Chem biting his rear right leg really good

[Cibarra982]

Can some one help me. I have a panther Chem and he is just about a year old. My wife and I have noticed that his back right leg will grab on to his front right leg and wont let go. So now we noticed when this happends he bited the heck out of his knee or his foot. Its getting really bad. This is what we are using to treat his wounds pretiwound healding aid. Before the vet has us give him some shots for the infection. We just cant afford that again.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Panther Chemeleon, 11 months old, had him sense 4/22/11
Handling - Only type of handeling I do is misting 3-4 times a day.
Feeding - Feeding small crickets, gut loading with a piece of apple and fluckers cricket quencher with calcium fortified. I have been feeding 10 a day first day eay at store, second day dusted with repi-cal and herptivite, third day not dust.
Supplements - Rep-cal and herptivite, Repti-cal Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Herptivite, Wednesday only.
Watering - I use a big dripper, I mist 3-4 times a day for 30 sec. Yes I have seen him/her drink water.
Fecal Description - White and dark brown. No parisites.
History - N/A

Cage Info:
Cage Type -Glass Screen Combo 18x18x36.
Lighting - Reptiglo UBV 18', Zoomed 75watt Basking light in a fixture with a dimmer.
Temperature - Basking - 85 Temp center 78 Temp botterm 71 Temp at night 69-71, lights turn on at 7 am turn off at 7pm.
Humidity - currently at 75-85%
Plants - Hibscus.
Placement - Located in living room corner and is on a stand 23' from ground
Location - Northen California
Current Problem - biting his right back leg to release from his front right leg.

 

[pbveiled]

Sound like your cham could have MBD.

You need a better gut load for your feeders. Check user sandrachameleons blogs for good gut loading info.

Your supplementation schedule should be:

Calcium without D3 at every feeding
Calcium with D3 twice a month
Multi-vitamin twice a month

Have you changed the UVB bulb since you've had him? They should be changed every 6 months.

Please post some pictures.

 

[camimom]

Im going to second this opinion.

When a cham begins to grab its own limbs and cant let go repeatedly, its normally a beginning symptom of MBD.

As an adult, he is over a year old, he should be eating large crickets.

As suggested, your gutload needs to improve immensely, you need to add more feeder types, and you need to change your supplementing schedule.

At a year old, that cage is too small for him.
he needs a 2x2x4 ft cage. screen preferably.


What else is in his cage beside the hibiscus?

post pix of him and the set up.

 

[carol5208]

yes grabbing the back leg with the front is a symptom of MBD. I have never heard of the biting, but I supposed if he has no control and the legs are stuck together he may think biting will release the leg? Have you changed out your UVB since you got it? So you are dusting with calcium without d3 and the multivitamin? Better gutload as mentioned. Apples are not enough. You should also be feeding some other feeders to him, not just crickets. Crickets should be the largest ones possible at this point. Basking temp should be about 10 degrees higher. These are just things I can see that need changing. Do you ever get your chameleon outside for natural sunlight? Please post some pictures so we can look at his limbs.

 

[drcrossfire]

This sounds a little more complicated than mbd-- I've never heard of it causing biting of limbs-- though I am no expert~

 

[Cibarra982]

I gut load the crickets with fluckers high calcium diet and fluckers calcium cricket quencher. I have not changed the UVB. I will change that asap. Also what else should I add to the crickets or what else should i feed him. I tried meal worms but he doesn't eat them. Also what should I use for his cut or is there any home remedys I can use to clean it so it can heal? Or am I using the right thing.

 

[reptilover]

I gut load the crickets with fluckers high calcium diet and fluckers calcium cricket quencher. I have not changed the UVB. I will change that asap. Also what else should I add to the crickets or what else should i feed him. I tried meal worms but he doesn't eat them. Also what should I use for his cut or is there any home remedys I can use to clean it so it can heal? Or am I using the right thing.

As far as gutloading sandrachameleon is the expert.
To get u started. Take flukers dry gutload and use it to prop ur door open or weigh down a garbage bag or better yet paperweight!
Anyways romaine lettuce carrots red bell peppers(no seeds) mustard greens collard greens the list really can go on forever those are the easy most common ones. Flukers quencher is decent for water source u can also us orange slices apple slices cucumber potato just change daily.
I'll try and find sandras blog

 

[Cibarra982]

thank you. I will try that.

 

[carol5208]

I would start using fresh fruits and vegetables, dark leafy greens etc. for gutload. That flukers is really not that good. The cricket quencher is ok for hydration. I use oranges for that. As far as the cut, I am no vet here but when my chameleon cut his foot I used neosporin and the vet said that was ok that I used that. What exact supplements have you been using. Repcal what? Also can you post a pic of him? Try silkworms, hornworms, butterworms, dubia roaches (if you can stomach them) superworms are all popular feeders.

 

[reptilover]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...sphorus-ratios-common-good-gutload-foods.html

Not the one I was looking for. But all these foods are good.gutload and it shows the phosphorus ratio as a bonus.. thank u Sandra!

 

[Elizadolots]

I don't think the gutload issue is really paramount. I would suspect that the UVB light is too old and so the animal is not properly processing the calcium.

For all the condemnation of the fluckers the fact is, it's good food for crickets...it's just not good food for chameleons. So, what you should do is feed the fluckers to your main bin, but cull out "feeders" a day early and give them 24 hours of collard green, sweet potato fun before they face the chameleon. I know you say you feed straight from the store, but I'm going to suggest you stop that. Most stores do not feed their crickets stuff you want going into your chameleon...so, buy a day earlier and put the first group of tributes (gratuitous Hunger Games reference) in with the good gutload for a day before you feed them off.

I second camimom's request for pictures...they can tell us so much!

I know that the board standard recommendation for a male panther is a 24x24x48 cage, but I really think you can make that cage work. If it were my chameleon, I would drape 3 sides of the enclosure with dark fabric to give him a feeling of security.

 

[Cibarra982]

I will post a picture. Poor guy has lost one nail because of this. Did u use the cream neosporin or the ointment or the spray?

 

[Elizadolots]

How long have you had that UVB bulb?

 

[Cibarra982]

Its been a year I bought a new one today

 

[Cibarra982]

Would u recommended a every 6 month change?

 

[Captive Creations]

yes. I replace my uvb bulbs every 6 months for my reptiles I would post pics of him so everyone can get a better idea of what he is doing. I hope he gets better

 

[Cibarra982]

Here are some photo's

 

[Elizadolots]

Yes, while the box might say that the bulb is good for a year, people have measured their output and found that after 3 months it is significantly less and by 6 months should be replaced.

I can't remember if anyone suggested that you be dusting all feeders with calcium (no D3) at every feeding. If not, I apologize. Getting a good UVB bulb and upping the calcium intake is going to be very helpful for your chameleon.