Desperate for advice please

KellyM

KellyM

New Member
Evening everyone, I'm new to the forum and would be very grateful if you could give me some advice.
I have a 5 month old Yemen and today he's been acting a little unusual. I'm very aware of MBD and more than paranoid about it. Today he miss aimed his food a few times and didn't catch it several times. After eating he has stuck his tongue out almost like he was choking, and then he has stuck his tongue out several times. Frightened me to death as I couldn't help him. He has a tiny bit of black on his lips but I guessed that was dirt from food?
He has seemed a little bit more cautious or wobbly when he's walking.

He's nice and bright in colour and has now gone to bed as usual. I'm so worried he's poorly. I dust his food, gutload with a cricket food, fresh veg and fruit. His lights are all new.
Any ideas please
 
Welcome to the forums! This is a great place to learn about chameleons. I keep veileds and they are awesome chameleons. They have so much personality and such a pleasure to work with. You can see my veileds here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-beautiful-veileds-142194/

If you would fill out the Ask For Help form linked below it would help us to try to figure out what might be going on with your veiled. It's possible that something in your husbandry is off that could be causing the problem. Some pictures of your chameleon and his enclosure would also be helpful.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
 
Thank you,

Marvin is a make Yemen, I've had him 3 weeks and he is around 5 months old.

Handle almost most days but in the late afternoon to evening when he is most active and for no longer than 5 mins. If he looks like he doesn't want to come out, I don't force him, I leave him inside.
I often put him on a special plant for him to explore on also , I try to associate handling with a positive such as plant or worm.

I hand feed two meal worms a day, every 2-3 days put around 6 meal worms in a tree canopy for him to hunt. Feed crickets daily, lose in his house to hunt but sometimes hold the tub next to him in a variation of hand feeding.crickets around 10 ish a day depending on if he's eaten them. Usually the standard silent crickets but I bought brown (noisy) crickets a few days ago and he doesn't seem to be eating them. Has had 3 wax worms in 3 weeks.
Gut load on a variety of fruit and veg and a bug grub food- prorep bug grub and dust with nutrobal. Some Spring greens and veg are available for him too.
I dust when I buy the crickets and again in the week.

Watering- I have a dripper but have found misting better, 2-4 time a a day with pre boiled warm water. Always tested on my hand first and I spray inside his house and on the top so it drips down- I see him drink.

Poo-dark brown black and white, food always digested no obvious parasites. Poo cleaned out as soon as seen. Sometimes a little smelly (noticed only when cleaning it)

No previous known history.

122x61x61 reptibreeze-mesh

Lighting-Exo terra light dome with 125 solar glow, and an extra spot with a 60w basking bulb as its a big house I was concerned that it wasn't warm enough.
Lights are on a timer 0830-2030 but he goes to sleep around 1930 so I turn off the main light until 2030. He used to sleep at 2030 until the clocks went back.

Temp is monitored by electric thermometer at two points. Basking is always in excess of 35degrees. Higher than 90f. And the lowest point is indoor room/my house temp so no lower than 17/18degrees. Lowest over night temp is 15degrees, again household temp.

Humidity higher than 60- a dial gauge is used. I spray/mist and have live plants.

Live and plastic plants. Croton, yukka and a bamboo type plant, chamaedorea. Vines made from old pothos plant.

Place-in the living room but at the back under the staircase. Not too high traffic, out a lot etc. Not near any air vents etc. Is directly on the floor.

I'm On the south coast, Worthing.

Current problem- he miss aimed and missed a cricket a few times today despite being next to it. Off his crickets, never turns down a worm. But after eating looks like he is choking and sticks his tongue out. Later started sticking his tongue out for no reason, came out around 2 inches for a few seconds.he has a tiny bit of black on his lips but not crusty so I don't know if that's just dirt from food? He seems more cautious and wobbly when walking, almost shaky. Eyes look fine and has been a nice bright colour. I don't think the legs are swollen or bent (MBD) he was exploring well earlier but I only saw him eat one cricket and there are lots in there from days ago.

I will try and upload pics.
 
Is cut back on the amount of mealworms, the consensus being the exoskeleton runs risk of impaction. Are you dusting calcium no d3 with every feeding call with d3 every 2 weeks and a djst of s multivitamin every 2 weeks if not you should get those supplements. Can you please post pics of cham and also his enclosure
 
Is that solar glow a USB livht? If nit you NEED to have a USB 5.0 OR BETTER IN THERE. Dry for all caps:p also I think it may be w bit overkill w the 125 and 60. Is Dutch 125 and deaf goo get a good USB. UVB aids in the use of cham properly taking in and using supps


Sorry stupid autocorrect keeps ruining words
 
I use the nutrobal, I was told to just use that one as it has the D3 in. I dust twice a week.

Sorry to confuse you with the temps, I didn't explain well! 35degrees at the top with a basking spot slightly higher but he doesn't generally sit on that perch and basks where it's around 35. The lower part is around 19degrees.

I tried to upload a pic, ah it hasn't worked! I'll try again.
 
Yes it is Uvb and heat bulb. The guy in the shop said that's all I needed, rather than two bulbs. I checked the packaging too and it does say UVB.

My pics are uploading but I can't see them?
 
D3 should be twice a Month and calcium daily. Seems like call deficiency and possibly d3 excess. With what you say your schedule is is go get straight calcium no d3 and hold off on d3 for 2 weeks. Also buy multivitamin powder and dust twice a month
 
Thank you so much!! Do you think a vets trip is required? I could take him first thing tomorrow.
 
Pics would deaf help, a vet trip never hurts anything but the wallet. With doing supplements correctly you may be ok, but it helps to see the little guy. You can email me pics ill post if you wish. [email protected]
 


Pink and blue every 2 weeks but not at same time also no need for calcium with those dustings. And straight cal with almost every feeding. Hope this helps. Call is $9 multi $14 and calm/d3 was $9 of course this may be diff by you, but no means expensive
 
Great I will go and get some extra stuff tomorrow. Did you get the photos I emailed? I'm still trying to post them on here, thanks for the tips. Probably help if I wasn't doing it on my mobile!!
 
Legs look straight which. Is good is just get those powders And start dusting that way.






Grrr I hate this tablet phone broke so in using this and its such w Pita
 
Your advice is really appreciated. I'm like a paranoid mum with him anyway but this tongue thing was really strange.
 
The tongue thing has only happened today and literally for seconds. The first two times I thought he was choking as it was after food. Then he did it for no reason and again a bit like he was choking, it was only for a few seconds and I didn't get chance to do anything as I looked in horror then it went back in.
 
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