Fat girl!

[chamlover]

I have a female veiled that a couple of months ago laid 53 eggs. Because of that i wanted to make sure she got back to tip-top shape. I was feeding her approx 4 3/4" crickets a day and boy she has gotton so fat. She looks like a rolly polly. At first i didn't want to cut back too much on her food because i thought she might be having a second clutch. I am pretty sure she is not gravid, i don't feel any eggs and she is sooo fat i would surely feel something. She weighs 150 grams. We are talking porker. What is the best way to make her lose weight without her getting sick? Also there is still time for her to be producing a second clutch. Should i wait and make sure before i do anything? I talked to her about going to the gym, but she says she is just too tired from climbing up and down all day. lol. She does have a big cage and i always free-range her dinner so she has to hunt them down, which she does. She does move around all the time so it has to be the amount of food. Or could it be something else. I have had her for over a year and never has she been like this. Do chams have thyroid problems?

Debby


Debby

 

[Julirs]

My first thought would be that she is going to lay another clutch-my Veiled did about
3 months after the first and never showed gravid coloring. My second thought is that since it does not seem like you are overfeeding her that she may have some kind of edema. Have any pics?

 

[chamlover]

i will get some. I thought edema was mainly in the throat area. You might be right though, she is way too big for just being gravid. I will go get pics now.

Debby

 

[chamlover]

Finally got her all pissed up and off her favorite branch so i could take some pics then i forgot how to get them loaded. Sorry it took me so long. She doesnt look as rolly polly as normal cuz she is all defensive. When she sit regular you can count the rolls. As you can see there is no swelling of the gular region.
My supplementation regiment is: calcium w/o d3, m,w,f on couple of crickets. Calcium w/d3 2 x month. Vitamins and minerals 2x month.
The cricket, roaches, and worms are all fed about the same with plenty of greens, carrots 1 or 2 x week, occasional sweet potato, and assorted vegies and fruits. I also supplement their foods with calcium w/o d3 everyother feeding and w/d3 2 x month and vitamins 2 x month. Do you still think it is edema? If so, my vet is gone until Tuesday but i just found out about another one in our area that i might be able to get to before than. What do ya think?

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/dswiechowicz/100_0784.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/dswiechowicz/100_0786.jpg

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/dswiechowicz/100_0783.jpg

 

[Julirs]

She looks like my girl-she just may be a very big chameleon. I don't see edema in the pics-she does not look swollen. I would just keep an egg laying container in with her and continue what you are doing!

 

[chamlover]

Thanks Julirs. I will watch her and i always keep an egg-laying bin in each of my females cages just in case they catch me by surprise. Learned that the hard way.

Debby

 

[BocaJan]

Do you have a pic of what an egg laying bin should look like? I hear it talked about all the time but have never seen one. Thanks.

 

[Julirs]

I have used these with good success. The flower pot is 11" accross and 10" deep.

 

[Julirs]

After seeing this picture I am going to go buy a new grill!

 

[BocaJan]

Thanks Julirs. Big buckets!

 

[AFH]

I agree with Julirs. Doesn't look like edema, and she looks big, but not too fat. I would bet she's carrying a second clutch.

Nice coloring, too!

 

[Kat77]

She's cute! Her pudgyness is endearing. Maybe she just has the "after pregnancy" weight....

 

[Nicodemayo]

I am in the same boat as you right now. My female laid 55 eggs on april 10th and after she laid she recovered very quickly and stayed pretty skinny for a good month after she laid. She was showing gravid coloration from the day after she laid until now though. In the past couple weeks she has fattened up bigtime so i think she was holding some sperm and didnt develop the 2nd clutch right away. Shes eating like a pig and as of yesterday weighed 168g, 8g more than she weighed before he laid on the 10th. She is massive. Shes still has a huge appetite but hasnt been exploring the cage like its laying time. I palpated her and i think the eggs are there but I think they are beginning to calcify. My vet told me females develop the eggs and theyre normal size and shape and then they will calcify and the shells will form, and then they lay. She has slight gular edema which she had when she was gravid with the first clutch so i think this is another indication. Some females tend to form it while gravid even though my supp schedule is on lock. Last time, i even cut supps out almost all the way and relied on the gut load but it still was there until she laid. It was no existent literally 2 days after she laid.

 

[chamlover]

Thanks for the LOL kat77. I never thought of that.

Debby