Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Okay, so my veiled was definitely dehydrated but I fixed the basking light and have a much better dripper system in place now. He is looking a lot better but still having trouble eating so I'm going to make a purchase today and I need some advice...

Should I use a Pedialite mixture like some people have suggested or should I use the HerpCare Appetite supplement that you spray in with the water?

By the way, he is about 2 months old, in an all-screen cage with full spectrum flourescent and a basking light. Temperatures and humidities are all correct now and he eats pinhead crickets.

If he's eating and drinking on his own you don't need the Pedialyte or the appetite stimulant. The best thing to do is make sure your feeders are gutloaded very well (good gutload info on www.adcham.com), the air humidity in his cage is not too low (veileds are not really "desert" chams as some older books claim. Air humidity of at least 50% is good), that he gets some hot water spraying in addition to the dripper, that he has top quality lighting and is free from stress. If your outdoor weather temps are OK he will benefit from basking sessions outside whenever possible. He's very young so could be intimidated by being very visible outdoors, so set up a small portable cage like a bird cage (cheap at garage sales) or a Reptarium with silk plants to give him some cover. The whole cage can be easily carried outdoors whenever.

He is not eating on his own is the problem. He IS, however, drinking on his own and a lot more than usual. He seems to love the water and every time I start misting he runs for his favorite leaf to start licking it up. I think I'm going to go with the Appetite Stimulant from Herpcare to get him eating again since drinking seems to be the one thing he is good at.

This sounds to me like he is still "starving" for water.
He should be allowed to drink until he stops. at which time food should be offered. It is quite common for a chameleon to stop eating when he or she is not getting enough water. How long has it been since he last ate? chameleons can go a few days without eating. If he's drinking as well as you've stated he should be o.k. You can also try some fruit flies as well.

The only problem with this idea is that chams have fairly small stomachs for their size. He could fill up with water and have no interest in food. Still, you are right that dehydrated chams don't tend to eat, and if they did could not metabolize the nutrients in the food very easily. Here's another suggestion (I don't like commercial "appetite stimulants" and only use them if all else fails). There is usually a good reason a herp isn't eating and unless the keeper figures out what it is all the stimulants in the world won't help. First, chams can go 5-7 days without eating much of anything as long as they are drinking. So, here's a revision of my earlier suggestion: Start a drinking session then include some drips of Pedialyte or diluted Ensure to help balance electrolytes and glucose. This will provide a little bit of nutrition without causing a big load on his system. Leave some fruitflies or other easily seen feeders loose in the cage for him to hunt. Give him privacy. As he gets his water needs met he will probably start eating on his own.

Excellent suggestion!