Weird poop and black face stripes

Hello all! About three nights ago I looked into Winstons cage and I noticed he had some black stripes on his face, the kind he has when he's angry. It was weird though because I have never seen him have those stripes when he is asleep and also its never just been on his head before, usually its his entire body then gets those angry little stripes. The next morning when I checked on him he still had them and he still does 3 days later! I have no idea why they are there because nothing in my room has changed and neither has anything in his set up. His appetite dropped by quite a bit at the same time as the black stripes started showing up. He went from eating about 10 - 15 feeders a day to about 5. Then yesterday he had a weird poop and I thought maybe it was a weird one time situation but today when he pooped this one was weird too. It was longer than it usually is and the urate has a weird red-orange part in it. I have no idea what's going on and I think this is especially weird since it suddenly started overnight. He has very gradually been eating more and losing the dark stripes but not all the way. Any advice on what might be wrong would be very much appreciated! I want to get him better as soon as I can because I'll be moving houses in a few weeks and I'm sure that alone will be plenty of stress for him. I'll include a pic of the poop and a picture of him with his face stripes vs. how he usually looks. *The green part next to the poop is just the reflection of a leaf*

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon – 9 month old male ambilobe panther chameleon. I’ve had him for a about 6 months.
  • Handling – I let him crawl onto my hand when he wants to, usually about every other day on average.
  • Feeding –Mostly superworms and crickets, occasionally dubias and bsfl. Feeding him roughly 10 feeders a day. I usually feed him around 3pm. I gutload the feeders with apples, oranges, carrots for the most part, ocassionally sweet potatoes, collard greens and a few others.
  • Supplements – Repashy Calcium Plus for every feeding & a couple feeders every 2 weeks dusted with repashy vitamin A
  • Watering – I use a mistking with a screen top wedge nozzle. I mist every day 3 times a day for 2 minutes each time with a 15 minute misting every Sunday. I usually don’t see him drinking but will occasionally.
  • Fecal Description – Has never been tested for parasites. His poop is usually moist and tight packed and most of the urates were close to white until the past two.
  • History – I bought him from kammerflage kreations in when he was 3 or 4 months old

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type – Reptibreeze screen cage, 24” X 24” X 48”
  • Lighting – T5 quad fixture with a 12% arcadia uvb bulb, for heat he as a 75 watt basking bulb. The lights come on at 7:30 AM and they turn off at 7:30 PM.
  • Temperature – Cage floor is 70 degrees, basking spot is about 90 degrees. Temperature never drops below 67 at night. To measure I use a thermometer/hygrometer and I have a temperature gun
  • Humidity – The room humidity is usually around 30-40%, the cage humidity is usually between 45% and 60%. I have a live umbrella plant and a smaller pothos in the cage. I measure it with the thermometer/hygrometer.
  • Plants – I have an umbrella plant and a smaller pothos in the cage. I also have a ficus alii and a few other small houseplants in the room.
  • Placement – His cage is in my bedroom/office since I work from home. His cage is only about 6 feet away from my desk that I work at. Also my back is always turned away from him while I’m working so he doesn’t feel like I’m staring at him. Its not near any fans or vents.
  • Location – Northern Utah
 

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Hey hun. I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. But why are you feeding him so late in the day? This is not giving him much time to bask and fully digest. I would switch this up to feeding about an hour or so after lights come on and giving him the entire day to digest.
Also you want to start changing him over to an every other day feeding. Start reducing every other day each week until you end up with only feeding every other day.
Gutload for the feeders needs to be improved upon. You want mostly leafy greens. Alternating what your using week over week.

Best - These gutloading ingredients are best because they are highest in calcium, low in phosphorus, oxalates and goitrogens. They should be the primary components of your gutload: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress and alfalfa.


Good - These gutloading ingredients are good because they are moderately high in calcium and other vitamins/minerals. They should be used in addition to those from the previous category: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy and green beans.

These fresh fruits and vegetables can be combined with dry gutload mixes or home made mixes for optimal well-rounded nutrition. Dry ingredients can include: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed and organic non-salted almonds.
 
Hey hun. I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. But why are you feeding him so late in the day? This is not giving him much time to bask and fully digest. I would switch this up to feeding about an hour or so after lights come on and giving him the entire day to digest.
Also you want to start changing him over to an every other day feeding. Start reducing every other day each week until you end up with only feeding every other day.
Gutload for the feeders needs to be improved upon. You want mostly leafy greens. Alternating what your using week over week.

Best - These gutloading ingredients are best because they are highest in calcium, low in phosphorus, oxalates and goitrogens. They should be the primary components of your gutload: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress and alfalfa.


Good - These gutloading ingredients are good because they are moderately high in calcium and other vitamins/minerals. They should be used in addition to those from the previous category: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy and green beans.

These fresh fruits and vegetables can be combined with dry gutload mixes or home made mixes for optimal well-rounded nutrition. Dry ingredients can include: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed and organic non-salted almonds.
Okay I’ll pick up some of those from the store tomorrow! I also have Repashy bug burger on the way right now that should get here tomorrow too. And you’re right about the feeding time, I usually do it on my break but I am going to start doing it before work
 
Although I have not seen a fecal like that with the urate tip being that color.... Not sure if that is it but those were the main things that popped out at me.
The color thing with him seems more like a coincidence and not necessarily linked to the stool issue. I know Panthers colors start really popping when they hit maturity. With him hitting 9 months I would think this would be what is going on. Getting his I am a sexy Boy on lol.

Other thing.... I use repashy website to figure out all their stuff now because I have a really hard time keeping up with their products. lol but the Calcium plus has alot in it. Not sure if this is good for every day feeding.
Maybe someone else can chime in on this
See ingredients below.
INGREDIENTS: Calcium Carbonate, Dried Kelp, Dried Brewer’s Yeast, RoseHips, Calendula Flower, Marigold Flower, Paprika, Hibiscus Flower, Algae Meal, Turmeric, Rosemary Extract, Natural Fruit Flavor, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Manganese Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Copper Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Selenium Yeast. Vitamins: (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement).
 
Although I have not seen a fecal like that with the urate tip being that color.... Not sure if that is it but those were the main things that popped out at me.
The color thing with him seems more like a coincidence and not necessarily linked to the stool issue. I know Panthers colors start really popping when they hit maturity. With him hitting 9 months I would think this would be what is going on. Getting his I am a sexy Boy on lol.

Other thing.... I use repashy website to figure out all their stuff now because I have a really hard time keeping up with their products. lol but the Calcium plus has alot in it. Not sure if this is good for every day feeding.
Maybe someone else can chime in on this
See ingredients below.
INGREDIENTS: Calcium Carbonate, Dried Kelp, Dried Brewer’s Yeast, RoseHips, Calendula Flower, Marigold Flower, Paprika, Hibiscus Flower, Algae Meal, Turmeric, Rosemary Extract, Natural Fruit Flavor, Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Zinc Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Manganese Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Copper Methionine Hydroxy Analogue Chelate, Selenium Yeast. Vitamins: (Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Calcium L-Ascorbyl-2-Monophosphate, Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Beta Carotene, Pantothenic Acid, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement).
Yeah I'm not sure why his urate is like that but I'll improve his gutload and keep an eye on it in the next few days. And I dont know I think the colors are him being aggravated about something because before the lights went out he had his normal colors then just 2 hours later they were there and those are the stripes that show up when he's mad about something. Usually they are on his entire body though and not just his head lol. And yeah those ingredients in repashy calcium plus are way more complicated than I understand haha I've just heard from Kammerflage and people on the forums that they have gotten good results with it so I thought it was a safe bet but now I'm worried I was wrong haha
 
Yeah I'm not sure why his urate is like that but I'll improve his gutload and keep an eye on it in the next few days. And I dont know I think the colors are him being aggravated about something because before the lights went out he had his normal colors then just 2 hours later they were there and those are the stripes that show up when he's mad about something. Usually they are on his entire body though and not just his head lol. And yeah those ingredients in repashy calcium plus are way more complicated than I understand haha I've just heard from Kammerflage and people on the forums that they have gotten good results with it so I thought it was a safe bet but now I'm worried I was wrong haha
Well if that is what kammerflage recommends for everyday then I would guess it would be ok.
:)
 
Hey hun. I am not sure if this has anything to do with it. But why are you feeding him so late in the day? This is not giving him much time to bask and fully digest. I would switch this up to feeding about an hour or so after lights come on and giving him the entire day to digest.
Also you want to start changing him over to an every other day feeding. Start reducing every other day each week until you end up with only feeding every other day.
Gutload for the feeders needs to be improved upon. You want mostly leafy greens. Alternating what your using week over week.

Best - These gutloading ingredients are best because they are highest in calcium, low in phosphorus, oxalates and goitrogens. They should be the primary components of your gutload: mustard greens, turnip greens, dandelion leaves, collard greens, escarole lettuce, papaya, watercress and alfalfa.


Good - These gutloading ingredients are good because they are moderately high in calcium and other vitamins/minerals. They should be used in addition to those from the previous category: sweet potato, carrots, oranges, mango, butternut squash, kale, apples, beet greens, blackberries, bok choy and green beans.

These fresh fruits and vegetables can be combined with dry gutload mixes or home made mixes for optimal well-rounded nutrition. Dry ingredients can include: bee pollen, organic non-salted sunflower seeds, spirulina, dried seaweed, flax seed and organic non-salted almonds.
I think Beman has a point with the feeding time. It looks like there is some undigested cricket parts in the fecal. Could be two things. Parasite or not enough basking/digestion time. I’m no pro here, but I’d start with changing the feeding to earlier, and get a fecal done.
 
Could the orange color be a blend of blood and urates? Could parasites cause some bleeding? I’d be curious with what everybody has to say about that. I think it could be a valid question.
 
Hornworms in moderation seem to be a critical tool for healthy chams. I haven’t used silkworms yet, but are they as juicy? Would they tend to have the same GI track benefits as hornworms?

They have the same body type soft and easy to digest they aren’t as watery as hornworms and as far as I know silks can be used as a staple but don’t quote me on that others might not agree. This was something I read about silks when I first started. There is also a few threads in this forum about silkworms if you want to look those up as well. You can never know to much

https://www.silkwormshop.com/benefits.html
 
Other thing.... I use repashy website to figure out all their stuff now because I have a really hard time keeping up with their products. lol but the Calcium plus has alot in it. Not sure if this is good for every day feeding.
I have used this product since day one I got Blueberry . In the winter I use the Calcium Plus and in the summer, when we have outside time, I use the Calcium Plus low D. Hope that helps :)
 
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