chameleon keeps falling!

[Ashhhleyzz]

My viel is almost 3 yrs.. i keep humidity to about 40-50% the temp is stays between 79-90 f lower at night (lights out) he is in an all screen cage and has a all screen outdoor for those wonderful days. I mist 4-5 times daily as well as a dripper that drips for about 20 mins (slow) he has been to vet and checked out great. He eats between 5-10 crickets every orher day usually gut wih collards greens. I dust once a week two once every other and he does love his greens! So today i heard this huge crash i looked qll over only to find him in bottom of his cage.. about 4 hours later (lights out) its all quiet and i hear qnother crashi look in he gets back up fast enough but hangs out half way.. it could be nothing but its qlarming hes my five year olds buddy (no she doeant handle him just looks) i do have other lizards dragons beardies he is the only chameleon ive ever owned. Thanks

 

[kinyonga]

You only dust once every week or two?? With what specifically?

Does he have a UVB light?

Your gutload could be better....you can feed/gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc with a wide assortment of greens such as collards, escarole, endive, dandelion greens, kale, etc and veggies such as carrots, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, etc.

I hope it's not the beginning of MBD.

 

[Ashhhleyzz]

Sorry i change is uvb about 5-6 months i use a 10.0. he also eats super worms horned crickets , veg (collards etc) im going to load some pictures of today
it was lights out in the last pictures after his last fall and he was not impressed, what should i watch out for? he drinks and eats and poops well i am not worried about that at all he is usually very active. i removed some vines and plants to limit him as well instead of putting him outside i had him in his fav plant, (warm day) Thanks again everyone

 

[Ashhhleyzz]

You only dust once every week or two?? With what specifically?

Does he have a UVB light?

Your gutload could be better....you can feed/gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc with a wide assortment of greens such as collards, escarole, endive, dandelion greens, kale, etc and veggies such as carrots, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, etc.

I hope it's not the beginning of MBD.

Yes i do with all that kale dandelion sorry for being sort have been writing this on my phone. i dust with calcium d3 he eats veg everyday, collar kale bokchoy the occasoinal odds, he likes his baby food as well.. i feed him as i do my dragons and beardies but with a little bit of a change ( lighter ) to avoid weight problems as he will eat none stop.. sorry again

 

[Lovereps]

He has probably been developing a calcium deficiency because his feeders should be dusted lightly with
calcium without D3 daily or at least every other day
calcium with D3 2x a month
multivitamin 2x a month

It is very important to use calcium without D3 for most feedings because too much D3 is very bad for chameleons.

Calcium is not just needed for strong bones, it is needed by all of the muscles including the heart, intestines, tongue, etc.
When a chameleon is not getting enough calcium, his body will steal calcium from his bones in order to make sure that his muscles receive the calcium they need in order to work right.

I have bearded dragons and they are known as Teflon lizards for a reason---they are very resilient and easy to care for.
Chams are more delicate in comparison and they don't tolerate things that are not close to perfect for very long.

A calcium deficiency is often called MBD and here is much more information about it--written by a veterinarian who also owns chameleons https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-metabolic-bone-disease-mbd-looks-like-how-happens-how-fix-95071/

You can put something soft on the bottom of his cage, such as a towel, to help keep him from getting hurt.

You can take him to a knowledgeable vet who can take xrays of his bones and draw a blood sample to determine his blood calcium levels.
A vet can give him an injection of calcium to quickly get calcium into his system.

For home treatment, you can give him 1 drop of Calcium glubionate syrup--the kind sold for people(calglucon syrup is one brand) in his mouth in the morning and another drop later in the day , plus the daily calcium without D3 on his feeders should have him feeling stronger soon.
As I said, a vet visit with a good chameleon knowledgeable vet, can give him
a calcium injection and then you will be administering the calcium syrup orally every day, too.

If basking temperatures aren't in the right range, he may not be absorbing enough of the nutrients from his food.
You can read the forum's Veiled cham caresheet for more on that, as well as much more good information https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[Ashhhleyzz]

He has probably been developing a calcium deficiency because his feeders should be dusted lightly with
calcium without D3 daily or at least every other day
calcium with D3 2x a month
multivitamin 2x a month

It is very important to use calcium without D3 for most feedings because too much D3 is very bad for chameleons.

Calcium is not just needed for strong bones, it is needed by all of the muscles including the heart, intestines, tongue, etc.
When a chameleon is not getting enough calcium, his body will steal calcium from his bones in order to make sure that his muscles receive the calcium they need in order to work right.

I have bearded dragons and they are known as Teflon lizards for a reason---they are very resilient and easy to care for.
Chams are more delicate in comparison and they don't tolerate things that are not close to perfect for very long.

A calcium deficiency is often called MBD and here is much more information about it--written by a veterinarian who also owns chameleons https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-metabolic-bone-disease-mbd-looks-like-how-happens-how-fix-95071/

You can put something soft on the bottom of his cage, such as a towel, to help keep him from getting hurt.

You can take him to a knowledgeable vet who can take xrays of his bones and draw a blood sample to determine his blood calcium levels.
A vet can give him an injection of calcium to quickly get calcium into his system.

For home treatment, you can give him 1 drop of Calcium glubionate syrup--the kind sold for people(calglucon syrup is one brand) in his mouth in the morning and another drop later in the day , plus the daily calcium without D3 on his feeders should have him feeling stronger soon.
As I said, a vet visit with a good chameleon knowledgeable vet, can give him
a calcium injection and then you will be administering the calcium syrup orally every day, too.

If basking temperatures aren't in the right range, he may not be absorbing enough of the nutrients from his food.
You can read the forum's Veiled cham caresheet for more on that, as well as much more good information https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

Just wanted to update i had him to the vet the next morning and everything was fine my vet said that diet i am using everything i am doing is great ( i brought his hole cage in with me and all the items i use) he may have been a little dehydrated but when he was checked out FULLY xray and poop sample nothing could be found. he is a little chunky and that may also have been the issue and i also have pictures but his first fall he may have been upside down as he likes to lap the entire cage like a ninja as he isnt in there as often ( i have a tree outside with a uvb and basking ) where he usually hangs out.. the first fall may have been the reason for the rest but he hasnt fallen since and is back to his normal self eating and drinking.. Thanks again! i was super worried because he has never done it before.. and that you for the information my vet printed me concerns and information sheets (package) also but i do use vit's and he has a Big variety diet daily and even tho i run the drip he may not of been drinkin that day? i am keeping an eye but he has been back to normal and no falling the only thing he isnt doing is going upside down in the top of his cage.. Super greatful for this form tho Thanks again guys!!

 

[Charmeleon818]

Just wanted to update i had him to the vet the next morning and everything was fine my vet said that diet i am using everything i am doing is great ( i brought his hole cage in with me and all the items i use) he may have been a little dehydrated but when he was checked out FULLY xray and poop sample nothing could be found. he is a little chunky and that may also have been the issue and i also have pictures but his first fall he may have been upside down as he likes to lap the entire cage like a ninja as he isnt in there as often ( i have a tree outside with a uvb and basking ) where he usually hangs out.. the first fall may have been the reason for the rest but he hasnt fallen since and is back to his normal self eating and drinking.. Thanks again! i was super worried because he has never done it before.. and that you for the information my vet printed me concerns and information sheets (package) also but i do use vit's and he has a Big variety diet daily and even tho i run the drip he may not of been drinkin that day? i am keeping an eye but he has been back to normal and no falling the only thing he isnt doing is going upside down in the top of his cage.. Super greatful for this form tho Thanks again guys!!

if you dont mind me asking how much did the vet bill run you ??

 

[Lovereps]

Glad it appears to not have been a serious issue.

Still, the daily calcium to use on a Veiled's feeders is the one without D3.
Too much D3 does harm to chams' internal organs.

That's why the Veiled supplement recommendation is this:
calcium without D3 daily or at least every other day
calcium with D3 2x a month
multivitamin 2x a month

It is indeed a rare chamkeeper whose gutloading and feeder variety is so perfect that very little or no dusting is needed.