Too close to eat food

[Swiftchameleon]

When I feed my veiled he tries to get really close to his food and eat it but he can't get the food when he is so close. When I hand feed him he will walk as close to my hand as possible so I move it away but then he walks up to it again. He will come about an inch in front of his food and try to eat it but his tongue can't get it when he is that close. Why is he doing this and how can I get him to stop.

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

Well, he might not be able to see his food. I've seen cases where the chameleon can't see and therefore can't eat, but what stops him from eating? My cham does the same thing, but he almost always gets it.... when he misses he tries again. if he's closer he should have a BETTER chance at getting his food, not worse....maybe he's just a bad aim?

 

[Andee]

He shouldn't have any issue getting close to it and getting it. If he can't see it however that is the real issue. Tongues are the issue. They won't shoot if they are super close and usually just stick their tongues out and stick it to the insect and then bite down on it. I do not encourage this behavior all the time. They do lose the ability to use their tongue well if they do this all the time.

 

[Chameleon Crazy Chick]

At one point my cham, Nik, would try to climb into the feeder cup with the feeders, (I have no idea why,) So i just moved it farther away. Repeated for a while, then eventually he kind of seemed to realize that he had a tongue, and it could shoot super far! He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he's a sweetheart....

 

[kinyonga]

Your chameleon may be having a problem with its tongue. It can be from a nutrient imbalance or an injury or infection.
What supplements are you using SPECIFICALLY and how often for each? What to you feed/gutload the insects with?

 

[Swiftchameleon]

He can't seem to shoot his tongue out enough to get the worm when he is that close. He doesn't do it all the time though, only when I feed super worms. He is fine when he eats crickets.

Your chameleon may be having a problem with its tongue. It can be from a nutrient imbalance or an injury or infection.
What supplements are you using SPECIFICALLY and how often for each? What to you feed/gutload the insects with?

I use calcium w/o d3 pretty much every time I feed crickets, with d3 every 2 weeks. Do I need to get a multivitamin? I gutload with flukers orange cube.

He shouldn't have any issue getting close to it and getting it. If he can't see it however that is the real issue. Tongues are the issue. They won't shoot if they are super close and usually just stick their tongues out and stick it to the insect and then bite down on it. I do not encourage this behavior all the time. They do lose the ability to use their tongue well if they do this all the time.

He looks like he is trying to shoot his tongue but he can't get it far enough when he is that close. He can shoot his tongue out normally if he isn't so close so I don't think that is the problem. It is only when he eats super worms.

 

[Swiftchameleon]

He did this when I fed him this morning and a few times before. I fed him this afternoon and held the worm a little farther away and he ate it fine.

 

[Andee]

Are you trying to handfeed the superworm? That could be the issue. But he does need multivitamin. And a better gutload for sure

 

[Swiftchameleon]

Are you trying to handfeed the superworm? That could be the issue. But he does need multivitamin. And a better gutload for sure

I will get a multivitamin at petsmart tonight when I get crickets. Could I just put some fruits and vegetables as a gutload in addition to the orange cube? Sometimes I hand feed and sometimes I put them on a leaf where he can see it.

 

[Bush baby]

Sound like a calcium imbalance to me. Calcium is needed for muscular functions i.e his tongue. Had a cham several years ago that did the same thing. You need to get a good amount of calcium in him asap, and expose him to UV light, preferable natural sunlight. Even if it's cool outside; just 10 mins of him sitting on your shoulder in direct sunlight will stimulate D3 synthesis in his body at a much better rate that anything the bulbs we use can.

Since PLAIN calcium is water soluable, there's no risk of overdose. Whatever his body can't use he will eliminate via his waste.

Make sure you're gutlaoding all his food with dark green leaf veggies like Turnip, Collards, etc and you're dusting them with plain calcium. Since he's a Veilded, he might just eat the leafy greens directly.

Hope he improves.

 

[Swiftchameleon]

Sound like a calcium imbalance to me. Calcium is needed for muscular functions i.e his tongue. Had a cham several years ago that did the same thing. You need to get a good amount of calcium in him asap, and expose him to UV light, preferable natural sunlight. Even if it's cool outside; just 10 mins of him sitting on your shoulder in direct sunlight will stimulate D3 synthesis in his body at a much better rate that anything the bulbs we use can.

Since PLAIN calcium is water soluable, there's no risk of overdose. Whatever his body can't use he will eliminate via his waste.

Make sure you're gutlaoding all his food with dark green leaf veggies like Turnip, Collards, etc and you're dusting them with plain calcium. Since he's a Veilded, he might just eat the leafy greens directly.

Hope he improves.

Thanks for all the help! I will put some veggies with the crickets to gutload tonight. He has a uvb bulb and I put calcium on all his crickets but I will try to get him some sun. It might also be time for a new uvb bulb too.