Chameleon Off Balance

[JPhilen]

My daughters, she is 4, chameleon just started last night walking and leaning sideways. We had him out and the all the sudden it happened, started walking in circles. He is eating normal but has some balancing issues it seems to be. His color is normal and attitude is normal just no balance.

Please help with any advice, I don't want him suffering and my daughter will be heart broken if something happens to him.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, 3-4 months old
• Handling - 1-2 times a week
• Feeding - Crickets and meal worms, everyday worms, every 2-3 days crickets
• Supplements - Calcium powder 2-3 times a month, dusting food
• Watering - Drip system, we don't see him all the time but he has the white on his poop, which I read is good?
• Fecal Description - seems to be consistenr

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen cage, zoo med chameleon starter kit cage
• Lighting - Whatever came with the cage set up
• Temperature - About 85 degrees
• Placement - on our bar
• Location - Texas

 

[kinyonga]

Please post a couple of recent photos.

Since most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous it's important to dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorous-free calcium powder at almost every feeding.

It's also recommended that you dust them at two feedings a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that it gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest of the D3 from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but D3 from exposure to the UVB won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it at will.

It's recommended that you dust the insects twice a month with a vitamin powder with a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources won't build upmin the system like prEformed sources will and this leaves you to decide when/if the chameleon needs prEformed or not.

You need a UVB light so the chameleon can produce the D3 it needs to use the calcium in the system and not develop MBD.

 

[JPhilen]

As I was trying to get a picture he was like spinning in circles trying to hold on to the top of his cage.

 

[JPhilen]

When we got home he was laying on his side under his light on the branch

 

[JPhilen]

Finally got one of him laying

 

[kinyonga]

He could be developing MBD.

 

[JPhilen]

He could be developing MBD.

That's what I am afraid of the more I read about it...is there anything we can do? We have been so careful with feeding him. We have not been the best at the powder.

I feel that he is in pain and I cannot stand to let him just be like this.

Anything we can do?

 

[kinyonga]

If he has MBD and I can't tell you because he doesn't have the normally crooked arms and legs you have to give it liquid calcium sandoz or liquid calcium gluconate to bring the calcium backmin line and then have proper husbandry to keep it there. You need a vet to test and tell you if that is the problem.