Chameleon cough?

Jbennaim

Jbennaim

Member
Starting yesterday my chameleon was making a weird cough like sound once every 20 minutes or so it sounded pretty bad I’ve never heard anything in his year-year and a half of life. I attached a picture of him and his enclosure if that gives someone a better insight as to what’s going on. Please let me know
3EE92FAF-C032-460B-9F09-7B5AD5BD8DCA.jpeg
34AB9790-7194-4078-B6C4-63B3EC5FA0C3.jpeg
 
Hi there... There are husbandry issues such as the UVB lighting which I see has been mentioned in prior threads you have posted.

As far as the cough. Sounds like it could be a respiratory infection. These require treatment of antibiotics by a reptile vet with Chameleon experience.

Are you seeing any stringy saliva in the mouth, him gaping, or pointing his nose up rather then level?
 
Beman said:
Hi there... There are husbandry issues such as the UVB lighting which I see has been mentioned in prior threads you have posted.

As far as the cough. Sounds like it could be a respiratory infection. These require treatment of antibiotics by a reptile vet with Chameleon experience.

Are you seeing any stringy saliva in the mouth, him gaping, or pointing his nose up rather then level?
Click to expand...
Ya I’m currently working towards a whole new enclosure with uvb imbedded as far as stringy saliva or pointing his nose up he hasn’t had any changes he looks normal but once in a while he’ll do a little cough
 
Beman said:
Hi there... There are husbandry issues such as the UVB lighting which I see has been mentioned in prior threads you have posted.

As far as the cough. Sounds like it could be a respiratory infection. These require treatment of antibiotics by a reptile vet with Chameleon experience.

Are you seeing any stringy saliva in the mouth, him gaping, or pointing his nose up rather then level?
Click to expand...
Could it be that the uvb is getting old cause it’s reaching the end of its life cycle of 6ish months
 
Jbennaim said:
Ya I’m currently working towards a whole new enclosure with uvb imbedded as far as stringy saliva or pointing his nose up he hasn’t had any changes he looks normal but once in a while he’ll do a little cough
Click to expand...
Well you could fill out this form with detail and we can see if you have other husbandry issues. But with a consistent cough I would be concerned about a respiratory infection. Which can only be treated by a Vet with Chameleon experience. So if it is a consistent every 20 minutes or so like you said in the first post then that would cause me to worry.

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.
 
Beman said:
Well you could fill out this form with detail and we can see if you have other husbandry issues. But with a consistent cough I would be concerned about a respiratory infection. Which can only be treated by a Vet with Chameleon experience. So if it is a consistent every 20 minutes or so like you said in the first post then that would cause me to worry.

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.
Click to expand...
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Male veiled chameleon about a year or so old and I’ve had him pretty much his whole life I got him when he was just a few weeks old
  • Handling - Maybe once or twice a week
  • Feeding - Mealworms and crickets I put a carrot in the cricket container a day before he eats them
  • Supplements - Coated with I think it’s called reptical with d3
  • Watering - reptirain for 30 seconds every 6 hours then about once a day he gets a really big mist from a big misting container that I have
  • Fecal Description - He drops that black ones and white ones and he’s never seen a Vet I can’t seem to find them in the orlando Florida area
  • History - His whole life he’s been healthy active and unusually comfortable with human he loves to come out and stuff even in these past few days of coughing he still lives to come out and climb around the room
Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - 2x2x4
  • Lighting - 12 hours on 12 hours off 150w deep dome heating and I don’t have the specs for the uvb but the linear uvb is on the way there is a little financial barrier but I’m trying
  • Temperature - Bottom the cage cage is 75 basking spot is in the 90 range I measure it with a kitchen temp gun
  • Humidity - Twice a day for 10 minutes humidifier goes to the cage
  • Plants - I forgot the name of the tree but it’s one I thing pothos and something else hybrid the rest is artificial
  • Placement - He’s located in my bed room as he has his whole life he’s not near the air vent it’s on the other side of the room
  • Location - Orlando florida
Current Problem - Chameleon cough?
 
@Jbennaim See my feedback in red bold.

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - Male veiled chameleon about a year or so old and I’ve had him pretty much his whole life I got him when he was just a few weeks old
  • Handling - Maybe once or twice a week
  • Feeding - Mealworms and crickets I put a carrot in the cricket container a day before he eats them. Mealworms should not be fed. They are very low in nutritional value. See image. Guttloading with a carrot is not enough. You need a variety of leafy greens or a commercial gutload like repashy bug burger. See image.
  • Supplements - Coated with I think it’s called reptical with d3. This is important I need to know exactly what you are using. If you are using calcium with D3 then you risk a D3 overdose. They should have calcium WITHOUT D3 at every feeding then 2 times a month a multivitamin and 2 times a month a calcium WITH D3. These two should rotate week over week. feeders should be lightly dusted not looking like powdered donuts.
  • Watering - reptirain for 30 seconds every 6 hours then about once a day he gets a really big mist from a big misting container that I have
  • Fecal Description - He drops that black ones and white ones and he’s never seen a Vet I can’t seem to find them in the orlando Florida area... There should be reptile vets in a city that large. You will need to make phone calls asking if they have vets with Chameleon experience.
  • History - His whole life he’s been healthy active and unusually comfortable with human he loves to come out and stuff even in these past few days of coughing he still lives to come out and climb around the room
Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - 2x2x4
  • Lighting - 12 hours on 12 hours off 150w deep dome heating and I don’t have the specs for the uvb but the linear uvb is on the way there is a little financial barrier but I’m trying. The UVB is incorrect. you are risking him having MBD. While the external signs of MBD are the very last thing you see they can have issues with their bones that you can not visibly see due to incorrect UVB lighting. You have to have a 24 inch T5HO fixture and a 5.0 Uvb bulb. The UVB bulb gets replaced every 6 months. Treating MBD is expensive and it impacts the cham for the rest of its life. The proper fixture with bulb is $50.
  • Temperature - Bottom the cage cage is 75 basking spot is in the 90 range I measure it with a kitchen temp gun
  • Humidity - Twice a day for 10 minutes humidifier goes to the cage.... Are you running a humidifier or mister? Humidifier should never be run during the day. This is how Respiratory infections develop. Heat from lights and wet moist air create hot moist air and then you get a cham with a RI.
  • Plants - I forgot the name of the tree but it’s one I thing pothos and something else hybrid the rest is artificial
  • Placement - He’s located in my bed room as he has his whole life he’s not near the air vent it’s on the other side of the room
  • Location - Orlando florida
Current Problem - Chameleon cough?

I still say he is at risk for having an RI. These are easier to treat while they are healthier. Once they get to the point of gapping and stringy saliva they are much sicker and it is harder for them to get through the infection. If you are running a humidifier in the cage during the day this is how they develop RI's. You need to call around to reptile vets in your area. Ask if they specifically have chameleon experience and make him an appointment to make sure it is not an RI. If it is an RI he will require oral antibiotics for treatment.

chameleon-food(1).jpg
chameleon-gutload.jpg
 
Beman said:
@Jbennaim See my feedback in red bold.

Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - Male veiled chameleon about a year or so old and I’ve had him pretty much his whole life I got him when he was just a few weeks old
  • Handling - Maybe once or twice a week
  • Feeding - Mealworms and crickets I put a carrot in the cricket container a day before he eats them. Mealworms should not be fed. They are very low in nutritional value. See image. Guttloading with a carrot is not enough. You need a variety of leafy greens or a commercial gutload like repashy bug burger. See image.
  • Supplements - Coated with I think it’s called reptical with d3. This is important I need to know exactly what you are using. If you are using calcium with D3 then you risk a D3 overdose. They should have calcium WITHOUT D3 at every feeding then 2 times a month a multivitamin and 2 times a month a calcium WITH D3. These two should rotate week over week. feeders should be lightly dusted not looking like powdered donuts.
  • Watering - reptirain for 30 seconds every 6 hours then about once a day he gets a really big mist from a big misting container that I have
  • Fecal Description - He drops that black ones and white ones and he’s never seen a Vet I can’t seem to find them in the orlando Florida area... There should be reptile vets in a city that large. You will need to make phone calls asking if they have vets with Chameleon experience.
  • History - His whole life he’s been healthy active and unusually comfortable with human he loves to come out and stuff even in these past few days of coughing he still lives to come out and climb around the room
Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - 2x2x4
  • Lighting - 12 hours on 12 hours off 150w deep dome heating and I don’t have the specs for the uvb but the linear uvb is on the way there is a little financial barrier but I’m trying. The UVB is incorrect. you are risking him having MBD. While the external signs of MBD are the very last thing you see they can have issues with their bones that you can not visibly see due to incorrect UVB lighting. You have to have a 24 inch T5HO fixture and a 5.0 Uvb bulb. The UVB bulb gets replaced every 6 months. Treating MBD is expensive and it impacts the cham for the rest of its life. The proper fixture with bulb is $50.
  • Temperature - Bottom the cage cage is 75 basking spot is in the 90 range I measure it with a kitchen temp gun
  • Humidity - Twice a day for 10 minutes humidifier goes to the cage.... Are you running a humidifier or mister? Humidifier should never be run during the day. This is how Respiratory infections develop. Heat from lights and wet moist air create hot moist air and then you get a cham with a RI.
  • Plants - I forgot the name of the tree but it’s one I thing pothos and something else hybrid the rest is artificial
  • Placement - He’s located in my bed room as he has his whole life he’s not near the air vent it’s on the other side of the room
  • Location - Orlando florida
Current Problem - Chameleon cough?

I still say he is at risk for having an RI. These are easier to treat while they are healthier. Once they get to the point of gapping and stringy saliva they are much sicker and it is harder for them to get through the infection. If you are running a humidifier in the cage during the day this is how they develop RI's. You need to call around to reptile vets in your area. Ask if they specifically have chameleon experience and make him an appointment to make sure it is not an RI. If it is an RI he will require oral antibiotics for treatment.

View attachment 264948View attachment 264949
Click to expand...
I called around and found a vet 45 minutes away so I’ll wait another day or two then schedule an appointment thanks for the advice and I’ll try to get a uvb as soon as I can
 
Jbennaim said:
I called around and found a vet 45 minutes away so I’ll wait another day or two then schedule an appointment thanks for the advice and I’ll try to get a uvb as soon as I can
Click to expand...
Make sure your not running the humidifier during the day. These should only be used at night when the lights are off and the temps are cooler under 70 degrees.
 
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