Just wondering if my chameleon looks alright, I’ve had the guy for four years.

C

CoffeeChameleon

New Member
Does my chameleon look ok? He is an adult male veiled chameleon and I have had him for 4 years since he was a a baby. I can provide more info if necessary. I have gotten a lot of misinformation over the years and am learning that I have not been taking care of the little guy as correctly as I should. I am making improvements to give him a happy life but want to see if there is anything I need to be immediately worried about. I’m am changing the kind of light I use soon so sorry about red light.
 

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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.

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

Please Note:
  1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
  2. Photos can be very helpful.
 
  • Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, male, he is around 4 years old and has been in my care for 4 years
  • Handling - about 3 times a week not including moving him to a free range
  • Feeding - I have started feeding him around 5 Dubia roaches loaded with an apple, 5 crickets loaded with an apple, carrot, and cricket cubes by flukers, and every once in a while 2 waxworms. I feed him every other day.
  • Supplements - I’ve been dusting my feeders using repticalcium with d3.(I a. Getting all the other necessary vitamins soon now that I learned that it was necessary
  • Watering - I water my chameleon using a mister. I must his cage every 2 hours for 2 minutes and turn it off at night
  • Fecal Description - His droppings have been dark brown with white urates. He has not been treated for parasites.
  • History - I got the little guy as a baby from Petco(I know they suck). I have spent FOUR years with incorrect info so my chameleon has spent his life so far not having his heat lamp off at night and being misted every 2 hours no matter what. I previously just fed crickets with apple or cricket cube gutload.

    Cage Info:
    • Cage Type - His cage is a screen cage and is around 2ftby2ftby5ft
    • Lighting - What is your daily lighting schedule? I am currently using a 5.0 UVB compact bulb (trying to change soon) as well as a 100 watt red light heat lamp(also soon to change). I torn his light off at 9:30 pm and turn them back on at around 9:00 am.
    • Temperature - I am trying to get a temp measure currently but last I checked was around 85 at the basking spot and I don’t know the bottom temp.
    • Humidity - I haven’t measured the humidity levels in a while. I use a mister every 2 hours for 2 minutes and occasionally spray his cage completely to try and maintain humidity
    • Plants - I am not using live plants but sometimes I let him climb on a medium sized tree like plant (I’ll send a picture). I am unsure of it’s size
    • Placement - My cage is in my hallway. I am the only one that passes through there. The cage is not near any vents and is about 4 feet off the ground
    • Location - I’m not comfortable answering specifically but I live in a place with warm summers and cold winters. It is very dry here.
 
I just wanted to add that at one point a few years ago he got very sick so we took him to the vet where he took weekly antibiotics for a while and they gave us a higher power compact UVB bulb. Another time we took him cause his tail got closed in the door, but is fine now. Also a few weeks ago I say him sleeping during the day but he is fine now?
 
CoffeeChameleon said:
I just wanted to add that at one point a few years ago he got very sick so we took him to the vet where he took weekly antibiotics for a while and they gave us a higher power compact UVB bulb. Another time we took him cause his tail got closed in the door, but is fine now. Also a few weeks ago I say him sleeping during the day but he is fine now?
Click to expand...
Good to know he survived all of this. He looks like he's doing well now from the photo...but I'd like to see a couple of photos that aren't red.
 
Welcome to the forum!
Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, male, he is around 4 years old and has been in my care for 4 years
  • Handling - about 3 times a week not including moving him to a free range
  • Feeding - I have started feeding him around 5 Dubia roaches loaded with an apple, 5 crickets loaded with an apple, carrot, and cricket cubes by flukers, and every once in a while 2 waxworms. I feed him every other day. I would recommend that you improve your feeding/gutloading of the insects. I use dandelion greens, collards, kale, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet red peppers, sweet potato, carrots, etc and a smal amount of fruit like apples, pears, mangoes, papaya, berries, etc. For crickets, roaches, superworms, etc. I don't use the orange cubes or other commercial products.
  • Supplements - I’ve been dusting my feeders using repticalcium with d3.(I a. Getting all the other necessary vitamins soon now that I learned that it was necessary Formyears I have used RepCal phos free calcium powder dusted lightly on the insects at all feedings but four a month. Two of the remaining 4 days, every second week, I dust with RepCal phos free calcium/D3 powder lightly and the remaining 2 days, every second week I dust lightly with herptivite that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources of vitamin A don't build up in the system like prEformed sources can...so it's safe but you may have to give a little prEformed once in a while.
  • Watering - I water my chameleon using a mister. I must his cage every 2 hours for 2 minutes and turn it off at night You could add a dripper that drips at the rate of one or two drips per second.
  • Fecal Description - His droppings have been dark brown with white urates. He has not been treated for parasites.
  • History - I got the little guy as a baby from Petco(I know they suck). I have spent FOUR years with incorrect info so my chameleon has spent his life so far not having his heat lamp off at night and being misted every 2 hours no matter what. I previously just fed crickets with apple or cricket cube gutload.

    Cage Info:
    • Cage Type - His cage is a screen cage and is around 2ftby2ftby5ft
    • Lighting - What is your daily lighting schedule? I am currently using a 5.0 UVB compact bulb (trying to change soon) as well as a 100 watt red light heat lamp(also soon to change). I torn his light off at 9:30 pm and turn them back on at around 9:00 am. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear tube light by Reptisun ..the 5.0. No lights at al at night and no need for heat at night unless the temperatures drop well in to the 50's.
    • Temperature - I am trying to get a temp measure currently but last I checked was around 85 at the basking spot and I don’t know the bottom temp.
    • Humidity - I haven’t measured the humidity levels in a while. I use a mister every 2 hours for 2 minutes and occasionally spray his cage completely to try and maintain humidity
    • Plants - I am not using live plants but sometimes I let him climb on a medium sized tree like plant (I’ll send a picture). I am unsure of it’s size. with a veiled chameleon it's important to use real non toxic well washed, both sides of the leaves plants because they often munch on the vegetation and swallowing a fake leaf or stem could lead to impaction. They also help keep up the humidity.
    • Placement - My cage is in my hallway. I am the only one that passes through there. The cage is not near any vents and is about 4 feet off the ground
    • Location - I’m not comfortable answering specifically but I live in a place with warm summers and cold winters. It is very dry here. We mostly ask this so we know what caging etc to recommend and to suggest cage placement.
 
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