Help cham freaking out

leela

leela

New Member
hi,
my veiled girl is 4 months old and i cleaned her glass viv out about 5 hours ago, realising that i did not have enough woodchip, i put my cham back in the cage with a plant. i popped out for an hour to get some and came back. got her out again and finished the job, i gave the glass a clean with (safe) anti bacterial cleaner (not a particulary amazing clean) before i went out. i just went into my room (about 2 hours later) and i found her running around the cage puffing up and freaking out!! she goes up to her usual warm spot then puffs up and she fell from the top of the cage in worry, now i have thought it may be the glass but this have never been a problem before. i had put EVERYTHING back in the right place. it seems like shes shying about something above her???? but its the same old mesh!! she is doing this ALL over the cage??, Whats happening?? i have turned her lights off for a bit and she calmed down, but it still scares me!!
 
How soon did you put her in after cleaning? Did you rinse the cleaner out? It is very likely the smell could be a major factor.

Did you say woodchips? You use woodchips as a substrate?

Also, is that your female in your icon? her casque looks kind of deformed.

Filling this out would really help.
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Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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?


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.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.


Pictures are helpful
 
The safe antibacterial cleaner may be putting off fumes, or the glass may be so clean she can see herself. You should NOT be using woodchips.
 
Cage Info:

* Cage Type - big cage glass dont no dimension exactly glass is traditionally used in the uk
* Lighting - UVB 10.0 15W, 60W heat bulb
* Temperature - about 85 degrees in warm
* Humidity - i use a humidity measurer humidity-70?
* Plants - 1 live plant umbrella plant
* Placement - well ventilated quiet room, i cant see over the top of the cage im 5ft 3
* Location - south england


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - female vieled four months i have had her about 2 months
* Handling - as little a poss
* Feeding - crickets meal worms wax worms feed on fruit and veg* Supplements - nutrobol every day
* Watering - i do see my cham drink i have a dripper and a spray bottle* Fecal Description - never tested for parasites white and blacky brown poo* History - bred in captivity
* Current Problem - freaking out in the cage


id just like to say EVERYONE that i know and know of and have seen anywhere use woodchips, why is this so bad, it just might be the way you do it in america but we do it differebtly here! (dont want to sound shitty)
 
Hi, I'm in the UK (Isle of Wight) and use an Exo Terra cage too. What light fitting do you have? Is it the dual top with the tube UV lights? I have never seen woodchips used as cham substrate. I used to use crushed Oyster shell for Lily, but I lined the bottom with an offcut of vinyl for my new baby - it's much easier to clean! The reason that woodchips are unsafe is that the cham may accidentally ingest some when shooting her food, which may cause impaction. Maybe the chips are too big for her to eat at the moment, but soon they won't be!

Nutrabol is a multivitamin with D3 - you need a plain calcium powder (no D3) too. My baby is around the same age as yours and currently I am dusting one feed per day (8 crix) with plain calcium 6 days a week and Nutrabol on alternate Sundays.
 
Miss Lily said:
Hi, I'm in the UK (Isle of Wight) and use an Exo Terra cage too. What light fitting do you have? Is it the dual top with the tube UV lights? I have never seen woodchips used as cham substrate. I used to use crushed Oyster shell for Lily, but I lined the bottom with an offcut of vinyl for my new baby - it's much easier to clean! The reason that woodchips are unsafe is that the cham may accidentally ingest some when shooting her food, which may cause impaction. Maybe the chips are too big for her to eat at the moment, but soon they won't be!

Nutrabol is a multivitamin with D3 - you need a plain calcium powder (no D3) too. My baby is around the same age as yours and currently I am dusting one feed per day (8 crix) with plain calcium 6 days a week and Nutrabol on alternate Sundays.
Click to expand...
but surely anything is dangerous as a substrate unless you use nothing?? i have the same cage i live in dorset i have a separte uv light fixing and the heatlamp sits on top. but can anyone help me with what i want help for please. maybe it is the fumes??
 
leela said:
but surely anything is dangerous as a substrate unless you use nothing?? i have the same cage i live in dorset i have a separte uv light fixing and the heatlamp sits on top. but can anyone help me with what i want help for please. maybe it is the fumes??
Click to expand...

Can you smell the fumes? If yes, that is probably a factor, yes.
Did you rinse the cage? If no, then the fumes are probably still there.
How soon did you put her in after cleaning? If the answer was soon after, then the fumes are most likely it.


The people who do use substrate over in the UK and rest of europe, are usually using dirt.
If you swallowed some finely ground dirt up, you would probably be fine. If you swallowed a chunk of wood, chances are it won't digest and come out whole, if not getting lodged on the way out.
That is the logic behind why wooden substrate is so bad.

On another note, is the UVB light a spiral CFL bulb, or a linear tube?

leela said:
this is my old cham she had to be put to sleep due to MBD
Click to expand...

I am very sorry, you have my condolences.
 
leela said:
but surely anything is dangerous as a substrate unless you use nothing?? i have the same cage i live in dorset i have a separte uv light fixing and the heatlamp sits on top. but can anyone help me with what i want help for please. maybe it is the fumes??
Click to expand...

Which is why most of us use nothing. I believe some people use dirt from woods, but I wouldn't trust what I was getting so use nothing. I just use paper towels to catch the water from the dripper (but working on a solution for this). I am assuming you are using an all glass enclosure (can't remember what you put)? It is likely that it was the fumes from the glass cleaner, especially if there is little ventilation. How is she now? Still stressing?
 
i cant smell them and i put her in there soon afterwards but she was fine until i took her out out everything back in then she went funny a few hours afterwards what else can i use as substrate??
 
leela said:
i cant smell them and i put her in there soon afterwards but she was fine until i took her out out everything back in then she went funny a few hours afterwards what else can i use as substrate??
Click to expand...

You don't have to use anything except paper towels. If you changed her whole set up that could freak her out too - they don't like change! It took my cham 3 weeks to calm down when we changed his. Do you have a screen top in your cage? how do you deal with ventilation. You may also find that a 60w is too hot, especially in this current weather. We have a wood/glass cage with ventilation and we only have a 40w bulb, yet i had it turned off for most of today due to the heat. You don't want to accidently cook your cham! You may also find that high humidity in a glass cage, combined with cleaner fumes, not matter how small, may also add to the freak out.
 
i put everything back in its original place, i have a screen top for ventilation i turn the heat bulb and UV off at night what other substrate??
 
no, if you must have a "substrate" you can use reptile carpet or paper towels and clean them out/wash them every few weeks.
 
i am juif the soil is small enough then it wont lodge in the stomach??? can anyone please provide pics of what there chameleon cage floor is like??
 
I cut an offcut of dark grey vinyl to fit and sealed it around with aquarium sealant before I got her to allow it to cure and the smell to evaporate. It's so easy to keep clean - all it needs is a wipe. I also put paper towels in there along the back and sides to catch the drips from the misting. The damp paper towels also help to keep humidity up, as I found everything was drying out a lot quicker without any substrate. The only reason I put the vinyl in is becasue I didn't want to have bare glass on the bottom in case she tried to dig out through it.
 
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