chameleon trouble,help please

i have been looking after my sons chameleon,dylan for the last year now and after a few teething problems he's been fine,the last couple of weeks thou he's hardly ate, the last week none at all,i've changed all his lighting bulbs and his heat bulbs so i know its not that,he's still a nice bright colour so i dont think he's stressed out which i know they can easily be,he sheaded last week but thats over now,he's 5 now and i think thats a good age,he is drinking ok and cant think what else to do for the poor little guy,he use to take wax worms from me but he just looks at them and walks away,after reading up they do go on hunger strike but what can i do to get him to eat?

It may be that he isn't quite finished shedding. Sometimes, it can take longer than a week.

I'd be very careful with the wax worms. They're highly addictive for animals. Often, if you feed a sick animal wax worms, they will then refuse to eat anything else. You could try moths. Crickets aren't always very appetising for chameleons, so don't be too surprised if he turns his nose up.

Also, they tend to slow down with their eating - particularly males - as they get older.

If I were you, I'd give him some time to bounce back from his shed.

You may also need to look into what type of chameleon it is - it could be that he isn't getting the right nutrients. If he's from a sunny climate, he'll need a UV light to provide Vitamin D3. I'd also advise dusting or (preferably) gut feeding his food with a supplement powder.

thank you eleanor,he is a yeman chameleon and i have put a new uv bulb in last week so lighting shouldnt be a problem,i have got some cricket dust so i'll be putting it on his food,its so frustrating when he walks away from me when i try feeding him,he's never been very friendly but i think chameleons are shy animals,just wish he would eat

My guess is that he's either getting old or recovering from his recent shedding. Five is a ripe age!

The dusting is very important, as it contains essential nutrients for him. Gut feeding is more effective, but that depends on whether or not he's having live prey.

Do you have any methods to monitor the temperature? The change in bulbs may have altered the temperature slightly, which could put him off his food.

Is the vivarium well ventilated? These types of chameleon need ventilation to avoid a build up of fungi, which can cause illness.

Do you have a substrate in the vivarium? This can sometimes cause blockages in the digestive system.

What exactly do you feed him? Diet is very important.

Sorry for the load of questions!

Ah, and an extra question: Do you have the heat lamp on at night? With the sudden cold spell we've had, it may be affecting him.

his viv is around 5 feet high and has branches for him to climb on,its got a couple of vents in it,which where in it when my son brought it,so hopefully he has enough ventilation ,he eats or did crikets,mealworms and wax worms,i spray his viv twice a day with warm water to keep the humidity up.he has a basking heat lamp in here too,does all that sound ok?

Dr Eleanor , you have to sort this one out we are now relying on you

his lights and heating goes on 8-8,i have got a red night bulb,would it help if it was on when the rest was'nt?

Sounds like you've done your research!

To be honest, I think it's a hunger strike. It could be related to the change of season and the sudden cold spell. He is also old, and hunger strikes occur more often in older chameleons.

You could try checking his mouth and gums for mouthrot or infections.

To prevent upset with season changes, you could use a timer on the lights. Meanwhile, introducing a larger variety of food could help to entice him. He should probably be eating some fruit and veg as well (grated carrots, thinly sliced apple/pear, etc.)

Dave wrote:Dr Eleanor , you have to sort this one out we are now relying on you

Don't put that sort of pressure on me!

stella wrote:his lights and heating goes on 8-8,i have got a red night bulb,would it help if it was on when the rest was'nt?

If the lighting is on a timer or turned on manually at the same time each day, I don't think you need to.

ah thank you so much for your help,as im up at 6.30 walking sash the lighting always goes on on time,funny i was never really interested in him that much but im really fond of the little guy now and just want him to eat,take no notice of dave i'd never put that sort of pressure on you
thanks again

No problem! Glad to help! And don't worry - I never take notice of Dave!

If he doesn't start eating again soon, I'm sure a trip to the vets would help to rule out any underlying problems.

Chameleons are strange animals, eh?

strange but gorgeous

Yes they definitely are! One of my favourite animals on my course is a Yemen Chameleon named George!

Eleanor wrote:And don't worry - I never take notice of Dave!

You and the rest of the world population

Dave wrote:

Eleanor wrote:And don't worry - I never take notice of Dave!

You and the rest of the world population

Daves should be seen and not heard! >