Help 🥺 not eating for a few days, sleeping often, & thick legs .. I’m worried

[SamDev_]

I’ve had my veiled chameleon for almost little over 2 months or so, I noticed he/ she .. I’m not sure if it’s a boy or girl .. has gotten pretty thick, ( I thought he’s just growing ??) he’s stoped eating as aggressively I noticed, & has been sleeping by time I get home from work .. he sleeps with his eyes sunken/ but still opened (watching for predators I’ve read).. can anyone help with any information??

I’ve been asked to watch this chameleon while it’s owner is unreachable … so the goodness in my heart has been non stop at exotic pet stores trying to keep this chameleon healthy/ happy, doing my best to create a comfortable environment for him, but I feel that he’s now declining .. please help

 

[Carloscruz]

Can you please send pictures of the back feet

 

[Chameleoking]

Looks like you have a male. But a pic of the back feet will help.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome. Although it’s not completely clear from your pics, I believe from coloring bands and I think I see a tarsal spur so it is a male. Is this now your chameleon or still belongs to someone else? I’m asking because this little guy needs stuff. From the pics, I’m not seeing the correct uvb light. It appears the uvb is a screw in bulb. Those unfortunately aren’t able to provide adequate uvb at any farther than 2-3”. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb, which should be about 8-9” above basking area. Like this. https://www.amazon.com/Reptisun-T5-...1&sr=1-1-5e1b2986-06e6-4004-a85e-73bfa3ee44fe Without proper uvb, this chameleon not only won’t thrive, but will develop metabolic bone disease which is fatal eventually. Proper supplementation is also extremely important. The standard for this is to lightly dust with a phosphorus free calcium without D3 at every feeding except when another supplement is used. Then you’ll need a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. If given separately each is used one feeding every other week, alternating them. Alternatively, there is a combination of the 2 which is Reptivite with D3, which would be given one feeding every other week. Without the proper uvb and supplementation, this poor guy is headed for decline.
There are other things that should be corrected as well, such as replacing all of the fake plants with washed safe live ones, but those aren’t as essential right now. You describe his eyes being sunken in, which is a sign of either stress or dehydration. Stress would be from feeling ill from the effects of wrong uvb and possibly supplements. To address dehydration, you should be misting his enclosure for at least 2 minutes, 2-3 times a day.
What have your temps and humidity levels been?
What have you been feeding - type, quantity and frequency?

 

[Chameleoking]

If you want to try and figure out what's wrong with your guy fill this out and we will help

Just copy and paste this and fill in your anwsers



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.

 

[MissSkittles]

Btw, I didn’t mean to scare you. There’s just no way (for me) to sweetly express the potentially seriousness of your cham’s situation. They tend to hide signs of illness until it’s very advanced and they go downhill very fast. You seem to have been very attentive to your cham and caught the signs early thankfully. I and many others here are more than willing to help you get things right and get this handsome little guy on the road to wellness.

 

[SamDev_]

Looks like you have a male. But a pic of the back feet will help.

I will add his back feet once he’s in a good spot to get that view of him

 

[GroguCameleon]

Hi - I also inherited a young chameleon (girl) that I knew nothing about, and this forum is incredibly helpful (especially @MissSkittles
I also had a bout where I wasn't sure if mine was dying or sick, but when I switched to the right foods and got the right bulb for UVB, things seem to be on the right track. If you can find a local reptile-specific store you can visit in person, they will have more of the equipment and live bugs on-hand that you might need. The big box pet stores that I visited did more harm than good (and I bought a bunch of stuff that was all wrong.)

 

[SamDev_]

Btw, I didn’t mean to scare you. There’s just no way (for me) to sweetly express the potentially seriousness of your cham’s situation. They tend to hide signs of illness until it’s very advanced and they go downhill very fast. You seem to have been very attentive to your cham and caught the signs early thankfully. I and many others here are more than willing to help you get things right and get this handsome little guy on the road to wellness.

No worries at all, I’m grateful for any insight I can get! I just ordered the UVB you provided in the link

 

[SamDev_]

Looks like you have a male. But a pic of the back feet will help.

 

[SamDev_]

If you want to try and figure out what's wrong with your guy fill this out and we will help

Just copy and paste this and fill in your anwsers



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.

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

• baby veiled chameleon, I’m not sure if it’s a boy or girl at the moment .. I’ve had the chameleon 1 month & 3 weeks, it’s owner has dumped the chameleon on me & put himself in jail the next day obviously irresponsible he had gotten the chameleon from a local pet store & he believes it was only a week or so old when he purchased the Chameleon .. (The Chameleons name is Dewey Carlos)

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

• he’s only been handled once a few days after getting him, I handled him very briefly transferring him into a different cage setup, the last time I tried handling him he tried to bite me so I let him be.

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

• I’ve been feeding him live large crickets dusted in calcium power (whenever I put tiny crickets in he never tried to eat them) as well as some horned worms
• I noticed he was a very active eater, & since he’s a bay I was feeding him 5-10 crickets in the morning, & if there were no more crickets in the cage by nighttime I would put a few more in (about 5) & 2 horned worms at night
• Schedule of feeding primarily morning & night, I’m sorry I don’t understand the question of how am I gut loading the feeders ?? I thought if as long as it’s a live bug the chameleon is eating it’s already “gut loaded” ?

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

• Both the calcium and vitamins are from the brand “zoo med” . I use REPTI CALCIUM to dust the crikets in for every feeding .. & the REPTIVITE vitamins for reptiles once a week I would dust the crickets in

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

• For a bit I was spraying down the cage with a spray bottle 2-4 times a day, but I’ve read it’s best for a misting machine which I now have .. it mists for 15 seconds every 3 hours. I’ve seen Dewy Carlos drink some water off plants, I’ve also put water in a small cup & held it out and he drank for a second or two.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

• his poop seems normal, the first two parts of the poop are a brown color/ & solid, with the last part always being white, which I’ve read are the urites I believe it is?

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

• he went from a screen cage enclosure (lived in there for about 2 weeks) to a 40 gallon glass tank (lived in there for .. I’m not entirely sure, maybe a week I a half ??) & back to a screen cage enclosure measuring 18x18x24 I believe it is .. the owner gave me a glass tank thinking it was better, but I’ve read & been told glass tanks are no good for chameleons .

Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

• cage is screen all around with a glass front, dimensions are 18x18x24

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

• The owner had bought this kit for the chameleon, I believe the brand is THRIVE, .. i couldn’t get exact type of lighting it is but I think it’s still a UVB
• I keep the daytime light on from 8am-8pm, & I keep the heat lamps on always, unless if I notice the temperature is near 95 degrees I shut them off for a few minutes & must down the cage to cool him off when he looks thirsty.
• https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/st...afcHyR6MSMIkD5yuXCxi63zg_LecDb2BoCeRYQAvD_BwE
• I am fully aware this setup doesn’t mention anything about chameleons, but I was dealing with a flat out stupid person who thought having a chameleon would be COOL, my cat just passed away & a day later he comes home with baby dewy Carlos.

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?

• I have a thermometer setup near the basking area, I don’t have anything to read the temperature near the bottom of the cage .. the temperature ranges from 80-95 degrees throughout the day, and at night it drops to 73-78 degree range
• I’ve just ordered another thermometer for the bottom of the cage & to also measure the humidity level.

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

• I don’t have a thermometer just yet, it’s on its way.. I spray down the cage when it looks too dry, & the misting machine helps when I’m not home .

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?

• the only live plant I have in the enclosure at the moment is a Pothos, I’ve never seen little Dewey Carlos near it though, & I thought that would be best for him to drink the water off of but I got no luck there .. he chose to drink water off the fake plants instead.

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?

• cage is located in the corner of my small bedroom, near a window, not near a fan or air vent.. height of the cage from the floor would be about 63 inches ..

Location - Where are you geographically located?

• I live in northern New Jersey

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.Q

• Dewey Carlos has no interest in food for about 4 days now, the crickets in the enclosure die & I clean them out cause dead bugs are no good for my Chameleon I’ve read .. he was looking extra puffy & thick, & I’m not talking just his body, but his legs were puffed up like he was fat .. I thought he was growing ?? But he’s sleeping often & just today I noticed now (he’s still sleeping) but he’s tiny tiny again like super skinny .. legs are less puffy, but he has his happy calm green color to him … I’m so confused I just need all the help or advice I can get PLEASE & THANK YOU!!

 

[SamDev_]

Hi and welcome. Although it’s not completely clear from your pics, I believe from coloring bands and I think I see a tarsal spur so it is a male. Is this now your chameleon or still belongs to someone else? I’m asking because this little guy needs stuff. From the pics, I’m not seeing the correct uvb light. It appears the uvb is a screw in bulb. Those unfortunately aren’t able to provide adequate uvb at any farther than 2-3”. The standard is a linear T5HO fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb, which should be about 8-9” above basking area. Like this. https://www.amazon.com/Reptisun-T5-Ho-Terrarium-Hood/dp/B00CX5HXI2/ref=sxts_rp_s1_0?crid=22E9SET0IARUE&cv_ct_cx=reptisun+t5+ho+terrarium+hood+24+inch&keywords=reptisun+t5+ho+terrarium+hood+24+inch&pd_rd_i=B00CX5HXI2&pd_rd_r=7864b0d9-a78f-42ec-8180-fdd6056072a7&pd_rd_w=n00C0&pd_rd_wg=kA7kn&pf_rd_p=53ef7f8b-c1cb-4ebe-8d67-39f3ca0ebaf7&pf_rd_r=9XSBYF2K6PJ42ASMZZ0R&psc=1&qid=1642227729&sprefix=Reptisun+,aps,111&sr=1-1-5e1b2986-06e6-4004-a85e-73bfa3ee44fe Without proper uvb, this chameleon not only won’t thrive, but will develop metabolic bone disease which is fatal eventually. Proper supplementation is also extremely important. The standard for this is to lightly dust with a phosphorus free calcium without D3 at every feeding except when another supplement is used. Then you’ll need a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. If given separately each is used one feeding every other week, alternating them. Alternatively, there is a combination of the 2 which is Reptivite with D3, which would be given one feeding every other week. Without the proper uvb and supplementation, this poor guy is headed for decline.
There are other things that should be corrected as well, such as replacing all of the fake plants with washed safe live ones, but those aren’t as essential right now. You describe his eyes being sunken in, which is a sign of either stress or dehydration. Stress would be from feeling ill from the effects of wrong uvb and possibly supplements. To address dehydration, you should be misting his enclosure for at least 2 minutes, 2-3 times a day.
What have your temps and humidity levels been?
What have you been feeding - type, quantity and frequency?

First, thank you tremendously for your input ! I’ve ordered that bulb you’ve provided a link for ..

I would say the Chameleon (Dewey Carlos) is mine, it’s owner is MIA & his thought process was (“if he lives he lives, if he dies it’s just a chameleon”) but I work with pets, & that just isn’t right..

I’ve made it to an exotic pet store & they set me up with a better proper screen cage, I’ve then thus added horned worms to his diet, & more foliage to his enclosure to make him feel safe .. also they’ve sent me with a Beam spot lamp light bulb 60w, but it burnt out in about a week .. I don’t think the lighting fixture I have matched correctly with it .. but the worker at the store said “it would be fine” luckily I noticed when it went out, & I luckily had another heat spot light on the cage juuustt to be sure . Thank god I did cause I’m scared it’ll get too cold for Dewey Carlos ..

His enclosure temperature ranges from 80-95 degrees during the day and about 73-78 degrees by night .. I’ve taken note that I should be misting the cage for a longer period, so I’ve adjusted the machine I have to help with any possible dehydration..

As for feeding I drop in 5-8 crickets in the morning dusted in calcium, & if their all gone by time I get home from work I drop in another 5-8 (always dusted in calcium) + 2-3 small horned worms at night which he eats very aggressively (I think he LOOVES those)

 

[MissSkittles]

First, thank you tremendously for your input ! I’ve ordered that bulb you’ve provided a link for ..

I would say the Chameleon (Dewey Carlos) is mine, it’s owner is MIA & his thought process was (“if he lives he lives, if he dies it’s just a chameleon”) but I work with pets, & that just isn’t right..

I’ve made it to an exotic pet store & they set me up with a better proper screen cage, I’ve then thus added horned worms to his diet, & more foliage to his enclosure to make him feel safe .. also they’ve sent me with a Beam spot lamp light bulb 60w, but it burnt out in about a week .. I don’t think the lighting fixture I have matched correctly with it .. but the worker at the store said “it would be fine” luckily I noticed when it went out, & I luckily had another heat spot light on the cage juuustt to be sure . Thank god I did cause I’m scared it’ll get too cold for Dewey Carlos ..

His enclosure temperature ranges from 80-95 degrees during the day and about 73-78 degrees by night .. I’ve taken note that I should be misting the cage for a longer period, so I’ve adjusted the machine I have to help with any possible dehydration..

As for feeding I drop in 5-8 crickets in the morning dusted in calcium, & if their all gone by time I get home from work I drop in another 5-8 (always dusted in calcium) + 2-3 small horned worms at night which he eats very aggressively (I think he LOOVES those)

Hello again. It sounds like Dewey Carlos has himself a great new home with you. Since this is the situation and you’ve provided all of your husbandry info, I’ll review it all and give you my feedback. Just give me a little bit to do that.

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ll be putting my feedback in bold.
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

• baby veiled chameleon, I’m not sure if it’s a boy or girl at the moment .. I’ve had the chameleon 1 month & 3 weeks, it’s owner has dumped the chameleon on me & put himself in jail the next day obviously irresponsible he had gotten the chameleon from a local pet store & he believes it was only a week or so old when he purchased the Chameleon .. (The Chameleons name is Dewey Carlos) While it’s a bit hard to tell without full body pics, Dewey Carlos (DC) is at least 4 months old from his patterns being developed. The foot pics you posted don’t show tarsal Spurs clearly enough, but I’m still pretty sure he’s a he.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?

• he’s only been handled once a few days after getting him, I handled him very briefly transferring him into a different cage setup, the last time I tried handling him he tried to bite me so I let him be.
  Very good. It’s best to build trust with your cham as much as that is possible. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/ Veileds are not known for being very friendly, so you may always be hissed and lunged at even though DC may develop trust in you.

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?

• I’ve been feeding him live large crickets dusted in calcium power (whenever I put tiny crickets in he never tried to eat them) as well as some horned worms
• I noticed he was a very active eater, & since he’s a bay I was feeding him 5-10 crickets in the morning, & if there were no more crickets in the cage by nighttime I would put a few more in (about 5) & 2 horned worms at night Not being able to see him well enough to give a better guess of age, I’m going to say he should be getting about 10-12 feeders once daily in the morning. I’d suggest getting or making a feeding station to contain the feeders. I use this one. https://tkchameleons.com/products/shooting-gallery?variant=30018608595032 If you are leaving crickets in his enclosure, do leave a small piece of greens or sliver of carrot for any strays to eat, otherwise they can/will bite DC.
• Schedule of feeding primarily morning & night, I’m sorry I don’t understand the question of how am I gut loading the feeders ?? I thought if as long as it’s a live bug the chameleon is eating it’s already “gut loaded” ? Gut loading is the process of feeding the feeders just a bit prior to giving them to your animal. It’s so that they are more nutritious. However, I don’t specifically gutload. I do keep my feeder bugs well fed a healthy diet of fresh produce and Repashy Bug Burger. I’ve attached some graphics for you.

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

• Both the calcium and vitamins are from the brand “zoo med” . I use REPTI CALCIUM to dust the crikets in for every feeding .. & the REPTIVITE vitamins for reptiles once a week I would dust the crickets in Very important - does either one have D3 in it? I gave the standard supplementation schedule in my previous post. It does sound like original owner got the chameleon kit, which the supplements are calcium without D3 and Reptivite with D3. If this is the case, use the calcium without D3 at every feeding and use the Reptivite with D3 one feeding every other week. This is exactly what I do and I obviously like this regimen.

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

• For a bit I was spraying down the cage with a spray bottle 2-4 times a day, but I’ve read it’s best for a misting machine which I now have .. it mists for 15 seconds every 3 hours. I’ve seen Dewy Carlos drink some water off plants, I’ve also put water in a small cup & held it out and he drank for a second or two. It’s best to mist for at least 2 minutes, 2-3 times a day. You want the enclosure to dry out in between. Mist right before lights on and right before lights off. Mid day you can either mist again or use a dripper (for about 20 minutes). It’s unusual he drank from a cup. Also, FYI - many chams are secretive about drinking.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

• his poop seems normal, the first two parts of the poop are a brown color/ & solid, with the last part always being white, which I’ve read are the urites I believe it is? Yup. We can somewhat judge our chameleons hydration thru the color of the urates. All white is good, but it’s also good if there’s a bit of yellow on the end. All orange/dark is dehydration. I always think a veterinary wellness visit with a fresh fecal tested for parasites is a good idea.

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

• he went from a screen cage enclosure (lived in there for about 2 weeks) to a 40 gallon glass tank (lived in there for .. I’m not entirely sure, maybe a week I a half ??) & back to a screen cage enclosure measuring 18x18x24 I believe it is .. the owner gave me a glass tank thinking it was better, but I’ve read & been told glass tanks are no good for chameleons . Glass enclosures are ok in some circumstances, but not a 40 gal. We all have our preferences…I like screen as it’s more adjustable than glass. He will be needing at least a 2x2x4’ enclosure soon. That’s the minimum size for adult chams. Males especially use all of that space.

 

[Chameleoking]

Can you please take a pic of the back of his hind legs, we are looking for a bump on both hind legs tarsal (spur). I just want to be sure its a he. Because if it ends up being a female there is other things you have to do. But from color patterns I think its a he also. But again we can't be thinking we must be sure. Thanks again.

 

[MissSkittles]

Had to split this in half as it was too long.
Cage Info:

Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

• cage is screen all around with a glass front, dimensions are 18x18x24 see above

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

• The owner had bought this kit for the chameleon, I believe the brand is THRIVE, .. i couldn’t get exact type of lighting it is but I think it’s still a UVB You said you ordered the light I gave the link for, which is awesome! That is the standard style of uvb for chameleons. You’ll want it to be about 8-9” above his basking spot.
• I keep the daytime light on from 8am-8pm, Perfect schedule! & I keep the heat lamps on always, Not unless night time temps drop below 60. unless if I notice the temperature is near 95 degrees I shut them off for a few minutes & must down the cage to cool him off when he looks thirsty. I would suggest trying a lower wattage heat bulb to better provide a consistent basking temp of between 80-85. You want lower parts of the enclosure to be cooler so DC can choose his comfort area.
• https://www.petsmart.com/reptile/st...afcHyR6MSMIkD5yuXCxi63zg_LecDb2BoCeRYQAvD_BwE
• I am fully aware this setup doesn’t mention anything about chameleons, but I was dealing with a flat out stupid person who thought having a chameleon would be COOL, my cat just passed away & a day later he comes home with baby dewy Carlos.

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?

• I have a thermometer setup near the basking area, I don’t have anything to read the temperature near the bottom of the cage .. the temperature ranges from 80-95 degrees throughout the day, and at night it drops to 73-78 degree range I’m guessing you have an analog gauge. Those can be inaccurate. I suggest getting a digital thermometer/hygrometer with a probe end.
• I’ve just ordered another thermometer for the bottom of the cage & to also measure the humidity level.

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

• I don’t have a thermometer just yet, it’s on its way.. I spray down the cage when it looks too dry, & the misting machine helps when I’m not home . Ideal daytime humidity is between 30-50%. At night if you have a temp drop below at least 70, you can add a cool mist humidifier (or add extra short misting) to boost humidity to 80-100%. That simulates the natural hydration they get in the wild thru fog.

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?

• the only live plant I have in the enclosure at the moment is a Pothos, I’ve never seen little Dewey Carlos near it though, & I thought that would be best for him to drink the water off of but I got no luck there .. he chose to drink water off the fake plants instead. Veileds can and will nibble their plants. Fake plants pose a risk for impaction if eaten and it only takes one bite. Is best to replace all the fake with washed safe live ones. Pothos is a chameleon keeper’s staple. For most other plants, you’ll need to provide them with a special plant light. You want to create a forest edge with lots of live plants to provide areas for shade and hiding and lots of branches/vines for traveling on.

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?

• cage is located in the corner of my small bedroom, near a window, not near a fan or air vent.. height of the cage from the floor would be about 63 inches .. Ok. The higher DC can get, the safer he’ll feel.

Location - Where are you geographically located?

• I live in northern New Jersey

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.Q

• Dewey Carlos has no interest in food for about 4 days now, the crickets in the enclosure die & I clean them out cause dead bugs are no good for my Chameleon I’ve read .. he was looking extra puffy & thick, & I’m not talking just his body, but his legs were puffed up like he was fat .. I thought he was growing ?? But he’s sleeping often & just today I noticed now (he’s still sleeping) but he’s tiny tiny again like super skinny .. legs are less puffy, but he has his happy calm green color to him … I’m so confused I just need all the help or advice I can get PLEASE & THANK YOU!!

I’m not a vet or expert chameleon keeper so I can only tell you my opinion. I’ve honestly no idea why he would be puffed up even in his legs, other than it could have been generalized edema, but there could be many causes for that symptom. Having eyes closed when lights are on is not good, which is why I was so concerned earlier (and still am). I do still suspect the improper lighting and supplements are the cause, but truly it could be any number of things. Only a vet could tell you, which is what I suggest. Do make sure to take a fresh poo to be tested as parasites could be the problem as much as anything else.
Sounds like DC had a rocky beginning which has caused his current condition. I’ve no doubt that with your attentiveness, love and care he will recover and have a wonderful life with you. If you have any questions or need help finding a good vet experienced with chameleon in your area, just ask.
Some great places to learn more about keeping a chameleon are https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-basics/ and Neptune the chameleon on YouTube.
I’m very glad you’ve joined our community here and look forward to hearing much more from you.

 

[Chameleoking]

One thing you can do immediately is stop using any lights at night. They need that temp drop ( at least 10° drop). You should see some improvement just by doing that. And follow up with doc @MissSkittles