Chameleon Squinting Eyes and Barely Eating? Looks to be shedding soon also.

[ChameleonCuties]

Our Chameleon Blu (blue) has been acting weird for a few days now and we decided to get some advice from other chameleon owners as we are new owners as well. He is squinting (opens his eyes fully every once and a while), not eating or barely eating (1 or 2 crickets max as its not noticeable to us how many he has ate like usual but he was eating about 4-6 crickets a day a few days ago). We have hand fed him twice while we have had him (about 2-3 weeks now) and he won't eat from my boyfriends hand anymore either. We are spraying him more often also as he seems to be shedding soon (we believe so anyways as he was rubbing against his plants and log a day or two ago like they say they do before shedding). He is drinking so not dehydrated. Nothing seems to be in his eyes or wrong with his mouth either. Could this just be because he is getting ready to have his first shed or not?

About Blu (blue):
Veiled chameleon about 3 months old; male

Living set up:
We have a vertical glass tank that has a mesh top (the screen cages we heard don't let chameleons live as it doesn't keep the moisture in). We have two plants in his home one on the left of the tank and one on the right. We also have a log going from the top left to the bottom right of the tank. We have a brand new (nothing wrong with it and safe) drum stick going from the middle top right of his cage to the bottom left so he can get on his leaves easier. We used paper towels on the bottom of the cage for easy clean up (as we heard dirt, mulch,etc can make them pretty much constipated and die if they eat it). We have a dripper system as well but we rarely use it unless we leave the house for a while. We have a small rock dish with some water in it at the bottom of the cage for when he is shedding to help him get the skin off and shed (the pet store owner told us to do that). Have another rock dish under the plant the dripper is on to hold the excess water and not flood the cage. Along with a small piece of potato for the crickets to eat in the cage (since Blu hasn't seem to be eating and don't want the crickets to feed on him). Our thermometers are in the top left side of the cage and bottom right side of the cage. We have a white 5.5 inch uvb light with a 13W reptisun 5.0 bulb for day time and we use a 5.5 inch uvb light with a nocturnal infrared heat lamp 50W for night (pet store owner we got Blu from told him to get it) says on box little visible light so won't disturb animals sleeping patterns either.

If you want photos of Blu, our cage set up or anything feel free to ask!

 

[Nursemaia]

Glass tanks are not recommended. They don't provide enough air movement and can lead to respiratory infections. I keep my veiled in a XL reptibreeze. You should be dusting the crickets daily with plain calcium powder and giving them to him only as much as he'll eat at a feeding, not leaving the crickets in there. The water dish in there is pointless he needs to be misted 2 to 3 times daily so drops form any he can drink those. Sounds like he may be dehydrated you can put him in the shower with the shower head aimed at the wall so that it creates a mist and he can drink the drops that form, put him in there on his plant. Pictures of his enclosure would be great along with the temp and humidity you're keeping it at.

 

[Peachypink]

Honestly my suggestion would be to take some time to read through the care sheets on this forum. Unfortunately a lot of pet stores are misinformed on the proper care of Chameleons. There are many, many people on this board who have a great deal of experience and knowledge on keeping are caring for chameleons. Read, read, read. Learn as much as you can. From your descriptions I see a couple of things right off the bat but if you are willing to fill out the "How to ask for help" questionnaire that is a stickied thread in the Health Clinic it would give those on this board the information they need to give you better advice. As well as a few pictures of your set up. I know it's like running through here naked as you feel exposed to criticism, but everyone is here to help as much as you let us. But knowing your temperatures, what plants you are using, what supplements are bing used and so on really gives us a good picture to help.

From what I see in your above post, I agree, that glass tanks are not recommended. Ventilation is essential for Chameleons. If in a screen enclosure and you have trouble keeping the humidity up you can cover 2 sides with plastic to help as well as live plants from the safe list help to keep levels up, as I see you have. What plants are they?

Also, even if it says little visible light, it still interrupts their sleep. There is no need for a night heat lamp unless temps drop really low. Letting the temp drop some is not a bad thing for them at all. They need the dark to sleep. It could be as simple as the red light bothering him at night is the reason for him shutting his eyes in the day. That being said, I would still fill out the How to as for Help form so that we can guide you better.

Congrats on your new Cham!

 

[ChameleonCuties]

Honestly my suggestion would be to take some time to read through the care sheets on this forum. Unfortunately a lot of pet stores are misinformed on the proper care of Chameleons. There are many, many people on this board who have a great deal of experience and knowledge on keeping are caring for chameleons. Read, read, read. Learn as much as you can. From your descriptions I see a couple of things right off the bat but if you are willing to fill out the "How to ask for help" questionnaire that is a stickied thread in the Health Clinic it would give those on this board the information they need to give you better advice. As well as a few pictures of your set up. I know it's like running through here naked as you feel exposed to criticism, but everyone is here to help as much as you let us. But knowing your temperatures, what plants you are using, what supplements are bing used and so on really gives us a good picture to help.

From what I see in your above post, I agree, that glass tanks are not recommended. Ventilation is essential for Chameleons. If in a screen enclosure and you have trouble keeping the humidity up you can cover 2 sides with plastic to help as well as live plants from the safe list help to keep levels up, as I see you have. What plants are they?

Also, even if it says little visible light, it still interrupts their sleep. There is no need for a night heat lamp unless temps drop really low. Letting the temp drop some is not a bad thing for them at all. They need the dark to sleep. It could be as simple as the red light bothering him at night is the reason for him shutting his eyes in the day. That being said, I would still fill out the How to as for Help form so that we can guide you better.

Congrats on your new Cham!

Thank you! And that's why we use the heat lamp is because my house gets cold at night (below the 72 degrees which is what we got told the lowest his temp should be) and actually our glass tank isn't all the way around glass. It's a reptile aquarium and has little slits on each corner for air movement! Which is awesome lol. And where is that form exactly?

 

[ChameleonCuties]

Glass tanks are not recommended. They don't provide enough air movement and can lead to respiratory infections. I keep my veiled in a XL reptibreeze. You should be dusting the crickets daily with plain calcium powder and giving them to him only as much as he'll eat at a feeding, not leaving the crickets in there. The water dish in there is pointless he needs to be misted 2 to 3 times daily so drops form any he can drink those. Sounds like he may be dehydrated you can put him in the shower with the shower head aimed at the wall so that it creates a mist and he can drink the drops that form, put him in there on his plant. Pictures of his enclosure would be great along with the temp and humidity you're keeping it at.

Our glass tank actually has slits in each corner that provides air movement so it's not an all around glass aquarium. We also dust our crickets. We also leave them in there as he eats threw out the day not at any certain time.. I would hate to try to feed him when he isn't hungry and then not feed him when he is. We mist him more than 2-3 times a day and has been drinking from his plants like usual. We just use the dish for him to help shed (what the pet store owner told us to do). And our temp is 75-85 degrees normally and we don't have anything to tell the humidity as our pet stores don't sell anything like that. We usually just make sure we mist him and he has water on his plants so if he wants to drink he can.

 

[Peachypink]

Thank you! And that's why we use the heat lamp is because my house gets cold at night (below the 72 degrees which is what we got told the lowest his temp should be) and actually our glass tank isn't all the way around glass. It's a reptile aquarium and has little slits on each corner for air movement! Which is awesome lol. And where is that form exactly?

If you look at the first few Threads under the Health Clinic forum there is one titled "How to ask for Help" You can copy and paste it into a reply and fill it in.

A dish for them to help shed is unnecessary. All it does is give a space to grow bacteria.

Below 72 is not a problem at all. Ours had gone down to 65 at night. It is seriously not a problem. The red light is more problematic than the temp reaching 65.

 

[Peachypink]

Our glass tank actually has slits in each corner that provides air movement so it's not an all around glass aquarium. We also dust our crickets. We also leave them in there as he eats threw out the day not at any certain time.. I would hate to try to feed him when he isn't hungry and then not feed him when he is. We mist him more than 2-3 times a day and has been drinking from his plants like usual. We just use the dish for him to help shed (what the pet store owner told us to do). And our temp is 75-85 degrees normally and we don't have anything to tell the humidity as our pet stores don't sell anything like that. We usually just make sure we mist him and he has water on his plants so if he wants to drink he can.

You can pick up a hydrometer from Amazon fairly cheaply. Knowing your humidity levels is important. Also knowing what the temps are in different parts of the cage too. Basking spot, ambient temp and at the bottom. There needs to be different levels so that he can self regulate his temperatures.

I would love to see a picture of the enclosure you are using. I don't think I've seen one like that.

 

[ChameleonCuties]

You can pick up a hydrometer from Amazon fairly cheaply. Knowing your humidity levels is important. Also knowing what the temps are in different parts of the cage too. Basking spot, ambient temp and at the bottom. There needs to be different levels so that he can self regulate his temperatures.

I would love to see a picture of the enclosure you are using. I don't think I've seen one like that.

One photo of how the dripper/red light is set up above the tank. One how the tank looks with the night light. One photo with the day light on. One photo of the thermometer in the top left side of the tank and the other photo of the second thermometer on the bottom right side of the tank.

He actually started to eat more today for some reason randomly. He is starting to drink more too so maybe he is just acting funky because he is shedding like we thought. Oh well, he is an odd one lol.

 

[ChameleonCuties]

One photo of how the dripper/red light is set up above the tank. One how the tank looks with the night light. One photo with the day light on. One photo of the thermometer in the top left side of the tank and the other photo of the second thermometer on the bottom right side of the tank.

He actually started to eat more today for some reason randomly. He is starting to drink more too so maybe he is just acting funky because he is shedding like we thought. Oh well, he is an odd one lol.

Also a photo of the slit we have on one of the corners of the tank we have for reptiles. I honestly love this habitat for our Chameleon as it keeps the moisture in as we don't live in a very humid area.

 

[Peachypink]

Unfortunately those thermometers are not accurate. I would look into a probe or a digital. With temps being so important to the proper care of these reptiles it is and important piece of equipment. Especially in that small of a glass enclosure, it can hold in too much heat and cause burns or overheat them.

Thanks for the pictures of the tank. It will be fine for now while he is small but the "slits" are not going to give him enough ventilation and will put him at risk of repository infection. In fact, I have one just like it that I use for the first month or two but then have them moved over to a bigger screened enclosure. There are many ways to keep humidity optimal in a screen cage, look through the enclosure threads to see how others have things set up for some ideas.

I see a single dome for the day light. Do you have a UVB and a basking bulb? I'm not understanding what you have explained? Also, I really would stop using the red light at night.

Below are the questions from the form I was talking about. Please know, I am only trying to help and I don't want you to feel like you are on blast, but there are quite a few things that I see that need to be changed. Like I said before, pet stores, even their owners, can be very misinformed on the care of chameleons. But those on this forum have successfully bread and kept countless chams and have done a ton of research. They also have the real live experience of what does and doesn't work. You are in the right place if you are open to learning more.

I wonder if some of the more established members would be ok with chiming in? @jannb @carol5208 @jpowell86 @Lazereth .......?

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?

 

[Nursemaia]

This is the setup for my veiled. I have live pothos plants in there which she likes to eat. It's an XL reptibreeze and really it's not difficult to maintain heat and humidity despite it being all screen. I have a Mistking on a timer that mists 3x a day for 2 minutes. Heat is a 100 watt ceramic heat emitter and light is a 5.0 zoo med uvb bulb. I do keep her on the cooler side because if a female is kept just slightly cooler they won't lay eggs and will live longer. I have no plans on breeding her. Keep in mind they can lay eggs without having a male present, they will be unfertalized. My veiled layed once and it's extremely hard on them so if I can prevent her from going through that again I will and I recommend that for others if they aren't going to breed.

 

[jpowell86]

So, @Peachypink has been steering you in the right direction for sure. First off, please do complete the "How to Ask For Help" form that was provided. This will help us address the issues that need to be corrected in your husbandry.

So, a young chameleon at that age should be eating much more than 4-6 crickets daily. The fact that his appetite is declining coupled with the fact that he is keeping his eyes closed is a great indication that there is something going on health wise with the little guy. I can give you a list of things that are incorrect about your setup, we could go over supplementing, lighting, temps, humidity... but the reality is, at this point you need to get him to a vet. Issues that start to escalate when they are this young are much harder to get in front of.

Don't take my comment as in the husbandry is not important....because it is CRUCIAL. In fact most new beginners I see on here have sick chameleons because of the husbandry that their chameleons have been subjected to since purchase. But, it is mostly because stores dole out terrible information that is completely wrong. Do some research on your species. Here is a great place to start. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

I could sit here and speculate about what is ailing him over the next two days. It could be something minor and it could be something major. I would much rather see you take him in to a vet and get on top of the health issue and then lets get your husbandry in order. I can tell you care and that's why you have taken the time to post your issues here for answers. Reality is, if you are not experienced in chameleons and their care, then once a chameleon starts showing sign of declination, my advice is that the best action is a vet visit. Keep us posted and keep asking questions.

 

[ChameleonCuties]

Unfortunately those thermometers are not accurate. I would look into a probe or a digital. With temps being so important to the proper care of these reptiles it is and important piece of equipment. Especially in that small of a glass enclosure, it can hold in too much heat and cause burns or overheat them.

Thanks for the pictures of the tank. It will be fine for now while he is small but the "slits" are not going to give him enough ventilation and will put him at risk of repository infection. In fact, I have one just like it that I use for the first month or two but then have them moved over to a bigger screened enclosure. There are many ways to keep humidity optimal in a screen cage, look through the enclosure threads to see how others have things set up for some ideas.

I see a single dome for the day light. Do you have a UVB and a basking bulb? I'm not understanding what you have explained? Also, I really would stop using the red light at night.

Below are the questions from the form I was talking about. Please know, I am only trying to help and I don't want you to feel like you are on blast, but there are quite a few things that I see that need to be changed. Like I said before, pet stores, even their owners, can be very misinformed on the care of chameleons. But those on this forum have successfully bread and kept countless chams and have done a ton of research. They also have the real live experience of what does and doesn't work. You are in the right place if you are open to learning more.

I wonder if some of the more established members would be ok with chiming in? @jannb @carol5208 @jpowell86 @Lazereth .......?

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?

We have used different thermometers and these are actually the most accurate we have used. They are actual reptile environment thermometers.
And he is only 3 months old max so he is still fine for this cage and should be till about 6 months old many people have said and then we plan to go to a bigger one of these glass cages we have.
And the dome for day is a uvb light along with the red light, I posted that.. I wrote down exactly what the boxes of the lights said about what they were along with the bulb. And I really don't see how we will keep the temp up in the cage along with humidity at night with out the red bulb as we don't live in a warm/humid area. We do have a small heating pad on the bottom of the cage but it barely does anything except keep the bottom glass warm. And I don't feel on blast but I don't feel like there is anything wrong with our enclosure as it has everything you're talking about in it... I'm just confused I guess you could say. And things need to be a little different in the environment we live in too than where you are probably as different climates and such. And I actually learned mostly everything I know about chameleons off of this forum.. And a couple things the pet store owner told us to do because of I guess you could say trial and error on his part of raising some before selling them. Along with some of his co workers owning some and learning from that also. I also mainly answered all those questions in my post.. So hope you don't mind me not answering them again. That took a lot of time for me to write it out once.. Let alone a second time.

But a little update on Blu he is doing better since a couple days ago. We took him out today and he was acting fine, running around like the little guy he normally is. I also noticed he is for sure starting to shed or is shedding real soon. So I'm guessing our beginning theory of him acting odd was him getting ready for his first shed like we thought. Thank you for all the comments but for now he is 100% fine.

 

[ChameleonCuties]

So, @Peachypink has been steering you in the right direction for sure. First off, please do complete the "How to Ask For Help" form that was provided. This will help us address the issues that need to be corrected in your husbandry.

So, a young chameleon at that age should be eating much more than 4-6 crickets daily. The fact that his appetite is declining coupled with the fact that he is keeping his eyes closed is a great indication that there is something going on health wise with the little guy. I can give you a list of things that are incorrect about your setup, we could go over supplementing, lighting, temps, humidity... but the reality is, at this point you need to get him to a vet. Issues that start to escalate when they are this young are much harder to get in front of.

Don't take my comment as in the husbandry is not important....because it is CRUCIAL. In fact most new beginners I see on here have sick chameleons because of the husbandry that their chameleons have been subjected to since purchase. But, it is mostly because stores dole out terrible information that is completely wrong. Do some research on your species. Here is a great place to start. https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

I could sit here and speculate about what is ailing him over the next two days. It could be something minor and it could be something major. I would much rather see you take him in to a vet and get on top of the health issue and then lets get your husbandry in order. I can tell you care and that's why you have taken the time to post your issues here for answers. Reality is, if you are not experienced in chameleons and their care, then once a chameleon starts showing sign of declination, my advice is that the best action is a vet visit. Keep us posted and keep asking questions.

He is fine. And doing better, look at previous comment for more info about him, etc. Not wanting to retype my last comment.

 

[jannb]

He is fine. And doing better, look at previous comment for more info about him, etc. Not wanting to retype my last comment.

He might appear to be doing better for now but if you don't change your husbandry that will not last for long. I have been keeping chameleons with my daughter since 2004. You can see my current veileds here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/my-beautiful-veileds.142194/

I have a blog for how I recommend to keep them with success. I'll attach it for you below incase you are interested in trying to keep your guy healthy. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-with-young-veiled-or-panther-chameleons.325/