Help!! :(

[stizzled]

My boyfriend and I purchased an adult veiled chameleon about 2 weeks ago. At first it seemed like he was just adjusting...and then Yoda began to shed like a week after we got him. While at first he was eating like 5 or so large crickets a day he went down to one or two...well now he looks like he is done/almost done shedding but he won't eat at all!!
On top of that he lives with my boyfriend at his apt. My bf has a job that is 3pm-11pm so he doesn't get home to turn Yoda's lights off until 11:15/11:30..but Yoda is ALWAYS asleep by then!!! We don't know how the lights are supposed to be worked so he will turn the basking lamp off and around midnight turn off the heat lamp...and turn them both on again at 9am the next day.
On top of that Yoda is being misted with a spray bottle 5-9 times a day for at least 6mins. each time plus we have a home made drip system. As you can tell, he has become our baby.
Oh, and we DO take him out once a week - on Wed. for 10-30mins and let him walk around the apartment.





That is what we are doing to take care of him....
1. HE STOPPED EATING
2. HE IS ACTING DEHYDRATED...?!
3. HE WAS STILL UP AT 12:15am today!!


HELP!!! I don't know if we should worry or if it seems as if we are doing something wrong...I am totally clueless. All I know is I am scared and I want Yoda to be okay. I know you guys are pros so hopefully someone has some insight as to why Yoda seems to have taken a turn for the worse since he started to shed...

(Looks like he is done now though?)

 

[Alexl]

First, please fill in the "how to ask for help" form with exact information about your keeping conditions. Then forum members will be able to help you optimizing cage setup.

Obviously problems I recognize about your chameleon 'til now:

• 5 feeders every day is too much for an adult chameleon like yours. They need days without any food and should be fed restrictively to keep them healthy. Overfeeding is a really big problem in chameleons these days. Take a look at this thread or this one for more information about feeding.
• Shedding in adult chameleons can take some days and adults may shed in parts instead of shedding the whole body in one hour like a young chameleon would do. Could you post an up to date picture of your veiled chameleon?
• You can easily use clock timers for proper lightning times without being at home. Seems totally normal a chameleon does sleep in winter at 11.30 p.m., but it should be dark some hours before yet. You should try to imitate the lightning hours, intensitiy and uvb radiations of its natural habitat. It's not necessary at all to have a heat lamp on 'til midnight. In wilderness, temperature drops as soon as the sun sets. Chameleons need well-regulated daily routine concerning lightning setup, which also means you shouldn't disturb him at night.
• 9 x 6 minutes misting seems a lot to me. I'm quite curious about the humidity in his cage. And may I ask... if you're boyfriend isn't home to switch the lights off, is it true the chameleon isn't sprayed during that whole time? If yes, an automatic rain system could be a great idea.

And another question: Why do you think he's dehydrated? Just from not seeing him drink or did you notice anything else besides eating and sleeping?

 

[carol5208]

]you say basking and night heat lamp....do you not have a uvb lamp for daytime? They require UVB rays to survive. NO lights on at night! Get a timer as suggested. When it gets dark outside turn off the lights in the cage. Night lighting will disrupt their sleep cycle. We need to see pics of your enclosure, pics of your chameleon and please fill out the form as requested so we can get the whole picture of what is going on.

 

[pepezkakap]

Mine won't eat even 2 days after shedding. The thing is I could never understand the appetite of cham. As long as he's active, he poops and urates and drinking then I am all good.

Make sure you get the correct temp ambient, keep hydrated and UVB for sure since you keep him indoor.