Panther On Mend But Hasn't Eaten in a Month!

Sabbi

New Member
Hi, I have a panther nosey be chameleon, she was 5 months old when I purchased her and I have had her for 3 months so she is about 8-9 months old now.

About a month ago now I noticed she started to keep one eye closed. I waited a few days and it did not go so I told my mum to take her to the vets while I was on holiday next week. When I got back she had had 2 consultations with the reptile vet and had been given eye drops for the eye (1 was hydrating eyedrops, the other antibiotic eyedrops). However I noticed her other eye started to develop same symptom and a lump. We then got referred to a more experience specialist. She had an X-ray and found she had according to vet 'mild' MBD. Her bones are not deformed though just don't show up as much as they should on X-ray. She at this point was then very weak, falling, wouldn't move at all or open eyes which were swollen, and sunken and a lump in one. She had an injection of vitamins (i think vitamin A or maybe D3 cant remember which).

I then went to a different reptile shop and bought a whole new set up lights , cage etc just incase and took her outdoors in the warm weather for sun so she can get the D3 to help with her calcium. The reptile shop told me I had got her from a bad breeder and they had to put down 7 chameleons in one week because of them, so they also gave me some calcium stuff to put through a syringe , and I have bought critical care formula and Vocal-D (i think its called that). I have been feeding this through a syringe to her which she happily drinks. I am now happy her bulb is correct (UVB 5.0 and basking lamp)and just awaiting delivery of new cage designed for chameleons by shop, which will be a plastic one on the sides with normal see through doors on front of glass i presume not plastic. Temperature of current set up before I went to work in morning is 26/27 degrees with room window shut over night but I usually have it open and the lowest it is 24 in morning with windows open , during day it is around 30 and up to 32 on a very hot day. humidity after spraying was 75%, i make sure it is between 60-80 percent. This is based on temperature maintained during this hot weather not in cold weather. Current cage is glass set into my wardrobe (but does allow proper airflow).

She has now greatly improved, her eyes are almost back to normal not swollen or sunken in anymore just sometimes shut when she basks. She is now way more lively and a lot stronger , she still falls but rarely as she manages to pull herself back up now and she is getting her little personality back.

My main problem at the moment is she will not eat anything, she hasn't eaten in a month! she is incredibly skinny. If I leave food in her cage, wax-worms, mealworms, locust or cricket she will not eat it. If I hold it up to her she looks at it with interest for a few seconds but then looks away and if I hold it a bit closer so make sure she is definitely seeing it she gets scared of the actual bug (not me) and runs away...

I was wondering wether to mash up wax-worms and put through a syringe as they are fatty and she definitely needs the weight however I know I have got to be careful on the amount to begin with.

Or do I just wait for her to eat? just that it has been so long.

Would appreciate any advice / tips , thank you :)
 
If she wont eat on her own, I suggest making bug juice.

Take a blender (that you never want to use for people food again) and put your bugs in, a bit of water, and the supplement powder, then blend.

strain it, to remove any icky junks, get an eye dropper and start putting small drops into her mouth.

im sorry about her eyes, I hope she gets better!
 
Ok thank you, will try this when i get home, hopefully she will then get the taste for food :)

thanks!
 
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