Head shake at night

Ursa

New Member
Hi all,
thank you for adding me. :)

My 9 month old gravid Veild female Kamila is being very restless during the night for the past 2 weeks. She roams around the cage all night and what worries me the most is her head shakes. It seems she is doing it in her sleep as well as when being (half) awake. Sometimes she even bangs her head in the wall or in the branch while doing this move. She does that every few minutes for 30 minutes or more. Then she calms down, gets some good sleep and starts again. Yesterday I took her out of the cage to be able to make this video. https://photos.app.goo.gl/waZocSNCWSMwQQiT9

She seems just fine during the day. No unusual behaviours except she's been rubbing her eyes more than usual. I've been giving her the antibiotic drops for the last 4 days and it is now a lot better.

Has anyone seen something like this with his chameleon? Our vet has no idea what this could be. He hasn't seen anything like this before.
Thanks for all your help!
 
Please fill this out ASAP with some pics of her and the enclosure, along with anything else you think we should see. A video would be very helpful, if possible.

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.
 
Yes, it works. Could you post a picture of her enclosure? It looks like it could be an internal issue. I would take her to the vet ASAP. Has she ever been tested/treated for parasites?
 
  • Your Chameleon – Veild, female, 9 months old, 5 months in our care
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? A few times a day when taking her out of the cage to the tree on the balcony and back.

  • Feeding - Crickets, roaches, meal worms. Lately (when gravid) she eats only 2 or 3 crickets or one or two roaches. And 1 worm. They eat zuccini, apples, carrots, lattuce, cucambre,…
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Reptocal every 2-3 days
  • Watering - Misting by heand and a dripper. We almost never saw her drinking till just recently, (a few days) when she doesn't seem to have enough. She drinks from leaves, dripper and even still watter.
  • Fecal Description - Hasn't been tested. Lately the dropings are very small (she eats much less, with white urate
  • History – When a baby she has been treated for dehydration

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type – Combo of glass and screen, 60x60x80 cm
  • Lighting – Crawler lamp – UVA+UVB3.0 On at 8h, off at 19.30h?
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 25 – 30°C, Thermometer
  • Humidity – It shows 30% - 60% (after misting). Hope it's precise (it seems much more to me)
  • Plants – Live plants, Crassula, jasmine
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? In my son's room.
    Is it near any fans, air vents, NO
    or high traffic areas NO?
    At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor 1,5m ?
    It has been very hot in our flat lately (25°C during the night and 28°C during the day. No air condition. Her cage has 2 solid walls and 1 glass wall and glass doors. Now we took out the doors and replaced it with the net so she can get more air and less humidity. The average temperature in our flat during the year is 23°C in winter and 25°C in warmer months (except now in the wave)
  • Location - Where are you geographically located? Slovenia, Europe
 
I will make a photo of the latest look of her enclosure in the morning. It's night here at the moment. :)
 
Start with the supplements since they are the easy fix. She should be getting calcium dust without D3 at every feeding. Also should be dusting with calcium with D3 twice a month. She also needs a multivitamin twice a month. And she needs a real gutload not just table scraps.
 
Now for the drinking from still water. This should never be allowed because of the bacterial load. Your Cham might as well be drinking from the toilet. I’m betting that your Cham contracted a parasite or bacterial infection and is manifesting in the symptoms your Cham is presenting.
 
I recommend these supplements.
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It worked. If that was truly the first and only time then it prob isn’t the problem but I don’t think it can be totally ruled out.

I see you allow her some outside free range time and the plant she is climbing on is dead. Veilds do eat plant matter. What killed that plant? I’m thinking she may have ingested either fertilizer or a pesticide. It may be causing neurological issues...
 
It truly was the first time.
There is a Willow tree which is planted and alive. In front of it are some branches cut from the hybiscus bush from our friend's garden (def not sprayed with chemicals)
The branches are just stuffed in the pot and are there since Friday. They are slowly drying and are there mostly for the climbing and as a hiding sheild.
That can't be the reason because her shaking has been going on for 2 weeks or so.
 
Wow, never seen that behavior before... I'd recommend a vet visit. Its almost like she had something on her face and was trying to shake it off but if its been happening for 2 weeks I doubt it. Maybe something neurological? I dont know... Thats interesting though.

Do you have a laying bin in there with her? She did look like she was trying to dig with her back feet at one point.

Hoping its nothing serious...
 
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