My veiled cham that I got 2 weeks ago is having probs now.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - He has been in glass but is very tall the left side is screen and the doors at the froont have an inch gap at top and bottom for better ventilation.A new screen cage is not an option for me cus I have no cash!
Lighting - ReptiSunplus,Flourecent tube 5.0,Ive been having trouble with heatlamps!, on at 07 to 8
Temperature - Because of my bulbs going funny temps are realy bad at about 20C basking and 15C cool area,10C at night, I use a thermometer.
Humidity - 50-80 percent during mistings. I use a hydrometre.
Plants - Schfflera live vine and 2 branches.
Location - Low traffic area in the back of my room.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, male, 2 years old, hes been in my care for 1 week and 4 days. Name DUKE
Handling - I handle him everyday for not that long to give him skin medecine.
Feeding -I feed him superworms crickets mealworm beetles and he wont eat anything! I put in new food everyday, crickets have carrots, veggies, supers veggies too.
Supplements -U grow w/D3 calcium powder, repti cal calcium powder w/o d3, I put the supplements on the food but he hasent eaten.
Watering - I hand mist the cage for 10 mins in morning and all others 20 mins, dripper when in outside cage, when he took his first poop in my care it was brown urates were partly white but mostly orange so I gave him srious amounts if water through a syringe everyday now and I try force feeding but he wont take it.And he does drink in all these methods.
Fecal Description - Brown urates partly whit mostly orange as explained above.He hasent been tested for parasites.
History - he is pretty normal but his casque is a bit squanky, he caught a skin problem when he was with previous owner but I have medecine for that and it is clearing up it doesnt effect him in anything he does.
Current Problem - He has not eaten in my care 1nce but did when I saw him for the first time, he didnt have this when I got him but his eyes are closed most of the time in the day which he started doing for about 2 days now.
His one eye did look sunken so Ive been giving hm alot of water.


If he has to die(the word I realy hate saying), I wont be able to ever get chameleons for three years which isnt my choice.
I wouldnt like thata cus Ive fallen for chams since I was 6,And always wanted a cham and only got my first ones more than a year ago.

PLEASE help asap!

I don't normally get this antsy.
And, I don't mean to be rude and sound harsh. Let me apologize in advance.
I'm sorry to say this to you...

but, you are setting your chameleon to die when you say screen cage is not an option.
He's 2 years old kept inside of a glass tank (with only 1 side of screen and an inch gap) where you mist the cage twice with 10- 20 minutes misting time each.
I am actually surprised that he still alive.

Honestly, he would be better of not kept in the cage at all than kept in that glass tank.
Can't you refund the aquarium? they are more expensive than a screen cage you know..

the basking temp of 68 F (20 C) is also not acceptable.

Your chameleon's metabolism is probably whacked from being in that cold cage.
You want him to eat? temperature got a lot to do with it.

For a 2 yo veiled, they need about 90F basking spot (32 C) in a screen cage.
With 70 - 80F ambient temp (21 - 26 C)
I'm a bit afraid to see this, but i need to know how exactly is his condition.
Can you take a pic of him and post it in this thread?

You say the casque is wonky?
You said that the only screen side is on the side of the aquarium, yes?
Can I assume you put the uvb on top of the cage? and the top is glass?

Then that's your problem area.
UVB cannot pass glass or plastic..

I'm sorry.. but, in a sense, you are saying that you are keeping a chameleon with improper access to UVB, Heat, and Air circulation...
that's a really harsh husbandry for a chameleon.

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CARE FOR VEILED AND PANTHER CHAMELEON AT:
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I'm sorry, if I sound harsh too, but how did you buy the chameleon in the first place with no cash? Research should have been done before the purchase of the chameleon to prevent the exact things you are describing from happening. The way you are keeping him currently is going to lead to his VERY quick demise. If you can't get him a screen cage, find someone who can QUICKLY and give him to that person. As Dodolah said, your temps are COMPLETELY wrong. His basking spot should be around 90 degrees F and ambient between 70 and 80 during the day. Your UV bulb will do no good through the glass tank you are keeping him in.

You either need to take the measures to give him the care that he needs or find someone who can. AGAIN, I'm not just trying to be mean, but "a screen cage is just not an option because I ran out of cash buying him the wrong stuff" isn't something that anyone on here is going to be very willing to hear, especially for an adult male veiled chameleon. Or any arboreal chameleon. He also really needs to see a vet, ASAP. Sounds like he has MBD, if his casque isn't right.

If you have questions, please ask, but don't display unwillingness to give him the right sort of enviornment from the getgo, that isn't the way to go about caring for an animal that cannot afford to have a stubborn keeper. And this one definitely can't.

Hate to be the odd one out, but if it's that cold then I don't think a screen cage would be a good idea. I know there are plenty of chameleon keepers in cooler climates that are successfully keeping chameleons in well ventilated glass and wood terraria. Maybe someone on this forum who has this experience can help this guy with his set up.

I would be far more inclined to think that the low temperatures are the real problem here. Since he's still recovering from a skin problem, he really needs optimal temperatures.
Please find a way to fix the lamp issue and get the basking temps up to about 30C. Night time temp should not drop below 15C.
If you don't raise the temperature, you're messing up his metabolism and his immune system.

I do agree with others that if don't have the money to take proper care of your animals that you should not be buying any.

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Actually, point well taken with the heat.
I wonder how the climate in Johannesburg?
Maybe Tygerr can explain this. I believe he's living there also.

But, the problem with the temp, i think is the fact that the heatbulb is not present altogether.

I'm sorry that it sounds like we are ganging up on ya, chameleonneeds.
But, please do the best you can to change the husbandry for the sake of your cham.

__________________
CARE FOR VEILED AND PANTHER CHAMELEON AT:
http://chamworld.blogspot.com

What is the problem with his skin specifically?

You said...you can use a regular household incandescent light bulb in a hood for heat. You said..."Ive been having trouble with heatlamps!"...how??

You said..."he is pretty normal but his casque is a bit squanky"....can you post a picture?

Its not good that he is sleeping so much....but it could have to do with the temperature. The lack of eating could also have to do with the incorrect basking temperatures.

Hey Chameleonneeds-

Welcome to the forums

Despite how everyone is coming off at this point, please don't take it personally. there area a lot of passionate and knowledgable keepers here. What they all want is for your chams to thrive as best as possible.

That being said, your Temps sound really low for your Chams.

Is your enclousure inside the house or outside? and Is your house Air conditioned? wait I just looked at the weather, damn it's cold there. I am assuming hes inside.

Have you tried a 100W incandecent bulb to get the enclosure temps up? or even a small heating pad....you will really need to watch the temps though. Where is your thermometre located in you enclosure?

Do you have a picture of your set up?

I have been reading here that alot of the keepers in the UK use glass enclosures with some success.

Hope we can help you to be Successful.

OPI

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My male veiled cham that wasent eating and his eyes were closed is now ok.
His left eye has been open for 1 week or 2 his right eye is starting to open realy well and yesterday he ate the superworm that I offerd him by himself, he is drinking alot and before I had to force feed him alot of water, calcium dusted mealworm beetles and crickets.
He is in a screen cage now, and Im getting rid of th glass cage maybe next week.
So ill never have to put a cham in it ever again because most problems start simply because of the glass cage, so I reccomend no 1 to ever ever use a GLASS cage for chams.

Thanks everyone.

Hi Chameleonneeds,

Did you fix the temps in your cage as well? Good for you, for getting the screen cage ... your cham will thank you! Sometimes, when I am struggling with temps in my chams cage I will add a heat bulb with his regular light bulb over teh same basking spot and that usually does the trick.

The problem with heat being too low, is that even if they are eating, they can get impacted because their GI tract isn't moving well enough. I had a cham get impacted and die despite being under intensive care at a vet's office.

I hope that your cham continues to do better and that you'll be able to enjoy him for many years to come!

Jam