Chameleon is Disoriented??!

pablothepanther

New Member
CHAMELEON INFO:
Bill Murray (Chameleon) - Abanja/Ambilobe Panther Chameleon/Male/2.5 years old - has been in my care for 2 years
Handling - I don't handle him very often, only if I need to clean the cage or check him out for stuff. He does like to come out of the cage when I open it though, so I usually have to handle him to put him back in. I use hand sanitizer before and after.
Feeding - I feed him crickets regularly that are gutloaded with a home recipe feed with organic kale, acorn squash, oranges, dandelion greens, and apples. I usually feed him twice a day (morning and afternoon) totaling 8-10 crickets. In the last 2 months he hasn't been feeding as much though, sometimes only eating 3 crickets in a day. I was feeding him superworms every once in a while but I stopped because his eating habits slowed.
Supplements - I dust his crickets with D3 every 2 weeks and a general calcium supplement everyday.
Watering - My chameleon drinks his water everyday no problem. I use a dripper and I spray his cage by hand a few times a day, using the entire spray bottle each time. I have been using a water conditioner (ReptiSafe).
Fecal Description - He was tested for parasites a year ago and came back negative. His poo has had a thin mucus film over it for the past year since before the parasite test, but the vet couldn't explain it.
History - The vet said he was overweight! I took him in because the pads on the top of his head were swollen. The vet weighted him and checked out the pads, but he said they are just fat deposits.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage, 24x24x48"
Lighting - timer turns light on at 7:30 and goes out at 8:15. Currently I am using a 75watt ExoTerra Daylight Basking Spot bulb, & a Reptisun 5.0 UVB.
Temperature - I have a temp gauge at the top of his cage. I try to keep it at 85 degrees F at the top. During the colder months it was 60 at the bottom of his cage, but now that it's getting warmer it stays around 65-70.
Humidity - I spray his cage by hand a few times a day, and try to keep the humidity around 70. (I have a gauge at the front of his cage.)
Plants - I have a living Pothos plant in the bottom of his cage and fake vines mixed with branches at the top & middle.
Placement - The cage is in my front room in a corner away from the heat vent. I have a small apartment so I am in that room on occasion, but usually to just watch TV or water plants. I have a small apartment so I don't really have guests over. Top of the cage is about 6ft from the floor.
Location - Cleveland, OH

Current Problem - Bill has been 'acting weird'. He sometimes has trouble keeping his balance and has to catch himself from falling. He sometimes struggles with his grip. He has also been leaning to one side, even as he walks/climbs, and generally seems disoriented, like the doesn't know which way is up or down. He isn't like this 24/7, but the behavior has been flaring up lately and it concerned me today because I witnessed him almost fall 4 times. NOT typical for my cham at all! His joints are NOT swollen, he is still drinking, but has not been eating very much (has gone down from 10 crickets a day to about 3 a day).
 
Sounds like possible impaction to me. These are the behaviors my veiled began exhibiting a few weeks before death. Maybe try to mist him with warm water or feed him some horned or silk worms.
 
I haven't changed his UVB in the last year. In response to the impaction comment: he just pooped yesterday and since then has been more active, not having trouble climbing and has been eating a little more. I'm still keeping an eye on him though...
 

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Your UVB is not providing enough UV radiation which means he's not metabolizing his calcium and D3 as well. Most of us change ReptiSuns at 6 months. Also, I didn't see mention of a herp multivitamin dust. I know you are making your own gutload and using D3, but possibly he's developing a deficiency of something.

He is getting a LOT of food for his age.

I've heard of panthers occasionally developing balance/orientation problems due to sinus infections, cysts, or even tumors in sinus cavities. First change your lighting, adjust the nutrition to see if that helps.
 
Sounds like possible impaction to me. These are the behaviors my veiled began exhibiting a few weeks before death. Maybe try to mist him with warm water or feed him some horned or silk worms.

I don't see the connection with impaction???
 
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