Ate piece of soil

Gabriellehernandezxxx

Gabriellehernandezxxx

Avid Member
So I was in the room where my girl cham is, and I saw her open her tongue and eat a piece of soil. It looked like a bigger piece, but she ate it and crawled back up to bask. I had the soil covered in river stones but somehow she got a piece. I’m confused & now worried, with all the world going insane about corona I don’t even know if vets are open near me/ is this something I need to bring her to the vet for? Or should I just closely monitor? Note- I’m not sure if it’s organic soil or not, I bought it from a local greenery near me so I assume it would be but I’m not 100% sure.
 
Gabriellehernandezxxx said:
So I was in the room where my girl cham is, and I saw her open her tongue and eat a piece of soil. It looked like a bigger piece, but she ate it and crawled back up to bask. I had the soil covered in river stones but somehow she got a piece. I’m confused & now worried, with all the world going insane about corona I don’t even know if vets are open near me/ is this something I need to bring her to the vet for? Or should I just closely monitor? Note- I’m not sure if it’s organic soil or not, I bought it from a local greenery near me so I assume it would be but I’m not 100% sure.
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Your cham will be fine. In the wild they will occasionally eat dirt, they don't have an owner covering everything in stones. When chameleons do this, it often means they need vitamins from the soil. How often do you give multivitamins?
 
Repashy calcium plus lod is in all in one. You don’t need anything else. Some people have had problems with it, however. Eating soil sometimes means that they are lacking something in their diet. Please fill out the health form at the top of the health clinic section so I can review your husbandry.
 
PabloTheCham said:
sure.
daily supplement: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Rept...2?keywords=repticalcium&qid=1584473722&sr=8-2

Twice a month: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Calc...1?keywords=repticalcium&qid=1584473755&sr=8-1

Twice a month: https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Reptivite-Vitamin-2-Ounce/dp/B0002AQB6A
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This is the classic method -- however many keepers use Repashy Calcium Plus LoD as their only supplement with no issues. Being a female, some keepers like to supplement a vitamin A once a month or so.

The other thing I would note is that if she is nearing 1 year old I would back off the feedings from every other day to every 2-3 days to reduce egg development. She could have mistaken a rogue peice of dirt as a fly or another buggo. If she keeps eating dirt -- then it is likely a vitamin deficiency.
 
AnamCara said:
This is the classic method -- however many keepers use Repashy Calcium Plus LoD as their only supplement with no issues. Being a female, some keepers like to supplement a vitamin A once a month or so.

The other thing I would note is that if she is nearing 1 year old I would back off the feedings from every other day to every 2-3 days to reduce egg development. She could have mistaken a rogue peice of dirt as a fly or another buggo. If she keeps eating dirt -- then it is likely a vitamin deficiency.
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She is almost one year old, that’s good to know! So I can now do every 2-3 days, should I continue doing 7-8 crickets each time? *I’m about to fill in the health form as well*
 
Gabriellehernandezxxx said:
She is almost one year old, that’s good to know! So I can now do every 2-3 days, should I continue doing 7-8 crickets each time? *I’m about to fill in the health form as well*
Click to expand...

How much exactly to feed I can't tell you. I feed roaches and silks and I try to keep the volume that I feed about the same. I feed 4-6 *medium to small* roaches at each feeding. Silkworms I feed about 2-3 medium-large ones at a time, and hornworms etc are just treats for us so I do one at a time.
 
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Female veiled, 10-11 months I believe, and she’s been in my care for about 7 months so far.
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Rarely. The last time I handled her was probably a month ago to move her, other than that I probably haven’t handled her in 4 months.
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I am feeding her 7-8 large crickets every other day. I feed her between 8-12 in the morning. I am gut loaded them with veggies/fruits (on the safe gut load sheet) and cricket crack.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I dust the crickets with repashy calcium plus LoD (every other day).
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I have bought the mistking, but it’s not in use because I cant figure out how to put it together. I’m on the hunt to find a good video I can follow. I mist 2-3 times a day, with a spray bottle, for about 2 minutes each time. I’ve seen her drink off the leaves. I only use filtered water as well. I have a dripper in her viv as well, that goes for at least 2-3 hours. I have it on at night too to increase humidity.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? My cham hasn’t been tested for parasites. Her poop seems normal to me, her urate a little on the yellow side, I know that means she needs more water, though I have a dripper constantly.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. N/A
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? The 2x2x4 screen cage with the stand. On two sides I put up a shower curtain to try to keep humidity in.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Lights turn on at 8am and off at 8pm. I turn her heat lamp on about 30 mins after her UV one turns on in the morning. Her UV is the reptisun terrarium good t5HO.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I am currently in the process of buying a humidity gauge as well as a good thermometer. I have one I got from a pet store, but turns out it wasn’t the most accurate.
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? I need to find a good humidity gauge to be able to measure it probably. To maintain humidity I have a live plant, as well as a dripper, and listings throughout the day. The shower curtains are also to keep humidity levels higher.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Yes a large dracaena.
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? It is in my living room, it is not high traffic though. (It’s just me and my boyfriend). Her cage stands about 6 feet tall.
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Massachusetts / New Hampshire
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about --------------


Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
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