Starting to get concerned

[Phoenixcham]

I have a panther chameleon who is 1 year old.

I am starting to get concerned as he's is a really bad eater and hasn't pooped in almost a month (the longest he's been) we have tried bathing him and misting him but he won't have one however he is a really good drinker.

I think this has also led to shedding problems because as he hardly eats he is not receiving the right vitamins. His skin is scaly like he is trying to shed. As he has not had a full shed since September his tail has restricted movement as when he falls (which is quite a lot) he doesn't use it to grip like he used to and also doesn't curl his tail properly when sleeping.

I am also concerned about a cut he has on his hand near his claw as when you move it you can see in it but he is still moving around and normal colours. He also loves to come out and socialise.

Can anyone please help me to try and get him to poop/eat/shed
Thanks x

 

[Graves923]

Fill out the help form below. It will help us narrow down possible causes of the issue at hand.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[Phoenixcham]

Fill out the help form below. It will help us narrow down possible causes of the issue at hand.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male panther chameleon, 1 year7 months old, I have had him 1 year and 2 months
• Handling - multiple times a day he loves to come out- very sociable
• Feeding - When he does feed its morio worms, wax worms or hoppers. We gut load them with carrot, lettuce or for the hoppers weetabix
• Supplements - We dust food every time he eats as he doesn't feed offer
• Watering - we use a spray to mist the tank and do it whenever the humidity gets low. We spray the leaves and he drinks from them
• Fecal Description - He hasn't been tested for parasites. His poops are solid with a normal brown colour and white/yellow utrate
• History - goes through phases of eating a lot and eating nothing

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - full adult sized screen cage
• Lighting - We has a 150w basking bulb and 24w D3 arcadia uvb Bulb. Lights on at 7am - 8pm no night lamp
• Temperature - 22- 28 cage and overnight 18-20. We measure by having a thermometer in there
• Humidity - 60-90% we spray the tank when it looks dry and leave dripper on when we are out.
• Plants - the main plant he has is an umbrella plant that takes up most of the cage
• Placement - the tank is in the living room and is on top of a small table
• Location - England

Current Problem - Hasn't pooped for nearly a month and doesn't eat much/ hasn't shed for a while

 

[kinyonga]

Do you have a substrate in the cage?

 

[Phoenixcham]

Do you have a substrate in the cage?

No we don't

 

[Andee]

He sounds like he's starting to get a calcium deficiency from lack of vitamins due to poor eating.

 

[kinyonga]

Please post some recent photos of him and of his hand.

 

[Phoenixcham]

He sounds like he's starting to get a calcium deficiency from lack of vitamins due to poor eating.

Yeah that would make sense. does that lead to no pooping?

 

[Andee]

Definitely, calcium is use for the entire body. But I agree with @kinyonga, we need some good close of pictures his foot that is cut, I would also like to see some of his entire body, and some focused and close up pictures of his legs. Usually if he has a calcium deficiency and it's farther along it will show up in his leg bones first. But if it's not too far along (which if he is falling so much I would lean to it's farther than we expect) it won't show up in many obvious ways. If he's not using his hurt foot though that could be throwing him off as far as balance. But I would assume he would anchor with his tail and since he isn't that worries me. Falling in general is not a good thing.

 

[Phoenixcham]

Good news he has just pooped today!! It looked normal but much larger obviously and his utrate was half orange half white but I assume thats just because its been in him for longer. I have attached some pictures oh him and that was the best photo I could get of his hand which actually looks a bit better as it looks like it is starting to scab

 

[Mawtyplant]

Good news he has just pooped today!! It looked normal but much larger obviously and his utrate was half orange half white but I assume thats just because its been in him for longer. I have attached some pictures oh him and that was the best photo I could get of his hand which actually looks a bit better as it looks like it is starting to scab

Hi, he look deshydrated too me (the skin) and the orange poop are a deshydratation sign too , try to spray 2-3 time a day for 2-3 minutes each misting session. you can feed him with silkworm and hornworm (this is a fat feeder so treat this like a good hamburger.. ) may help

 

[Phoenixcham]

Hi, he look deshydrated too me (the skin) and the orange poop are a deshydratation sign too , try to spray 2-3 time a day for 2-3 minutes each misting session. you can feed him with silkworm and hornworm (this is a fat feeder so treat this like a good hamburger.. ) may help

He can't possibly be dehydrated he has a half an hour drink every morning, little drinks throughout the day and another one at night. I would only be concerned about dehydration if his head or eyes looked more sunken in than normal and bearing in mind this is the fullest i have seen his eyes get. We also spray him and give him baths regularly to help make him shed which has also given him more tail movement as well.

 

[Mawtyplant]

He can't possibly be dehydrated he has a half an hour drink every morning, little drinks throughout the day and another one at night. I would only be concerned about dehydration if his head or eyes looked more sunken in than normal and bearing in mind this is the fullest i have seen his eyes get. We also spray him and give him baths regularly to help make him shed which has also given him more tail movement as well.

your call and your cham.. but too me he look like.. sunken eye are not the only sign (its in fact the last sign) bot orange poop usually dont lie. and not pooping for a month and not peeing with a long 30 minutes of full drinking is alarming too me maybe he have infection like fungus infection (it can cause deshydratation without lack of drinking i think)? you have some picture of the enclosure?

 

[Phoenixcham]

I should also mention that his dad was also like this he would go weeks without pooping as well.

Here are some pictures

 

[Mawtyplant]

im still a bit concerned keep one eye open how is the sheding?

 

[Phoenixcham]

im still a bit concerned keep one eye open how is the sheding?

Shedding is no good last he shed was only a small part of his spine and the rest of him is still scaly. The skin like flakes off and looks kind of see through. The last time he did a big shed was September. Sometimes it gets so frustrating haha

 

[Mawtyplant]

Shedding is no good last he shed was only a small part of his spine and the rest of him is still scaly. The skin like flakes off and looks kind of see through. The last time he did a big shed was September. Sometimes it gets so frustrating haha

ok, here my advice misting 3 time a day.. for 2 minutes each time (the best is too buy a automatic mister with planted cage but if you can discipline yourself it could be ok) you have nothing to loose trying.. in 2 month notice if there any difference for the rest.. this is your chameleon not my and you dont have to follow my advice but i wish you would try

(sorry for my english.. im francophone so if something does not make any sens tell me )

 

[Phoenixcham]

ok, here my advice misting 3 time a day.. for 2 minutes each time (the best is too buy a automatic mister with planted cage but if you can discipline yourself it could be ok) you have nothing to loose trying.. in 2 month notice if there any difference for the rest.. this is your chameleon not my and you dont have to follow my advice but i wish you would try

(sorry for my english.. im francophone so if something does not make any sens tell me )

Haha your English is fine
Yeah we mist way more than 3 times a day as the plant can dry up pretty quick and sometimes spray him before he basks

 

[Andee]

The orange poop is to be expected, he drew as much hydration from the urate as possible with it being in his system so long. He looks fine to me. No wrinkly skin or anything else to show dehydration. His left back leg (though it's in shadow in the pic so I would prefer one a bit bright) looks a bit swollen and possibly a tiny bit bent right above the wrist/ankle joint. His front foot worries me a bit, one of the side looks a bit swollen? Not sure if it does to anyone else?

 

[Phoenixcham]

The orange poop is to be expected, he drew as much hydration from the urate as possible with it being in his system so long. He looks fine to me. No wrinkly skin or anything else to show dehydration. His left back leg (though it's in shadow in the pic so I would prefer one a bit bright) looks a bit swollen and possibly a tiny bit bent right above the wrist/ankle joint. His front foot worries me a bit, one of the side looks a bit swollen? Not sure if it does to anyone else?

The front foot with the cut in? And his legs have always been like that it might have been a bad picture as the sun was out and he was in a bad position. He seems much more happier since he has had a poop though haha
I appreciate all the comments very much as I am new to the site x