Dehydrated

[Ellron]

My 3.5 month old male veiled chameleon seems to be a bit dehydrated. His urates have a tip of very dark orange on them and his eyes are just a bit sunken in. I will have pictures with in the next 15 minutes, I just wanted to make a post for immediate suggestions.

 

[reptimanny]

If your cham doesn't drink try misting him/her directly trying to avoid spraying his or her eyes and get that dripper going. also i hear that juicier feeders help in hydration.

 

[renzo0684]

Pictures will help. What type of plants do you have in the cage? Do you have a dripper? How often and how long are your mistings?

I mist until I see my chams take their first drink, Then I will continue for about a minute after that.

 

[Ellron]

Uploaded with ImageShack.us
Picture of the urate.

I have syringes if I need to try and hand feed water.

He is not very happy about my attempts to take pictures of him, but I will try.

Thanks!

 

[renzo0684]

WHOA!!!!! huge picture.... Resize it and its really blurry.... I have a fast computer and it took a second to load that so some people wont help because the picture is so big...


But the poop does look yellow, but that could be from the blur...

 

[Ellron]

Pictures will help. What type of plants do you have in the cage? Do you have a dripper? How often and how long are your mistings?

I mist until I see my chams take their first drink, Then I will continue for about a minute after that.

I currently have a umbrella tree in there. I rotate that weekly with a hibiscus. I have a dripper. I am misting about 2 times a day for two minutes getting everything thoroughly wet.
I have never seen him drink.

 

[renzo0684]

I currently have a umbrella tree in there. I rotate that weekly with a hibiscus. I have a dripper. I am misting about 2 times a day for two minutes getting everything thoroughly wet.

Do you see him drinking? Why are you rotating plants? That could stress him out I would keep the umbrella in there because it will hold water on the leaves better than the hibiscus...

 

[reptimanny]

I currently have a umbrella tree in there. I rotate that weekly with a hibiscus. I have a dripper. I am misting about 2 times a day for two minutes getting everything thoroughly wet.

misting isn't enough sometimes you have to sit there and mist and mist until you either see them drink or until you have left some water droplets all over the enclosure . My cham runs away as soon as i mist her but eventually stops and drinks then i continue to mist until she stops drinking.

 

[Ellron]

I tried to mist him directly and he hissed, imediatly puffed, ran, and fell about 7 inches onto a branch. He looked fine but made a hasty retreat to his plant. I feel really bad...

 

[Ellron]

Do you see him drinking? Why are you rotating plants? That could stress him out I would keep the umbrella in there because it will hold water on the leaves better than the hibiscus...

I rotate plants weekly so they get a week in the natural sun. The leaves hold water well..
I've never seen him drink. I heard you could feed vegtables that are really wet?
What types of veggies?

 

[renzo0684]

But changing his enclosure that often can be causing stress and that could cause him not to be drinking... I would stop doing that and just keep with one plant... I know when I tried to changed Jaspers cage he got pissed and did not eat or drink for a few days kind of like when I first got him from the pet store

 

[Ellron]

But changing his enclosure that often can be causing stress and that could cause him not to be drinking... I would stop doing that and just keep with one plant... I know when I tried to changed Jaspers cage he got pissed and did not eat or drink for a few days kind of like when I first got him from the pet store

Alright. Maybe I could find a way to get them both in there... What about the fall and his current state?

 

[renzo0684]

Alright. Maybe I could find a way to get them both in there... What about the fall and his current state?

Try to feed him watery feeders... You can also get a syringe and try to get him to take it that way.... But I bet once you stop changing his cage around so much he will come around and start drinking...

 

[Ellron]

Try to feed him watery feeders... You can also get a syringe and try to get him to take it that way.... But I bet once you stop changing his cage around so much he will come around and start drinking...

Watery Feeders such as? Hornworms? Silkies?
He didn't like the syringe either....

 

[renzo0684]

Wax worms are a little jucier. I do not know about hornworms... The cool thing about bigger worms is you can inject them with water right before you feed them off. I heard about a member on here doing it to crix but worms would be easier..

 

[Ellron]

He has already had his monthly waxworm, as they are fatty those are usually used just as treats.
I will go to the feeder store tommorow and buy a couple, and I might place an order on hornworms.
I have insulin needles, would that be a good gauge?

 

[Cainschams]

What are the temps? Ambient and basking?

 

[renzo0684]

He has already had his monthly waxworm, as they are fatty those are usually used just as treats.
I will go to the feeder store tommorow and buy a couple, and I might place an order on hornworms.
I have insulin needles, would that be a good gauge?

Thats a perfect gauge

 

[Ellron]

What are the temps? Ambient and basking?

70Fish ambient
83ishF Basking

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I have some mealworms on hand, do you think it would be worth a try to inject those?

 

[Elizadolots]

From what I've read, many if not most do their "Wicked Witch of the West" impersonation..."I'm MELTING!!!!"....when misted. Don't buy into the drama! If you can try to mist from "back to front" you might find the drama a bit less intense.

I believe your umbrella plant will do fine with the light that keeps your chameleon alive. I agree that changing plants could easily be a major issue for the chameleon. Some are more sensitive than others, but I can't imagine any chameleon not being a bit wigged by such a major change so often.