Not eating since i got him

[brando-the-cham]

I got a new baby veiled chameleon around january 19 and he hasnt eaten since i got him. He is very shy and sciddish and i would take the tweezers and put them in the cage and he would back away. When i take my hand out of the cage he runs away. Please help thanks Im not sure how old he is

 

[gotwqqd]

I've been asking about this too.

Though mine has only gone about 4 days without any apparent eating

 

[Chris Waring]

Have you tried a variety of foods or just crickets. Mine will eat everything I give him but would walk past a cricket to get his tongue on a silkworm.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Are you trying to hand feed? Do you have appropriately sized food? Have you found any stool in the enclosure?

Do not try to hand feed--it is just too frightening.. Put the feeders (live appropriately sized crickets) in the cage free.

You need to fill out the form at the top of the Health section. It is basically a questionnaire on how you keep your chameleon from lights, temperatures to enclosure, food, stool and supplements. Pictures also really help, both pictures of the chameleon and the set up.

This is a really long time for a baby to go without food. I think a vet visit is in order.

Not eating can start a downward spiral.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I've been asking about this too.

Though mine has only gone about 4 days without any apparent eating

I think you might also need to start your own thread in this section (Health). Please fill out the form at the top of the Health section. I think it is called, How to Ask for Help. Pictures of your set up and your chameleon are very helpful.

As I mentioned to the OP, not eating in itself can be the trigger for a downward spiral. Chameleons are hard to turn around when they start going downhill, and baby ones are the hardest, especially for a novice.

 

[gotwqqd]

Are you trying to hand feed? Do you have appropriately sized food? Have you found any stool in the enclosure?

Do not try to hand feed--it is just too frightening.. Put the feeders (live appropriately sized crickets) in the cage free.

You need to fill out the form at the top of the Health section. It is basically a questionnaire on how you keep your chameleon from lights, temperatures to enclosure, food, stool and supplements. Pictures also really help, both pictures of the chameleon and the set up.

This is a really long time for a baby to go without food. I think a vet visit is in order.

Not eating can start a downward spiral.

I have. Dirt and river rocks in bottom of my enclosure....can I still let crickets and or dubia loose?

 

[kiwilulu]

The crickets will move around, climb and the cham will find them, no problem. Dubias are a little more tricky because they can hide in a dark place and stay immobile for hours.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Did you post a completed "How to Ask for Help" form? January 19th is a LONG time for a baby not to eat. I would take out the rocks and dirt--leave the floor bare then the chameleon can find the crickets better and you can monitor food intake more easily by the amount of stool he is producing.

I can't stress enough, no food since January 19th is not good!

Have you read the care sheets on this site? I think they are under the "Resources" section.

 

[kinyonga]

Brando-the-chameleon...have you tried letting some insects loose in the cage? Your hand and the tweezers darting about may be scaring the chameleon. Are the insects the right size for the chameleon...as long as the space between its eyes?

Gotwqqd...please start your own thread. It gets confusing for us to answer two people in the same thread whose problems are similar but likely have different causes.