Head casque swollen and developed sore

[Chamowner1212]

Hi guys this is my 3 year old chameleon, I have always noticed his casque was always swollen and not pointy however He has developed a sore on his head I’ve done loads of research and now I realise that his casque is swollen and very abnormal is This a result of my care ? what has gone wrong please help

 

[ERKleRose]

Okay, so he needs an experienced chameleon vet ASAP! Also, most of what you can see in the pictures is incorrect. Could you fill out this form with as much detail as possible, and include pics of his full cage, lights, and him? Husbandry is secondary right now to a vet appointment!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

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

 

[kinyonga]

I agree with @ERKleRose .. I'd take him to an experienced chameleon vet ASAP.

 

[ERKleRose]

I agree with @Beman ...id take him to an experienced chameleon vet ASAP.

@ERKleRose but that’s fine

 

[kinyonga]

Oops...I fixed it! Sorry!

 

[Chamowner1212]

Okay, so he needs an experienced chameleon vet ASAP! Also, most of what you can see in the pictures is incorrect. Could you fill out this form with as much detail as possible, and include pics of his full cage, lights, and him? Husbandry is secondary right now to a vet appointment!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

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

 

[Beman]

OMG... He is very obese but that looks like there could be puss in the casque rather then just fat from being fed too much.
Husbandry issues can wait in my opinion. You need a reptile vet now.

 

[Chamowner1212]

He is a male veiled chameleon, 3 years old exact he’s been in my care all his life I handle him once a month not often because he is very aggressive and does not like to be handled , the light bulbs I use are in the picture I have attached, his lights stay on for 12 hours , complete darkness for the rest , feed him locus once every two days , dust them with calcium dust once every fortnight , cage is sprayed twice a day he drinks water from Droplets every time without fail , cage is a mesh cage basking spot temperature is 90 , rest of cage tends to be 70 usually, I am located in the United Kingdom in the midlands , his cage is around 30cm of the floor next to a window to allow natural light to come in , his cage is roughly 100cm by 40cm , 40cm depth , use dome screw in dual dish , maintained humility by having live plants plants , soil in a bowl at the bottom that I dampen , however currently no plant or soil in his cage as I am changing it

 

[Arpretty]

Please act on the advice above and in my humble opinion, a bacterial infection very well could be brewing, which can only be remedied through the experience and care of a vet. I notice his eyes look like they are struggling to stay open.

 

[Beman]

He is a male veiled chameleon, 3 years old exact he’s been in my care all his life I handle him once a month not often because he is very aggressive and does not like to be handled , the light bulbs I use are in the picture I have attached, his lights stay on for 12 hours , complete darkness for the rest , feed him locus once every two days , dust them with calcium dust once every fortnight , cage is sprayed twice a day he drinks water from Droplets every time without fail , cage is a mesh cage basking spot temperature is 90 , rest of cage tends to be 70 usually, I am located in the United Kingdom in the midlands , his cage is around 30cm of the floor next to a window to allow natural light to come in , his cage is roughly 100cm by 40cm , 40cm depth , use dome screw in dual dish , maintained humility by having live plants plants , soil in a bowl at the bottom that I dampen , however currently no plant or soil in his cage as I am changing it

There are multiple issues here with the husbandry. My worry about the casque is if there was a thermal burn from the temps being too hot. Depending on where you are taking that 90 degree temp it will be much hotter the closer it is to his casque because of where they rise up.
We do not keep our Veileds that hot either, 80-85 max. Your uvb is incorrect as well you should be using a T5HO linear fixture with a 5.0 or 6% bulb. cage looks to be too small as well. I do not know how many locusts your feeding but you need to make sure depending on the size of them that he is getting only 2 no more then 3 days a week. He should be getting calcium without D3 at every feeding dusted on feeders then 2 times a month a multivitamin with calcium with D3.

This link will help you with your husbandry https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
This is species specific info https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

But I can not express enough the importance of finding a reptile vet with Chameleon experience and having him seen. Without it he will decline until he dies.

 

[ERKleRose]

He is a male veiled chameleon, 3 years old exact he’s been in my care all his life I handle him once a month not often because he is very aggressive and does not like to be handled , the light bulbs I use are in the picture I have attached, his lights stay on for 12 hours , complete darkness for the rest , feed him locus once every two days , dust them with calcium dust once every fortnight , cage is sprayed twice a day he drinks water from Droplets every time without fail , cage is a mesh cage basking spot temperature is 90 , rest of cage tends to be 70 usually, I am located in the United Kingdom in the midlands , his cage is around 30cm of the floor next to a window to allow natural light to come in , his cage is roughly 100cm by 40cm , 40cm depth , use dome screw in dual dish , maintained humility by having live plants plants , soil in a bowl at the bottom that I dampen , however currently no plant or soil in his cage as I am changing it

I'm going to reorganize your info, if you don't mind. All feedback and questions will be in red. I'm going to attach helpful links and care images at the end.

DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE IN THE WORLD, GET HIM TO AN EXPERIENCED CHAMELEON VET EITHER TODAY OR TOMORROW ASAP! TELL THEM IT'S AN EMERGENCY (BECAUSE IT IS)!!!

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - male veiled chameleon, 3 years old exact he’s been in my care all his life So you hatched him as a baby?
• Handling - I handle him once a month not often because he is very aggressive and does not like to be handled Good!
• Feeding - feed him locus once every two days How many locusts and what size? What do you gutload them with? He is obese, so he'll need less feeders more days apart. Like 2-3 well gutloaded and properly supplemented feeders once every 2-3 days.
• Supplements - dust them with calcium dust once every fortnight He needs a phosphorus-and-D3-free calcium dusted on all feeders every feeding, except for when using other supplements. I recommend Zoo Med ReptiCalcium without D3 for that. There are other great brands of supplements out there, but they all have different schedules than this, and since you already have a calcium, this will be easier. You'll also need D3 and multivitamin supplements. To make it easier, just get Zoo Med Reptivite with D3 and use it once every two weeks.
• Watering - cage is sprayed twice a day he drinks water from Droplets every time without fail How long do you mist for? What do you spray?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Please fill this out. When you take him to the vet (doesn't matter if the vet is 5 minutes or 5+ hours away, just do it!), make sure bring a fresh fecal sample and that they do bloodwork, x-rays, and a fecal float with everything. After you get back, drop off more fresh fecal samples (like 2-3+ more) to make sure no parasites were missed in the first one)
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - cage is a mesh cage, his cage is roughly 100cm by 40cm , 40cm depth The minimum size cage for a veiled is 60 cm x 60 cm x 120 cm tall, but preferably 120 cm x 60 cm x 120 cm tall or bigger. Bigger is always better. What you upgrade to depends on how the vet visit goes.
• Lighting - the light bulbs I use are in the picture I have attached, his lights stay on for 12 hours , complete darkness for the rest, use dome screw in dual dish While the timing is correct, his UVB bulb is wrong. Also be careful with reptile-branded heat bulbs, because the heat is usually condensed in one small area and can cause burns. Make sure his heat bulb is at least 18-23 cm away from where his basking branch is. You need a linear T5 High Output fixture with a linear Arcadia 6% UVB bulb of the same size in it. The fixture should have a reflector for the UVB bulb, like the Arcadia ProT5 fixtures. Arcadia UVB bulbs are preferred because you have to replace them less often (once a year) than the Zoo Med 5.0 linear UVB bulbs (every 6 months). Either way, invest in an UVI Solarmeter 6.5 to check UVI levels yourself if you can afford it. The linear UVB bulb needs to be around 20-23 cm away from his basking branch.
• Temperature - basking spot temperature is 90 , rest of cage tends to be 70 usually His basking spot needs to be around 85*F where his casque/top of his back is on his basking branch. What are the nighttime temp drops? Chameleons need them. What do you measure the temps with? You need at least one (if not more) digital thermometer with a probe and possibly an infrared digital temp gun. Digital thermometer-hygrometer combos can be placed around the cage to check ambient temps and humidity levels, as well.
• Humidity - maintained humility by having live plants, soil in a bowl at the bottom that I dampen What are the exact levels, and how do you measure them? Veileds need 30-50% during the day, and up to 100% at night.
• Plants - currently no plant or soil in his cage as I am changing it Veileds need live plants only! They will try to eat fake ones, which can cause impaction. Make sure to properly prepare and clean your plants before placing them in his cage. Cover the soil in the pots with rocks too big for your chameleon to eat.
• Placement - his cage is around 30cm of the floor next to a window to allow natural light to come in Can he see his reflection in the window? Is the window energy efficient or does it let in hot/cold air?
• Location - I am located in the United Kingdom in the midlands

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

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

Here are the links and images. Please read through EVERY care module and listen to as many of the podcasts as you can on The Chameleon Academy!

https://flchams.com/chameleon-safe-plant-list/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/external-resources/
https://www.chameleons.info/en/
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

 

[ERKleRose]

He also needs the Exo Terra vines taken out (they can cause issues), and he needs TONS more branches, vines, and live plants! Here are some cage setting up links. But again, VET FIRST!
https://chameleonacademy.com/setting-up-a-chameleon-cage/
(link no longer valid)

 

[Chamowner1212]

There are multiple issues here with the husbandry. My worry about the casque is if there was a thermal burn from the temps being too hot. Depending on where you are taking that 90 degree temp it will be much hotter the closer it is to his casque because of where they rise up.
We do not keep our Veileds that hot either, 80-85 max. Your uvb is incorrect as well you should be using a T5HO linear fixture with a 5.0 or 6% bulb. cage looks to be too small as well. I do not know how many locusts your feeding but you need to make sure depending on the size of them that he is getting only 2 no more then 3 days a week. He should be getting calcium without D3 at every feeding dusted on feeders then 2 times a month a multivitamin with calcium with D3.

This link will help you with your husbandry https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
This is species specific info https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

But I can not express enough the importance of finding a reptile vet with Chameleon experience and having him seen. Without it he will decline until he dies.

Thankyou very much just wish I would have joined something like this earlier I will get him to a vet ASAP , I feel ashamed I should have done proper research

 

[ebarrychameleon]

Thankyou very much just wish I would have joined something like this earlier I will get him to a vet ASAP , I feel ashamed I should have done proper research

It's ok -- better to realize it now and change it for the better than not to change at all! Hopefully now your cham can be happier and healthier.

 

[Beman]

Thankyou very much just wish I would have joined something like this earlier I will get him to a vet ASAP , I feel ashamed I should have done proper research

Just make sure it is a reptile Vet hun. A regular Vet without Chameleon experience won't know his tail from his head. Let us know what they say... And start reading through all the feedback and links you were given so you can make changes to his enclosure.