Blinking/Closing eyes

[Evsher]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male veiled, unsure of age, but still young. I have owned him for two weeks now.
• Handling - Every other day
• Feeding - I have been feeding him around 3 crickets every morning and every night. I was gut loading with orange cubes and dusted them with calcium powder before feeding. As of today, I am beginning to feed him waxworms.
• Supplements - Reptivite calcium powder every day, flukers calcium with D3. I fed him the d3 the entire first week I owned him, unaware that it wasn't good for him. I now will be supplementing with D3 twice a month.
• Watering - I spray his foliage 3-4x a day, along with a water bowl. I have seen him drinking from the leaves. I haven't seen him drink from the bowl yet, but it is new.
• Fecal Description - Normal, brown poop with white urate.
• History - Unsure of his history, but I purchased him from Petsmart.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen 16x16x30
• Lighting - Zoo Med reptisun 5.0 UVB 13 w and daylight blue 60w. I have these both on from 10am-10pm
• Temperature - I have a temperature gauge in the corner of his cage, opposite of the basking light. This area reads to be 70 degrees. I have a space heater near his cage that is set to turn on when temperatures reach below 70.
• Humidity - The cage is generally around 75% humidity. I keep a humidifier placed against the edge of his cage, so he is able to climb onto the wall and sit in the mist if he'd like.
• Plants - I have two fake vines, a fake branch, and a small, live aloe vera plant.
• Placement - I have the cage on the ground in a corner of my room(two sides are open, two are against the wall). I have a space heater that turns on and blows air directly into the cage, but only turns on on occasion.
• Location - Michigan

Current Problem - I just got back from a two night trip. My roommate took care of him while I was gone, however, I noticed that he is closing his eyes/blinking on occasion. I didn't notice him doing that before I left, so I'm a little concerned. He's still pretty active and is eating, but he seems to be drinking an awful lot so I'm beginning to think he may be dehydrated. Either way, I'd like a second opinion on what might be going on.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the world of chameleons!
Nice looking little chameleon!

He should be eating as much as he wants in about 5 minutes at that age.

Your basking temperature should be in the low to mid 80'sF. It could be playing a part in the eyes shutting....might think it's time to sleep.

What color are the urates?

 

[Evsher]

Welcome to the world of chameleons!
Nice looking little chameleon!

He should be eating as much as he wants in about 5 minutes at that age.

Your basking temperature should be in the low to mid 80'sF. It could be playing a part in the eyes shutting....might think it's time to sleep.

What color are the urates?

I'm not completely sure what temperature his basking spot is, I just assumed it's warmer than where the thermometer is. I'll buy a thermometer soon for that spot as well.
His most recent movement had almost no urate. It was slightly yellow but almost seemed to kind of be a little puddle around the feces.

 

[kinyonga]

IMHO, you need to look after the temperature asap.

 

[Nicholasdeaan]

They'll do this at times just to simply adjust their eyes and turrets(hope I spelled that right., don't think I did.) Or it could be the lighting is to intense on the chams eyes.

 

[kinyonga]

Oops...video didn't work when I posted about him maybe thinking it was time to sleep....thought he was keeping the eye shut....but you still need to make sure the basking temperature is in the low to mid 80'sF.

 

[Evsher]

Oops...video didn't work when I posted about him maybe thinking it was time to sleep....thought he was keeping the eye shut....but you still need to make sure the basking temperature is in the low to mid 80'sF.

Well tonight he did actually go to bed before his lights went out. I'll buy another thermometer tomorrow.

I watched him more closely and he was blinking both of his eyes quite a lot. He kind of squished his eyes around. And sometimes he even kept them closed while he was walking, which is pretty strange.

He's acting normal besides that, so I cant imagine that he's sick. But something does seem wrong.

 

[oneillchameleons]

Making sure he's getting proper basking and ambient temps is step one. Supplement schedule is next. Should be calcium without d3 every feeding, calcium with d3 every two weeks, multivitamin every two weeks. He should be eating MUCH more than what you're giving him. 10-15 small crickets every day or as much as he'll eat in 5 minutes. Please familiarize yourself with the care sheets on this forum and your little guy will benefit greatly. Good luck!

 

[Evsher]

Making sure he's getting proper basking and ambient temps is step one. Supplement schedule is next. Should be calcium without d3 every feeding, calcium with d3 every two weeks, multivitamin every two weeks. He should be eating MUCH more than what you're giving him. 10-15 small crickets every day or as much as he'll eat in 5 minutes. Please familiarize yourself with the care sheets on this forum and your little guy will benefit greatly. Good luck!

Is reptivite without D3 good, or can he overdose on those vitamins as well? That's what I've been feeding him daily this past week.
I wasn't feeding him that much because he didn't seem interested and the girl at petsmart told me not to leave the crickets in there if he wasn't eating them. Half of my crickets would die before I could feel them to him, as well, so I'll make sure to feed him more. I'm starting to feed him waxworms instead of crickets since they seem to have a longer lifespan. Would you suggest sticking to the worms or crickets?

I'll be buying another thermometer on my way home from class later today. If his basking spot isn't warm enough then what would you suggest I do?

 

[kinyonga]

Since most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous its important to dust the insects with a phosphorous-free calcium powder at most feedings to make up for it.

To ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 from its exposure to the UVB light its recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium / D3 powder.

It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene ( prOformed ) source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources of vitamin A cannot build up in the system and lead to overdoses like prEformed sources can and will by using the vitamin powder containing the beta carotene it leaves it up to you to decide whether the chameleon needs prEformed or not.

D3 and vitamin A from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues so be carefulnwith both.

Appropriate temperatures allow for proper digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.

You can feed / gutload the crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts

Waxworms should be used as a treat. If your crickets are dying you need to figure out why because hhey shouldn't. How do you keep them? Feed them?

 

[oneillchameleons]

Waxworms are not a good staple feeder. They should only be used as a treat maybe once a week due to the high fat content. Your chameleon needs a variety of well gutloaded feeders such as crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, hornworms, silk worms etc. As for the reptivite, as long as it is pure calcium without d3 (no vitamins) it can be used every feeding. We don't dust feeders just to give calcium, we do it to balance the calcium/phosphorous ratio of the insects. If your basking spot isn't hot enough you can increase the wattage of the bulb, if too hot increase the distance from the cage. There is a variety of great care sheets on this site where you can get info on gutloading, feeders, and pretty much everything you could want to know about your pet.

Edit: kinyonga beat me to it lol

 

[kinyonga]

Sorry...again I can't edit...I didn't finish one sentence...
You can feed / gutload crickets, superworms, roaches, locusts with a wide assortment of greens such as collards, escarole, endive, dandelion greens, kale, etc and veggies such as carrots, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, etc.

 

[Evsher]

Thanks for all the information!
When I was buying another thermometer I went ahead and grabbed some plain calcium powder without D3.
I'll use that daily and then every Friday I'll supplement with D3 or reptivite, interchangeably.
I'll pick up some more crickets tomorrow. I'm not sure why they're dying though. I keep about a dozen or two crickets and feed them 2-3 orange cubes. They're usually all dead by day 3.
I have been dusting them all with the powder as soon as I get them home, rather than just before feeding. Could that be why?

 

[kinyonga]

You're not supposed to dust them until just before feeding them to the chameleon. The orange cubes are not a good food for them. I recommend that the use the veggies and greens in the list I gave you.
How are you keeping them? What do you keep them in? Do you have some egg carton pieces or toilet paper rolls for the crickets to hide in? What temperature are you keeping them at?

 

[Evsher]

You're not supposed to dust them until just before feeding them to the chameleon. The orange cubes are not a good food for them. I recommend that the use the veggies and greens in the list I gave you.
How are you keeping them? What do you keep them in? Do you have some egg carton pieces or toilet paper rolls for the crickets to hide in? What temperature are you keeping them at?

Okay I'll switch to greenery. Why aren't orange cubes good? I keep them in one of those small aquariums with the slits along the top. I keep them next to steve's cage on the ground, so probably around 70 degrees. I do have egg carton pieces in there with them.

 

[Evsher]

I just checked him out after misting his cage. He's developed some brown/black spots along his side. Not sure if this is a symptom or if he's just developing patterns.

 

[MeruJack]

I have a 1.5 year old male Veiled chameleon that I have raised since he was about 6 weeks old. (I also have 16 other montane chameleons.)

" I have the cage on the ground in a corner of my room (two sides are open, two are against the wall). I have a space heater that turns on and blows air directly into the cage."

I became concerned when I read the two sentences above. Veiled chameleons like to be high. They like to view their world from above. I would suggest that you get the cage up off the ground (onto a small table, wooden box, shelf, something). #1 It will make him feel safer up higher. #2 It will likely be less drafty 2-3 feet off the floor. This will help stabilize the ambient temperature in the enclosure. I am also concerned that the space heater is blowing air "directly into the cage." This may be drying his eyes out and causing him to blink. Also, space heaters can get really hot. The fluctuation in temperature between when the hot air is and isn't blowing could be making it hard for him to regulate his own temperature. I'm glad you got another thermometer to monitor the basking and ambient temperatures. Here are the recommended temps for Veiled chameleons:

Temperature:

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)

Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)

Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

The best (and cheapest) way to change the temperature in the enclosure is to change the wattage of the basking light. You can pick up several incandescent "soft white" lightbulbs at the Dollar Store. I would try a 60 watt bulb first and see what the basking and ambient temps are. If you need it warmer buy a 75 or 100 watt bulb. You don't need to spend the big bucks on a fancy basking light from PetSmart. It is vital that you get his temperatures right without blowing hot air into his cage. If it is cold in your room, move the space heater to the other side of the room and set it to 70 degrees and that should work very well. Please move the space heater away from his cage. Use a standard (not energy saving) lightbulb to alter & then maintain the correct temps.

He is not a mountain species so he may not need a humidifier as he only needs the humidity to be 40-70% especially if the cold mist is lowering the temp in his enclosure. It's good that you are spraying his leaves often as he will get his drinking water from the drops on the leaves. Even though pet shops often put a bowl of water in with chameleons, few chameleons will drink from a bowl especially once they are provided with the proper environment. I think that some chameleons in pet stores may figure out how to drink from a bowl out of desperation. Others won't figure it out in time and will die of dehydration. So, keep spritzing those leaves 2-3 times a day and you should have a well hydrated little cham.

 

[Evsher]

I have a 1.5 year old male Veiled chameleon that I have raised since he was about 6 weeks old. (I also have 16 other montane chameleons.)

" I have the cage on the ground in a corner of my room (two sides are open, two are against the wall). I have a space heater that turns on and blows air directly into the cage."

I became concerned when I read the two sentences above. Veiled chameleons like to be high. They like to view their world from above. I would suggest that you get the cage up off the ground (onto a small table, wooden box, shelf, something). #1 It will make him feel safer up higher. #2 It will likely be less drafty 2-3 feet off the floor. This will help stabilize the ambient temperature in the enclosure. I am also concerned that the space heater is blowing air "directly into the cage." This may be drying his eyes out and causing him to blink. Also, space heaters can get really hot. The fluctuation in temperature between when the hot air is and isn't blowing could be making it hard for him to regulate his own temperature. I'm glad you got another thermometer to monitor the basking and ambient temperatures. Here are the recommended temps for Veiled chameleons:

Temperature:

Baby/juvenile (<9 months): ambient 72-80F (22-26C), basking 85F (29C)

Adult males: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 90-95F (32-35C)

Adult females: ambient 75-80F (23-26C), basking 85F (29C)

The best (and cheapest) way to change the temperature in the enclosure is to change the wattage of the basking light. You can pick up several incandescent "soft white" lightbulbs at the Dollar Store. I would try a 60 watt bulb first and see what the basking and ambient temps are. If you need it warmer buy a 75 or 100 watt bulb. You don't need to spend the big bucks on a fancy basking light from PetSmart. It is vital that you get his temperatures right without blowing hot air into his cage. If it is cold in your room, move the space heater to the other side of the room and set it to 70 degrees and that should work very well. Please move the space heater away from his cage. Use a standard (not energy saving) lightbulb to alter & then maintain the correct temps.

He is not a mountain species so he may not need a humidifier as he only needs the humidity to be 40-70% especially if the cold mist is lowering the temp in his enclosure. It's good that you are spraying his leaves often as he will get his drinking water from the drops on the leaves. Even though pet shops often put a bowl of water in with chameleons, few chameleons will drink from a bowl especially once they are provided with the proper environment. I think that some chameleons in pet stores may figure out how to drink from a bowl out of desperation. Others won't figure it out in time and will die of dehydration. So, keep spritzing those leaves 2-3 times a day and you should have a well hydrated little cham.

I moved his cage onto a little ottoman, maybe about 2 feet high. I've turned the space heater off and stored it away from his cage.
I've ran it near his cage before but this was the first time I had left it directly on him all weekend. Maybe it was the frequent hot air that was bothering him.
Currently the thermometer at the top of the cage is reading 75 and the one at the lower end is reading 70. This is at night with both lights off.

 

[Evsher]

Today the basking temp was still 75, but the ambient was about 68, so I replaced my 60w bulb with 100w. I haven't seen a difference in temperature yet, but it's only been about 10 minutes.
I bought a dozen crickets and cut up some veggies that I had on hand (potato, zucchini, cucumber) along with some orange cubes. I put 5 dusted crickets into his cage and watched him eat two already.

His poop this morning was sort of runny, but the urate was white.
He is still closing his eyes somewhat frequently but still has periods of activity.

 

[Abba's Amanda]

Hi I was wondering whatever happened with your chameleon?