Do Chameleons need baths? And other health concerns...

[Look_Within]

I've seen where a lot of other reptiles are soaked when they do not shed all of their skin, but I have a very particular cham. He's a veiled chameleon, who trusts me enough to eat out of my hand, but has a very grumpy personality. He also likes his space and doesn't want to be held. I try to avoid picking him up as to not stress him out, but I can't help but wonder if I'm doing something wrong by not bathing him. Plus, he absolutely loathes getting wet.

Also, I have a few other concerns that may have to do with his health. He walks around with his tail sticking straight out, is that a normal thing or should I be worried? Also, I'm afraid I'm not feeding him enough and he is too skinny. I'm almost 100% sure I can see his spine underneath the ridge on his back. Is that normal or should I feed him more?

 

[Beman]

They should not be bathed at all. They are arboreal reptiles so this is totally un natural for them.
You should start reading this husbandry program. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

If you want additional feedback on your cham then it would be best to post pics.

 

[Look_Within]

They should not be bathed at all. They are arboreal reptiles so this is totally un natural for them.
You should start reading this husbandry program. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

If you want additional feedback on your cham then it would be best to post pics.

Okay good. I haven't been bathing him because I have never heard anything about giving him a bath, and I'm glad I'm not doing something wrong by not doing that.

Here are pictures of him from both sides. I took them just now. He appears a little grey most of the time, so I just assume that's his relaxed color. However, I also have my doubts about that because I'm not an expert

 

[Beman]

Okay good. I haven't been bathing him because I have never heard anything about giving him a bath, and I'm glad I'm not doing something wrong by not doing that.

Here are pictures of him from both sides. I took them just now. He appears a little grey most of the time, so I just assume that's his relaxed color. However, I also have my doubts about that because I'm not an expert View attachment 287421View attachment 287421View attachment 287422

So he is actually over weight not underweight. You can tell because he is holding so much fat in his casque and his limbs are not lean and muscular. Technically he would be considered obese.

If you fill this out with detail we can give you more feedback. pics of the entire enclosure lights down would be helpful as well.

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.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types 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?
• Placement - 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?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Look_Within]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled and Male. His age was unknown when I got him, but he was definitely not as small as a baby. He has been in my care for a year and a half.
• Handling - Almost never. I like to keep him relaxed and happy- and handling him doesn't keep him happy.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets, occasional roaches, superworms, and- on special occasions- strawberries (because those are his favorite). What amount? Um here recently it's been 5-8 crickets because I thought he was too skinny, along with a superworm. What is the schedule? about two times a week, maybe three. How are you gut-loading your feeders? With a variety of food from blocks of food/water/vitamins to store-bought cricket food.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Zoo Med reptivite and repticalcium. However, I have a horrible memory so my scheduling is slightly off. I have been trying to alternate vitamins and calcium every time I feed him.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? I have a water bowl that I put, just in case he doesn't get enough water. I thoroughly wet all the plants in the terrarium every morning so that they can drip water for him to drink. How often and how long to you mist? I don't time myself, but mist every morning and it lasts a lot longer than a minute. Do you see your chameleon drinking? Not often, but I also don't see him eat (unless I'm feeding him by hand). However, I have seen him in the past actually drink out of his water bowl, even though I thought chams preferred moving water.
• Fecal Description - solid browns. Semi- liquid whites. As far as I am aware, no he hasn't been tested. But he hasn't been around any other reptiles either.
• History - He had surgery on the skin around his left eye (right eye in the picture) because of an abscess that grew on the skin there. Now he sometimes has a little trouble aiming (however, it is definitely not bad enough to prevent him from eating.) He was quite older than a baby when I bought him at a pet store, so I'm not quite sure what he went through before that time. Other than moving to a bigger living space recently, he hasn't had that much history.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - It is a combo of glass and screen. It has one glass front for the door, and the rest of the cage is screened. What are the dimensions? If I remember correctly, is a 24 x 36 in inches
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? ZooMed Reflected basking (100w) and UVB. What is your daily lighting schedule? 5am to 5pm of daylight and warmth
• Temperature - Cage floor: I estimate around 75 ish degrees Farenheit. Midway: 75 sometimes to sometimes 80 degrees. Basking: 80-84 Lowest overnight temp? In the summer: 72-73 degrees. In the winter: 68-71 degrees. How do you measure these temps? I have a thermometer attached to the cage wall Midway up the cage and a digital thermometer stuck where his basking spot is.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Around 55-65 percent. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting, and keeping check through day/week. What do you use to measure humidity? A simplified hydrometer next to my thermometer.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? Yes. I used to have lavender, but I took it out because the basking light was drying it out too much. I have a mysterious plant, but I came to the forums when I got it, and many Chameleon owners recognized it as a safe plant.
• Placement - Where is your cage located? It is located in the corner of my bedroom. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 36 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Southern West Virginia, United States of America.

Current Problem - His weight and color. Are they healthy? If not, what should I do differently?

For some reason the picture I took of the cage will not load.

 

[Flick boy]

You may have to click on the image and resize it smaller to upload it

 

[Look_Within]

I've been thinking of buying a small tree to put in the middle so that he has more spaces to hide. But here are the pictures! I think it was the internet connection.

I

 

[Flick boy]

Yes live plants you may want to add more real branches for climbing as there is a lot of empty space that he could using . Chameleon academy has lots of advise also Neptune the chameleon you tube.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi! Just see a few things in your husbandry. Will be putting my responses in red.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled and Male. His age was unknown when I got him, but he was definitely not as small as a baby. He has been in my care for a year and a half.
• Handling - Almost never. I like to keep him relaxed and happy- and handling him doesn't keep him happy.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets, occasional roaches, superworms, and- on special occasions- strawberries (because those are his favorite). What amount? Um here recently it's been 5-8 crickets because I thought he was too skinny, along with a superworm. What is the schedule? about two times a week, maybe three. How are you gut-loading your feeders? With a variety of food from blocks of food/water/vitamins to store-bought cricket food. Are you feeding him daily or 2-3 times/week? He is overweight, so you’ll need to cut back on his diet. Try giving him about 3 feeders, 3 days a week. Try to avoid superworms as they are fatty. I‘d also skip the strawberry treats. Feed them to your feeders instead. Attaching ‘gutloading‘ sheet.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Zoo Med reptivite and repticalcium. However, I have a horrible memory so my scheduling is slightly off. I have been trying to alternate vitamins and calcium every time I feed him. The Reptivite should be given only one feeding every other week. Does your Reptivite have vitamin D3 in it? If not, then you’ll need to get a phosphorus free calcium with D3 to use one feeding every other week, alternating with the Reptivite. To better remember, put an alert in your phone to remind you or mark it on a calendar.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? I have a water bowl that I put, just in case he doesn't get enough water. I thoroughly wet all the plants in the terrarium every morning so that they can drip water for him to drink. How often and how long to you mist? I don't time myself, but mist every morning and it lasts a lot longer than a minute. Do you see your chameleon drinking? Not often, but I also don't see him eat (unless I'm feeding him by hand). However, I have seen him in the past actually drink out of his water bowl, even though I thought chams preferred moving water. You know I’m going to tell you to get rid of the water bowl. Even though you may have seen him drink from it in the past, it is not a good thing in a chameleon enclosure. It can become a nasty bacterial soup.
• Fecal Description - solid browns. Semi- liquid whites. As far as I am aware, no he hasn't been tested. But he hasn't been around any other reptiles either.
• History - He had surgery on the skin around his left eye (right eye in the picture) because of an abscess that grew on the skin there. I was wondering what was up with that eye. Now he sometimes has a little trouble aiming (however, it is definitely not bad enough to prevent him from eating.) He was quite older than a baby when I bought him at a pet store, so I'm not quite sure what he went through before that time. Other than moving to a bigger living space recently, he hasn't had that much history.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - It is a combo of glass and screen. It has one glass front for the door, and the rest of the cage is screened. What are the dimensions? If I remember correctly, is a 24 x 36 in inches
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? ZooMed Reflected basking (100w) and UVB. I’m assuming this is an all-in-one bulb, which is a mercury vapor bulb. These are most definitely not recommended unless you have a solarmeter to measure uvb output. Currently the best and recommended uvb is a T5 ho fixture with either a 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. I hear this is a great one to use. https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit.html Oops! Just looked at your pic and I see a linear uvb. Is it a T5 or T8 and what strength uvb bulb are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? 5am to 5pm of daylight and warmth
• Temperature - Cage floor: I estimate around 75 ish degrees Farenheit. Midway: 75 sometimes to sometimes 80 degrees. Basking: 80-84 Lowest overnight temp? In the summer: 72-73 degrees. In the winter: 68-71 degrees. How do you measure these temps? I have a thermometer attached to the cage wall Midway up the cage and a digital thermometer stuck where his basking spot is.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Around 55-65 percent. It’s a tad high. Ideal range is between 30-50%. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting, and keeping check through day/week. What do you use to measure humidity? A simplified hydrometer next to my thermometer.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? Yes. I used to have lavender, but I took it out because the basking light was drying it out too much. I have a mysterious plant, but I came to the forums when I got it, and many Chameleon owners recognized it as a safe plant. All I see are artificial plants. As @Flick boy already said, you need live plants and have you the safe plant list. Get rid of all the fake and replace with real. My favorites are pothos and philodendron. Do keep in mind that some of the plants may require an additional grow light. Veiled's eat their plants and have been known to eat a fake leaf and get impacted, which can be fatal or at best, a very expensive vet visit. I hang my fake plants on the outside to provide more sense of privacy. Many more branches and vines for more little chameleon roads. Attaching a pic of one of my enclosures to give you an idea of how one should be. For hanging plants and everything else, these make life so much easier. https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/
• Placement - Where is your cage located? It is located in the corner of my bedroom. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 36 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Southern West Virginia, United States of America.

Current Problem - His weight and color. Are they healthy? If not, what should I do differently? Aside from what has already been mentioned, he looks good. I was concerned about his eye, but you explained that.

For some reason the picture I took of the cage will not load.

 

[Look_Within]

My Questions/Answers will be in blue.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled and Male. His age was unknown when I got him, but he was definitely not as small as a baby. He has been in my care for a year and a half.
• Handling - Almost never. I like to keep him relaxed and happy- and handling him doesn't keep him happy.
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets, occasional roaches, superworms, and- on special occasions- strawberries (because those are his favorite). What amount? Um here recently it's been 5-8 crickets because I thought he was too skinny, along with a superworm. What is the schedule? about two times a week, maybe three. How are you gut-loading your feeders? With a variety of food from blocks of food/water/vitamins to store-bought cricket food. Are you feeding him daily or 2-3 times/week? He is overweight, so you’ll need to cut back on his diet. Try giving him about 3 feeders, 3 days a week. Try to avoid superworms as they are fatty. I‘d also skip the strawberry treats. Feed them to your feeders instead. Attaching ‘gutloading‘ sheet.
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Zoo Med reptivite and repticalcium. However, I have a horrible memory so my scheduling is slightly off. I have been trying to alternate vitamins and calcium every time I feed him. The Reptivite should be given only one feeding every other week. Does your Reptivite have vitamin D3 in it? If not, then you’ll need to get a phosphorus free calcium with D3 to use one feeding every other week, alternating with the Reptivite. To better remember, put an alert in your phone to remind you or mark it on a calendar.
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? I have a water bowl that I put, just in case he doesn't get enough water. I thoroughly wet all the plants in the terrarium every morning so that they can drip water for him to drink. How often and how long to you mist? I don't time myself, but mist every morning and it lasts a lot longer than a minute. Do you see your chameleon drinking? Not often, but I also don't see him eat (unless I'm feeding him by hand). However, I have seen him in the past actually drink out of his water bowl, even though I thought chams preferred moving water. You know I’m going to tell you to get rid of the water bowl. Even though you may have seen him drink from it in the past, it is not a good thing in a chameleon enclosure. It can become a nasty bacterial soup. What if the water bowl is cleaned and replenished every week?
• Fecal Description - solid browns. Semi- liquid whites. As far as I am aware, no he hasn't been tested. But he hasn't been around any other reptiles either.
• History - He had surgery on the skin around his left eye (right eye in the picture) because of an abscess that grew on the skin there. I was wondering what was up with that eye. Now he sometimes has a little trouble aiming (however, it is definitely not bad enough to prevent him from eating.) He was quite older than a baby when I bought him at a pet store, so I'm not quite sure what he went through before that time. Other than moving to a bigger living space recently, he hasn't had that much history.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - It is a combo of glass and screen. It has one glass front for the door, and the rest of the cage is screened. What are the dimensions? If I remember correctly, is a 24 x 36 in inches
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? ZooMed Reflected basking (100w) and UVB. I’m assuming this is an all-in-one bulb, which is a mercury vapor bulb. These are most definitely not recommended unless you have a solarmeter to measure uvb output. Currently the best and recommended uvb is a T5 ho fixture with either a 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. I hear this is a great one to use. https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit.html Oops! Just looked at your pic and I see a linear uvb. Is it a T5 or T8 and what strength uvb bulb are you using? Um, I don't remember...But it's about time I got him a new bulb. What would be the recommended uvb light? What is your daily lighting schedule? 5am to 5pm of daylight and warmth
• Temperature - Cage floor: I estimate around 75 ish degrees Farenheit. Midway: 75 sometimes to sometimes 80 degrees. Basking: 80-84 Lowest overnight temp? In the summer: 72-73 degrees. In the winter: 68-71 degrees. How do you measure these temps? I have a thermometer attached to the cage wall Midway up the cage and a digital thermometer stuck where his basking spot is.
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Around 55-65 percent. It’s a tad high. Ideal range is between 30-50%. How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Misting, and keeping check through day/week. What do you use to measure humidity? A simplified hydrometer next to my thermometer.
• Plants - Are you using live plants? Yes. I used to have lavender, but I took it out because the basking light was drying it out too much. I have a mysterious plant, but I came to the forums when I got it, and many Chameleon owners recognized it as a safe plant. All I see are artificial plants. As @Flick boy already said, you need live plants and have you the safe plant list. Get rid of all the fake and replace with real. My favorites are pothos and philodendron. Do keep in mind that some of the plants may require an additional grow light. Veiled's eat their plants and have been known to eat a fake leaf and get impacted, which can be fatal or at best, a very expensive vet visit. I hang my fake plants on the outside to provide more sense of privacy. Many more branches and vines for more little chameleon roads. Attaching a pic of one of my enclosures to give you an idea of how one should be. For hanging plants and everything else, these make life so much easier. The real plant is in the back right corner in a little green bucket with a Frankenstein face on it. And yeah I understand the need for real plants, but I'm not quite sure where to get a tropical plant in my area. Do you know of any sites I could order one?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? It is located in the corner of my bedroom. Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 36 inches
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Southern West Virginia, United States of America.

Current Problem - His weight and color. Are they healthy? If not, what should I do differently? Aside from what has already been mentioned, he looks good. I was concerned about his eye, but you explained that. Yeah, Thank you so much for the advice! I don't know anybody nearby or personally who are reptile lovers, so I have just been fumbling through the process of caring for this lizard. But I love him so much, and I will definitely heed to your tips! Thanks!

For some reason the picture I took of the cage will not load.

 

[MissSkittles]

In order to buy a new bulb, you’ll need to know if it’s a T5 or a T8. If memory serves, a T5 is 1/2” wide and a T8 is 1”. Arcadia 6% would be a better replacement as they only need to be replaced every year, vs every 6 months for ReptiSun.
You can get nice plants from Lowe’s and Home Depot. Many of the house plants like the pothos and philodendron are usually kept inside the store and not in the garden center. I’m in Florida, so can’t be of much help on where to buy on line. There were a couple of plants that I couldn’t find locally and ordered off of Amazon and eBay. Check with your friends and family if they have any pothos, philodendron or wandering Jew that you can get some clippings from. All start super easy...stick in a glass of water for a couple of weeks until you see some root growth and then plant them. If you provide much more plant density, you won’t need the water bowl. There’ll be plenty of big leaves for your guy to drink from. I’ve still gotta say no to the water bowl. Let’s say you just sanitized it and filled it. A stray cricket hops thru your cham’s poo and then goes for a drink, most likely drowning in the process. Stray water dripping down branches that have poo on them and landing in the water bowl. The risks are just way greater than the benefit.
I know exactly how it is... I don’t have any reptile keepers in my circle of friends & family. You’ve done pretty good though. A great source for learning everything you could possibly want and more is https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-basics/ Besides the website, there are amazing podcasts. Another great source is Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube. She has a video for just about everything and is always adding more.
Hope this has been of some help.

 

[Look_Within]

In order to buy a new bulb, you’ll need to know if it’s a T5 or a T8. If memory serves, a T5 is 1/2” wide and a T8 is 1”. Arcadia 6% would be a better replacement as they only need to be replaced every year, vs every 6 months for ReptiSun.
You can get nice plants from Lowe’s and Home Depot. Many of the house plants like the pothos and philodendron are usually kept inside the store and not in the garden center. I’m in Florida, so can’t be of much help on where to buy on line. There were a couple of plants that I couldn’t find locally and ordered off of Amazon and eBay. Check with your friends and family if they have any pothos, philodendron or wandering Jew that you can get some clippings from. All start super easy...stick in a glass of water for a couple of weeks until you see some root growth and then plant them. If you provide much more plant density, you won’t need the water bowl. There’ll be plenty of big leaves for your guy to drink from. I’ve still gotta say no to the water bowl. Let’s say you just sanitized it and filled it. A stray cricket hops thru your cham’s poo and then goes for a drink, most likely drowning in the process. Stray water dripping down branches that have poo on them and landing in the water bowl. The risks are just way greater than the benefit.
I know exactly how it is... I don’t have any reptile keepers in my circle of friends & family. You’ve done pretty good though. A great source for learning everything you could possibly want and more is https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-basics/ Besides the website, there are amazing podcasts. Another great source is Neptune the Chameleon on YouTube. She has a video for just about everything and is always adding more.
Hope this has been of some help.

This has been great help! Thank you so much!