Female veiled with broken ribs?

[NashansCamos]

I think my chameleons ribs broke about 2 months ago. She took a nasty fall from from her free range about 4 feet and landed on her side. We picked her up and checked her over and she looked fine. But in the last week, Ive noticed bumps on her side. Even after she fell, EVERYTHING was normal. She ate fine, She climbed fine, ect.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Female veiled - about 2yrs old, had her for aprox 1.5 yrs
• Handling - Daily. We take her outside as much as we can and she's always been fine with handling.
• Feeding - She used to eat only locusts but now she has a varied diet - locusts, silkworms, dubias and sometimes waxworms gut-loaded with kale, lettuce, and bok choy. I would say she eats about 4-6 bugs a day
• Supplements - Vetark calci dust without d3 every feeding and multivitamin with d3 every other sunday
• Watering - She gets misted about 2-4 times a day for like 2mins. She never used to drink but she now does.
• Fecal Description - normal. dark brown poop about 2 inches long and a whiteish urate
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. - she's never had any health problems before and has laid 5 clutches.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - glass with screen top- exoterra- 24" by 24" by 36" - she has a free range tree connected to her cage by a vine.
• Lighting - 75 watt i think and a 24" T5ho linear fixture
• Temperature - her basking spot is about 90 degrees
• Humidity - about 30-45% normally but when misted it spikes 80-90%
• Plants - She has corn plants and ficus. I've seen her taking bites out of the corn plants
• Placement - In the kitchen/living room- by a door and pretty high traffic but never shown any defensive behaviours towards humans.
• Location - uk

Current Problem - see above^^^

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Please Note:

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

 

[kinyonga]

Does she have a UVB light?
How heavily do you dust the insects with the calcium?

 

[NashansCamos]

Does she have a UVB light?
How heavily do you dust the insects with the calcium?

Yeah up there I said a t5ho linear fixture. for the calcium just a little bit. Not a lot so they looked like they've been doused in powdered sugar but like you can faintly see the white. For the free range we have a uvb for her but we usually don't use it and instead put the tree outside(theres enough rope go get outside) I really want like a permanent uvb for her free range but we have now way to angle it or stand it up.

 

[NashansCamos]

Does she need vet care?
Or do I just have to be gentle and maybe give her extra calcium and it'll heal on it's own?

 

[jacksonchamnew]

I can see how this can happen. Mine jumped 2 foot to the ground the first time I had him out of cage.

 

[NashansCamos]

Anybody know if she needs vet or if she'll be ok?

 

[GoodKarma19]

If she's acting otherwise normally, I'd just keep an eye on her. If the bumps worsen or she starts acting outside her usual, then I'd consider taking her to the vet. There's not much that can be done for rib injuries anyway, other than pain control (likely Metacam).

 

[Beman]

@NashansCamos So she very well could have broken ribs... You had her under compacts and just switched her to the T5. So her bones could have been weaker and easier to break. I agree with @GoodKarma19

90 degrees is a very hot basking for a female. How many eggs is she laying?

 

[GoodKarma19]

90 degrees is a very hot basking for a female.

I agree - my girl is kept at 79-82F (varies by current room temp).

 

[NashansCamos]

@NashansCamos So she very well could have broken ribs... You had her under compacts and just switched her to the T5. So her bones could have been weaker and easier to break. I agree with @GoodKarma19

90 degrees is a very hot basking for a female. How many eggs is she laying?

It varies between 80-90- when i checked it was 88. I think it's hotter because its a glass cage. She lays about 50 eggs per clutch

 

[Beman]

It varies between 80-90- when i checked it was 88. I think it's hotter because its a glass cage. She lays about 50 eggs per clutch

Yeah that is a lot of eggs. You can make it easier on her by keeping basking at 80 along with making sure your doing reduced feedings. Others have had good success with this lower basking temp and feeding 3-4 feeders 3 days a week.

 

[NashansCamos]

Yeah that is a lot of eggs. You can make it easier on her by keeping basking at 80 along with making sure your doing reduced feedings. Others have had good success with this lower basking temp and feeding 3-4 feeders 3 days a week.

k i moved her basking stick 10 inches below the top and the temp shot down to 80. Should it be the same for my panther? his is about 78 and his stick is 10 " below as well. its lower because his cage is screen.

 

[Beman]

k i moved her basking stick 10 inches below the top and the temp shot down to 80. Should it be the same for my panther? his is about 78 and his stick is 10 " below as well. its lower because his cage is screen.

Males can be kept warmer. Females they just drop the temp because higher temps and more food make bigger clutches which is harder on the cham and riskier for their health. Just do not drop the basking branch any more then 10 inches. Because she needs to be at that 9-10 inch mark for the correct UVB levels.

If your male is happy with 80 then that is fine. They can be kept in the 85ish range as well. But if he is happy at 80 no need to change it.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

It seems to me that if she fell months ago and she is just now showing signs of "bumps" on her side, it is likely NOT broken ribs. Is it possible that she has eggs? I do not see a lay bin in her enclosure. Maybe @Beman, @kinyonga, or @jannb, can shed some additional light on this.

 

[Beman]

It seems to me that if she fell months ago and she is just now showing signs of "bumps" on her side, it is likely NOT broken ribs. Is it possible that she has eggs? I do not see a lay bin in her enclosure. Maybe @Beman, @kinyonga, or @jannb, can shed some additional light on this.

Would not be eggs with where the bumps are IMO.

 

[NashansCamos]

It seems to me that if she fell months ago and she is just now showing signs of "bumps" on her side, it is likely NOT broken ribs. Is it possible that she has eggs? I do not see a lay bin in her enclosure. Maybe @Beman, @kinyonga, or @jannb, can shed some additional light on this.

We put in a lay bin when we know she wants to lay. I'm not sure about the ribs though

 

[Beman]

possible if the bumps are indeed from the fall and a break that they are the result of the bones mending back together. I know in humans it can take a few months for ribs that break to mend. Now typically this does not leave a visible spot showing the fusion of the two pieces but maybe in reptiles this differs. Or maybe when they started to heal the allignment of the broken pieces was off leaving a visible bump.Not sure. Outside my area of expertise and I am taking logical guesses right now. I know with the correct lighting it will make her bones stronger. Hopefully having the T5 now this will help her heal.

 

[NashansCamos]

possible if the bumps are indeed from the fall and a break that they are the result of the bones mending back together. I know in humans it can take a few months for ribs that break to mend. Now typically this does not leave a visible spot showing the fusion of the two pieces but maybe in reptiles this differs. Or maybe when they started to heal the allignment of the broken pieces was off leaving a visible bump.Not sure. Outside my area of expertise and I am taking logical guesses right now. I know with the correct lighting it will make her bones stronger. Hopefully having the T5 now this will help her heal.

Should I give her more or less food? I was thinking more because that would mean more calcium.

 

[Beman]

Should I give her more or less food? I was thinking more because that would mean more calcium.

More food means more eggs too and being as how she was under compact bulbs and suffered an injury I would be worried about her not successfully laying. I would stick to 3-4 well gutloaded feeders 3 days a week with her basking at 80. As long as your supplementation is correct then it should be good IMO.

 

[Chameleomom]

Ever thought of putting plants and sticks inside her cage? Laying bin at the bottom