Guido is constipated!

[Chameleons Northwest]

I just took a good look at that picture of him in May. I know time has passed, but going by that picture, he seems very overweight - and, it appears that his eye is swollen out quite a bit more than normal.

A combination of overfeeding and a vitamin imblance is a likely cause. When their eyes swell, it's often vitamin A. Either too much or too little (gotta love the way this works, eh?).

What supplements are you using, how often, how much? And, what are you feeding your insects? Some commercial gutloads contain ingredients that may cause such a problem with the eyes.

Thank you for writing.

Guido was getting his superworms dusted with Miner-all (I) about twice a week. I would lightly dust the worms (usually 3 depending on size) and then tamp them a bit to knock all but a light powder off of them. The superworms were fed dark leafy greens and potato. Guido liked the huge ones, the ones that were fat enough to where when he bit into them the fat would gush out the sides. The skinnier worms he would disdain. Now I realize, if I let him get hungry enough he would have eaten the skinnier ones. But a diet of exclusively superworms was probably not the best anyway. He is now getting crickets. Today he weighs 230kg, he has lost 20kg since Dave W. had us decrease his diet in May.

He lives in our homeoffice, in a large bay window, on a large set of miniblinds, with plants surrounding. There are vines stretching out from the baywindow, along one wall of the office. So, exersize is not a prob. He's free to walk about.

He gets misted with a spray bottle, and showered nearly everyday, and drinks from the spray bottle, as well.

We installed special, untreated, glass in the window, so he would get more full-spectrum. He also has his UV light and basking lamp, which he goes to throughout the day.

The doctor is sending us his bloodwork results, which we will post on the forum. Sandy

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Woah - 230 grams. How long is he? My big male (17") weighs around 150 grams. He's a bit less than that now, since he's old and recovering from a near-death experience (I kept him outdoors for a few weeks, and he just went downhill for a while).

It's esentially impossible to give a good weight for a chameleon going by age and length. You have to see his body condition for yourself, and go by that. Some have heavier frames, some are more gracile, some seem to have more muscle, etc. Just make sure the meat isn't bulging out of his casque, and that the base of his tail is muscle, not fat (nor bones and connective tissue!)

He looks really nice. How much was that glass to allow for UVB penetration, by the way?

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Woah - 230 grams. How long is he? My big male (17") weighs around 150 grams. He's a bit less than that now, since he's old and recovering from a near-death experience (I kept him outdoors for a few weeks, and he just went downhill for a while).

It's esentially impossible to give a good weight for a chameleon going by age and length. You have to see his body condition for yourself, and go by that. Some have heavier frames, some are more gracile, some seem to have more muscle, etc. Just make sure the meat isn't bulging out of his casque, and that the base of his tail is muscle, not fat (nor bones and connective tissue!)

He looks really nice. How much was that glass to allow for UVB penetration, by the way?

Here are 3 photos of him. The bottom photo was from May, when he weighed 250kg. (his eye looks sunken in that photo- because he drew it in when I leaned in to take the photo). The top photo is from today and shows his casque and also the base of his tail. I think his casque is still way too meaty, but better than in may. I am hoping the diet of crickets helps bring that down. He's only about 15" long, but very beefy, with chunky legs, too.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Wow!
It's good that you are taking a different approach to controlling his diet.
I don't think I've ever seen a veiled that ...well....fat.
Speaking of course about the May picture.
Still...he looks healthy, and I'll bet he feels better a little trimmed down.
What a load his head was to carry around!
Good work recently....you've proven yourselves to be good chameleon parents and he will benefit from the modified regimen.

-Brad

 

[Eric Adrignola]

That, I believe, is not all fat. He's definately obese, especially in May, but it's not all fat.

the swelling is often seen with fat chameleons, but much of it is probably a buildup of fluids. They built up due to the condition he was in, and probably because of an imbalance of vitamins and other body chemicals. That's why he's had such a dramatic loss - it was likely fluid loss.

I must say, I've never seen such a dramatic turnaround wiht a chamelen so swollen and fat. Excellent job you've done.

Regardless, be careful about limiting his food. Do not put him on a starvation diet, as reptiles dont' respond the way mammals do. If you take a reptile, and put it on a diet, they start storing fat in their livers. In nature, this helps them cope with lean times (when they'd be starving in nature). In captivity, they could be fatter than they're "Designed" to be, and their natural adaptation to harsh conditions will excscerbate the problem - make their fatty liver even fattier.

So you have to go wiht low-calorie, low-fat food. Feed him only a few items every other day or so, but feed him at least every other day.

In fact, now would be an excellent time to feed him greens and flowers. Grab some hibiscus while they're cheap, and feed him the blossoms. I'd avoid fruit, as the sugar is probably the last thing he needs in his condition. Try to get him to eat fresh greens. Get him to eat a bug, and shove some in. He'll start to eat them on his own soon enough.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Thank you for the input. Sounds like a plan. Our vegetable garden is right outside his window. We've got some nice leaf lettuce for him. I can slip it in while he's munching on a cricket. He ate 4 crickets yesterday, and one today. He's been on an every other day eating schedule since May. I'll put him back on the every other day schedule again tomorrow. Sandy

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

He looks really nice. How much was that glass to allow for UVB penetration, by the way?

The window glass didn't cost any extra. In Washington State, builders are required to put "LOW E" glass in all residential windows. Low E glass is treated to prohibit UV rays from passing through to the interior of the house. My husband is a general contractor, and so he ordered the bay window from his supplier with the plain clear glass. We do still use one of the recommended UV lights in GUido's habitat because even clear windows inhibit some spectrums.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

I think you'll find that unless the window was made specifically to permit UVB to pass (greenhouse or zoo applications) then it is likely that it filters-out almost all of the UVB spectrum, Low-E or not. UVA will usually pass through regular glass. I think glass that is made to allow UVB might be made out of (or at least has a very high content) quartz. Our UVB tubes are quartz glass rather than silica-based glass. I think Low-E glass goes beyond the normal ability of silica glass to block UVB and also blocks UVA. For fun, I'll have to try my UVB meter on some older glass rather than the 20 yr-old window glass in my house to see if there is any difference .

Glad that you are still using a UVB tube .

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I thought it allowed more penetration than that. So, it's good that his habitat does include the UV bulb. His heat lamp and UVB are both mounted in the ceiling of the bay window. They turn on with a timer at 7AM and off at 7PM. The UV bulb was last replaced in May, so we're do for another, I think, in October. Thanks. Sandy

 

[elise]

Vets Answer

I just went to the vet with my veiled cham. She had some sand in her tummy. The vet told me to give her canned pumpkin (not the pumpkin pie mix). My girl won't eat any veggies so she said to give it to her with a siringe when she opens her mouth. The pumpkin is like fiber and will help the 'movements'.

 

[nikki]

Bongo has the same problem

Did you ever get a definitive answer on what was going on with Guido. I ask because my one year old Cham, Bongo, has stopped pooping and now only goes when I give him a bath. This has been going on for the last couple of months now and the first time it happened he passed a plug very similar to the one in your picture.

Just prior to the problem we took Bongo to the vet for a check up and he was given a clean bill of health as a very lively hydrated cham, his behaviour and husbandry hasn't changed. We've tried increasing his salad, misting, dripping, temperature but nothing (except the baths) seem to make any difference. When he poops now they are HUGE and I'd really like to help the little guy out - any advice and suggestions much appreciated

if anyone can tell me how to I'll post a picture of my handsome lad

 

[guarn78]

constipated chameleon

Hi,
Canned pears? In light or heavy syrup? Why not fresh peeled pears?
Also could you please tell me what a smegma plug is. Have tried the pedialite for a week now with no results. I will also try the warm showers. I tried a bath but he got stressed. I will try changing his food for a while too,. He was eating crickets, calcified everyother time and sometimes huge meal worms. Any other suggestions regarding what to eat besides silk worms?

 

[leid]

Hi,
Canned pears? In light or heavy syrup? Why not fresh peeled pears?
Also could you please tell me what a smegma plug is. Have tried the pedialite for a week now with no results. I will also try the warm showers. I tried a bath but he got stressed. I will try changing his food for a while too,. He was eating crickets, calcified everyother time and sometimes huge meal worms. Any other suggestions regarding what to eat besides silk worms?

That might be your problem right there. DO NOT feed your chameleon giant mealworms. The chitin that composes their exoskeletons constipate your cham. instead of mealworms, try superworms. Much healthier.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Hi,
Canned pears? In light or heavy syrup? Why not fresh peeled pears?
Also could you please tell me what a smegma plug is. Have tried the pedialite for a week now with no results. I will also try the warm showers. I tried a bath but he got stressed. I will try changing his food for a while too,. He was eating crickets, calcified everyother time and sometimes huge meal worms. Any other suggestions regarding what to eat besides silk worms?

This thread is pretty old. I'm afraid the photos are no longer active.

I canned the pears myself, without sugar. They were easier to get in him than fresh pears.

I agree that giant meal worms are probably part of the problem for guarn78. Another suggestion for guarn78 would be to lay off food for a day or too. Sometimes eating every day can lead to impaction. My chameleons actually poop more regularly now that the adults are being fed every other day. We have fewer gular edema issues, as well.

A smegma plug is from semen produced by the reproductive system which has dried before the chameleon was able to shed it. Normally moist smegma is shed, wiped onto a branch, after a chemeleon defecates.

 

[guarn78]

shower for constipation

I put my chameleon Kobi in the shower with my son and he finally pooped after 3 weeks. He seemed really thirsty as he was drinking alot while in the shower. Thanks for all the feedback. This will become a routine for him now...Kobi and my son

 

[Chase]

Your son was taking a shower with a lizard?

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I put my chameleon Kobi in the shower with my son and he finally pooped after 3 weeks. He seemed really thirsty as he was drinking alot while in the shower. Thanks for all the feedback. This will become a routine for him now...Kobi and my son

Glad to hear it "all worked out in the end".