In need of some opinions! New Owner!

[AmandaS]

You should use the search bar on here and look up pictures of enclosures to get a really good idea what it should look like. (Not that yours isn't good. I have no idea! Lol, im just throwing out ideas)

I also recommend ditching the fake plants and only using real ones from the safe list. Veileds are known to eat their plants, and he can get impacted if he eats a plastic leaf.

 

[Blake25]

To post a video, you have to upload it to youtube or equvilent and post the link here.

He looks a little dehydrated to me. You may want to get some hornworms and silkworms for him. He looks like he can eat the big ones.
Also, you probably want to get a fecal done, that is around $60 at my local VCA. Just to double check there are no parasites and he is healthy.
He does look good to me.

What is it that makes him look dehydrated to you? I posted a picture from when I first got him, and one from now. I thought he was dehydrated when I first got him but he has come a long way to me. Just trying to see what I need to watch.

 

[AmandaS]

What is it that makes him look dehydrated to you? I posted a picture from when I first got him, and one from now. I thought he was dehydrated when I first got him but he has come a long way to me. Just trying to see what I need to watch.

His tail. Instead of being plump and round it is shaped like an octagon. That is just what I think I see from the pictures. It may be misleading.
His eyes look good and he looks good. I was just saying you may want to watch his hydration.

What does his fecal/urate look like? Is his urate nice and white, or is there yellowing or an orange tinge to it?

 

[AmandaS]

I also want to add that you should only fog at night, and only for a few hours.
Fogging during the day with the high basking temps can lead to a repritory infection.

If you have a chance to post the form filled out, it will help guide you in giving your little dude the best life possible.

 

[Blake25]

His tail. Instead of being plump and round it is shaped like an octagon. That is just what I think I see from the pictures. It may be misleading.
His eyes look good and he looks good. I was just saying you may want to watch his hydration.

What does his fecal/urate look like? Is his urate nice and white, or is there yellowing or an orange tinge to it?

I will definitely watch it. His urate is completely white. His fecal matter is like a medium brown. I usually have to clean it up twice a day.

 

[Blake25]

I also want to add that you should only fog at night, and only for a few hours.
Fogging during the day with the high basking temps can lead to a repritory infection.

If you have a chance to post the form filled out, it will help guide you in giving your little dude the best life possible.

When I asked the pet store, they said the fogger needed to be ran during the day as much as possible. They have been absolutely no help when it comes to my questions. When I tried looking online not many answers come up. That is why I joined this forum. Most of the questions I googled lead me to threads here. I’ll start switching his fogging.

 

[AmandaS]

The form touches every single aspect of chameleon husbandry. The pet store knows nothing about chameleons if they are saying run the fogger all day. We are here to help steer you in the right direction though! Fill this out with as much info as possible. Names, brands, pictures of EVERYTHING lights down to ground.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Blake25]

I will for sure get to work on this tomorrow! Thank you so much for all the help you have given me!

 

[AmandaS]

I will for sure get to work on this tomorrow! Thank you so much for all the help you have given me!

Hey, did you ever get a chance to fill out the form?

 

[amfire125]

How we "water our chameleons" is kind of a funny thing. Ultimately part of the goal is to mimic their natural environment, and while rain happens in nature, so does dew and other things that are hard to recreate in our homes full of AC and heating.

Misting, or using a dripper, is important during the daytime to create a drinking source, keep humidity levels slightly higher (especially if you live in a dry climate), and for the occasional eye wash and the even more rare body shower. Fogging is super ideal around "lights off" and before "lights on" and even a little throughout the night to mimic that rainforest night air that they are adapted to.

Everything about frequency, amount, types of water we provide depend on our homes, the climate where we live, our cages and setups, and even our own lifestyles and how we are able to provide for these animals.

 

[Blake25]

Hey, did you ever get a chance to fill out the form?
[/Hey!! I had a few more questions about Napoleon. I hope it’s okay if I ask. Starting last night he has been closing one of his eyes. He will open it, and when he does it doesn’t look like anything is wrong with it but he mostly keeps it closed. His left eye. I’ve noticed a gnat in his enclosure so maybe that could be the issue? I have a few pictures of you wouldn’t mind giving me your opinion? Thanks in advance!

 

[Blake25]

More pictures and also a picture of his urate and fecal matter.

 

[AmandaS]

If you fill out the form, I can help address your concerns. It looks like his eye is swollen/puffy. Filling in the form will help me know the supplements and how often he gets them, what lighting is used, what his humidity and temps are...and more.
All the husbandry aspects go hand-in-hand and are linked together.
Please fill in the form. ?

 

[Blake25]

If you fill out the form, I can help address your concerns. It looks like his eye is swollen/puffy. Filling in the form will help me know the supplements and how often he gets them, what lighting is used, what his humidity and temps are...and more.
All the husbandry aspects go hand-in-hand and are linked together.
Please fill in the form. ?

I filled it out and posted it but I’m not seeing it, I will try to redo it now.

 

[Blake25]

If you fill out the form, I can help address your concerns. It looks like his eye is swollen/puffy. Filling in the form will help me know the supplements and how often he gets them, what lighting is used, what his humidity and temps are...and more.
All the husbandry aspects go hand-in-hand and are linked together.
Please fill in the form. ?

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Male, not sure of age, has been in my care for about three months.
• Handling - Daily at his own request.
• Feeding - 8-10 crickets daily. 3-4 Wax Worms, every other day. 4-5 mealworms, every other day. 6pm feeding time.
• Supplements - Repti calcium (without D3) Crickets are dusted every feeding, wax and mealworms dusted every other feeding.
• Watering - Dripper/Fogger. Hand mist, 15 minutes 3x daily. Yes, I see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - Brown feces, white urate with slight yellow on the end. Sometimes with mucus. Always solid. Twice daily.
• History - Rescued from a pet store.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Zoo med Reptibreeze Chameleon kit 16x16x30, currently building bigger.
• Lighting - Zoo Med 100w Tropical UBV and Heat Lighting Dual Kit, 60w zoo med daylight blue reptile bulb, and 5.0 reptisun UVB zoo med bulb. Heat & UVB Lights from 9am-9pm sometimes 10pm.
• Temperature - Cage floor 70- Basking spot 86-93. Overnight temp 64. Digital thermometer.
• Humidity - Level usually stays around 80%. Could range from 55-80. Misting and fogger. Also, live hibiscus plants and zoo med Eco Earth compressed coconut fiber substrate. Zoo med humidity gauge.
• Plants - Live Hibiscus Plants x2
• Placement - Cage located in sitting area, non high traffic. No fans/air vents. 6.5 ft from the floor.
• Location - Pittsfield, Illinois

 

[AmandaS]

my comments will be in red.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Male, not sure of age, has been in my care for about three months.
• Handling - Daily at his own request.
• Feeding - 8-10 crickets daily. 3-4 Wax Worms, every other day. 4-5 mealworms, every other day. 6pm feeding time. Mealworms are not recommended as they have a hard chitinous exoskeleton that is difficult to digest. Variety is best. Roaches are more nutritious than crickets because they have a longer digestive tract which can contain more of the gutload to provide your chameleon with nutrition. You can feed bsfl, bsf, fliea, bees, locusts, mantids, moths, hornworms as a treat (they are like a bag of water and are great for hydration)
• Supplements - Repti calcium (without D3) Crickets are dusted every feeding, wax and mealworms dusted every other feeding. it is recommended that you supplement with a no d3 calcium all but 4 days a month. Those 4 days (separated by 1 week) you want to alternate between a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. It is very important you provide a mutivitamin those 2 days a month because it will help with things such as eye health. I have read a lack of vitamin A can cause eye issues.
• Watering - Dripper/Fogger. Hand mist, 15 minutes 3x daily. Yes, I see him drinking. 15 minutes is a long time. Ideally (depending on your geographical location) you will mist 2-3 times a day for a solid 2 minutes. The enclosure should have time to dry out in between. The daytime humidity should be between 30-50%. And a spike in humidity is good, it can be as much as 100%. I personally use a fogger from 12-3am to get a higher humidity. But remember to not fog during the day as high heat and high humidity together can result in an RI.
• Fecal Description - Brown feces, white urate with slight yellow on the end. Sometimes with mucus. Always solid. Twice daily. fecal sounds good. It is always a good idea to have a fecal test done to rule out parasites.
• History - Rescued from a pet store.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Zoo med Reptibreeze Chameleon kit 16x16x30, currently building bigger. that is good. 24x24x48 is the recommended minimum for an adult male veiled.
• Lighting - Zoo Med 100w Tropical UBV and Heat Lighting Dual Kit, 60w zoo med daylight blue reptile bulb, and 5.0 reptisun UVB zoo med bulb. Heat & UVB Lights from 9am-9pm sometimes 10pm. you will need to get a long, tubular t5ho fixture and a 5.0 uv bulb (or 6% if using arcadia). The lighting you currently have is insufficient for a chameleon. A regular incandescent light bulb can be used for basking.
• Temperature - Cage floor 70- Basking spot 86-93. Overnight temp 64. Digital thermometer.looks good to me.
• Humidity - Level usually stays around 80%. Could range from 55-80. Misting and fogger. Also, live hibiscus plants and zoo med Eco Earth compressed coconut fiber substrate. Zoo med humidity gauge.unless you are going bioactive, i suggest you remove the ssubstrate. It is a risk for compaction. As I already talked about, the humidity should only be between 30-40% during the day, with a spike at night.
• Plants - Live Hibiscus Plants x2live plants are wonderful. Hibiscus plants require a ton of light, so you will probably want a plant bulb too. A good plant to provide cover and pathways is pothos.
• Placement - Cage located in sitting area, non high traffic. No fans/air vents. 6.5 ft from the floor.
• Location - Pittsfield, Illinois

i know this is a lot of info, if you have more questions I would be happy to help, and if I cant I can call in the bigger guns. Lol.
I do think his eye issues are stemming from the iimproper supplements and lighting. They really go hand in hand and are a VERY important aspect of chameleon husbandry.

 

[Blake25]

my comments will be in red.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Male, not sure of age, has been in my care for about three months.
• Handling - Daily at his own request.
• Feeding - 8-10 crickets daily. 3-4 Wax Worms, every other day. 4-5 mealworms, every other day. 6pm feeding time. Mealworms are not recommended as they have a hard chitinous exoskeleton that is difficult to digest. Variety is best. Roaches are more nutritious than crickets because they have a longer digestive tract which can contain more of the gutload to provide your chameleon with nutrition. You can feed bsfl, bsf, fliea, bees, locusts, mantids, moths, hornworms as a treat (they are like a bag of water and are great for hydration)
• Supplements - Repti calcium (without D3) Crickets are dusted every feeding, wax and mealworms dusted every other feeding. it is recommended that you supplement with a no d3 calcium all but 4 days a month. Those 4 days (separated by 1 week) you want to alternate between a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. It is very important you provide a mutivitamin those 2 days a month because it will help with things such as eye health. I have read a lack of vitamin A can cause eye issues.
• Watering - Dripper/Fogger. Hand mist, 15 minutes 3x daily. Yes, I see him drinking. 15 minutes is a long time. Ideally (depending on your geographical location) you will mist 2-3 times a day for a solid 2 minutes. The enclosure should have time to dry out in between. The daytime humidity should be between 30-50%. And a spike in humidity is good, it can be as much as 100%. I personally use a fogger from 12-3am to get a higher humidity. But remember to not fog during the day as high heat and high humidity together can result in an RI.
• Fecal Description - Brown feces, white urate with slight yellow on the end. Sometimes with mucus. Always solid. Twice daily. fecal sounds good. It is always a good idea to have a fecal test done to rule out parasites.
• History - Rescued from a pet store.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Zoo med Reptibreeze Chameleon kit 16x16x30, currently building bigger. that is good. 24x24x48 is the recommended minimum for an adult male veiled.
• Lighting - Zoo Med 100w Tropical UBV and Heat Lighting Dual Kit, 60w zoo med daylight blue reptile bulb, and 5.0 reptisun UVB zoo med bulb. Heat & UVB Lights from 9am-9pm sometimes 10pm. you will need to get a long, tubular t5ho fixture and a 5.0 uv bulb (or 6% if using arcadia). The lighting you currently have is insufficient for a chameleon. A regular incandescent light bulb can be used for basking.
• Temperature - Cage floor 70- Basking spot 86-93. Overnight temp 64. Digital thermometer.looks good to me.
• Humidity - Level usually stays around 80%. Could range from 55-80. Misting and fogger. Also, live hibiscus plants and zoo med Eco Earth compressed coconut fiber substrate. Zoo med humidity gauge.unless you are going bioactive, i suggest you remove the ssubstrate. It is a risk for compaction. As I already talked about, the humidity should only be between 30-40% during the day, with a spike at night.
• Plants - Live Hibiscus Plants x2live plants are wonderful. Hibiscus plants require a ton of light, so you will probably want a plant bulb too. A good plant to provide cover and pathways is pothos.
• Placement - Cage located in sitting area, non high traffic. No fans/air vents. 6.5 ft from the floor.
• Location - Pittsfield, Illinois

i know this is a lot of info, if you have more questions I would be happy to help, and if I cant I can call in the bigger guns. Lol.
I do think his eye issues are stemming from the iimproper supplements and lighting. They really go hand in hand and are a VERY important aspect of chameleon husbandry.

Thank you for your reply! I will switch things up and see how it changes!

 

[AmandaS]

Thank you for your reply! I will switch things up and see how it changes!
[/QUOTE
Please let us know how it goes, or if things change

 

[Blake25]

I think I figured out what was going on with Napoleon!!

 

[Crack Crimson]

my comments will be in red.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Male, not sure of age, has been in my care for about three months.
• Handling - Daily at his own request.
• Feeding - 8-10 crickets daily. 3-4 Wax Worms, every other day. 4-5 mealworms, every other day. 6pm feeding time. Mealworms are not recommended as they have a hard chitinous exoskeleton that is difficult to digest. Variety is best. Roaches are more nutritious than crickets because they have a longer digestive tract which can contain more of the gutload to provide your chameleon with nutrition. You can feed bsfl, bsf, fliea, bees, locusts, mantids, moths, hornworms as a treat (they are like a bag of water and are great for hydration)
• Supplements - Repti calcium (without D3) Crickets are dusted every feeding, wax and mealworms dusted every other feeding. it is recommended that you supplement with a no d3 calcium all but 4 days a month. Those 4 days (separated by 1 week) you want to alternate between a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. It is very important you provide a mutivitamin those 2 days a month because it will help with things such as eye health. I have read a lack of vitamin A can cause eye issues.
• Watering - Dripper/Fogger. Hand mist, 15 minutes 3x daily. Yes, I see him drinking. 15 minutes is a long time. Ideally (depending on your geographical location) you will mist 2-3 times a day for a solid 2 minutes. The enclosure should have time to dry out in between. The daytime humidity should be between 30-50%. And a spike in humidity is good, it can be as much as 100%. I personally use a fogger from 12-3am to get a higher humidity. But remember to not fog during the day as high heat and high humidity together can result in an RI.
• Fecal Description - Brown feces, white urate with slight yellow on the end. Sometimes with mucus. Always solid. Twice daily. fecal sounds good. It is always a good idea to have a fecal test done to rule out parasites.
• History - Rescued from a pet store.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Zoo med Reptibreeze Chameleon kit 16x16x30, currently building bigger. that is good. 24x24x48 is the recommended minimum for an adult male veiled.
• Lighting - Zoo Med 100w Tropical UBV and Heat Lighting Dual Kit, 60w zoo med daylight blue reptile bulb, and 5.0 reptisun UVB zoo med bulb. Heat & UVB Lights from 9am-9pm sometimes 10pm. you will need to get a long, tubular t5ho fixture and a 5.0 uv bulb (or 6% if using arcadia). The lighting you currently have is insufficient for a chameleon. A regular incandescent light bulb can be used for basking.
• Temperature - Cage floor 70- Basking spot 86-93. Overnight temp 64. Digital thermometer.looks good to me.
• Humidity - Level usually stays around 80%. Could range from 55-80. Misting and fogger. Also, live hibiscus plants and zoo med Eco Earth compressed coconut fiber substrate. Zoo med humidity gauge.unless you are going bioactive, i suggest you remove the ssubstrate. It is a risk for compaction. As I already talked about, the humidity should only be between 30-40% during the day, with a spike at night.
• Plants - Live Hibiscus Plants x2live plants are wonderful. Hibiscus plants require a ton of light, so you will probably want a plant bulb too. A good plant to provide cover and pathways is pothos.
• Placement - Cage located in sitting area, non high traffic. No fans/air vents. 6.5 ft from the floor.
• Location - Pittsfield, Illinois

i know this is a lot of info, if you have more questions I would be happy to help, and if I cant I can call in the bigger guns. Lol.
I do think his eye issues are stemming from the iimproper supplements and lighting. They really go hand in hand and are a VERY important aspect of chameleon husbandry.

Where is a reliable place to get the T5HO light?