Is my chameleon sick?

Oldman_crumpets

Oldman_crumpets

New Member
I have a female veiled chameleon. I took her to the vet the other day because she was being lethargic. The vet said she looked good and everything was normal and said she was healthy, but gave her deworming medication just in case. She’s still not morning around much and I catch her trying to sleep during the day, so I don’t know if I should take her back to the vet again or what’s wrong with her.
 
Hi there and welcome to the forum. Does not sound right. Please fill this out with detail and include pics of her enclosure lighting down and of her so we can give you better feedback.

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.
 
THIS^^^^ After 2 weeks if the changes were made to her husbandry you would see improvement. So either something else is going on and you need to fill out the form in its entirety adding total detail to the responses or changes were not made and she is declining further.
 
Beman said:
THIS^^^^ After 2 weeks if the changes were made to her husbandry you would see improvement. So either something else is going on and you need to fill out the form in its entirety adding total detail to the responses or changes were not made and she is declining further.
Click to expand...
I have changed her bugs to different types but she picks around the other bugs i offer and go straight for the crickets and doesn’t eat the other bugs. I’ve also made changes to my gut load and misting duration. I have also changed her supplement schedule to calcium for 6 days and on the 7th calcium withD3. I haven’t been able to get a T5 yet, so I’m still using a T8.
 
Oldman_crumpets said:
I have changed her bugs to different types but she picks around the other bugs i offer and go straight for the crickets and doesn’t eat the other bugs. I’ve also made changes to my gut load and misting duration. I have also changed her supplement schedule to calcium for 6 days and on the 7th calcium withD3. I haven’t been able to get a T5 yet, so I’m still using a T8.
Click to expand...
Ok well we need to go over everything again then. Because something is still off.
Did you drop her basking temps?
How are you measuring temps and humidity. 50-60% humidity is too high for daytime. needs to be 30-40%.
What are you feeding her now and how much/how often?
Did you take in a fecal to the vet to make sure she does not have parasites?
Do you still have lighting coming from the side of the cage?

We would love to be able to help you but I would like to look at this with the new changes so if you can copy and paste the form below and fill it out again. So we can look over everything in one place with the updated info that would be helpful. Once they start declining it is a matter of time before they will die so being able to help you now is very important.

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.
 
Beman said:
Ok well we need to go over everything again then. Because something is still off.
Did you drop her basking temps?
How are you measuring temps and humidity. 50-60% humidity is too high for daytime. needs to be 30-40%.
What are you feeding her now and how much/how often?
Did you take in a fecal to the vet to make sure she does not have parasites?
Do you still have lighting coming from the side of the cage?

We would love to be able to help you but I would like to look at this with the new changes so if you can copy and paste the form below and fill it out again. So we can look over everything in one place with the updated info that would be helpful. Once they start declining it is a matter of time before they will die so being able to help you now is very important.

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.
Click to expand...
I have a female veiled chameleon she’s been in my care for about 4 weeks. I handed her twice a week for a short period of time. I feed her dubia roaches and cockroaches which I gut load with apples carrots cucumbers romaine lettuce and collard greens. I switch off 2 crickets and three dubia and 3 dubia and 2 crickets she doesn’t like to eat the roaches though. I use zoomed repti calcium without D3 for 6 days then with D3 on the 7th. I mist her 4 times a day for about a minute each. I don’t see her drinking I tried making a dripper but she doesn’t use it. Her poop is a dark brown and her urate is white with orange at the tip.her cage is a 2 feet wide 2 feet long and 4 feet tall repti breeze. Her lights come on at 8:30 AM and they go off an 8:30 PM I use a thrive 60 watt heat bulb and a 4 foot long zoomed 5.0 T8 bulb. The ambient temperature of the cage is 75 and her basking spots is 87 I tell with a zoomed thermometer. The humidity stays around 50 to 60 I tell with a zoomed hydrometer. I have 4 foot tall ficus Benjamina. My cage is on a table a foot off the ground. It’s bear a fan and a fish tank. I’m in Ohio we have cold dry winters rainy springs and hut humid summers.
 
Oldman_crumpets said:
I have a female veiled chameleon she’s been in my care for about 4 weeks. I handed her twice a week for a short period of time. I feed her dubia roaches and cockroaches which I gut load with apples carrots cucumbers romaine lettuce and collard greens. I switch off 2 crickets and three dubia and 3 dubia and 2 crickets she doesn’t like to eat the roaches though. I use zoomed repti calcium without D3 for 6 days then with D3 on the 7th. I mist her 4 times a day for about a minute each. I don’t see her drinking I tried making a dripper but she doesn’t use it. Her poop is a dark brown and her urate is white with orange at the tip.her cage is a 2 feet wide 2 feet long and 4 feet tall repti breeze. Her lights come on at 8:30 AM and they go off an 8:30 PM I use a thrive 60 watt heat bulb and a 4 foot long zoomed 5.0 T8 bulb. The ambient temperature of the cage is 75 and her basking spots is 87 I tell with a zoomed thermometer. The humidity stays around 50 to 60 I tell with a zoomed hydrometer. I have 4 foot tall ficus Benjamina. My cage is on a table a foot off the ground. It’s bear a fan and a fish tank. I’m in Ohio we have cold dry winters rainy springs and hut humid summers.
Click to expand...

I have a female veiled chameleon she’s been in my care for about 4 weeks. How old is she? Where did you get her from?

I handed her twice a week for a short period of time. Try not to handle her at all right now. It will increase stress which is not good when they are declining.

I feed her dubia roaches and cockroaches which I gut load with apples carrots cucumbers romaine lettuce and collard greens. I switch off 2 crickets and three dubia and 3 dubia and 2 crickets she doesn’t like to eat the roaches though. Ok if she is not eating dubia that is fine. They typically do not like these when they are young. But why only 5 feeders? She looks young and I would expect her to take down 10-12 medium crickets every day. Might want to try a commercial gutload like repashy bug burger.

I use zoomed repti calcium without D3 for 6 days then with D3 on the 7th. Calcium with D3 should be 2 times a month you will rotate this with a multivitamin. so that each are given on opposite weeks for a total of 2 times within the month. Without D3 should be given at all other feedings. Feeders should be lightly dusted and fed.

I mist her 4 times a day for about a minute each. I don’t see her drinking I tried making a dripper but she doesn’t use it. Are you spraying her or the ficus leaves? Sometimes it takes longer then a minute to trigger drinking.

Her poop is a dark brown and her urate is white with orange at the tip. You need to take in a fresh fecal sample to the vet and have them run it for parasites. Make sure the Vet actually has Chameleon experience.

her cage is a 2 feet wide 2 feet long and 4 feet tall repti breeze. Great

Her lights come on at 8:30 AM and they go off an 8:30 PM Great

I use a thrive 60 watt heat bulb and a 4 foot long zoomed 5.0 T8 bulb. Is the thrive heat bulb a heat emitter or does it produce light? Is this on top of the cage? You need a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 UVB bulb. The T8 are not good enough for veileds. Like this one. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-2605...70&sprefix=t5ho+with+5.0+,aps,218&sr=8-5&th=1

The ambient temperature of the cage is 75 and her basking spots is 87 I tell with a zoomed thermometer. 87 may still be too hot for her depending on her age. is the zoomed thermometer a wired digital one?

The humidity stays around 50 to 60 I tell with a zoomed hydrometer. Is this a wired digital one?

I have 4 foot tall ficus Benjamina. Good

My cage is on a table a foot off the ground. It’s bear a fan and a fish tank.

I’m in Ohio we have cold dry winters rainy springs and hut humid summers.


Do you have pics of her right after you got her? and pics of her right now? I would like to try to determine approximate age and see if she was having health issues from the start.
 

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Beman said:
I have a female veiled chameleon she’s been in my care for about 4 weeks. How old is she? Where did you get her from?

I handed her twice a week for a short period of time. Try not to handle her at all right now. It will increase stress which is not good when they are declining.

I feed her dubia roaches and cockroaches which I gut load with apples carrots cucumbers romaine lettuce and collard greens. I switch off 2 crickets and three dubia and 3 dubia and 2 crickets she doesn’t like to eat the roaches though. Ok if she is not eating dubia that is fine. They typically do not like these when they are young. But why only 5 feeders? She looks young and I would expect her to take down 10-12 medium crickets every day. Might want to try a commercial gutload like repashy bug burger.

I use zoomed repti calcium without D3 for 6 days then with D3 on the 7th. Calcium with D3 should be 2 times a month you will rotate this with a multivitamin. so that each are given on opposite weeks for a total of 2 times within the month. Without D3 should be given at all other feedings. Feeders should be lightly dusted and fed.

I mist her 4 times a day for about a minute each. I don’t see her drinking I tried making a dripper but she doesn’t use it. Are you spraying her or the ficus leaves? Sometimes it takes longer then a minute to trigger drinking.

Her poop is a dark brown and her urate is white with orange at the tip. You need to take in a fresh fecal sample to the vet and have them run it for parasites. Make sure the Vet actually has Chameleon experience.

her cage is a 2 feet wide 2 feet long and 4 feet tall repti breeze. Great

Her lights come on at 8:30 AM and they go off an 8:30 PM Great

I use a thrive 60 watt heat bulb and a 4 foot long zoomed 5.0 T8 bulb. Is the thrive heat bulb a heat emitter or does it produce light? Is this on top of the cage? You need a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 UVB bulb. The T8 are not good enough for veileds. Like this one. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-2605...70&sprefix=t5ho+with+5.0+,aps,218&sr=8-5&th=1

The ambient temperature of the cage is 75 and her basking spots is 87 I tell with a zoomed thermometer. 87 may still be too hot for her depending on her age. is the zoomed thermometer a wired digital one?

The humidity stays around 50 to 60 I tell with a zoomed hydrometer. Is this a wired digital one?

I have 4 foot tall ficus Benjamina. Good

My cage is on a table a foot off the ground. It’s bear a fan and a fish tank.

I’m in Ohio we have cold dry winters rainy springs and hut humid summers.


Do you have pics of her right after you got her? and pics of her right now? I would like to try to determine approximate age and see if she was having health issues from the start.
Click to expand...
Beman said:
I have a female veiled chameleon she’s been in my care for about 4 weeks. How old is she? Where did you get her from?

I handed her twice a week for a short period of time. Try not to handle her at all right now. It will increase stress which is not good when they are declining.

I feed her dubia roaches and cockroaches which I gut load with apples carrots cucumbers romaine lettuce and collard greens. I switch off 2 crickets and three dubia and 3 dubia and 2 crickets she doesn’t like to eat the roaches though. Ok if she is not eating dubia that is fine. They typically do not like these when they are young. But why only 5 feeders? She looks young and I would expect her to take down 10-12 medium crickets every day. Might want to try a commercial gutload like repashy bug burger.

I use zoomed repti calcium without D3 for 6 days then with D3 on the 7th. Calcium with D3 should be 2 times a month you will rotate this with a multivitamin. so that each are given on opposite weeks for a total of 2 times within the month. Without D3 should be given at all other feedings. Feeders should be lightly dusted and fed.

I mist her 4 times a day for about a minute each. I don’t see her drinking I tried making a dripper but she doesn’t use it. Are you spraying her or the ficus leaves? Sometimes it takes longer then a minute to trigger drinking.

Her poop is a dark brown and her urate is white with orange at the tip. You need to take in a fresh fecal sample to the vet and have them run it for parasites. Make sure the Vet actually has Chameleon experience.

her cage is a 2 feet wide 2 feet long and 4 feet tall repti breeze. Great

Her lights come on at 8:30 AM and they go off an 8:30 PM Great

I use a thrive 60 watt heat bulb and a 4 foot long zoomed 5.0 T8 bulb. Is the thrive heat bulb a heat emitter or does it produce light? Is this on top of the cage? You need a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 UVB bulb. The T8 are not good enough for veileds. Like this one. https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-2605...70&sprefix=t5ho+with+5.0+,aps,218&sr=8-5&th=1

The ambient temperature of the cage is 75 and her basking spots is 87 I tell with a zoomed thermometer. 87 may still be too hot for her depending on her age. is the zoomed thermometer a wired digital one?

The humidity stays around 50 to 60 I tell with a zoomed hydrometer. Is this a wired digital one?

I have 4 foot tall ficus Benjamina. Good

My cage is on a table a foot off the ground. It’s bear a fan and a fish tank.

I’m in Ohio we have cold dry winters rainy springs and hut humid summers.


Do you have pics of her right after you got her? and pics of her right now? I would like to try to determine approximate age and see if she was having health issues from the start.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback here are some pictures from the first week I got her
 

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She does not look the healthiest there either... Tough when they are young like that. Try to do the rest of the changes to her husbandry. It is especially important that she is eating so if she wants crickets give her those. Judging by the pics I am guessing right about 3 months old when you got her so she needs 10-12 feeders a day.
 
Beman said:
She does not look the healthiest there either... Tough when they are young like that. Try to do the rest of the changes to her husbandry. It is especially important that she is eating so if she wants crickets give her those. Judging by the pics I am guessing right about 3 months old when you got her so she needs 10-12 feeders a day.
Click to expand...
Ok thank you I’ll definitely up her feeding and make those changes. Should I take a facial sample to the vet?
 
Oldman_crumpets said:
Ok thank you I’ll definitely up her feeding and make those changes. Should I take a facial sample to the vet?
Click to expand...
I would just to rule out a parasite issue... They should be able to run the fecal for you without bringing her in. Is she a petco baby?

Your going to want to upgrade her UVB lighting as well. It is really really important when they are young that they don't start developing MBD. Take a look at the amazon link I gave you for it. That is a pretty good price.
 
Beman said:
I would just to rule out a parasite issue... They should be able to run the fecal for you without bringing her in. Is she a petco baby?

Your going to want to upgrade her UVB lighting as well. It is really really important when they are young that they don't start developing MBD. Take a look at the amazon link I gave you for it. That is a pretty good price.
Click to expand...
Ok she’s a PetSmart baby.
 
It’s been a week Since she took her medicine she is climbing around a bit more, but has some white stuff around both of her nostrils.
 

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I googled it and it says "What the white substance around a chameleon's nose is. Humans get rid of excess salt through our urine and our sweat. Chameleons don't have the ability to sweat so they have to get rid of it another way. They do this by expelling this excess salt through a gland that they have around their nose."
 
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