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[HLYWUD]

We have a approximately a 6 month old veiled chameleon. I really don't think he is going to make it through the night. I think I have tried everything and the more I do I feel like I'm making it worse.

We got him at PetCo and they sold us all the wrong stuff for him and he was on sale so I actually don't think he was ever healthy because I never felt that he ate as much as he should be. That was in January. About a month later I got worried and found a really good reptile store where they sold me a whole new set up. The right kind gave me all kinds of information and after that he started eating better and his color got better too.

I have never seen him shed I in the three months we've had him I really don't think that he's grown much.

The last few days I noticed that he wasn't moving around much or eating but one or two crickets a day so started keeping a closer eye on him making sure that he was warm and hydrated.

Today I came home and I thought he was dead. I got online and read about emergency supplements so I went a got some of them and tried to give them to him. He didn't lick them from his nose and because he is so small it was very difficult to get the dropper far enough in his mouth when I did I just think it sat there not being ingested. I don't know what to do. My daughter is so sad.

We have the right lights, I dusted his food often but not to often, he got water misted on him several times a day, his cage was clean and if he was ill you couldn't tell from the outside. At least not from my eye but, I really know nothing.

My vet will do nothing because he is so small she said sometimes they just don't make it. Which sucks. I know that everyone says chameleons are hard and you have to know what your doing, which I don't, I know nothing about them. Is that where I went wrong?

Please help me I am desperate for this little guy to make it!!!

 

[zsazsa85]

Poor little boy!
Please fill out the following form: https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
And if you can post pictures as well!
Well research is very important. Read,read,read! But you are on the right place to ask and learn! I learned a lot in these past few months since I'm here!

 

[HLYWUD]

Oh okay! Thanks for your help! He actually looks better in these last few hours surprisingly and that has me hopeful!

The lights are a 100w UVB and I have to supplement a black light at night to maintain about 70 or so temp. I don't remember the amp or brand of the black light but it's the right kind. The exotic reptile store I found got me on the right track thankfully. The humidity stays around 60-80%.

He was being fed a mix of small crickets wax and meal worms but mostly only ever ate the crickets. I know I made the comment earlier that I didn't know anything, and at first I didn't. We bought him as a birthday gift for my daughter. But since then I have read almost every website out there and I bought books too. I feel like I've done everything I'm supposed too but my paranoia takes over most of the time and I find myself googling all the time.

Yesterday he looked thin, today he looks horrible and when I began this post he lay on his side barely moving. Shortly after I gave him some supplements and soaked him in warm water with the vitamins we have my husband went to check on him and told me he was dead. He had gone from a ghost white to his prettiest colors yet, laying on his side motionless.

Strangely, after sitting there discussing what to do we noticed he kept changing colors. And now he's back up standing on his legs. I've given him more supplements and I've read that soaking him in pedilyte will be good for him too.

I've included his before picture, his enclosure and the one tonight after he started to get back on his feet. Any help at all is very very appreciated. I'm going to try calling around to different vets tomorrow and call the exotic reptile store that's been so helpful. But there just seems like a lot of time between now and then and if there is something I should or shouldn't be doing in the mean time I sure would do just about anything.View attachment 9447

 

[HLYWUD]

Okay I don't know how to do more then one picture on this forum at a time apparently so here is the healthy pic when we first got him.

 

[HLYWUD]

And here is my poor sick Baby Bert now
Please help!!!

 

[kplatvoet]

Don't use a black light at night they need a drop in temps to digest properly - he's very dehydrated - I would drip water on his nose to try and get him to drink and if he's holding on to branches well try the shower method -( putting him on a plant with the warm water hitting the back to make a spray) it should hit the wall and spray the plant not the chameleon so he can drink from the leaves
There's a vet resources sticky that might help and if you let us know what part of the country (or what country) your in someone might be able to suggest a good one -
Don't try to force water down his throat as they can choke easily if you can drip it on his nose it sometimes works-

 

[Psychobunny]

You need to find another vet, 6 months old is NOT to small for treatment.
He is severly dehydrated, and likely has kidney/liver damage as a result.

I'm sorry to say he looks to far gone to save, but it's worth a try if you act fast and find a vet who knows about chams.

In future, PLEASE do not buy a cham from Petcrap or Petstupid.
Get one from one of our trusted sponsors.
I am so sorry for the poor little guy.

I would get out the phone book, and do some vet calling right NOW!!

I wish you and your little guy the best of luck.

 

[Olimpia]

Unfortunately he looks severely emaciated and severely dehydrated, perhaps giving him water or a liquid food mix will help but I don't know if it will at this point. Sorry!

 

[carol5208]

I agree with the others on the dehydration, and soaking him in pedialyte is not going to do a thing, so I am not sure where you got that info from. It will probably only stress the poor little guy out even more. Can you elaborate more on your UVB bulb?. You said 100watt? Is that a combo uva/uvb like a Powersun r do you have a separate basking (uva) and uvb light? Incorrect lighting can harm your chameleon so wanting to check and make sure you are using the right one.

 

[zsazsa85]

Oh poor thing... How is he today?
Listen to the seniors! They know what they say! But I don't think he is about 6 months. I would think he is about 2. How long do you have him for?
But yes, no light at night at all (I don't think the temps in your house drops under 50). Uvb should be 5.0 (it can be 10.0 in a big enclosure) and let's say 60-75 watt regular bulb for basking. Don't buy the "2 in 1 thing".
And you should dust the feeders with calcium without D3 every feeding and multivitamin+D3 and calcium+D3 one day every two weeks. But at this point it is more important to take him to the vet and bring his appetite back!
Shower is excellent!
Fingers crossed for you guys!

 

[HLYWUD]

I'm not too sure exactly about the UVB light I have the box still at home so I will let you know when I get back there. But at night our house does get really cold and the temp in the cage with the black light stays around 70. Without it drops to 60.

I did find a place to take him to today it's a hike but my fingers are crossed. I just don't understand how quickly things turned to crap.

I was out if town for a funeral for a week and when I came back though he didn't look good but gave him some extra sprays on his leaves and made sure he was eating and pooping which he seemed to be doing. He would lick the water as well. Just yesterday it all was so sudden. So I moved him to the sun cleaned the cage fresh gave him drops of water to lick and got several. I did notice his mouth had some mucous in it after drinking which I read was bad.

I guess I just would like to figure out how it all happened so fast.
But I will look into the lighting and get back to you. Also will let you know what the vet says.
Thanks everyone for you help!!

 

[Carlton]

I'm not too sure exactly about the UVB light I have the box still at home so I will let you know when I get back there. But at night our house does get really cold and the temp in the cage with the black light stays around 70. Without it drops to 60.

I did find a place to take him to today it's a hike but my fingers are crossed. I just don't understand how quickly things turned to crap.

I was out if town for a funeral for a week and when I came back though he didn't look good but gave him some extra sprays on his leaves and made sure he was eating and pooping which he seemed to be doing. He would lick the water as well. Just yesterday it all was so sudden. So I moved him to the sun cleaned the cage fresh gave him drops of water to lick and got several. I did notice his mouth had some mucous in it after drinking which I read was bad.

I guess I just would like to figure out how it all happened so fast.
But I will look into the lighting and get back to you. Also will let you know what the vet says.
Thanks everyone for you help!!

A nighttime room temp of 60 is perfectly fine for a cham. Your night heating is adding to his dehydration and he's exhausted because he can't rest without a nighttime temp drop and true darkness (even a blacklight can bother them quite a bit). I think he's being overheated, dehydrated and just parched. A dehydrated cham can't or won't eat much at all which just adds to the problem. A very dehydrated cham will salivate a lot during or right after drinking.

Cham problems don't just show up suddenly. They are masters at hiding their problems until they finally crash as you are seeing now. It was building up to this, but will also take time to correct the problem, because herps don't respond as quickly to treatments as mammals do. He may or may not have enough time to get turned around.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

The reason it happened so quickly is your husbandry was not spot on, not all your fault but most likely the advise you got from the chain pet stores. Sometimes they sell people hundreds of dollars of useless equipment, makes me sick. Once the animal reaches a certain threshold, then they appear sick and can go downhill in a couple of days.

If he makes it to the vet and his husbandry is corrected, he may have a chance.

As previously said, no lights at night! He can withstand temp drops into the 50's and even into the 40's, but this is rare inside modern homes. This may be one of the major problems. It can cause dehydration, lethargy and closing of the eyes. All symptoms your cham is exhibiting.

You also need to get your lighting corrected. You said you have UVB right? you said a 100w, but that does not seem right unless it a 2 in 1, which I would not recommend. Most people use the linear Reptisun 5.0 UVB bulbs and a linear fixture, usually 12" or 18". The whole setup will run you $45-50 at petsmart. I would encourage ordering from a sponsor but you dont have the time.

You always need two lights on during the day, one is the UVB, this is the one i just mentioned and the other is a basic incandescent house bulb for basking. You need to determine the wattage needed based on the ambient temp in your house. My house stays between 70-75 degrees during the day and I live in California where it is hot. I use a 40 watt bulb and it works great to keep the basking temp around 85. If you live in a colder environment, I would recommend a 60 or 75 watt, but make sure it is not too hot.

Once you get those two lights set up, it should help.

 

[Kath44]

While you was out of town, was there someone home to take care of him?
Wishing the best for him, Kath.