Stopped eating dubias?

ChameLeon_

Member
I've got my little one for about month and a half now. He got really used to his cage, likes it as far as i know, basks and wanders around from time to time too. He also doesnt mint at all to climb all over me when i let him, possibly wanting to get on the stringy curtains he likes so much for whatever reason. I've been feeding him appropriate size dubia roaches since i got him, and he was eating just fine.

Recently, like a week or two back, i tried buying some crickets, mealworms and superworms to start offering some diversity.. and well he likes it too much i think. He stopped eating dubias, no matter the size or how much they move around him or anythnig. I thought maybe when he gets hungry enough, he will eventually eat roaches as well. Well this weekend i had to leave for two days, so i set him up with all he could need, secured the cage doors additionally, refilled water tank for misting, and put about 18 roaches of various size and 6 medium mealworms into his feeding cup together with a few small pieces of carrots to nibble on. Yesterday i came back, counted the food and only one mealworm was missing...

His poop seems smaller than before, but other than that regular color and everything, his urates are smaller as well, less frequent and more darker in color, more orange-brownish than ever before, im thinking its from the lack of hydration from food, because i mist and everything all the same.

So first idea was parasites, but he doesnt show literally no symptoms apart from not eating, hes very active, bright colors (or darker when i move too fast), wants to climb on his favorite curtains, has very strong grip (girlfriend says it even hurts her sometimes 😅), doesnt have sunken eyes and overall seems healthy to me. He is not skinny either. He should be around 6-7 months old now, but its just an estimate unfortunately. I know at this age, apetite starts reducing, but it shouldnt be this drastic for sure.

I know that an option is to buy him what he wants - crickets, superworms mainly, but i have dubia colony and would like to get him to eat at least some from time to time.. Is there any way i could encourage him more? I'm getting concerned about health too, even though as i said hes perfectly healthy i would say, almost looks like hes just not hungry :ROFLMAO:. Asks any question y'all might have, i will answer everything ASAP and i will try to add a photo of him as well later today. Thanks!
 
Here's an entire gallery of my boy 😅 still don't have suitable name, so open to suggestions on that front as well!
 

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First off I would rule out a parasite issue... Get a fecal test done.

How old is he now? Veileds will go through a reduction around 9 months old... They also can start becoming really picky on what they eat.

I would be very cautious if you leave with putting food in for the bugs with the chameleon. Hard foods would be an issue if the chameleon targets it with a feeder.
 
First off I would rule out a parasite issue... Get a fecal test done.

How old is he now? Veileds will go through a reduction around 9 months old... They also can start becoming really picky on what they eat.

I would be very cautious if you leave with putting food in for the bugs with the chameleon. Hard foods would be an issue if the chameleon targets it with a feeder.
Closest exotic vet i would actually trust with an exotic animal is quite far so i didnt have fecal done yet. His eyes looks a little sunken in, surely from dehydration from not eating, since i mist the same.. He's definitely not 9 months old yet, more like 6 tops. I put more like shavings from carrot and fairly little amount and none went missing entirely, but ill have that in mind for future for sure.
 
Closest exotic vet i would actually trust with an exotic animal is quite far so i didnt have fecal done yet. His eyes looks a little sunken in, surely from dehydration from not eating, since i mist the same.. He's definitely not 9 months old yet, more like 6 tops. I put more like shavings from carrot and fairly little amount and none went missing entirely, but ill have that in mind for future for sure.
Call around and see if anyone is able to just run a fecal for you.
 
Call around and see if anyone is able to just run a fecal for you.
I thought about this too, t doesnt necessarily have to be an exotic vet or someone with chameleon experience right? Since i would just bring in the poop and they would test it. Or am i wrong?

Also question, i tried and got his weight today, hes 58 grams at around 6 months old, not sure on the exact age here. Is that too low or around average? Thanks!
 
The vet will probably send it to a lab for analysis so any willing vet could do it. The sample needs to be fresh or it can be refrigerated over night to keep it useful.
 
Nice setup I like it!
My guys having same issue. But I think it’s bc he’s older if they eat less around 6-8 months which is my guys age. He eats mainly crickets, superworms, loves wax worms, eats dubia when I put wax on top of them lol. Horned worms, will not touch BSFl anymore. But will eat the flies. (As far as I know, they disappear) I doubt they escape. But yeah I guess it’s his age. He likes silk worms too but I’ve been having a hard time finding good ones from any site. They always come dead or not not enough or too small and take forever to grow.
 
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