Veiled chameleon not eating

[ctodaro]

I have a wild-caught veiled female chameleon who just laid eggs about a week ago. Before she laid them she ate regularly but this week she hasn't had an appetite...is this normal after laying eggs? She usually eats about 5 crickets a day dusted with calcium supplement.

Chameleon info:
Cage: Inside open cage with mesh on outside. Live plants with horizontal UVB light and heat lamp.
Temp: about 78-80 degrees daytime, 68-73 nighttime
Humidity: average about 60-70%
Diet: 5 crickets a day dusted with calcium, live caught insects (grasshoppers, dragonflies)

 

[alphakenc]

Hi ctodaro welcome to this forum and part of your domain.
My question for you is,since she laid them a week ago,have you seen any poop on the floor at all??usually she should start eating soon after she laid,
Also have you see her drinking yet??
My friendly suggestion to you is please find a chameleon specialist vet,bring your cham in,so the vet can do some test for her if she still not eating at this present time,keep us the update ,best luck to you and your cham

 

[ctodaro]

She has been pooping, i've seen three droppings in the past week. And I have forced her to drink this week (through a dropper) to make sure she is hydrated. She might be eating without me knowing, I have noticed a few insects missing but I assume they escaped from her cage, she usually eats right away when I put the bugs in there for her. Could she just be stressed?

 

[alphakenc]

What goes in ,must comes out,if she is pooping normal,then Im sure she is eating without you knowing,so now the problem is drinking,have you take a look on her pooping color?could you please tell us ,what color is that whole poop??
And what type of hydration system that you currently use on the veiled chameleon?if you dont mind the ten thousand questions

 

[ctodaro]

Her poop looks normal, solid brown with white urate. There is a little yellow in the urate but i believe that is usually normal. And i have a dripper in her cage so she can drink, she might be sneaking it but she has been staying in one corner of the cage opposite the dripper so I feel like she never went near the water.

 

[alphakenc]

That sounds great,and I totally understand how you feel,we all worry if our pets is not eating or drinking,since you saw all the normal poop color,which is a good sign for your grly cham,sometime after the lady cham going thru her reproduction phase,it does add lots stress on herself,I will suggest add ur daily calcium without D3 to every gutloaded feeders that you feed her with,let her recuperate from her strenuous duty,and let her feel good about herself again,I'm sure she will be your active eating drinking lady cham again under your proper care,no force onto her,just observe,wish her well soon!

 

[kinyonga]

How many eggs did she lay?
Did she lay them in a hole and fill the hole in?
Did you disturb her while she was laying?
What's the basking temperature?

 

[ctodaro]

She laid 35 eggs and laid them next to a plant in her cage and filled the hole (abut a foot deep into the dirt) I left her alone the three days she was digging, the only time i disturbed her was to put crickets in her cage before she laid the eggs. Her basking temperature outside was around 80-85 degrees.