Chloe the cham
New Member
Hey everyone this is my first post, and I have a few concerns and questions. Its a long one so I’ll give some background info, so bear with me.
My daughter has been going through some health issues and wanted an emotional support pet. Long story short, we went out looking and she fell in love with a chameleon. I was a bit hesitant since I didn’t know much about them, so I spoke with an employee at PetSmart. They seemed knowledgeable, and I asked a ton of questions about care, cages, food, and setup.
Unfortunately, we later realized they left out a lot of important details or gave incorrect information. For example, they told us a chameleon could live on mealworms alone, which I’ve since learned is far from true. We also bought the 30-gallon Thrive kit and a bunch of extras, thinking we were giving her a great setup. Turns out, a lot of what we bought either isn’t ideal or isn’t meant for her species.
After getting home, I did more in-depth research and realized how much we had wrong. We had already spent over $500 at that point. So, we decided to go all in and do it right, ReptiBreeze XL, MistKing system, foggers, tons of plants, proper lighting and bulbs, the whole setup. We ended up spending another $1,500–$2,000 to make sure everything was correct.
About 8 days after bringing her home, she developed a bump on her hip that would sometimes turn pale white. The swelling would come and go, so we waited a couple of days to monitor it. Then we contacted PetSmart to ask if they had noticed anything while she was in their care, they said no. Since we were still within the 14-day period, we took her back so they could send her to their vet (which is the same one we would’ve used). They covered the cost, which helped since we had just spent so much on her setup.
We got an update from the vet saying she’s very clumsy and may have fallen in her enclosure, possibly pulling her leg out of the hip socket. Now they’re saying this could be a long-term issue and she might need a shorter, less vertical enclosure. You can see the small white spot on her hip in the pic of her in her encloser. Its not as swollen or as bas as it was but gives you an idea.
So now I’m stuck. I’ve invested around $2,500 in setups, and she may not even be able to use them. I don’t want to go all in on a new horizontal setup only to find out later that she doesn’t need it. We’ve thought about using the 30-gallon as a cricket enclosure, and if she does need a lower setup, maybe repurpose the ReptiBreeze later or get another chameleon down the line.
At the end of the day, I just want to give this chameleon the best life possible—but I don’t even know what that looks like right now. On top of that, I’m not sure I can afford another enclosure.
We could still return Chloe, but that’s not even an option. My daughter is already in love with her and asks about her every day.
I just want to make the right choice, not just for my daughter, but for Chloe too.
Some of my questions...
Has anyone dealt with a chameleon with a leg/hip injury? What did your setup look like during recovery?
Can I safely modify a ReptiBreeze XL to make it “low-risk” instead of replacing it?
How do you reduce fall risk in a chameleon enclosure without stressing them out? Due to her not being as high or in what would be a ideal setup.
What would you personally do if this was your chameleon?
Would reducing climbing height stress her out or help her feel more secure?
I know this is alot. But I truly feel like I need some help here. I have owned many pets and take their care very seriously. I'm just at a point im not sure what to do or how to proceed. If you made it this far you are a legend and I appreciate you for the time and input on all of this. Chloe Thanks you!
My daughter has been going through some health issues and wanted an emotional support pet. Long story short, we went out looking and she fell in love with a chameleon. I was a bit hesitant since I didn’t know much about them, so I spoke with an employee at PetSmart. They seemed knowledgeable, and I asked a ton of questions about care, cages, food, and setup.
Unfortunately, we later realized they left out a lot of important details or gave incorrect information. For example, they told us a chameleon could live on mealworms alone, which I’ve since learned is far from true. We also bought the 30-gallon Thrive kit and a bunch of extras, thinking we were giving her a great setup. Turns out, a lot of what we bought either isn’t ideal or isn’t meant for her species.
After getting home, I did more in-depth research and realized how much we had wrong. We had already spent over $500 at that point. So, we decided to go all in and do it right, ReptiBreeze XL, MistKing system, foggers, tons of plants, proper lighting and bulbs, the whole setup. We ended up spending another $1,500–$2,000 to make sure everything was correct.
About 8 days after bringing her home, she developed a bump on her hip that would sometimes turn pale white. The swelling would come and go, so we waited a couple of days to monitor it. Then we contacted PetSmart to ask if they had noticed anything while she was in their care, they said no. Since we were still within the 14-day period, we took her back so they could send her to their vet (which is the same one we would’ve used). They covered the cost, which helped since we had just spent so much on her setup.
We got an update from the vet saying she’s very clumsy and may have fallen in her enclosure, possibly pulling her leg out of the hip socket. Now they’re saying this could be a long-term issue and she might need a shorter, less vertical enclosure. You can see the small white spot on her hip in the pic of her in her encloser. Its not as swollen or as bas as it was but gives you an idea.
So now I’m stuck. I’ve invested around $2,500 in setups, and she may not even be able to use them. I don’t want to go all in on a new horizontal setup only to find out later that she doesn’t need it. We’ve thought about using the 30-gallon as a cricket enclosure, and if she does need a lower setup, maybe repurpose the ReptiBreeze later or get another chameleon down the line.
At the end of the day, I just want to give this chameleon the best life possible—but I don’t even know what that looks like right now. On top of that, I’m not sure I can afford another enclosure.
We could still return Chloe, but that’s not even an option. My daughter is already in love with her and asks about her every day.
I just want to make the right choice, not just for my daughter, but for Chloe too.
Some of my questions...
Has anyone dealt with a chameleon with a leg/hip injury? What did your setup look like during recovery?
Can I safely modify a ReptiBreeze XL to make it “low-risk” instead of replacing it?
How do you reduce fall risk in a chameleon enclosure without stressing them out? Due to her not being as high or in what would be a ideal setup.
What would you personally do if this was your chameleon?
Would reducing climbing height stress her out or help her feel more secure?
I know this is alot. But I truly feel like I need some help here. I have owned many pets and take their care very seriously. I'm just at a point im not sure what to do or how to proceed. If you made it this far you are a legend and I appreciate you for the time and input on all of this. Chloe Thanks you!
I would seek a second opinion with another vet. What is your general location? We may be able to help you find one.
