MDB - D3 vs Vitalux (Calyptratus)

[Radep]

Hello,
first: sorry for this thread (and my english), its little specific, so i create new.

I have problem with my small veiled chameleon (male, old 4 month, i have it 2 monts). For few last weeks i noticed, that he have deformation on his head (see picturers - bent head, "crooked spine").

I thing, that is caused by wrong ratio Ca, D3...

For lighting i use HQI (Osram Excelence) 70W lamp (10h/day), warm from 50W HALOPAR (35-37C on branch).
And for UVB i have Osram Ultra Vitalux 300W, shes on for 1h/day. Outside from terarium, 50cm (20") from nearest branch (but beetween branch and lamp is fly-mesh - she reflex aprox 30% of radiation, lamp is in little angle, so hi-spot is aprox 60cm = 23" far).


Feeding is 8 crickets/day (except sa).

Supplements (for each cricket):

Plastin (mo - fr):
Calcium carbonate CaCO3 - 85%
Monocalcium phosphate - 7%
Magnesium-Calcium carbonate CaMg(CO3)2 - 6%

Reptivite with D3 (su - once in week) (per kg):
Calcium 250g
A 220 000IU
D3 23 000IU

sa - no food

Grow:
12.11.2012: 10.5g (cca 8cm = 3" - only body)
25.11.2012: 21.5g
01.12.2012: 26.0g
18.12.2012: 50g
09.01.2013: 74g (cca 14cm = 5.5" - only body, 12" with tail)

Chameleon does not have any more problems. Movement is normal (hes very active in day), feeding ok, hunting (tongue) is ok (no problem to hit cricket from 10-15cm far). I see no shaking etc.
So... make i something wrong?

 

[Kate]

Hi and welcome to forum. I have read above and two things stand out for me. Uv light hould be on for 12 hrs unless he is outside most of the time. You are cooking him. 35 is too high for him. Drop it down to 30. Im not sure about your supplements but it is good to give plain calcium without d3 daily and calcium with d3 every two weeks and a multivit every two weeks. Hopefully someone else will chime in. By your description of his casque and spine it sounds like metabolic bone disease which cannot be cured but can be halted. Pictures would be good.
Sorry didnt see pics but now do.

 

[Radep]

Thanks for reply
i upload better picture...
Vitalux is very strong - can be used only for a while. This should be ok, but i dont know sure UVB amount for 20" is 368uW/cm2 (uvguide.co.uk)

Temperature 35C is only in small place, direct under lamp, average temperature in top is under 30C.

I thought, that Calcium carbonate CaCO3 is plain calcium?

I have suspect, to vitamin D3 overdose...

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/89/dscf0030sr.jpg/

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/571/dscf0005yd.jpg/

 

[carol5208]

yes CAC03 is calcium carbonate and does not contain d3 so you are good. I don't think your chameleon has any signs of MBD. I have seen sometimes ones that are born with crooked spine. His casque does not look bad. MBD will usually stunt the growth of the casque more than make it crooked. I would not worry. Continue doing what you are doing with the supplements and provide him uvb 12 hours a day indoors or less if you are keeping him outside. He looks fine to me!

 

[camimom]

I dont see any signs of MBD.

The casque has a slight curve to it, but alot of casques do. As long as its not severely curved or short, its normal. Its just what makes him special.

As for his spine, I dont see anything wrong with that either.

by crooked, do you mean because its curved up, like a rainbow shape>
if so, thats normal also.

 

[ataraxia]

Agree with both the statements above. Im not sure of how many feeders you dust or how much you put on your feeders but I would also recommend using reptivite with d3 every other week dust lightly on feeders..