I have a male Panther chameleon, a little older than 4 months. When I got him he was energetic and angry; he would open his mouth and turn red when I sprayed/ moved him. For the past two weeks he has not been eating at all. He seems really skinny and I can't feel anything in his stomach. The crickets are just dying in his cage (which is 18x18x36 screened. I spray him 2-4 a day but he doesn't get mad anymore which I don't know if it's good or bad. He has stopped changing colors and his eyes seem really sunken. He sleeps all day. My parents took him outside and he didn't move at all but I take him out and he moves way more than when he is in the cage. Please help me. I'm really concerned and really scared. I'm in tears.
I think my chameleon is sick! SOMEONE HELP Me!!!
- Thread starter Maisiey
- Start date
MelissaB
Avid Member
I'm so sorry your guy isn't feeling well. 
It'll help other members help you to figure out what's going on if you fill out the "How to ask for help" form. A visit to a good vet that is familiar with chameleons would probably be a good idea.
Here's the help form. If you copy it into your post and answer the questions, it'll help figure out what's going on.
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.
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 - The current problem you are concerned about.
It'll help other members help you to figure out what's going on if you fill out the "How to ask for help" form. A visit to a good vet that is familiar with chameleons would probably be a good idea.Here's the help form. If you copy it into your post and answer the questions, it'll help figure out what's going on.
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.
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 - The current problem you are concerned about.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, male, a little older than 4 months, been in my car for four months
Handling - Usually once a week but I've been holding him and taking him outside a lot more to try and get him moving. Twice a day currently
Feeding - Crickets. He doesn't eat the meal worms. About 7 a week. I'm not sure what guy-loading is.
Supplements - Fluker's calcium with vitamin d. Every two weeks or so. He doesn't seem to eat them when I put it on.
Watering - I use a spray bottle. 2-4 times a day and I spray everything, his plants his branches even himself. I used to see him drinking but not as much anymore.
Fecal Description - Brown to yellow. And he hasn't been pooping a lot lately. I don't think he has been tested for anything.
History - He used to have a bit of a temper but he has stopped reacting to me spraying him or moving him. He also has really gorgeous color changes but he has been the same orange red for the past two weeks. I contacted the person I got it from but he never responded
Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen. 18x36
Lighting - zoo med reptisun 5.0 Uvb basking lamp and then I'm not sure what type of heat lamp but it's purple and its a round bulb.
Temperature - 75-80. Lowest night temp is 70. I have a thermostat and a floor heater to make it hotter.
Humidity - i don't know about humidity. The person I got him from never mentioned it
Plants - He has a large live pathos plant.
Placement - his cage is in the corner of my room next to a window. The top of the cage is About 4 ft from the ground.
Location - i live in southern california. Fullerton.
Current problem- like I said above he doesn't eat, he sleeps all day and his eyes are sunken. He has stopped changing colors and is the same size as when I got him and he doesn't get mad at me anymore when I move him. Please help.
Your Chameleon - Panther Chameleon, male, a little older than 4 months, been in my car for four months
Handling - Usually once a week but I've been holding him and taking him outside a lot more to try and get him moving. Twice a day currently
Feeding - Crickets. He doesn't eat the meal worms. About 7 a week. I'm not sure what guy-loading is.
Supplements - Fluker's calcium with vitamin d. Every two weeks or so. He doesn't seem to eat them when I put it on.
Watering - I use a spray bottle. 2-4 times a day and I spray everything, his plants his branches even himself. I used to see him drinking but not as much anymore.
Fecal Description - Brown to yellow. And he hasn't been pooping a lot lately. I don't think he has been tested for anything.
History - He used to have a bit of a temper but he has stopped reacting to me spraying him or moving him. He also has really gorgeous color changes but he has been the same orange red for the past two weeks. I contacted the person I got it from but he never responded
Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen. 18x36
Lighting - zoo med reptisun 5.0 Uvb basking lamp and then I'm not sure what type of heat lamp but it's purple and its a round bulb.
Temperature - 75-80. Lowest night temp is 70. I have a thermostat and a floor heater to make it hotter.
Humidity - i don't know about humidity. The person I got him from never mentioned it
Plants - He has a large live pathos plant.
Placement - his cage is in the corner of my room next to a window. The top of the cage is About 4 ft from the ground.
Location - i live in southern california. Fullerton.
Current problem- like I said above he doesn't eat, he sleeps all day and his eyes are sunken. He has stopped changing colors and is the same size as when I got him and he doesn't get mad at me anymore when I move him. Please help.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
Can you post some pictures of him and his set up??? Gutloading is feeding your bugs nutritional things like fresh fruits and vegetables so those nutrients and vitamins get passed on to your chameleon. You should be dusting his food at every feeding with a calcium with no d3, a calcium with d3 twice monthly and then a multivitamin twice monthly also. I think his basking temp needs to be raised higher. I would try using a white housebulb and try and get the temp between 85-90 or so. Closing both eyes is not a good sign and neither is sunken eyes, so I am hoping we can get him turned around quickly if possible. If he is not drinking he may be dehydrated. If you can post some pics that would be most helpful.
You said..."he would open his mouth and turn red when I sprayed"...you didn't spray water in his mouth did you?
You said the cage is near the window...does it sit in the sun at all during the day? Is the window open at all?
As was already mentioned he should be getting insects that are gutloaded/fed properly and dusted with a phos.-free calcium at most feedings.
You said the cage is near the window...does it sit in the sun at all during the day? Is the window open at all?
As was already mentioned he should be getting insects that are gutloaded/fed properly and dusted with a phos.-free calcium at most feedings.
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
Is he getting enough Vit A?
Been seeing a lot of posts like this one lately, same animals, same set ups, same issues with the eyes. Looking like a lot of people are kneeling at the altar of Fluker and buying their supplements.
Is Petco or Petsmart pushing that brand by chance?
Been seeing a lot of posts like this one lately, same animals, same set ups, same issues with the eyes. Looking like a lot of people are kneeling at the altar of Fluker and buying their supplements.
Is Petco or Petsmart pushing that brand by chance?
He hasn't eaten any of the crickets I've given him for at least a week. I don't spray the water directly in his mouth but maybe I should because he doesn't seem to drink on his own. I'm really concerned and I'm a first time chameleon owner. According to the guy I got him from I am doing everything right so I really need help to figure this out. I'm taking him to the vet tlmorrow
DragoLikesReptiles
New Member
Good idea. Good luck with your little guy! I know how stressful chameleon health problems can be.
Regarding supplements, its recommended that you dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for the poor ratio of calcium to phos. found in most of the feeder insects we use. (You sprinkle the powders on the insects lightly.)
We usually recommend dusting twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 from supplements without overdoing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but D3 produced from exposure to the UVB light should not build up as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the light when it wants to. The most often recommended UVB light is the long tube Repti-sun 5.0.
We also recommend using a vitamin powder with a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources do not build up in the system like prEformed sources do so this leaves you in control of the prEformed sources without the worry of overdosing when using the vitamin powder.
Appropriate temperatures allow for good digestion and thus aid in nutrient absorption. Basking temp for a veiled can be in the low 80's F.
Proper feeding/gutloading of the insects is important too. Crickets, locusts, roaches, superworms can be fed a wide assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc. and veggies such as carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.
Heinz...exactly why I was asking about the watering.
Please post a recent photo.
We usually recommend dusting twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 from supplements without overdoing it and leaving the chameleon to produce the rest of the D3 it needs from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but D3 produced from exposure to the UVB light should not build up as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the light when it wants to. The most often recommended UVB light is the long tube Repti-sun 5.0.
We also recommend using a vitamin powder with a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources do not build up in the system like prEformed sources do so this leaves you in control of the prEformed sources without the worry of overdosing when using the vitamin powder.
Appropriate temperatures allow for good digestion and thus aid in nutrient absorption. Basking temp for a veiled can be in the low 80's F.
Proper feeding/gutloading of the insects is important too. Crickets, locusts, roaches, superworms can be fed a wide assortment of greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc. and veggies such as carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.
Heinz...exactly why I was asking about the watering.
Please post a recent photo.
