I am going to red bold all feedback and additional questions. Your going to get a ton of information thrown at you at once. Please breath and know we are trying to help you.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, approximately 1 year old. I've had Jellal (male) since he was six months old, although the shopkeeper he came from seemed rather skeptical about his age.
- Handling - once a fortnight, he really doesn't like handling but will come out briefly
- Feeding - medium locusts, about 10-12 a day. Half of them in the morning, half at 4pm. I use jelly pots and leafy greens (eg dandelion leaves or cavolo nero) They really need to be fed in the first half of the day so that they have all day to digest. If he is a year old he would be on a reduced feeding plan to every other day. However he looks very very thin and frail which says he is not gaining adequate weight for his age. Gutload is not adequate see image below.
- Supplements - Nutrobal, and 3 locusts a day are dusted. Is this what you are using? https://www.vetark.co.uk/pages/Nutrobal-for-reptiles.aspx
- Watering - I mist by hand, twice a day, each time using 200ml of water. There's also a water bowl and a small waterfall. I see Jellal drinking water running down the sides of his vivarium and off leaves whenever I mist it. How long are you misting for? Waterfall and bowl need to be removed asap as these are a breeding ground for bacteria.
- Fecal Description - Cream urates and dark brown faeces. Usually a little firm, but soft when pressure is applied. Have you gotten a fecal done?
- History - I got Jellal from my local, well known reptile specialist. My previous chameleon was also from here. When I got Jellal I was with a shop assistant who couldn't tell me many specifics about Jellal, and even when I spoke to the manager he couldn't tell me much (his age is estimated by the manager).
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Exoterra glass with a mesh lid, 45x45x60cm This cage is much too small for him. He needs a minimum of 60x60x122 cm.
- Lighting - I have one heat lamp, and one Exoterra UVB100. I turn them on when I wake up and off when I go to bed (so about 14 hours on, 10 hours off) The UVB bulb is the wrong type for a chameleon. He needs a linear T5HO fixture with a 5.0 zoo med bulb or a 6% arcadia bulb to prevent MBD> If he has been under this compact bulb for this long he is already probably showing internal damage from MBD. He has to have horrizontal basking branches in the cage to get to the uvb and be able to bask to get the right level of UVB and HEat.
- Temperature - Floor temperature is 23 c and top is 28 c. At night it drops at the bottom of the vivarium to 20 c. I heat the vivarium using a heat lamp and a heat mat, and I measured the temperature using my Komodo digital thermometer (for the night temperature I used a dial thermometer 28 c. is a little low for a basking but like I said you will need to add horizontal basking branches for him.
- Humidity - 50% humidity, I mist twice a day, and I have a small waterfall and a water bowl. All the water I use has Reptisafe water conditioner in it. I have a dial hydrometer to measure this. you do not want to have the humidity any higher or he is at risk for developing an RI.
- Plants - no live plants, although there is orchid bark at the bottom of the vivarium. There are several artificial plants throughout the vivarium. Live plants are better since veileds will eat their plants. Bark is not recommended. The only time sub straight is recommended is when you are running a fully bio active enclosure.
- Placement - the vivarium is in my room. It is in a very low traffic area (just me entering really).There's a window in my room that is occasionally open, and as it is cold I have a fan heater running in here as well. The top of the vivarium is 114cm from the floor.
- Location - The UK
Ok hun so multiple issues with his enclosure and husbandry. MY first concern is the lack of weight on him and I am leaning toward parasites. You need to take in a fecal now. Lighting has to be corrected for UVB now. MBD is serious and can kill them.
I am concerned as well with D3 overdose but I do not know enough about the nutrobal supplement except it does have D3 in it. D3 should not be given more then 2 times a month rotating with a multivitamin on opposing weeks. Then you want a calcium WITHOUT d3 at every other feeding.
The enclosure is set up totally wrong and does not give him anywhere to climb or hide. Temps are off which is why he is going to the top. But there are not basking branches so he is doing all he can with a small enclosure that is not set up to suit his needs.
Additionally did you find out what the first cham passed away from and is this cham in the same enclosure?
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Okay I have so much to work on. Thank you so much for the replies, it was a lot of information but Jellal deserves the best and I need to provide that for him.
Ok, so following on from your information in red:
- I can change his feeding pattern now, and from now on will only feed him in the mornings (he's already eaten today).
- the nutrobal link you added is what I'm using.
- I slowly and gently mist for about 5 minutes each time I mist. I'll take the bowl and waterfall out right now.
- I haven't had a fecal test done, but I called the vets who said they can do one for me, and so getting one done tomorrow.
- I'll try and persuade my parents to get a new vivarium, but if not I've started a job last month so I can soon afford to buy one myself.
- The pet store is closed now (its 8pm here), but I'll go in tomorrow and get him some more branches he can use for basking. Last time I was at the store they had these string/ hessian basking canopy thingies, but they didn't mention use for chameleons. Do you think its worth getting one of them? Whilst I'm at the store I'll get the new, correct UV bulbs.
- I'm taking the waterfall and water bowl out, so that should keep theme general humidity levels a bit lower. I'll wait and see what happens and tell you.
- The nutrobal contains D3 and multivitamins, and was instructed to use by the reptile shop manager.
- Like I said, going to the store I'll get some more plants for Jellal. I'd like to transition to live plants at some point, if you have any advice on how to do so that would be much appreciated.
- The vets told me my first chameleon died of septicemia, and passed away after I had him for about 4 weeks. The vivarium is the same one my previous chameleon had, it was thoroughly cleaned first and all the interior stuff was bought brand new for Jellal.
Thank you so much for helping me, I'm trying to get this all sorted now and really appreciate all the advice.
