Please help!!! Chameleon refuses live food?

[ChameleonKing1911]

SETUP:
24x24x36 inch Cage
Repti-Sun UVB 5.0
100 Watt INcandescent Bulb (high above the cage)
Big Dripper
Hand Mister
ReptiCal Calcium W/ D3
ReptiCal Calcium
ReptiCal Herptivite
Digital Hydrometer/Thermometer
Live Dragon Tree
Live Parlor Palm
Live Umbrella Tree
19 Branches
(A proper setup for the most part)



I've had my baby veiled on a diet of "Zoomed Can O Crickets, Pillars, Mini Mealies, ETC" for the first few months. I decided to change over to live food so I could gut load so they would be more nutritional. I realized that only 4 percent of crickets are there stomachs but I thought I'd give it a try.

So I offered my baby veiled some freshly dusted and gutloaded LIVE crickets. (same size as the ones in can o crickets.) He refused to eat, so I tried to give him one without the powder, he still would not eat it. When I dusted and offered a dead cricket, he snatched and gobbled it up like he hadn't ate in weeks! I tried putting the live cricket in the can to make it smell the same but that did nothing. Since chameleons chameleons cannot hear, that isn't a problem either.

So I tried to give him live ones for a few weeks now and he will not eat them... So I still feed him dead insects dusted and artificially gut loaded ( meaning I hide lettuce and carrot shavings on the dead crickets) and he will only eat dead ones and I'm not sure why. AND IM NOT GOING TO FORCE FEED HIM!!!

Any suggestions?

 

[SaintJimmy]

You should not have been feeding him canned/bottled worms and dead crickets.

You should feed him only live food or veggies (not all chams eat veggies).

DO NOT feed him any more dead food at all.

He will eat the live ones eventually, that's all there is to it very simple, just STOP feeding him the canned ones 100% and ONLY feed him live ones until he eats. No more canned bugs at all.

I hope that helps. It is called a hunger strike. Once they're accustomed to a certain kind of food, they refuse anything they think looks weird.

Please quit feeding him the canned dead stuff. Every one will recommend that you only feed live bugs and veggies to those chams who accept it.

 

[BKFritz]

I commend you for making the switch! Some people come here asking for help and then don't take the advise given so bravo in not being too stubborn to change.

That said, It really is the best thing for your Cham! I remember your previous post about the canned food. I agree with what jimmy said. He will eat if he gets hungry and will be better off in the long run. They can go longer without food then water so make sure he stays hydrated. You could try other feeders too. Phoenix worms, silk worms, butter worms, super worms...just don't give in if he doesn't eat for a few days. Make sure he's drinking and he'll come around.