I think my chameleon is sick pls help

ariel<3

New Member
My panther chameleon has been looking very lethargic. He has been having one eye closed for most of the day and idk what could be wrong with him. Any suggestions ?
 
Hi and welcome to the forum. You are in good hands, providing as much information as possible will help greatly 👍
 
Thank you sm for replying! these are all pictures I have taken right now ! my brother was unable to take care of him and he mmm so i just recently took him in about three days ago! he as almost 2 years old!
 

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Hello and welcome! What a beautiful boy you have there!! While @Beman is getting back to you I can share some information that could be helpful to you.

This is the care sheet I follow for my panther.

Does he have UVB provided during the day? He needs a T5-HO UVB light in order to stay healthy. Here is a good place to get a hood and lights, be sure to get the 5% Reptisun or the 6% Arcadia linear light to go with the hood.

Is there a table or stand that your enclosure is on? Height equals safety for chameleons, all of my chams enclosures are on bakers racks, or something similar. Basically you want the top branches in their enclosure to be above your head.

If you can copy the form below, paste it in your reply and fill it out, this will help give us all the information on how to help you best!

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 do 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 -
 
  • Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, Male, I have had him for about three days
  • Handling - Every day I have had him for a couple of minutes and he just crawls all over me
  • Feeding - I have fed him superworms three yesterday and three today because he still seemed hungry. I was instructed by my brother to feed him every 2-3 days
  • Supplements - so far I have coated the super worms in calcium without vitamin d by Flukers and i gave him a worm with Herptivitive multivitamin
  • Watering - I am using a drip system. I have had the most on all day lightly. yes i he drinks from the drip and also will drink from the spray bottle?
  • Fecal Description - when i first got him i think he pooped and it was dry and then he pooped today and it was a lil watery and white. yes i believe so
 
I’m still new to this so I’ll let others handle the advice. I just wanted to say welcome and you are in great hands with the people here ☺️ your little guy is so cute!!! What’s his name?
 
Thanks! See my answers in Red
  • Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, Male, I have had him for about three days
  • Handling - Every day I have had him for a couple of minutes and he just crawls all over me. Chameleons tend to stress easily. I would recommend not handling him unless necessary like deep cleaning his enclosure, doing a physical check on him, or taking him to the vet. If he tries to climb on you as soon as you open the door most likely there is something bothering him in his enclosure and he si trying to get out. View this as a sign that something in his environment needs to change vs he wants to be with you/be held.
  • Feeding - I have fed him superworms three yesterday and three today because he still seemed hungry. I was instructed by my brother to feed him every 2-3 days. Do you know how old he is? If he is an adult you should feed him 3-5 feeders every other day. I've included a picture of great feeders for him, unfortunately superworms are the 'junk food' bugs for chameleons and do not offer a lot of nutritional value. I feed my chams a mixture of silk worms, dubia roaches, occasionally crickets, and BSFL or the BSF. I feed my chams Monday, Wednesday and Friday the 'healthy bugs' dusted with calcium. Saturdays are treat bug day and they get either super worms or wax worms dusted with either calcium OR if it is the 1st/3rd Saturday of the month, I dust the treat bugs with Repashy LoD, which is the multivitamin and vitamin D all in one. I also 'gut load' all of my bugs. Healthy bugs = healthy chameleon, see the photo attached :)
  • Supplements - so far I have coated the super worms in calcium without vitamin d by Flukers and i gave him a worm with Herptivitive multivitamin. I am not familiar with either supplements, so I will let @Beman speak to those
  • Watering - I am using a drip system. I have had the most on all day lightly. yes i he drinks from the drip and also will drink from the spray bottle? You only want to mist at night when the temperatures drop to 68 degrees or lower in his enclosure. Hight temps and humidity equals bacteria, mold and possibly an upper respiratory infection for your little guy. Chameleon's are shy drinkers so if you see them rush to drink from a dripper, that should be a sign that your hydration method needs some adjustment. I use a dripper on the days I feed my chameleons, fog at night and mist in the mornings before lights turn on. Usually between the three things I hardly ever see my chameleons drink. In nature, chameleons get their hydration through the fog that rolls in in the wee hours of the morning.
  • Fecal Description - when i first got him i think he pooped and it was dry and then he pooped today and it was a lil watery and white. yes i believe so. That is excellent! We chameleon keepers get a lot of information from the poop so get ready for that part of you life :). if the poop and urate looks well hydrated that is typically how we can tell that our chameleons are getting their hydration.
Linked here is a care sheet for you. This is what I follow for my panther and it has helped me immensely.

When you are ready, copy and past the second section of the form I sent you that includes the information on temps, humidity, enclosure size etc, Chameleons need their environment to be just right and so all of that is equally important.


Gut Load.jpg
Bugs.jpg
 
  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dim
  • 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?
I’m still new to this so I’ll let others handle the advice. I just wanted to say welcome and you are in great hands with the people here ☺️ your little guy is so cute!!! What’s his name?
Thank you sm🫶😭his name is reptar!🕺
 
Hey there... So do me a favor and start reading this https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
Then ask us questions here.

You are going to need to make some cage changes. Pretty rapidly and that link will teach you what you are lacking. These guys are arboreal meaning they have to have climbing areas like trees. Your set up while beautiful is better suited to a gecko. Also the only screen I am seeing is the top panel. If there are no screen or air inlets down below in the cage then his air is going to get pretty stagnant.

I am also not seeing a linear UVB light.

Where did you get him from?
 
Herptivite doe not have prEformed vitamin A in it..so he might develop a vitamin A deficiency.
 
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