge. Great to hear there's little traffic.

If the crickets are too big that's almost certainly the problem. Babies are often free-range fed with small crickets (and before that, fruit flies) so he's probably used to that. Definitely pick up some small ones and see if that helps. I had that problem for a short time with my baby panther because what I had was just a bit too big. He'd try and eat one and then spit it out because he couldn't chew/swallow it.

I'd also urge you to refrain from tong feeding. Little cham tongues are very fragile and it's possible that their tongues could be injured by hitting the tongs or you reacting with surprise when he shoots it at the cricket and cause injury. Hand feeding would be much better. Ideally you can cup feed, that way you can track how many crickets he's eating. For now, I'd try some hand feeding and maybe some free range - put some carrots or something in the bottom of the cage for the crickets to eat at night so they don't nibble on your cham.

I would also look at getting a feeder cup. I used one for my guy and can track down to the individual bug what he eats - it REALLY helps me keep track of whether he's having issues, eating well, maybe going into a shed, etc. It also helps me make sure he's getting his vitamins on the day he gets those.

This is a good one to get: https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/shooting-gallery-chameleon-feeder/ - in one of these the bugs can crawl around on the screen but can't really escape the cup (Crickets are escape artists so you may lose one or two). It allows the cham to see them and shoot at them.

That site also sells feeder insects. I've been buying from Dubia.com and have had great luck with them as well (They're in the Kansas/Missouri area and so closer to where I am than Rainbow Mealworms). A variety is gonna be good for him. Crickets are a great staple and so are dubias, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, and sometimes hornworms for treats. Though personally I only got them once and I hated everything about them, especially how STRONGLY they stuck to stuff so I'll probably not get them very much.

All that to say... right now, get him some smaller bugs and see if he's interested.

Oh my gosh, thank you SO much for all your advice! I’m gonna get the feeder and go find some smaller crickets. Also random but I’m also in the Missouri/Kansas area haha. And thanks for telling me about the tong feeding issue, I had absolutely no idea that was a thing.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Oh my gosh, thank you SO much for all your advice! I’m gonna get the feeder and go find some smaller crickets. Also random but I’m also in the Missouri/Kansas area haha. And thanks for telling me about the tong feeding issue, I had absolutely no idea that was a thing.

Haha I'm out in Ohio but bug delivery is VERY quick with Dubia.com from Missouri/Kansas (I really can't remember which one. They may be in Kansas City area which would really mean they're in both states lol) and they've been wonderful to me. Sometimes they throw in an extra, new type of bug to try and their feeders have been excellent quality. If you're that close to them, you'll probably get some overnight!

 

[MzLaurie11]

Sorry for the barrage of questions - trying to gauge. Great to hear there's little traffic.

If the crickets are too big that's almost certainly the problem. Babies are often free-range fed with small crickets (and before that, fruit flies) so he's probably used to that. Definitely pick up some small ones and see if that helps. I had that problem for a short time with my baby panther because what I had was just a bit too big. He'd try and eat one and then spit it out because he couldn't chew/swallow it.

I'd also urge you to refrain from tong feeding. Little cham tongues are very fragile and it's possible that their tongues could be injured by hitting the tongs or you reacting with surprise when he shoots it at the cricket and cause injury. Hand feeding would be much better. Ideally you can cup feed, that way you can track how many crickets he's eating. For now, I'd try some hand feeding and maybe some free range - put some carrots or something in the bottom of the cage for the crickets to eat at night so they don't nibble on your cham.

I would also look at getting a feeder cup. I used one for my guy and can track down to the individual bug what he eats - it REALLY helps me keep track of whether he's having issues, eating well, maybe going into a shed, etc. It also helps me make sure he's getting his vitamins on the day he gets those.

This is a good one to get: https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/shooting-gallery-chameleon-feeder/ - in one of these the bugs can crawl around on the screen but can't really escape the cup (Crickets are escape artists so you may lose one or two). It allows the cham to see them and shoot at them.

That site also sells feeder insects. I've been buying from Dubia.com and have had great luck with them as well (They're in the Kansas/Missouri area and so closer to where I am than Rainbow Mealworms). A variety is gonna be good for him. Crickets are a great staple and so are dubias, silkworms, black soldier fly larvae, and sometimes hornworms for treats. Though personally I only got them once and I hated everything about them, especially how STRONGLY they stuck to stuff so I'll probably not get them very much.

All that to say... right now, get him some smaller bugs and see if he's interested.

I have the shooting gallery and it doesnt work. The crickets get out between the screen and sides and if you put it on the door as suggested they get into your home! my breeder suggested A cup with a stick sticking out. Wedge it in some where towards the top half of the cage and the crickets will climb up the stick to get out. And if your cham gets curious and falls in he can get out. I dust the crickets in one cup with calium witbout D3 then pour them into his cricket cup. dust once every two weeks with calcium with d3 and multi vit for reptikes. I put everything else in a bowl that is glued to a heavy flat rock and set it below his basking area. keep the food at the same spots so they lean where to go. But crickets getting out is good cause they want to hunt. Also call petsmart and voice your concerns. I would also start with some greens in a seperate bowl. I likecollard greens but you can try what ever lettuce you have in yourfrig tillyou see what she likes. I was told tbat it takes two weeks to acclament to new surroundings. I lke your set uo but i think you need some big leave up higher. Try swisdcheese plant the stalks are strong and leaves big ti offer shade andhiding places. You will propably have to invest in a good plant light. Try sansi

 

[CalamityCrow]

I have the shooting gallery and it doesnt work. The crickets get out between the screen and sides and if you put it on the door as suggested they get into your home! my breeder suggested A cup with a stick sticking out. Wedge it in some where towards the top half of the cage and the crickets will climb up the stick to get out. And if your cham gets curious and falls in he can get out. I dust the crickets in one cup with calium witbout D3 then pour them into his cricket cup. dust once every two weeks with calcium with d3 and multi vit for reptikes. I put everything else in a bowl that is glued to a heavy flat rock and set it below his basking area. keep the food at the same spots so they lean where to go. But crickets getting out is good cause they want to hunt. Also call petsmart and voice your concerns. I would also start with some greens in a seperate bowl. I likecollard greens but you can try what ever lettuce you have in yourfrig tillyou see what she likes. I was told tbat it takes two weeks to acclament to new surroundings. I lke your set uo but i think you need some big leave up higher. Try swisdcheese plant the stalks are strong and leaves big ti offer shade andhiding places. You will propably have to invest in a good plant light. Try sansi

If you're suggesting to feed the chameleon greens a bowl, that's not recommended - chameleons are insectivores, and while veilds might nibble on their plants as a sort of habit, all the nutrients that a keeper should provide them need to be from gut-loaded insects. Feed the insects all the green goodies (there's a chart somewhere) and allow the cham to get the nutrients from there.
And if you're going to expand beyond crickets (That's my suggestion, I HATE dealing with them and won't buy them anymore), then dubia roaches and black soldier fly larvae (and silkworms if you're willing to pay a little more) are GREAT staples.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I have the shooting gallery and it doesnt work. The crickets get out between the screen and sides and if you put it on the door as suggested they get into your home! my breeder suggested A cup with a stick sticking out. Wedge it in some where towards the top half of the cage and the crickets will climb up the stick to get out. And if your cham gets curious and falls in he can get out. I dust the crickets in one cup with calium witbout D3 then pour them into his cricket cup. dust once every two weeks with calcium with d3 and multi vit for reptikes. I put everything else in a bowl that is glued to a heavy flat rock and set it below his basking area. keep the food at the same spots so they lean where to go. But crickets getting out is good cause they want to hunt. Also call petsmart and voice your concerns. I would also start with some greens in a seperate bowl. I likecollard greens but you can try what ever lettuce you have in yourfrig tillyou see what she likes. I was told tbat it takes two weeks to acclament to new surroundings. I lke your set uo but i think you need some big leave up higher. Try swisdcheese plant the stalks are strong and leaves big ti offer shade andhiding places. You will propably have to invest in a good plant light. Try sansi

If your bugs are getting out of the shooting gallery just get more pins and silicone earring backs and add them closer together around the edges of the galliery and the bugs can’t get out as easily.

 

[new chameleon owner888]

View attachment 328167
Hi everyone. New to chameleon forums and I need urgent help. This is my veiled chameleon, Dill. I got him from petsmart a little over a week ago. In the week I’ve had him, he’s eaten 1 cricket total. Only 1. I’ve offered him crickets, mealworms, wax worms, and Dubia roaches every day, morning and night since I’ve had him and he’s rejected everything. The past 24 hours he hasn’t really moved from this plant in the bottom of his cage. I’m now noticing his eyes are closed, which is unusual. It is currently around 9 PM so his lights have been on for around 14 hours, so maybe he’s sleeping? I don’t know, but I’m really panicking about him not eating. I truly cannot afford a vet bill right now as much as I want to take him. Here’s some information about my husbandry and feeding. Please let me know what I’m doing wrong and how to save my baby.

Cage: 24*24*48 Reptibreeze XL screen enclosure
Plants: all live plants that have been washed. Rocks are placed in soil so he doesn’t eat it.
Lighting: 60 watt house bulb paired with T5 HO linear UVB bulb
Water: mini dripper (daytime) as well as fogger (night time)
Also in enclosure: styrofoam vines that Neptune the chameleon (YouTube channel) recommended, outdoor logs and sticks, and paper towels on bottom of enclosure

I don’t know for sure the gender of Dill, I’m just assuming he’s male because that’s what petsmart told me. I wasn’t planning on buying from pet smart originally because of what I’ve heard, but the two women who were caring for him seemed very responsible and knowledgeable about him. I put months of effort into this, and I’ve only had him for a week. I don’t know what I could possibly be doing wrong, so this is a plea for HELP!

A chameleon will close their eyes when they are dealing with a painful internal medical condition. Whether it be the advanced stages of a respiratory infection or an overwhelming intestinal parasite load, there is enough pain and distress. that the chameleon is shutting down. So you need to find a reptile vet IMMEDIATELY