Possible impaction

[slamwise]

My chameleon hasn't pooped since Saturday. He is a juvenile sambava, around 5 months and has been pooping almost daily before then. On Saturday (after the poop), he ate more crickets than I've ever seen him eat, possibly 40. Do you think this could have caused the impaction? If so, what can I do besides misting the enclosure more than usual? I've heard of vegetable oil in an oral syringe? How much should be administered? One drop? I also heard soaking his body in warm water might work. Should I wait it out first?

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[eisentrauti]

How about just giving 5-10 crickets ??? Did you ever read sth about feeding chameleons ???

 

[jannb]

Give him a juicy horworm or silkworm.....that should make him go.

 

[laurie]

How about just giving 5-10 crickets ??? Did you ever read sth about feeding chameleons ???

Good advice Benny but doesn't help the guy at the moment.

I have tried the soaking but all I seened to do was stress my chams. Try a warm showder or a drop of oil. I would use castor oil, sure worked on me as a kid. God I hated that stuff. Don't tell the poor cham what he is getting!! Also only use 1 drop, remember he is way small. Good luck and let us know.

 

[eisentrauti]

Come on ! Giving that many feeders is like an expensive and long way to kill the chameleon !

 

[Chameleoco]

maybe he has a large enclosure and lets all the bugs roam free for the cham to hunt?
otherwise that many crickets/insects is waaaaay too much and a little common sense would suggest that offering that many in one sitting,even day is a little excessive

 

[slamwise]

How about just giving 5-10 crickets ??? Did you ever read sth about feeding chameleons ???

Come on ! Giving that many feeders is like an expensive and long way to kill the chameleon !

Dude, this is the first time this has happened, he normally eats 10-15 a day.

I read (on this forum) that chameleons are known to leave their food when they are full and come back to it.

I didn't intend for him to get impaction, so chill the f##k out.

 

[Chameleoco]

i think it is best to offer your cham his food and observe him eating. I sometimes leave a couple in the viv, if the cham hasnt eaten as much as usual, but apart from anything else, if you leave the insects in the viv for the chameleon to hunt down, they will be less nutritionally valuable because they will have lost most of the dust/supplements and nutrients in their gut.

 

[Chameleoco]

Misting him more than usual with WARM water can help, along with very small amounts of cod liver oil as others have suggested. If it doesnt sort itself out in 2 days i think you should go to the vet because all the waste products in your chameleon that are not being passed through can lead to organ failure and possibly can become fatal if left untreated.

 

[slamwise]

Misting him more than usual with WARM water can help, along with very small amounts of cod liver oil as others have suggested. If it doesnt sort itself out in 2 days i think you should go to the vet because all the waste products in your chameleon that are not being passed through can lead to organ failure and possibly can become fatal if left untreated.

This is exactly the answer I was looking for. Thank you very much

 

[Chameleoco]

Your welcome!

 

[Trace]

You know, pardalis, as they get older, don't poo every day. In fact, mine went every 2 to 3 weeks and he was perfectly fine and healthy. I have lots of friends who have kept pardalis for years and say the same thing. So before everyone panics and recommends enemas and cod liver oil drops and showers and warm baths and everything else why don't you wait until he poos, whch will be soon. If he's not straining to defacate then I wouldn't worry.

Trace

 

[Chameleoco]

hmmmm, but the fact that the chameleon ate such a huge amount of crickets is reason for concern.

 

[slamwise]

You know, pardalis, as they get older, don't poo every day. In fact, mine went every 2 to 3 weeks and he was perfectly fine and healthy. I have lots of friends who have kept pardalis for years and say the same thing. So before everyone panics and recommends enemas and cod liver oil drops and showers and warm baths and everything else why don't you wait until he poos, whch will be soon. If he's not straining to defacate then I wouldn't worry.

Trace

Ah, I forgot to mention. Whenever he defecates, he does this yawning thing and puffs up a bit. Yesterday I saw him do it, except no poo. So I think that means he is straining?

Also, I don't know if I would call him a full adult, he is just coming in at 5 months.

Thanks for the advice though.

 

[Trace]

Ah, I forgot to mention. Whenever he defecates, he does this yawning thing and puffs up a bit. Yesterday I saw him do it, except no poo. So I think that means he is straining?

Sounds like pretty normal behaviours to me.

Straining is when he is trying to poop but can't. You will see him pushing, his vent may be inflamed and red and you'll see the poop trying to come out but can't. I'm sure you've been constipated before, just imagine the same symptoms but only in lizard form.

Honestly, I would not force feed him oil and give warm baths etc. The stresses from those are more traumatic and cause bigger stress/health issues. You overfed him; it's just going to take a little longer to pass all that food. Upping your misting sessions will help alleviate the problem.

Good luck!
Trace

 

[slamwise]

He pooped!

*happy dance*

 

[Trace]

YAY!

Bet you it was a big one too!

 

[Chameleoco]

congrats!!!

 

[Jono]

Haha exciting stuff pooping!

I'm also a fan of the cricket or two dipped in cod liver oil to get my guy pooping over night. It also comes with some bonuses such as a naturally occurring retinol and tons of OMEGA 3 fatty acids.

As with trying anything new: Less is More!

 

[eisentrauti]

Dude, this is the first time this has happened, he normally eats 10-15 a day.

I read (on this forum) that chameleons are known to leave their food when they are full and come back to it.

I didn't intend for him to get impaction, so chill the f##k out.

So what's your reference for this ??? Most of them eat as much as possible, they are trained by the nature to do this, cause there they never know when they will get their next meal...