Jacksons 3 horned isn't acting normally

Christ

New Member
I've had Troi for a while now,

Today, I found him very near the bottom of his viv and he isn't opening his eyes at all, he's seeming very weak. He ate yesterday evening, and is sprayed a minimum of twice a day.

I got him out and let him walk on my hand, at no point did he open his eyes on my hand and at one point he fell off, (only onto my other hand, but he's never fallen before, he has always had fantastic grip)

Can someone help, is this normal, is he just sleeping and I'm being over protective, whats going on???
 
No you are not overreacting - chams should not have their eyes closed during the day. However without a complete picture of your husbandry practices and nutritional information it will be hard to help you.

Please copy and paste the 'How to ask for help' form into a reply below and fill it in. Then we can try to help determine what is wrong with your Cham.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jacksons 3 horned, male, (age not disclosed), in my care about 5 months
Handling - He's very sociable, he comes to the glass when he wants to come out, normally once or twice a week
Feeding - Feeding him medium sized locusts, once every evening, about 2-3 at a time
Supplements - He isn't on any, I was advised that locust will be enough, this question entails that I have been misinformed
Watering - Twice daily, once in the morning, and once in the evening. Mist the viv and then drip through the top so he has steady water on his leaves
Fecal Description - Brown-dark brown, I haven't noticed a change in colour/texture
History - He gets grumpy during shedding, but that's it

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass viv with mesh ceiling, about 60x60x80cm
Lighting - I couldn't tell you, it was the one recommended, uv etc. Lighting schedual is on at 9, off about 10
Temperature - Stays relatively constant, ranging from 20-24c
Humidity - I could not tell you
Plants - Plastic leaves
Placement - On a shelving unit about half way up the wall
Location - UK

Current Problem - Trois not opening his eyes, he's seeming very weak, I've just placed him on his favourite spot and he's sat there with his mouth open which I have never seen before either.

Any amount of help is so graciously received, I am getting worried, it's been so sudden
 
I've got him out now, he had fallen off his branch, not a long fall, but enough that i am seriously worried, he has one eye open and is moving, but not normally
 
Seems to me that you are not meeting the basic habitat needs.

1. You need to get a UVB light. A 5.0 UVB or equivalent.
2. You need to keep a humidity gauge. Any type is fine but you should maintain a constant 60-70%.
3. The enclosure might be too small, but it depends on your chameleon size. Also, make sure he has enough airflow. Use a fan, or get an Exo-Terra if you want glass enclosures that still offer decent airflow.
4. You need to measure his basking spot temp. It should be around 27-28C.
5. He is probably getting MBD. Without proper lighting he cannot metabolize his calcium. He needs supplements of Calcium without D3 and a multivitamin that has D3 (Multivitamin is given 3 times a month, calcium is given 5 times a week).
6. Locusts? Not sure if you mean crickets or "locusts" 3 a day is really too little in my opinion. They eat much more depending on size.

Jacksons are pretty delicate and require a dedicated setup. The things I mentioned are not extras, they are basic needs.

Click here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

That link is from this forum, it has basic care info.
Good luck, and when in doubt. See a vet.
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jacksons 3 horned, male, (age not disclosed), in my care about 5 months
Handling - He's very sociable, he comes to the glass when he wants to come out, normally once or twice a week
Feeding - Feeding him medium sized locusts, once every evening, about 2-3 at a time
Supplements - He isn't on any, I was advised that locust will be enough, this question entails that I have been misinformed
Watering - Twice daily, once in the morning, and once in the evening. Mist the viv and then drip through the top so he has steady water on his leaves
Fecal Description - Brown-dark brown, I haven't noticed a change in colour/texture
History - He gets grumpy during shedding, but that's it

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Glass viv with mesh ceiling, about 60x60x80cm
Lighting - I couldn't tell you, it was the one recommended, uv etc. Lighting schedual is on at 9, off about 10
Temperature - Stays relatively constant, ranging from 20-24c
Humidity - I could not tell you
Plants - Plastic leaves
Placement - On a shelving unit about half way up the wall
Location - UK

Current Problem - Trois not opening his eyes, he's seeming very weak, I've just placed him on his favourite spot and he's sat there with his mouth open which I have never seen before either.

Any amount of help is so graciously received, I am getting worried, it's been so sudden

There are a couple things that jump right out at me:

You should be feeding your Cham about about 6 - 8 feeders a day if he's over 12 months of age. He should be fed an hour after lights on as he needs the daytime to bask and digest his food properly during the day. Feeding him at night close to lights off means he sits all night with undigested food in his belly. Not good!

What are you gutloading your feeders with? This is important - what your feeders eat, your Cham eats!

Jackson's need ALOT of humidity (between 60 - 80%) so if you are not measuring the humidity inside his cage, you need to purchase a hygrometer ASAP. Digital is preferred over analog. This is VERY IMPORTANT. Live plants in your chams cage can help with maintaining humidity, along with several mistings throughout the day. Without humidity, your Jackson's health will (and is) being compromised.

Heating inside his cage should range from 21C - 26C. Your temps are slightly off.

Your chameleon REQUIRES supplementation, despite what you have been told. You need to supplement with calcium without D3 twice a week. If you have NOT been supplementing your Cham at all I suspect he has developed MBD and is feeling the effects of weak bones. He will also require calcium WITH D3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. I CANNOT STRESS HOW IMPORTANT SUPPLEMENTING IS! Without it he will die!

I am uncertain what UVB light you are using but along with proper supplementation, UVB is extremely important to your chams health as it is used to convert D3 into the skin and to allow absorption of dietary calcium into the bones. Without calcium your chams bones become weak and wavey looking and will break and cause falling from vines. Without treatment, this causes immense pain and suffering.

Please, for the health and wellbeing of your Cham check out this link: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/jacksons/ and get him to a vet. If he has MBD then it can be reversed. You need to find a vet ASAP and help your guy on the road to recovery.
 
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