I feel terrible :'(
- Thread starter Kenny C
- Start date
Chiichan
Member
You're not alone!!! 
our Zeke got a pretty harsh burn on his casque too and it was while we were away at work. I doubt itll ever be the same, but a healed casque is better than infection!
It's not like we intended for it to happen, mistakes happen and as long as we do what we can to fix them and make it better its OKAY! Im sure he still loves you.
our Zeke got a pretty harsh burn on his casque too and it was while we were away at work. I doubt itll ever be the same, but a healed casque is better than infection! It's not like we intended for it to happen, mistakes happen and as long as we do what we can to fix them and make it better its OKAY! Im sure he still loves you.
Kenny C
Member
You're not alone!!!
It's not like we intended for it to happen, mistakes happen and as long as we do what we can to fix them and make it better its OKAY! Im sure he still loves you.
Same here I woke up and saw the burn and it hurt! I could get burned every day and it would have felt better than him getting burned! But I looked into it and realized my mistakes and it will never happen again!
Psychobunny
Avid Member
Don't feel too bad, I learned the hard way that you need to keep chams
a good 12'' from any basking bulb, and when you measure the temp, you
need to take the heighth of your cham at the highest point (tip of casque and middle of spine) into account.
So now I put the temp probe about 4'' above the basking branch.
a good 12'' from any basking bulb, and when you measure the temp, you
need to take the heighth of your cham at the highest point (tip of casque and middle of spine) into account.
So now I put the temp probe about 4'' above the basking branch.
Kenny C
Member
I like that, I didn't take into account his height I have my basking branch is 8 inches from the light right now.
Psychobunny
Avid Member
Did you figure when he is basking and "pancakes" the tip of his spine will
be much closer to the lamp.
I had to correct for this because his shed kept drying up and sticking to him.
Had to remove the un-shed skin with some Neosposin, but he was not burned.
Squee though did get a burn, and I couldn't see it because it was hiding
under some unshed skin.
I also learned, you need to check them out if un-shed skin stays on them
too long.
The heat from the lamp was keeping it too dry on his spine, no matter how
much I misted. And a scab developed which had to be removed and treated.
Poor Squee was on Baytril for over 2 weeks because of infection
be much closer to the lamp.
I had to correct for this because his shed kept drying up and sticking to him.
Had to remove the un-shed skin with some Neosposin, but he was not burned.
Squee though did get a burn, and I couldn't see it because it was hiding
under some unshed skin.
I also learned, you need to check them out if un-shed skin stays on them
too long.
The heat from the lamp was keeping it too dry on his spine, no matter how
much I misted. And a scab developed which had to be removed and treated.
Poor Squee was on Baytril for over 2 weeks because of infection
Kenny C
Member
Did you figure when he is basking and "pancakes" the tip of his spine will
be much closer to the lamp.
I had to correct for this because his shed kept drying up and sticking to him.
Had to remove the un-shed skin with some Neosposin, but he was not burned.
Squee though did get a burn, and I couldn't see it because it was hiding
under some unshed skin.
I also learned, you need to check them out if un-shed skin stays on them
too long.
The heat from the lamp was keeping it too dry on his spine, no matter how
much I misted. And a scab developed which had to be removed and treated.
Poor Squee was on Baytril for over 2 weeks because of infection
I have seen him flatten out sideways, he will lean left for 20 min than lab right for 20, very rare that I see him pancake. When I removed his basking branch is when all my issues in sued! That's when he got burned too. Now he seems better I am going to lower the branch later today.
Psychobunny
Avid Member
That's what Sméagol does too, pancakes, flops over to cook one side, then
flops over to cook the other side
I think they go by "core" temp.
So they don't seem to feel getting tips burned because their core temp is
still low.
flops over to cook the other side
I think they go by "core" temp.
So they don't seem to feel getting tips burned because their core temp is
still low.
Kenny C
Member
That's what Sméagol does too, pancakes, flops over to cook one side, then
flops over to cook the other side
I think they go by "core" temp.
So they don't seem to feel getting tips burned because their core temp is
still low.
Yeah that's what a vet I spoke to at the last reptile show was telling me.
happiness
New Member
Chameleons need to be 12" under a basking bulb?
Mine sits about 3 inches from mine.. Is this harmful? I haven't seen any burns... but I do notice she squints her eyes quite a bit..I also see her climbing upside down on the cage and she gets under the UV bulb so I lift it up and sometimes she'll make her way over to the basking bulb!!! So I have to lift that up too. (the bulbs sit on top of the cage) It scares me to think she could do this while I'm away..
Psychobunny
Avid Member
It depends on the kind of bulb, but yes, your cham does need to be that
far. If you are using any kind of incandescent bulb, it may not feel hot to you,
but after your cham has been under it a long time, every day, the tips of
their spine, casque, whatever is closest, will dry out and eventualy burn.
Please move your basking bulb away from him ASAP.
Lower his basking branch, and monitor the temp as I mentioned with a probe
thermometer.
You may need to experiment with different wattage bulbs.
The highest watt bulb I use is only 60W. And at 12'', it's almost 85F.
But that is measured at my chams tallest spot.
You need to have several branches so your cham can find the one he feels
most comfortable. A sort of temp gradient, so they can move around to
whatever temp they want.
High temp (at basking spot) about 85F, lower down cage, in the mid 70's.
far. If you are using any kind of incandescent bulb, it may not feel hot to you,
but after your cham has been under it a long time, every day, the tips of
their spine, casque, whatever is closest, will dry out and eventualy burn.
Please move your basking bulb away from him ASAP.
Lower his basking branch, and monitor the temp as I mentioned with a probe
thermometer.
You may need to experiment with different wattage bulbs.
The highest watt bulb I use is only 60W. And at 12'', it's almost 85F.
But that is measured at my chams tallest spot.
You need to have several branches so your cham can find the one he feels
most comfortable. A sort of temp gradient, so they can move around to
whatever temp they want.
High temp (at basking spot) about 85F, lower down cage, in the mid 70's.
pssh
Avid Member
Well, if you have a lot of branches for basking at various temps (creating a proper gradient) getting pretty close to the bulb shouldn't matter because they can move away to a spot that is a (or a few) degrees cooler if they need to. Mine can get pretty close (maybe 4-5" from their spines) but I haven't had any burns since the first one I ever had to deal with (years ago) now that I've set up proper gradients. It also helps if you tilt the bulb/dome so that the light is coming at them from an angle (like the morning sunlight they get in nature might be.)
fluxlizard
Avid Member
I've never tried tilting my dome, but I agree- my chams are offered a true gradient and I've always rested my reflectors right on the cages with lots of branches beneath. My chams can get right up in there. I've never had a burn on an animal. Burns happen when choices are limited and cages are cool without true thermo-gradients, hot-spots and a cool background instead.
