stopped eating

[gamato8]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled 8-9 months old.
Handling - very limited
Feeding - Crickets 3/4, superworms, wax worms, dubias. Cup fed but has a few escapees to hunt. Gut loaded with carrots, green beans, fruit, flukers dry mix, and the occasional lettuce.
Supplements - D3 calcium every other week, calcium without D3 every feeding. MultiVit. Every other week
Watering - 3-4 Mistings a day about 1 minute+ each. he drinks the water from the spray. I also have a little dripper.
Fecal Description - poo has been great white urates, solid dark fecal, but lately no poo!
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No
History - He is usually a veracious eater


Cage Info:
Cage Type - Custom built mesh 20x20x38. indoors
Lighting - 12 on 12 off, powersun combo 10.0
Temperature - 87-90 basking 74-76 ambient 80-83 mid cage
Humidity -50-80% peaks and valleys
Plants - Two pothos, various fake vines
Placement - living room, quiet area.
Location - central Texas

Current Problem - He just stopped eating! ive tried switching feeders, wont hand feed, wont hunt prey on mesh walls, no poo that I have seen. he looks great and healthy ive made sure he is getting plenty of water. He last shed about a weeks ago. Hasn't eaten now for about 5-6 days. I have had him outside a bunch to get him some sun also. any help?

 

[carol5208]

At that age, they sometimes just go on what we call "hunger strikes". Don't offer him food for a few days and try feeding him again. I was going to say to get a fecal done to check for parasites, but there is no poop so I know that is kinda hard. Chameleons can be very frustrating to keep at times as far as feeding goes.

 

[LLGabriel]

"Hunger strikes" are the worst! All mine scare me from time to time. My male nosey be likes to keep me on my toes. He's not a picky eater but if I give him supers.. That's all he wants for days. Little bugger!! Haha! I hope your little one starts eating for you again soon. This is pretty normal though.

 

[gamato8]

OK. That's makes me feel a lot better. What is the average time it takes to get their appetites back?

 

[LLGabriel]

Almost 2 weeks for one of my little ones. He was being such a little turd. Haha!

 

[gamato8]

just wanted to give an update. I took the food away for 2 days. put in a couple superworms and was uninterested. same with a couple crickets. took them back out for another day. just put a superworm in on the screen wall and he ate it! but I put a couple more in and he went straight to basking and not caring. seems maybe I am headed in the right direction. any help for speeding this up?

 

[fuzzhc]

just wanted to give an update. I took the food away for 2 days. put in a couple superworms and was uninterested. same with a couple crickets. took them back out for another day. just put a superworm in on the screen wall and he ate it! but I put a couple more in and he went straight to basking and not caring. seems maybe I am headed in the right direction. any help for speeding this up?

Im going through the same as you just now. I thought my 8-9 month female panther was sick or gravid as she hadnt been eating, I took her to the vets and she looks healthy and isnt carrying any eggs.

Shes been off food now for the past month or so and only eating occasionally/ every other day. I wouldnt stress too much if he looks healthy.

Im just curious as to how people get calcium to them when theyre not eating? My vet gave me a syringe to put a droplet of water containing a tiny amount of calcium onto the chams lipa to lick off every other day.