Help Please!!!

[Zhadoz]

i just got a chameleon and I know a lot about them or so I think but I am doing something wrong or at least I think I am. I love this little it but she isn't acting like my old chameleon. I have a veiled chameleon baby. I am not sure of her age but I know she is quite young as she is the size of a hatchling. I know hatchlings tend to be shy but shy enough to starve?

I am going crazy trying to get my baby to eat.
I love her (she is a girl) someone please help me. I can see her ribs and I know that's a sign of a lethargic chameleon but what if she is just so small that you can see them?

I have so much to learn based on how to check their health I would love every ounce of input possible. I have a appointment Friday to see my local exotic pets doctor. For her money is no object.

Her name is tbd


This is her sleeping is that how they usually sleep? I really just need to know she is healthy
View attachment 188928


I mean she looks really healthy isn't bright good?

Guys please teach me.


View attachment 188931

 

[kinyonga]

Please answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread at the top of the health forum so we can tell you if your husbandry is OK.
Also...please post another photo ...I can't access those ones.

 

[Zhadoz]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, Female, and young(maybe a month or two) She has been with me for about a week now.
• Handling - Almost never. So far only three times.
• Feeding - I tried crickets but she didn't eat them. I put 5 in. I removed after day two since they can bite. I am now trying flightless fruit flies. Can't tell if she had any or not. Their currently is no schedule as she does not eat... With calcium dust I cover her food in.
• Supplements - I use repti calcium and I dusted her food once( since I had her a week) but I wanna do it twice a month.
• Watering - i use the mistking and sometimes hand spraying. By hand a spray for a minute and the mistking sprays morning and afternoon. She drinks quite often which I am happy about just extremely extremely shy.
• Fecal Description - I own almost every kind of reptile so her droppings look normal to me. I do not think she has parasites as she is a newborn.
• History - Was shipped to my job ( PetSmart ) less than two weeks ago and I've had her since. Was extremely healthy while kept at my job and apparently even ate in front of the employees.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - A combo cage. With screen top and side and all the rest glass. The dimensions are 16 in L and 16 in W and 24 in H ( inches )
• Lighting - For basking bulb I am using a daylight blue 60w ( zoo med ) and for uvb I am using a reptisun 13w (zoo med) my lighting schedule is perfectly in sync to 6am to 8pm everyday.
• Temperature - Don't be mad guys but I don't have this answer I don't know what gauge to buy as people say most are off by a lot.
• Humidity - Based on my science I keep it pretty high it's almost always moist except during like a few hours of his sun time. Again I don't have a gauge for this either.
• Plants - Yes, I am using one large hibiscus tree and a small Croton plant.
• Placement - I am in Florida and I can't have my baby outside( I'll explain in detail if you ask) She is beside my bed with little traffic near her and tv is other end of room. Her cage is about in the middle of my wall length wise to the floor.
• Location - United States Florida the sunshine state. ( but she still can't be outside unless I'm with her.)

Current Problem - She isn't eating or I think she isn't eating. I would like to setup a feeder dish that is safe for her and can contain crickets and etc but I have no idea how to if anyone has extremely detailed tips for me that would helpful and any and all advice is appreciated. I don't want her to die not that she looks ill but I can see her ribs I don't know if that matters when they are so young. She moves around her home quite a bit tbh so she isn't afraid of her home is more so me.

 

[kinyonga]

Not eating...if the temperature is too low they won't eat or digest their food properly so it's important to know what it is. For a young veiled it should be in the low 80's F.

You can add a dripper so she has another method of being watered.

For supplements...its recommended that you dust at almost every feeding with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to help make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects. It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some d3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest from its exposure to the UVB light. It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources wont build up in the system so you don't have to worry about overdoing it and ending up with health problems from too much. However this leaves it up to you to decide when/if your chameleon needs some prEformed once in a while.

Two more points...don't constantly over feed her,..especially as she reaches maturity. It will make her produce large clutches, can lead to egg binding, prolapses, MBD. Veileds can lay eggs without having mated so it's important to put an egglaying container (opaque, at keast 12" deep x 12" x 8") in her cage once she reaches sexual maturity (gets mustard colored splotches) so that she has a place to dig to show you when she needs to lay. Don't watch her while she's digging.

What other kinds of reptiles do you keep?

 

[Zhadoz]

Not eating...if the temperature is too low they won't eat or digest their food properly so it's important to know what it is. For a young veiled it should be in the !how 89's F.

You can add a dripper so she has another method of being watered.

For supplements...its recommended that you dust at almost every feeding with a phosphorous-free calcium powder to help make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects. It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some d3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest from its exposure to the UVB light. It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources wont build up in the system so you don't have to worry about overdoing it and ending up with health problems from too much. However this leaves it up to you to decide when/if your chameleon needs some prEformed once in a while.

Two more points...don't constantly over feed her,..especially as she reaches maturity. It will make her produce large clutches, can lead to egg binding, prolapses, MBD. Veileds can lay eggs without having mated so it's important to put an egglaying container (opaque, at keast 12" deep x 12" x 8") in her cage once she reaches sexual maturity (gets mustard colored splotches) so that she has a place to dig to show you when she needs to lay. Don't watch her while she's digging.

What other kinds of reptiles do you keep?

I have 5 bearded dragons
2 leopard geckos
4 turtles
1 snake
1 crested eyelash gecko

I also breed two specious of flies and I breed ghost shrimp and snails for my turtles.

And I am going to be purchasing a water dragon in a few weeks

But could it be the temeperture that is causing her to not want to feed? Or to feed less? I have a new bulb that's one of those sun creating bulbs forgot name but it's 100 watts ... isn't that too strong for a baby veiled?
Also how can I create a feeding bin to hold crickets if you know?

 

[Zhadoz]

The temperature range you gave me for her to properly feed is so off. I may not have gauge but I know it's not that high Not with the 60w I'm using

 

[kinyonga]

I mistyped the temperature...it should be in the low 80's F.

What species of turtles and snake?

Water dragons are great!

 

[Zhadoz]

I mistyped the temperature...it should be in the low 80's F.

What species of turtles and snake?

Water dragons are great!

Yea I'm looking for a breeder so I can get a young and healthy water dragon they are gorgeous !!!

I have 2 yellow bellied sliders
1 snapping
1 mud turtle
Also, the snake a hybrid ball python she is albino with strips of actual python in her

 

[Zhadoz]

Yea I'm looking for a breeder so I can get a young and healthy water dragon they are gorgeous !!!

I have 2 yellow bellied sliders
1 snapping
1 mud turtle
Also, the snake a hybrid ball python she is albino with strips of actual python in her

I'll also get a gauge this week to determine the correct temperature for her since this is my first chameleon. I just hope she lives

If anyone else reads this tomorrow please give me input on a feeding bin to specifically contain crickets and ideas of her health? I can get any pictures needed just ask me

 

[el chamino]

just a small plastic cup about 3" deep, was clear so I wrapped the outside with green vinyl. Hangs from a vine made into a hook above, so can be moved around. Hemp cord and dowels give access and various footholds. Not the best, but it is functional and keeps in the crickets(~1/4").

Good luck, I hope she gets better soon

 

[Zhadoz]

View attachment 189018 View attachment 189019

just a small plastic cup about 3" deep, was clear so I wrapped the outside with green vinyl. Hangs from a vine made into a hook above, so can be moved around. Hemp cord and dowels give access and various footholds. Not the best, but it is functional and keeps in the crickets(~1/4").

Good luck, I hope she gets better soon

UPDATE TO CLOSE THIS THREAD.

She is finally eating I caught her eating some fruit flies and when she saw me she was like LOOK AWAY!!!! LOL

The feeding bin is what helped her to eat.

Thank you everyone who posted and who tried to help and those who did this is such an amazing website and I'm glad I am here!!!

I also bought a boy chameleon he is gorgeous !!!

 

[kinyonga]

Good to hear that she's eating. Do you quarantine new reptiles from the ones you already had when you get a new one?

 

[Zhadoz]

Good to hear that she's eating. Do you quarantine new reptiles from the ones you already had when you get a new one?

Well most are fine with the sight of each other but of course for Chameleon's I quarantine them haha

 

[kinyonga]

Quarantine....this is what I mean by quarantine...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/quarantine.36078/