Foot Infection...I think

lmorrow

New Member
Aloha All,

I am a knew Jackson Chameleon owner. Upon getting my cham, about two weeks ago, I noticed some of his toenails were missing. One of his toes seems to be infected, only one toe is swollen (the other half of his foot is normal size). I noticed the irritation about 3 days ago and decided to keep an eye on it, but the swelling has not gone down. I scheduled an exotic vet appointment but they are not able to get him in until Thursday Oct. 18th. He is still active in his cage and eats frequently (around 4-7 medium sized crickets a day, and then 2 meal worms a day). His feces looks normal and he is hydrated. The max temperature of his cage is 85 degree F and humidity ranges from 50-70 (I have a humidifier). He still shows his bright colors, but I have noticed him closing one of his eyes more frequently when he hunts...is this normal? His infected toe also shakes when he moves that foot, but he still grasps onto branches and uses it frequently. My main question is what can I do for him in the mean time before the vet visit? I don't want my little guy to be stressed:(
 
Could you post a pic of his enclosure and feet, and fill out the form in my signature below, please? Have you read the jacksons care sheet here?
 
Aloha All,

I am a knew Jackson Chameleon owner. Upon getting my cham, about two weeks ago, I noticed some of his toenails were missing. One of his toes seems to be infected, only one toe is swollen (the other half of his foot is normal size). I noticed the irritation about 3 days ago and decided to keep an eye on it, but the swelling has not gone down. I scheduled an exotic vet appointment but they are not able to get him in until Thursday Oct. 18th. He is still active in his cage and eats frequently (around 4-7 medium sized crickets a day, and then 2 meal worms a day). His feces looks normal and he is hydrated. The max temperature of his cage is 85 degree F and humidity ranges from 50-70 (I have a humidifier). He still shows his bright colors, but I have noticed him closing one of his eyes more frequently when he hunts...is this normal? His infected toe also shakes when he moves that foot, but he still grasps onto branches and uses it frequently. My main question is what can I do for him in the mean time before the vet visit? I don't want my little guy to be stressed:(
 

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Could you post a pic of his enclosure and feet, and fill out the form in my signature below, please? Have you read the jacksons care sheet here?

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Jackson Chameleon, male, age unknown, In my care for 2 weeks.
  • Handling - I try not to handle him, especially now with his toe! but he does like to come out of his cage and explore.
  • Feeding - His main diet now is crickets. He eats about 4-7 medium size per day, I feed him in the morning along with two mealworms a day. I've been feeding the crickets fish food, about twice per day. The meal worms munch on baby carrots.
  • Supplements - No supplements as of now, this might change after the vet visit
  • Watering - I use a humidifier twice daily for about 5-10 min. I haven't observed him drinking, but his feces look normal...according to Poop 101.
  • Fecal Description - His feces are dark brown/black solid pelets and then white and calcified. He has not been tested for parasites to my knowledge.
  • History - I wish I had more info.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - I have a screen cage, not sure of the dimentions, i can measure when I get home.
  • Lighting -One basking light and one UVB light. They are on by 7am and get turned of around 6:30 pm.
  • Temperature - the maximum temp during the day is 85 degree F, he has multiple levels he can bask at. Lowest overnight temp is 75 degree F. I have temp and humidity gauges.
  • Humidity - Humidity ranges from 50-70. I have a humidifier on twice a day for 5 min. Once in the morning when the lights go on, and once in the evening.
  • Plants - I have a live spider plant, and then fake foliage.
  • Placement - The cage is in my room, away from foot traffic, I have one fan in my room that circulates all day. The top of the cage is around 5 ft from the floor. Bedroom windows left open for fresh air.
  • Location - Oahu, Hawaii
 
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Jackson Chameleon, male, age unknown, In my care for 2 weeks.
  • Handling - I try not to handle him, especially now with his toe! but he does like to come out of his cage and explore.
  • Feeding - His main diet now is crickets. He eats about 4-7 medium size per day, I feed him in the morning along with two mealworms a day. I've been feeding the crickets fish food, about twice per day. The meal worms munch on baby carrots.
  • Supplements - No supplements as of now, this might change after the vet visit
  • Watering - I use a humidifier twice daily for about 5-10 min. I haven't observed him drinking, but his feces look normal...according to Poop 101.
  • Fecal Description - His feces are dark brown/black solid pelets and then white and calcified. He has not been tested for parasites to my knowledge.
  • History - I wish I had more info.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - I have a screen cage, not sure of the dimentions, i can measure when I get home.
  • Lighting -One basking light and one UVB light. They are on by 7am and get turned of around 6:30 pm.
  • Temperature - the maximum temp during the day is 85 degree F, he has multiple levels he can bask at. Lowest overnight temp is 75 degree F. I have temp and humidity gauges.
  • Humidity - Humidity ranges from 50-70. I have a humidifier on twice a day for 5 min. Once in the morning when the lights go on, and once in the evening.
  • Plants - I have a live spider plant, and then fake foliage.
  • Placement - The cage is in my room, away from foot traffic, I have one fan in my room that circulates all day. The top of the cage is around 5 ft from the floor. Bedroom windows left open for fresh air.
  • Location - Oahu, Hawaii
You NEED to gutloaad with either fresh fruits and veggies and/or a commercial gutload like Cricket Crack, no fish flakes! Don't feed mealworms as a staple! Are you misting him? He needs supplementing! I'm not sure on the amount because jacksons need less. The low humidity is a tad low. I would turn off the fan and/or shut the window. I'm sure someone else with more experience with jacksons will chime in to help, too. Have you read the jacksons care sheet here?
 
You NEED to gutloaad with either fresh fruits and veggies and/or a commercial gutload like Cricket Crack, no fish flakes! Don't feed mealworms as a staple! Are you misting him? He needs supplementing! I'm not sure on the amount because jacksons need less. The low humidity is a tad low. I would turn off the fan and/or shut the window. I'm sure someone else with more experience with jacksons will chime in to help, too. Have you read the jacksons care sheet here?
I do not mist him...should I even with the humidifier? The leaves accumulate droplets of water. Thank you for the info on the fish flakes!!! I will change that immediately. I am not seeing the link to the care sheet, I'm not sure if I've read it or not.
 
Since you are in Hawaii I'm not as concerned about your humidity but misting and dripping will be of more benefit for your cham than a fogger. This will give him the opportunity to drink and clean his eyes.
Care sheet https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/ and http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulManchen.html
Supplement schedule "Feeder insects should be lightly dusted with powdered supplement before being fed to your chameleon. As a montane species (native to higher altitudes) Jackson's have decreased supplementation requirements compared to tropical species due to metabolism differences. Use calcium (without D3 or phosphorus) twice a week, a multivitamin once a month, and calcium with D3 once a month."
 
Since you are in Hawaii I'm not as concerned about your humidity but misting and dripping will be of more benefit for your cham than a fogger. This will give him the opportunity to drink and clean his eyes.
Care sheet https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/ and http://www.chameleonnews.com/10JulManchen.html
Supplement schedule "Feeder insects should be lightly dusted with powdered supplement before being fed to your chameleon. As a montane species (native to higher altitudes) Jackson's have decreased supplementation requirements compared to tropical species due to metabolism differences. Use calcium (without D3 or phosphorus) twice a week, a multivitamin once a month, and calcium with D3 once a month."
Thank you so much guys!! I feel like I've been researching so much, but so many sites completely contradict each other! One more question on feeding... Is it okay that his main food source is crickets or should I offer a different bug as a staple? I read that mealworms are okay, but should I not be feeding him those everyday and use them like a special treat instead? He only gets one to two a day.
 
I would feed supers less than daily and never more than one or two at a time. They are like crack. Dubia roaches and silkworms are good staples. I don't know what you have available on the island. I know a lot of things are prohibited. If you feed a lot of crickets you have to get a calcium supplement routine going pronto because they are high in phosphorus that can pull calcium out of the bones just like soda does for us.
 
Thank you so much guys!! I feel like I've been researching so much, but so many sites completely contradict each other! One more question on feeding... Is it okay that his main food source is crickets or should I offer a different bug as a staple? I read that mealworms are okay, but should I not be feeding him those everyday and use them like a special treat instead? He only gets one to two a day.
I should clarify.. I know crickets are okay, should I add an additional staple to offer more variety of nutrients?
 
I would feed supers less than daily and never more than one or two at a time. They are like crack. Dubia roaches and silkworms are good staples. I don't know what you have available on the island. I know a lot of things are prohibited. If you feed a lot of crickets you have to get a calcium supplement routine going pronto because they are high in phosphorus that can pull calcium out of the bones just like soda does for us.
I am on my way to pick up supplements now, do you recommend specific brands? From what I understand I should get Calcium with D3, without D3 and phosphorous, and a multivitamin.
 
Yep, you're on the right track! As for your choice of feeders, it's always better to have variety. Good for your cham and helps prevent hunger strikes sometimes. In addition to crickets you could use silkworms, black soldier fly larvae/black soldier flies, roaches (although maybe they aren't legal in Hawaii..), etc.

Oh and no mealworms btw! Mealworms are difficult to digest and offer nothing in terms of nutrition. They can cause impaction, so better to avoid them entirely (y)
 
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