Sick veiled chameleon - how to force feed?

Question
QUESTION: I have a one year old male veiled chameleon. He's been acting sick lately, and I've come to terms with the fact that it's due to some neglect on my part. I know exactly what his temperature, humidity, diet, cage, etc. requirements should be, and I've had a problem keeping up with that. I should note, though, that I've done everything I can to improve his conditions - and his cage is sufficiently sized and has proper ventilation.
His symptoms: he's lethargic, has sunken eyes (which he stopped opening after awhile), and won't eat or drink.
I believe it's due to malnutrition and dehydration (and a cold snap we're having here in Florida), so I force-fed him some dusted crickets and water, and bought him a new UV bulb. (I should note that a vet visit is financially out of the question). He seemed to be doing somewhat better, but just to be sure, I bought an "Insectivore Emergency Aid" - essentially, a high-calorie and high-nutrient powder that is meant to be mixed with water and fed to malnourished and dehydrated reptiles.
The problem with the mix is, he won't eat it on his own, and I'm worried he'll accidentally inhale something and get pneumonia.
Do you recommend any ways to make this process safer? Or alternative methods to jump-start him and get him eating on his own again? I know it probably disgusts you that I won't take him to a vet, but I am confident that a vet would probably take the same treatment route - hydration and nutrition through force-feeding - and then charge me a fortune for it.
Thanks for your time and any advice you can give...I look forward to hearing from you.

ANSWER: Hello Patrick,

Well, which type & brand of UVB light are you using?  A fluorescent tube bulb or a compact/coil light?  How old is the UVB light?  You just purchased it correct?
Are you using any calcium supplementation?  
Can you post a picture of him also?
Do you have a drip system installed for him?  Chameleons are very sensitive to dehydration & will not drink from standing water, they need a drip type of system to drink & stay hydrated.  A fogger or mister is helper, as well to keep the humidity where it needs to be.
What type of basking light do you use?  

If he is not eating, you will need to continue using the assist feeding method.  Just take care in putting the food into his mouth so he doesn't choke, but assisted feeding is done all of the time with no problems.  Just use a plastic syringe or plastic dropper to get food into him.

No, honestly I can't blame you for not taking him to a vet.  A lot of times, the vets charge outrageous fees & you leave not knowing anything more than when you went, other than the fact you have less money.

The Insectivore Emergency Aid is fine.  What brand is it?  

Also, can you post a picture of his setup for me, too?  
I just want to make sure the setup is good.  
How often do you give calcium supplementation & vitamins?  Chameleons are prone to vitamin A deficiency, so that could be one thing that is causing some problems.

He most likely wont start eating on his own until he feels better.  So, right now, the only choice you have is to help him by assisted feeding.  Will he lick food straight off of his nose if you drip food onto it?  If he likes the flavor, he might just lick it off of the end of a syringe, etc.  Try getting a taste of food on the inside of his lip, & then maybe he will start licking & then you can just drip the food into him that way.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Hi Tracie,

The bulb is an Exo Terra 75w daylight spot. The box says it provides UVA but not UVB. It's a fluorescent bulb, and it was bought yesterday.
I have been giving him a calcium supplement (rarely, because up until recently I was under the mistaken belief that calcium supplements were potentially lethal to chameleons). Yesterday I bought a calcium supplement with vitamin D3 in it.
I have not been using any sort of drip system (part of the reason I think he's sick), but occasionally place ice cubes on top of his cage to drip into a dish below. Regardless, he isn't taking liquids on his own at this point.
His cage is chickenwire with a wood frame, and it's about 12Dx12Wx18H. There is a regular heat lamp placed directly on top of the cage, with a perch about 5" below that. I also had a small potted arboricola plant in there, but I have to admit that for the last two months or so, it wasn't very healthy either.
The product I'm using is Fluker's Carnivore/Insectivore Emergency Aid.
And to sum up your other questions, I unfortunately can't provide any photos, and he's not taking food or water at all. I've been using a tapered toothpick (sideways, not sharp-side-in) to get him to open his mouth, and then using an eyedropper to insert water and a syringe to insert the emergency mix. I have also made him eat 5 dusted crickets over the last two days. With the crickets, I do have to force them into his mouth but as soon as they're in his mouth, he seems to recognize and swallow them.
And an odds sidenote, I've noticed that every time I've given him food or water, he seems to perk up a bit and then after a few hours he goes back to the same state.
Thanks again for your response.

Answer
Hello Patrick,

Ok, that basking light is perfectly fine, but, you will need to get a UVB light as well.  Try this bulb on this link for a great UVB light, & it is not real expensive her on line, either:

http://www.petmountain.com/product/reptile-fluorescent-bulbs/504983/zoo-med-rept

Ok, since he is not feeling well & not drinking, it is extremely essential that you give him oral fluids daily & try to get a permanent drip system setup in his tank if at all possible.  Do you know how many milliliters or cc's (same unit of measure) that you are getting into him daily?
The way that you are getting food into him sounds fine.  As long as he starts tasting the food he should be interested in at least eating when you help him eat.  Maybe try spreading out several feedings throughout the day, however it will work into your schedule.  I recommend trying to get 4-6ml's of food into him daily, but if he is losing weight, try for 10mls daily until his weight begins to increase.  

What are the temperatures in the tank?  You do need to know what the temperature & humidity are.  Otherwise it is all just a guess & if he isn't at the optimal temperatures or humidity he wont thrive.  The chicken wire may not be holding enough humidity or heat in for him.  Perhaps you could try to cover a small portion of his tank, without starting a fire, to help hold in some humidity.  :-))

He will need the calcium with D3 several times per week.  Since he is not eating, you can mix a small pinch in with his food several times per week.  Also, try getting some vitamins such as Herptivite, to give to him 1-2 times per week.  I suggest this one because it has Beta Carotene in it instead of synthetic vitamin A so it wont become toxic to him.  

Is he going to the bathroom regularly, or not?  I really think that a lot of this is going to be due to no UVB exposure & possible temperatures not being optimal.  He wont be able to absorb calcium & vitamins properly without UVB exposure & it will leave him vulnerable to metabolic bone disease which causes a myriad of problems.  

Let me know how he is doing.

Tracie