Bent Casque?

[eat2muchrice]

Hello, yesterday I noticed my little guys pride (casque) has a very slight bend down the top center, like a zig zap or Harry Potter mark. Looking back at older pictures it looks like it started a few weeks ago. I’m not sure if this is a normal and will straighten out as he grows or is it a sign of some problem with my care. I have also look at other pictures of veils around his age and see that most have some sort of bent casque. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[Lazy Boy]

What supplements do you use and how do you use them?

 

[eat2muchrice]

I follow this online care sheet to the "Que".
Calcium every feeding,
Cal w/ D3 twice a month,
Multi Vitamins twice a month,
Gut load Vegetable diet to feeders,
UVB 5.0
80-85 basking temp
65-80 humidity
Fresh mustard greens
Eats 6-10 med/large crickets per day
Well hydrated
Healthy poops

Dating back to the pictures this must of happened within a week. I have this urge to pinch it back strait...hehe I won't.

 

[eat2muchrice]

I just remembered last week he did a suicide leap off my wife, I was nearby and caught him before he hit the ground. Maybe that bent his casque as I reacted extremely fast to catch him? I did inspect him after the fall but might have missed this. So if it is an injury, do you guys think it will heal strait?

 

[eat2muchrice]

So I’ve done searches for bent casque’s and it seems that no one has posted up a solution or knows what causes it. My theory of him falling probably is not the cause. Does anyone have experience with this and know what can be done to help straiten it up? I also want to so a complete supplement change, so can someone who has a Veil with a perfect Casque tell me what brand supplements they are using. I will also be adding a second UVB light and extra dosing calcium.

 

[junglefries]

I never had any bent casque with mine. I am no use for supplements, either, sorry. I kept them outside and fed them so many wild insects, I rarely used supplements, except for Ca with females. (Any way, here' s a free bump. Some one help him, before he od's on rice! )

 

[eat2muchrice]

OK, after doing more research I came across this study Nutritional Metabolic Bone Disease in Juvenile Veiled Chameleons. It’s a very interesting study and I have come to the conclusion that my UVB light is inadequate. Can someone please help me look over this study and confirm that my UV light is the most likely cause of his bent casque. I ask for help cause I tend to miss interpret things I read and want to make sure we come to the same conclusion. Link below

http://m.jn.nutrition.org/content/140/11/1923.full#t2

I am using Zoo Med Avian Sun 5.0 26 watts

 

[teoo OoT]

mine has a casque that leans to the left its not abnormal.

 

[CashMoney]

When building my setup I found quite a few threads similar to the following link saying arcadia bulbs make animals the happiest. "Light Your Reptiles" is a site sponsor and provide bulbs in the US. Plants I thought were happy even got bigger and more lush under the bulb. Bigger leaves with deeper reds usually found only during intense summer sun. Make sure to take off the plastic under the fixture if it has any. Anything between the bulb and the animal cuts intensity, even screen.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/arcadia-reptisun-90241/

 

[eat2muchrice]

OK, so this is my new theory. The casque is like a solar panel for the chameleon, absorbing majority of the UVB-UVA radiation. In the study “Table 4” group “UV” was provided only UV lighting, while group “NO” had no added supplements or light. Both groups developed signs of MBD, but the “UV” group only had 1 of 8 with Casque deformation. Interesting because two groups “CaA” and “CaAD” had no UV light but was given added supplements, both groups received vitamin A and had no casque deformations. So UVB, UVA and vitamin A seem to be the most important facture for a chameleon’s casque.

 

[eat2muchrice]

mine has a casque that leans to the left its not abnormal.

I wonder if your chameleon has spent more time basking with one side facing towards the UV light. I don't know, just a thought.

When building my setup I found quite a few threads similar to the following link saying arcadia bulbs make animals the happiest. "Light Your Reptiles" is a site sponsor and provide bulbs in the US. Plants I thought were happy even got bigger and more lush under the bulb. Bigger leaves with deeper reds usually found only during intense summer sun. Make sure to take off the plastic under the fixture if it has any. Anything between the bulb and the animal cuts intensity, even screen.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/arcadia-reptisun-90241/

Thanks, I've read that thread and will get better lights ASAP, plus better multi vitamins.

 

[junglefries]

Felt it, didn't have the heart to suggest it. Read it a couple times on here, but was hoping for someone else to break the news. Use T5 HO bulbs and you should be okay in the future.

 

[eat2muchrice]

So I just found out that my rep-cal multi-vitamins that I have been using has no vitamin A . This is what is listed "HERPTIVITE is the first reptile vitamin without Vitamin A. Instead we use Beta Carotene which is an antioxidant that is converted into Vitamin A in a regulated way, so there is no threat of Vitamin A toxicity."

Can anyone recommend a good multi-vitamin?

 

[CashMoney]

There's a Repashy straight vitamin A supplement if that's your concern. I'm far from the most knowledgeable about the specifics..... There's 2 types of vitamin A preformed and proformed. One takes time for the body to process and the body discards the rest. The other is instantly available. Useful when nessecary but severely toxic when over applied. People have died from it. Maybe time to bring little Petri to a vet and get a for sure diagnosis? They might be able to help in other ways as well.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

mine has a casque that leans to the left its not abnormal.

The bent casque in the picture is definitly abnormal. Your supplementing regiment sounds good so it must be your lights. I would get an arcadia t5 setup if it were me.

 

[eat2muchrice]

Called and spoke with an expert at Zoo Med, they told me the lights I have are not the problem, but just in case swap out the bulb. He suspects an injury since the onset happed so fast (within a week), he told me any signs of Metabolic Bone Disease come gradually. Just in case I ordered Reptivite without D3 and will add second 2.0 UVB bulb for a extra UVA. I have searched Arcadia’s lights but those are out of my budget, I’ve already spent 3-4 hundred dollars on my wifes $30 lizard, that I take care of.

 

[kinyonga]

I've used herptivite for years with veiled chameleons and none of them ever showed vitamin A issues. I would think if a chameleon species eats some vegetation it would be likely that it could convert beta carotene.

What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

As for the study you talked about...not sure I believe it.

 

[eat2muchrice]

I've used herptivite for years with veiled chameleons and none of them ever showed vitamin A issues. I would think if a chameleon species eats some vegetation it would be likely that it could convert beta carotene.

What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

As for the study you talked about...not sure I believe it.

I’ve been gutloading crickets and roaches with Mazuri Iguana Diet, a vegetable based meal. Also with fresh mustard greens, carrots, oranges, squash and whatever vegetables I save before cooking dinner.

Ingredients:
Dehulled soybean meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, ground soybean hulls, wheat middlings, ground corn, dicalcium phosphate, calcium carbonate, soybean oil, salt, DL-methionine, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), pyridoxine hydrochloride, l-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (vitamin C), menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (vitamin K), d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (natural source vitamin E), folic acid, vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, biotin, thiamin mononitrate, ethoxyquin (a preservative), choline chloride, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, sodium selenite.