Can you help me please.

[dezyyybabee1466]

Hello everyone, well my friend bought a veiled chameleon today at a local pet store and I'm watching it for him for a couple of days. As I was holding it when he first brought it it started falling asleep on me and it is really skinny. I don't know if it's eyes are sunken in? I don't know if it's a male or female. do you think you guys can help me out on what it might be. here some pictures of the chameleon it's name is Yoshi.=] Thnkyou everyone

 

[bridgofaith]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ Fill out this form with as much detail as possible. It looks like a female, but the way to tell for sure is to look at the back feet. If you see little spurs, it's a male. No spurs, female.

 

[Leilaskeeper]

Looks like a female. Can you check her back feet and tell me if there are little bumps that look like spurs.

Just keep her hydrated. Mist 2-3 times a day, keep her basking temp at 80-83 and feed her every other day with a variety of bugs (gutloaded) and try feeding her some collards or another veggie/fruit if you would like. Just not tomato, broccoli or spinach.

Is there something in particular that is concerning you? She looks okay. Is she eating? If you are watching her for a few days, she might be stressed as you are unfamiliar and so are her surroundings.

 

[Elizadolots]

Definitely fill in the form, but even before the experts answer I'll say I think that chameleon could use more hydration. If you can put it on a safe or artificial plant and give it some time in a warm shower (if you have a full flow shower bounce it off a wall so the impact is less when it hits the plant/animal) that would be good. It should seem comfortably warm to you after it bounces off the wall. I've seen people here say 20 minutes is not too much.

 

[dezyyybabee1466]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Female veiled
* Handling - just got her but held her once today
* Feeding - Crickets and meal worms
* Supplements - Haven't yet
* Watering - little dripper and misting about 4 times 2day
* Fecal Description - don't really know
* History - My friend just bought her today.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type -screen cage medium size
* Lighting - reptisun 5.0 uvb
* Temperature - so far i've had it at 80 on top and 76 at the bottom of the cage
* Humidity - 65
* Plants - yeah i'm using Devil ivy
* Placement -It's on a table in my room it's pretty high up.
* Location -


Current Problem - Keeps falling asleep while i'm holding her and seem a bit to skinny.

 

[bridgofaith]

Stay away from the mealworms. They don't offer much nutrition and can cause impaction issues. Crickets are fine, but need to be properly gutloaded. Feed them things such as turnip greens, oranges, apples, collards, carrots, kale... As far as supplements, you will need a phosophorus-free calcium withOUT D3 to dust the feeders about 5x a week. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/ Here's a link to some supplements. The top 3 are the ones I use, and a lot of other people as well. A calcium with D3 is usually given 2x a month and a multivitamin 1x per month.

She does look like she could use some more water. You may want to do a vet visit for a check up and have a fecal done, just in case. Make sure she can get within 6-8 inches of her UVB light.

 

[pssh]

If it is falling asleep on your hand (you should not be holding it in the first place as it is new) then I suggest taking it back and getting another.

 

[Leilaskeeper]

It might not be a good idea to hold her right now. I know you said you are just keeping her for a few days so to limit stress, just keep her in the enclosure. Just hydrate her and feed her. No holding.

Obviously there is no point in you bringing her to a vet as it isn't your cham ... so just keep a close eye on her, write down or remember everything you see that is concerning, and pass the info on to your friend. It's his responsibility to make decisions regarding his pet.

Good luck!

 

[dezyyybabee1466]

Thankyou all, you guys are wonderful thnks for all the help, I'm going to have him take her to the vet just to be on the safe side.. Better safe then sorry=]

 

[Elizadolots]

I suspect it might have been "playing dead" rather than falling asleep. There are threads here that discuss that. I know there was a time I thought it was so cool my chameleon would fall asleep in my hand...now I know that's not what was happening. He was playing dead because he felt threatened. Obviously, not as cuddly and warm a moment as I thought it was.

I definitely think your friend's chameleon would benefit from a trip to the vets. Who knows what was picked up during life at the pet store?

Meanwhile, hydrate as much as possible. While I don't think it looks sickly, it does look a bit, well...crispy? That's not surprising under the circumstances and they seem to bounce back from minor crispiness very well.

 

[Jakedn]

I suspect it might have been "playing dead" rather than falling asleep. There are threads here that discuss that. I know there was a time I thought it was so cool my chameleon would fall asleep in my hand...now I know that's not what was happening. He was playing dead because he felt threatened. Obviously, not as cuddly and warm a moment as I thought it was.

I definitely think your friend's chameleon would benefit from a trip to the vets. Who knows what was picked up during life at the pet store?

Meanwhile, hydrate as much as possible. While I don't think it looks sickly, it does look a bit, well...crispy? That's not surprising under the circumstances and they seem to bounce back from minor crispiness very well.

I have never heard of a veiled chameleon playing dead.

 

[Elizadolots]

Scroll down a few threads and you'll find a thread about Jackson's playing dead. In that thread you'll find this post:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-long-can-jacksons-play-dead-31988/index2.html#post293640

Many species of chameleons (and other reptiles), when frightened enough, can, in fact, "play dead"-- this is called akinesis. The behavior can be observer often in stump-tail chameleons, but I have seen it in deremensis and even merumontanus.

What you are seeing may or may not be akinesis, but I can tell you that in the worst cases I have seen, it does not last more than a few minutes, though I have seen a large varanid stay in akinesis for more than 15 minutes. Nonetheless, during akinesis, the eyes are responsive and breathing is present as norma

 

[Jakedn]

Scroll down a few threads and you'll find a thread about Jackson's playing dead. In that thread you'll find this post:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-long-can-jacksons-play-dead-31988/index2.html#post293640

A Jacksons chameleon is not a veiled chameleon. I am not saying it cannot happen, only that I have never heard of it happening with veiled chameleons.

 

[Elizadolots]

I thought the "many" chameleons suggested it was not unlikely. Here's a link:

http://www.vmsherp.com/CarePages/CareVeiled.htm

If disturbed, they may rapidly darken to solid purplish brown and may even drop to the floor of the cage and play dead.

 

[Jakedn]

I thought the "many" chameleons suggested it was not unlikely. Here's a link:

http://www.vmsherp.com/CarePages/CareVeiled.htm

In the context to me it seems they are suggesting a veiled chameleon only does this when woken from sleeping. I have not disturbed my chameleon while he is sleeping, so I do not know if this is true or not.

 

[dakotakleiner]

When I first got my veiled in the first month he sleept on my hand once or twice til I put him back

 

[graydon]

I thought the "many" chameleons suggested it was not unlikely. Here's a link:

http://www.vmsherp.com/CarePages/CareVeiled.htm

Akinesis is not common for veild's. Ive never heard of a veild or jackson playing dead. I guess anything is possible though.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

In the wild if they are threatened they will drop from a tree or branch. So I would assume they could "play dead". If they feel threatened enough. I have raised veiled, panthers, & jackson. Never seen any of mine do that. I guess I must just look unthreatening. (I look like a wuss to my lizards)