Seems it wants to eat but couldn't

[madebykc]

Hello,

I would like to get some good advices about my panther chameleon. I just got this little guy in font of my house on Jan 6. First few days, it didn't eat any then I bought head pin clix and silkworm. It eta fine but not much. 3-4 days later I give it bigger clix. It eta fine too but then couple days later, in the morning I saw it's tongue came out and I thought it was sick. I turned the light on for and 5 minutes later, it seemed better and the tongue got back. Sine then it is about 4 days already, it didn't eat any. I saw it drinks a litter bit water and tried to eat a clix with the mouth but missing. I think it couldn't use the tongue like before. It seems it tried to eat but it couldn't. It walks OK, looks around, but not eat. I am not sure how old it is. I show the pet store some pictures. They said it was about 4 months. First week, I put it in a 5 gallon tank then I changed to a tall cage 60x15x15 inches open net. I put light 75w and uv I bought at a pet store, and full of live plant.

Thank you very much
First I got it.

It's tongue came out

Right now

 

[renderit1]

Take it to a vet, they will give it the meds it needs.

 

[Kate]

I'm sure I replied to this thread earlier today, anyway, welcome to the forum.https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Can you fill in the above form? Your little one does not look right. You may need to take it to a vet. He looks dehydrated. Have you seen any poop yet, if so what colour was it?

 

[madebykc]

I'm sure I replied to this thread earlier today, anyway, welcome to the forum.https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Can you fill in the above form? Your little one does not look right. You may need to take it to a vet. He looks dehydrated. Have you seen any poop yet, if so what colour was it?

The last time I saw, he pooped yesterday. It was black or almost black and white. He drinks but little and still doesn't eat anything. I spray 4-5 times a day and turn on humidifier 3 times a day for about 15 minutes. The lamp and uv are on about 12-14 hours a day because I think he needs it more. He likes to hang out the top next to the light. His eyes move around and he does walk around from time to time. The house temperature is between 70-73 degrees

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex: Don't know, and age of your chameleon: Don't know. How long has it been in your care : Sine Jan 6, 2014
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon: Once a day but the last 7 days only one-two times.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham?: Milk worms and crickets. What amount? 3-5 crickets and 2-3 milk worms. What is the schedule? I live them in a plastic box all day but I check it from 9:00am-7:00pm last 4-3 days and he does not eat.
How are you gut-loading your feeders? not sure what this means.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? none at this time. We found this chameleon two weeks ago outside our house.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? leaves of plants are watered inside his cage, and there is a dripper as well. How often and how long to you mist? I mist 4-5 times a day. Do you see your chameleon drinking? yes but no often.
Fecal Description - Black with some white color, soft texture.
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? no
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. Initially he was eating crickets and meal worms then stopped eating four days ago. He looks at the food but does not eat. Once he tried to eat, but he didn't use his tongue and tried to bite the cricket but missed. A couple of days ago it looked like he was choking, because his mouth was open and part of his tongue was out. Later he appeared normal. He is still somewhat active but does not eat.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) First week, I used fish tank 5 gallons but later It is all screen. What are the dimensions? All screen 51"x13"x13"
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? first, I used regular light 65w but last 4 days I changed to be repti basking spot lamp 75w and reptisun 5.0 UVB. What is your daily lighting schedule? 6:00am-8:00pm.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? used room temperature. Lowest overnight temp? Room temp. How do you measure these temps? no
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? I don't know. I used bottle spray 4-5 times a day and use humidifier 2-3 times a day for 15-20 minutes. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? no. What do you use to measure humidity? nothing.
Plants - Are you using live plants? Yes, If so, what kind? Golden pothos and schefflera cappella plant
Placement - Where is your cage located? Living room. Is it near any fans, air vents,or high traffic areas? close to the wall but there is ventilation. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 4'7"
Location - Where are you geographically located? central Florida

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. He/she haven't eaten for about 4 days. He drinks a little bit, walks find, sleeps and seems to have energy. Once I saw he seemed want to eat a cricket but missing and didn't use his tongue, it looked like he tried to bite the cricket. Sometimes he opened his mouth and put the tongue out a little bit but he didn't eat anything at all. He poops. The last time I saw was yesterday, the color is black and white and soft. He just keeps trying to get out of the cage and only hangs out at the top of the cage, where the light (UV and heat) is.

We rescued the chameleon after finding it dying in the cold outside. After showing the picture to a reptile pet store they said it was a panther chameleon, definitely not something you would find in FL. It looks to be young.

Any advice would be appreciated. We love animals but have never cared for a chameleon before.

Thanks!

KC

 

[Kate]

Hi KC. Just got in from work. Here is a link for how to care for a panther.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

If he is pooping he must be eating some. Continue to get him to drink. I put mine on a plant in the sink and spray it heavily with warm water. It sometimes takes about 10 mins spraying before he drinks. 12 hrs light and heat is sufficient . Have you tried letting the crickets loose in tank? Are they small enough for him? Can you get some small flys? Mealworms are not very good feeders. Gut loading is what you feed your crickets. There are some good commercial ones you can buy like bug burger and cricket crack. You also need fresh fruit and veg for moisture to keep your crickets alive. The crickets need to be dusted with plain calcium daily and calcium with d3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. It is very important you get a thermometer to measure temperature at basking spot. Too hot you will cook him and there is a danger of burns. Too cold and he will not be able to digest his food. You want it to be no higher than 84f if he is a baby. He needs no heat overnight as long as the temp doesn't drop below 55f. Humidity should peak at around 70 several times a day allowing the viv to dry out I between.
As for your present problem, it could be he has injured his tongue. It could also be that he is sick. Has he eaten today?

 

[madebykc]

To Kate

He still doesn't eat but drinks. Thank you very much for replying me back. I am keeping pray and keep the humidifier on longer. I think he might have some tongue problem. Should I take him to the vet?

Thank again

 

[Kate]

I have pm you. And yes a vets visit would be a good idea. Don't use a humidifier so don't know if it's a good idea. Perhaps someone else can advise.