fischer's chameleon

[salogma]

hey there,

i'm currently rehabilitating an abandoned fischer's chameleon. while I've taken care of chameleons before (never owned one; I work with reptiles), i'm not familiar with fischer's at all. I have no history of this particular chameleon, but he did have an abscess and recently had surgery to repair it. he has metabolic bone disease (belly hugging, one of his legs is bended a little weird, etc). he is currently 47 grams.

my main question is what should his weight be? and does anyone recommend a particular care sheet to follow?

currently his humidity is roughly 50% (I only use a very cheap hydrometer dial, I will be buying a better one soon). the basking spot is at 89 degrees currently, cool spot is 75, and he is currently in a spot that's 80 degrees. I offer 12+ crickets daily and dust half of them with calcium and vitamin D3. I mist twice a day. I see him hunt and eat and drink often, and his colour is going normal (he is now yellowy, and his tail and feet are going green. when I received him, he was dark brown).

thank you for reading

 

[kinyonga]

If the MBD wasn't corrected then you need to get his bones strong again by giving him some liquid calcium Sandoz or gluconate until they are strong again. This is in addition to his regular supplement schedule and appropriate temperatures to aid in digestion, proper UVB for vitamin D3 production and proper feeding/gutloading of the insects.

Your temperatures look okay.
Appriopriate supplementing recommended is to dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder, twice a month lightly with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A.

Insects such as crickets, roaches, locusts and superworms can be fed a wide assortment of greens and veggies such as dandelions, collards, kale, endive, escarole, mustard greens, carrots, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini. etc.

Sorry I can't tell you a weight...I go by looks....tail rounded, body round but not fat.

Regarding the infection...was he put on antibiotics? Where was the abcess? Keep an eye on it that it doesn't return.