Chameleon with a broken leg and a calcium deficiency

[madamemim]

Hi, help needed big time, first time posting on here by the way.
I have a female chameleon, roughly 6 months old being housed in a glass veverium(sp) with a male from the same set.we have just found out she has broken her two back legs and has a calcium deficiency. We have been putting calcium supplement on all their food, what I dont understand is how she i like this and yet he isnt.
The set up in the tank is standard a uv light, a light for heat, a tree and greenery to climb. If you know what am I doing wrong because I feel really guilty that she's gone into such declining.
Any comments will be appriciated

 

[royden]

Is there glass or plastic between the uv light and the chameleon?

 

[madamemim]

no glass or plastic the uv is in the tank with them

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forum. I am sorry to hear about your little girl. Please fill out the form below so the members will be better able to help you. Jann

How to ask for help

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Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[Shaner]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

First off, Get that Cham to a vet ASAP, she needs medical attention. Cham's are high stress and very fragile animals and without the proper attention she may die.

Secondly, at 6 months a male and a female should not be in the same enclosure, you should get yourself a second enclosure immediatley

Thirdly, you should lose the glass vivarium, Cham's should be kept in screened in enclosures, for proper venting. Glass can hold stale air and Cham's can get respitory infections that way.

Your cham may have fell and hurt itself, that is most likely how that happend. But we will need more info on your cage, heat temps, humidity, type of chameleon's? mainly the questions above my post lol.

I can't really think of anyting else at the moment, I am sure others will post stuff, good luck with the Cham, and seriously get her to the vet ASAP.

I hope I am not sounding harsh here, I just really want her to pull through for you

 

[sandrachameleon]

Hello and welcome to the forum!

What type of UVB light are using? Is it possible the male has been dominating and taking the best basking spots and food, keeping the female further from the UVB? most Chameleons should not be housed together.

In addition to this forum, asking questions, and making good use of the Search feature, you may also want to check out this good site:
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Complete the questionaire list provided by jannb and you will get a more helpful answer from the forum members

 

[madamemim]

thanks shes with the vet now on an ovrnight stay the nurse saw her today and he vet is gonna give us a course of treatment (if there is one) tomorrow.

 

[beeze]

Hello and welcome, MOST chameleons should never be housed together and most need a screened cage.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

What type of chameleons do you have?

-Brad

 

[madamemim]

cagetype: glass with a mesh screen top. 1.5' by 1.5'
light:exo-terra uv Repto-glo 2.0
temp:80-85 highest day
65 night
Humidity: misting tank twice a day for 3 mins
Plants:small bush
Location: in a south facing kitchen, on a unit 4' above the floor

Cham info:
Female, 6 months, had her 4 months
Not handled very often as she stresses out
feed crickets, dusted in nutrobal, crickets are kept in the tank at all times
gut loaded on potato, carrot, lettuce
watering - a hamster bottle to feed by hand 3 times a day
her poo is black and white at the end

 

[madamemim]

another question, I live in the uk, if anyone else is from the uk do they know of good web sites to get supplies from for my chameleons?

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

Sorry to have to tell you this but the 2.0 UVB tube wasn't enough. In fact it is just about no UVB relative to what your chameleon needs.

1st choice: Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 linear tube.
2nd choice: Zoomed Reptisun 10.0 linear tube.
3rd choice: ReptiGlo 10.0 linear tube.
4th choice: ReptiGlo 5.0 linear tube.

Don't get a compact UVB by any mfgr.
Don't get any other UVB source without asking about it here first.

 

[madamemim]

I had a feeling it wasnt enough when I looked at it tonight. Do you think she'll pull through. Are there any changes/recommendations you could make so I can make sure this never happens again and that my cham have proper care

 

[jannb]

What kind of chameleons do you have?

 

[madamemim]

that i dont know from the look of my male he is a veiled cham, the people i had them off have been breeding them for 10 years, they dont know what breed they are and said my set up was fine, really peed off coz it obviously wasnt, i feel really guilty that shes so ill

 

[jannb]

Have you took her to the vet? She has to be suffering and in pain.

 

[madamemim]

shes with the vet took her today, she'll have her consult tomorrow

 

[jannb]

Does she look like this?

 

[madamemim]

he does she is still very small

 

[jannb]

I'm glad you took her to the vet. If you'll read Raising Kitty the veiled chameleon it will give you so much information. If you have more questions ask here on the forums. Jann

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/