Is my chameleon drinking?

Barson

Member
I recently bought a 4 month old Veiled Chameleon. I feed him 8 crickets every morning and spray his cage for 3 minutes 3 times a day. The only concern i really have is that i haven't seen him drink at all. And I haven't seen his poops either, i don't know if im over-reacting but i just wanted to be safe.
 
Hi! Welcome to the forums. It's awesome to hear that you want what's best for your cham. The best way to know if your cham is drinking is by looking at the eye turrets and their fecal. Usually, chams (especially newly aquired) will be nervous to drink while we are watching, so they do it while our backs are turned. As long as the eye turrets arent sunken and the poop has pearly white urates, you're in the clear! If you could fill out this form so we can help you to ensure the best possible health and life for your new cham baby, that would be awesome!
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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.
 
I recently bought a 4 month old Veiled Chameleon. I feed him 8 crickets every morning and spray his cage for 3 minutes 3 times a day. The only concern i really have is that i haven't seen him drink at all. And I haven't seen his poops either, i don't know if im over-reacting but i just wanted to be safe.
Sometimes they can be shy about drinking. Would you please post a picture of your chameleon so we can see his eye turrets?
 
Hi! Welcome to the forums. It's awesome to hear that you want what's best for your cham. The best way to know if your cham is drinking is by looking at the eye turrets and their fecal. Usually, chams (especially newly aquired) will be nervous to drink while we are watching, so they do it while our backs are turned. As long as the eye turrets arent sunken and the poop has pearly white urates, you're in the clear! If you could fill out this form so we can help you to ensure the best possible health and life for your new cham baby, that would be awesome!
.
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.
will do when i get home!
 
Hi there! Welcome! Yes, please fill out the form and post pictures of the cham and the enclosure lights down. A 4 months old should be eating more then 8 crickets as well.
 
Hi there! Welcome! Yes, please fill out the form and post pictures of the cham and the enclosure lights down. A 4 months old should be eating more then 8 crickets as well.
I will fill out the form later in the night right now I’m doing house chores for my family but below I have the best picture I could of his eye a poop and he enclosure
 

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I will fill out the form later in the night right now I’m doing house chores for my family but below I have the best picture I could of his eye a poop and he enclosure
Chameleon kit? I'm going to attach some caresheets and a link to our forums veiled chameleon care guide. As you're going to find out that kit is pretty much more or less useless. I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you.... Your lighting, enclosure, and what's even inside will all need to be upgraded in order to keep your chameleon safe, happy, and most importantly healthy.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
 

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Chameleon kit? I'm going to attach some caresheets and a link to our forums veiled chameleon care guide. As you're going to find out that kit is pretty much more or less useless. I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you.... Your lighting, enclosure, and what's even inside will all need to be upgraded in order to keep your chameleon safe, happy, and most importantly healthy.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
What would I need to replace to make it safe? I was assuming I would need a better light fixture and that’s it
 
Chameleon kit? I'm going to attach some caresheets and a link to our forums veiled chameleon care guide. As you're going to find out that kit is pretty much more or less useless. I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you.... Your lighting, enclosure, and what's even inside will all need to be upgraded in order to keep your chameleon safe, happy, and most importantly healthy.


https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
I also got more than just the one single fake plant that came with the set I have two more exoterra fake plants in there for him
 
Chameleon kit? I'm going to attach some caresheets and a link to our forums veiled chameleon care guide. As you're going to find out that kit is pretty much more or less useless. I'm sorry to be the one to break it to you.... Your lighting, enclosure, and what's even inside will all need to be upgraded in order to keep your chameleon safe, happy, and most importantly healthy.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
^^ this is very true i did extensive research going into caring for my juvenile cham and ended up redoing pretty much the entire enclosure. i hope youre able to do the same. its whats best for your little guy:))
 
^^ this is very true i did extensive research going into caring for my juvenile cham and ended up redoing pretty much the entire enclosure. i hope youre able to do the same. its whats best for your little guy:))
Sometimes the big chain pet stores will let you return them if it was purchased at one of these. It's best to just buy from the ground up though. Sorry you also found out the hard way....
 
Sometimes the big chain pet stores will let you return them if it was purchased at one of these. It's best to just buy from the ground up though. Sorry you also found out the hard way....
oh shoot i didnt know you could do that it probably wouldve been way better to do that. so ya if you got it from like petco or somewhere like that then you could build a better home for him:)
 
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Veiled male 4 months old, had him for 3 days
  • Handling - I’ve held him twice, once to put him in the enclosure and once to move the enclosure on top or a table.
  • Feeding - I’ve been feeding Marvin 8-15 crickets throughout the day I have the crickets in a cricket keeper I made and give them organic carrots
  • Supplements - I’m using zoomed calcium without d3 and I have vitamin supplements and he d3 calcium is on the way. I dust the crickets with the calcium w/o d3 every time I feed him.
  • Watering - I spray him for three minutes with distilled water every time I wake up, once at 12 for three minutes, once at 3 for 3 minutes once at 6 for 3 minutes and once at ten for three minutes
  • Fecal Description - His Urate was white with a little yellow tint seemed firm and moist.
  • History - Just got him but he’s been very friendly and nice with me and goes to the bottom most of the time when I feed him

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Medium zoomed reptibreeze
  • Lighting - I don’t know what they’re called but the lights that came with the kit I’m replacing the bulbs soon and most likely getting a new uvb light and fixture
  • Temperature - I have him at 82-85 at basking point and the cage is at 72 degrees at the bottom
  • Humidity - I have a 53% humidity level measured using my dads humidity detector
  • Placement - He’s on top of a 2 foot tall table and around 5.5 feet in the air
  • Location - I’m in Norh Carolina

Current problem I’m worried about his hydration levels and how to tell stress from basking
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Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Veiled male 4 months old, had him for 3 days
  • Handling - I’ve held him twice, once to put him in the enclosure and once to move the enclosure on top or a table.
  • Feeding - I’ve been feeding Marvin 8-15 crickets throughout the day I have the crickets in a cricket keeper I made and give them organic carrots
You'll want to improve your gutload. The more variety and healthier the food the better for your chameleon. They ingest what the insects they eat ingest. See the gutloading caresheet I provided.
  • Supplements - I’m using zoomed calcium without d3 and I have vitamin supplements and he d3 calcium is on the way. I dust the crickets with the calcium w/o d3 every time I feed him.
Awesome that it's on the way! Just make sure to stick to the schedule.
  • Watering - I spray him for three minutes with distilled water every time I wake up, once at 12 for three minutes, once at 3 for 3 minutes once at 6 for 3 minutes and once at ten for three minutes
This may be a bit excessive but at the same time I'm unaware of what humidity is like in your location. You will want to invest in a quality auto mister before your hand goes dead or you forget to spray one day. I use a Monsoon Solo and is perfect for a single chameleon keeper.
  • Fecal Description - His Urate was white with a little yellow tint seemed firm and moist.
We are always shooting for all white urates. This is where that pothos and auto mister come into play. The mist will collect on the pothos leaves giving him an area to drink the droplets off of.
  • History - Just got him but he’s been very friendly and nice with me and goes to the bottom most of the time when I feed him

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - Medium zoomed reptibreeze
You'll want to upgrade his enclosure to at least a 2x2x4 by the time he's 6 months old.
  • Lighting - I don’t know what they’re called but the lights that came with the kit I’m replacing the bulbs soon and most likely getting a new uvb light and fixture
Upgrading to a 24" T5HO is an absolute must. Without this your chameleon could develop MBD. Also make sure you provide 12hrs of light and 12hrs of complete darkness. Veilds don't like or need a night light.
  • Temperature - I have him at 82-85 at basking point and the cage is at 72 degrees at the bottom
  • Humidity - I have a 53% humidity level measured using my dads humidity detector
The humidity needs to fluctuate. 30-40% during the day and 80-90% at night
  • Placement - He’s on top of a 2 foot tall table and around 5.5 feet in the air
  • Location - I’m in Norh Carolina

Current problem I’m worried about his hydration levels and how to tell stress from basking
If he's gaping under his basking light meaning keeping his mouth open he is too warm. You'll need to adjust your basking branch or bulb or both.
 
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