Chameleon Aggression and Health Scare

Sirkrulz

New Member
I wanted to ask some questions on my chameleon. I’m fearful he may be sick. He’s not usually this aggressive it start happening a couple months ago, every time I go into his cage to water or feed him he goes into automatic attack mode. In which he never really did before. And when he tries to come out and I try to help him come out because he’s about to fall or hurt himself, he also tries to attack me. Today he was on my bed and just randomly started attacking my sheets and sweatshirt in which he has never done before. I had to pull him off of it so he would stop. When I go in with the spray bottle to water his habitat, he attacks the bottle. And his shedding is a slow process, and he has a bump on his lip that hasn’t gone away. I realized I hadn’t changed his light in a while longer than it should’ve been, in which I did but I thought it would go away it hasn’t. I haven’t seen anymore either. But it still worries me to see my baby go from loving me and trusting me all the time. To thinking I’m going to hurt him in some way. I don’t know if he’s ill or if I’m doing something wrong. Those are the only images I could get without upsetting him more, the bump on his lip is a health crisis that scares me and his home if there’s anything I need to fix. And him all puffed up was his reaction of me getting anywhere near him, when I wasn’t nearly close. Please help if you know anything!!
 

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Go ahead and fill this out with detail for us. The spot on the chin should be looked at by a vet in case it is an abscess.

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • 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?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

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.
 
Go ahead and fill this out with detail for us. The spot on the chin should be looked at by a vet in case it is an abscess.

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
  • 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?
  • Location - Where are you geographically located?

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.
He is a Vield Chameleon. And he is about 3 years old. I’ve had him since 2018 in November. I used to handle him all the time since baby, he would let me hold him, pet his chin, let guests hold him. I was with him all the time during the pandemic and now for a couple months since around early August he’s been incredibly aggressive and stressed. I give him crickets and worms. Coated in calcium, I give him around 5-10 a day, or as much until he stops eating. Sometimes he’ll go a day or two without food cause the pet store doesn’t have any crickets. We have recently found a solution the that problem though. I mist his habitat at least 3 times a day, and he used to take water from the mister in the squirt setting directly from me. So I would hold it up to him and if he wanted some he’d some closer and open his mouth. I have not taken him to the veterinarian in which I think I should now. His poops have been ordinary no wrong coloring etc. He is usually bright green rarely dark colored. He is in a large screened in cage, I had just replaced his lights and heat bulbs. The top is good basking spots and the bottom is cold. He tends to crawl at the bottom a lot though. Sometimes scares me why he’s down there so often. I measure temp and humidity by a little sticking thermometer thingy in the back that tells me. He is in between 2 windows in my bedroom. Has never had any issues before August. The dump did develop recently over quarantine timing.
 
He is a Vield Chameleon. And he is about 3 years old. I’ve had him since 2018 in November. I used to handle him all the time since baby, he would let me hold him, pet his chin, let guests hold him. I was with him all the time during the pandemic and now for a couple months since around early August he’s been incredibly aggressive and stressed. I give him crickets and worms. Coated in calcium, I give him around 5-10 a day, or as much until he stops eating. Sometimes he’ll go a day or two without food cause the pet store doesn’t have any crickets. We have recently found a solution the that problem though. I mist his habitat at least 3 times a day, and he used to take water from the mister in the squirt setting directly from me. So I would hold it up to him and if he wanted some he’d some closer and open his mouth. I have not taken him to the veterinarian in which I think I should now. His poops have been ordinary no wrong coloring etc. He is usually bright green rarely dark colored. He is in a large screened in cage, I had just replaced his lights and heat bulbs. The top is good basking spots and the bottom is cold. He tends to crawl at the bottom a lot though. Sometimes scares me why he’s down there so often. I measure temp and humidity by a little sticking thermometer thingy in the back that tells me. He is in between 2 windows in my bedroom. Has never had any issues before August. The dump did develop recently over quarantine timing.
So 5-10 feeders a day is actually way too much for an adult Veiled. It should be 3 feeders 3 days a week. I would expect him to be much fatter then he is. I would recommend getting a fecal run when you take him to the vet. Take in a fresh fecal so they can test it for parasites. He needs to see a vet that actually has reptile experience to take a look at the bump. It may be an abscess and since it is a growth leaving it and not getting it checked is not a good idea.

If you can fill out the form with more detail that would be helpful. temps and humidity levels, what types of supplements, how long your misting for, what type of worms, etc.
Otherwise I really can not give you good feedback...


Per the attitude change. This could be due to illness or it could be the fact that he is a Veiled and their personalities can change. If you went from holding him all the day and being very interactive to not holding him they can become more cage aggressive and not want you near their territory.
 
I wanted to ask some questions on my chameleon. I’m fearful he may be sick. He’s not usually this aggressive it start happening a couple months ago, every time I go into his cage to water or feed him he goes into automatic attack mode. In which he never really did before. And when he tries to come out and I try to help him come out because he’s about to fall or hurt himself, he also tries to attack me. Today he was on my bed and just randomly started attacking my sheets and sweatshirt in which he has never done before. I had to pull him off of it so he would stop. When I go in with the spray bottle to water his habitat, he attacks the bottle. And his shedding is a slow process, and he has a bump on his lip that hasn’t gone away. I realized I hadn’t changed his light in a while longer than it should’ve been, in which I did but I thought it would go away it hasn’t. I haven’t seen anymore either. But it still worries me to see my baby go from loving me and trusting me all the time. To thinking I’m going to hurt him in some way. I don’t know if he’s ill or if I’m doing something wrong. Those are the only images I could get without upsetting him more, the bump on his lip is a health crisis that scares me and his home if there’s anything I need to fix. And him all puffed up was his reaction of me getting anywhere near him, when I wasn’t nearly close. Please help if you know anything!!
Your “basking light” is a ceramic heater. You need something like an incandescent household bulb so definitely change it out. Wattages vary but I recommend you start with a 75 watt and if it doesn’t get the correct temps then go from there, you kind of have to play around with the wattages. You don’t need substrate and I don’t think your enclosure is bioactive so I recommend taking that out as well. The moss on the plant and floor is an impaction risk and a breeding ground for bacteria so take it off. No fake plants as they are an impaction risk, veileds tend to eat their plants and if your cham were to eat any of the plastic/fake leaves he wouldn’t be able to break it down etc...I doubt he comes out because he loves it and wants to hang out...his enclosure isn’t fit for him and there is something wrong that may be what is making him want to get out of there. Question, why was he on your bed? Never and I mean never pull him off of something. He can get his claws stuck and tear them off. You never want to directly mist him, chameleons are dry shedders misting more won’t help if anything it’ll make their sheds worse. It’s like their skin is sticking to them instead of lifting off. Get the bump checked out by an experienced chameleon vet. Cutback his food as mentioned it’s definitely too much, make sure his feeders are appropriately sized and gutloaded. I think he was just too small, younger and had a different personality, and maybe even afraid at the time, his cage is his territory and he’s learned that now, you are like a predator to him and he doesn’t want you in his territory. Don’t put the bottle in his cage mist from the door. Since you can’t exactly chat with your cham and ask him if he trusts you, a relationship with your cham can be built and even then he may still not want you around sometimes. Never squirt directly in the mouth, I doubt he opened his mouth as a sign for you that he wanted water. Chams have their airways at the front of their mouths and you can aspirate the water into his lungs so don’t do it again! It can drown and kill him, lead to an RI, and I’ve read that it can even cause pneumonia etc...You should only really need to mist once in the morning before lights turn on and once before lights turn off, if you want to retain humidity you can add shower curtains to the sides of the enclosure. Definitely take him to an experienced chameleon vet! Please fill out the form in more detail, write your answers like this. (Add more foliage as well) https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled, male, he’s 3-4, since November 2018 And then do the rest!
 

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