Our guy is on a hunger strike!

[RobandJess]

It is only the second day that he has been refusing to eat, I know it is common for chamleons to do that sometimes, I was just wondering after how many days I should start to worry?! He is active and seems otherwise healthy, we give him crickets, superworms, hornworms, silkworms...and he had some moths (transformed from the hornworms) which he loved, but unfortunately I dont have any more of those. Right now he is roaming through his enclosure, looking like he is on the hunt, but there are crickets inside and worms in his feeding cup and he is not touching either of them.

Let me know your thoughts...thanks guys!

 

[pssh]

How old and what species? A healthy adult chameleon can go for a month or more and still be okay. I wouldnt bee too worried yet if it's an older one.

 

[RobandJess]

sorry forgot to mention that...he is a male veiled chameleon, about 5 1/2 months now, so still pretty young.

 

[summoner12]

He is fine, he'll eat when he is ready. If you see odd behavior then you might be worried.

 

[jannb]

I would not offer him any feeders at all tomorrow and then Tuesday feed him and he should eat. He might be ready to start eating every other day. If you skip Mon. and he still refuses to eat on Tues. then I would schedule a vet visit for a checkup and fecal.

 

[RobandJess]

will do...thanks guys!

 

[pssh]

He should be fine for a while. Though if it continues, a fecal wouldn't hurt. He may also just want some more variety. My guys cant resist flies and butterflies!

 

[RobandJess]

oops..i guess I should have waited with that post...he just munched away three superworms worms

 

[summoner12]

Just remember that chams go days without eating and that veileds are meant to be thin and lanky, not pudgy. hunger strikes aren't bad. It doesn't always mean something is wrong with the cham. I went to the vet with a cham on a hunger strike and it was the biggest waste of money IMO.

 

[chameleon884]

dont worry. my cham didnt eat for a couple days.
once their instinct kicks in they will eventually eat. try offering it as many different feeders as possible.

but pssh is right, chameleons can go a loooooong time without food. as long as you give him the right water supply he will be fine.