Meet Jericho! (Srsly take a look) :)

Meet Jericho, my rescue cham who was going to die, is now fully recovered and started growing again! Her first shed since I got her. ❤
The vet said ive been doing an excellent job, and Ive been watching her eat lots of food, and plenty of dusted critters. Her strength is 10 fold and she has a big appetite. She always tries playing hide and seek with me and running away but she still trusts me more than anyone else. I love her and no I dont dust them all the time. 2x a week for calcium with D3 and vitamin D in the UVB light I have, and 2x a month for nutrients, I am getting a 2x2x4 foot mesh wire cage for her in a week. Her favorite food is super worms but that has a lot of chitin so she also enjoys meal worms, crickets and pheonix worms too. Ive had her for 3 weeks. She has a UVA light for her appetite.

I have a hard time getting her to drink water... only rarely she notices the water when I mist the tank. Automatic dripper might help? She only drinks off one of the plants because of the way water travels down it and drips. Any tips?
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Glad to see she is doing better! How long are you misting? Sometimes it takes a couple of minutes or longer for them to start drinking. I recently found this out with mine. I mist him for almost 5 mins before he starts to open his mouth. Now he associates me with the mister so it doesn’t take as long. Drinking off leaves is good, if she goes to only one place then put dripped over that area. Here is a sheet on the feeders. I would stop feeding meal worms due to the lack of nutrition and being harder to digest. Besides that keep up the good work and keep us updated. Send pics of the larger set up when you are finished. :)
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I’m assuming you already know she has MBD. You would benefit greatly from filling out the help form. Your supplement schedule is way off and I have concerns about your lighting.

Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.



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.



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Please Note:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.

2 Photos can be very helpful.
 
I’m assuming you already know she has MBD. You would benefit greatly from filling out the help form. Your supplement schedule is way off and I have concerns about your lighting.

Please fill out the “how to ask for help” form and post your answers back here. Quality pictures will help us help you.



Chameleon Info:

◦ Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?

Veiled cham - female - age 10 months - 3 weeks in my care

◦ Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Once a day, I bring her outside on sunny days because I want to enrich her mind and stimulate her senses, but otherwise its just from her cage to her favorite plants that she likes to sleep on. She enjoys her freedom so the house plants act as a nice 'playtime' area that she also uses for sleep

◦ Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
I am feeding her crickets, meal worms, and pheonix worms. Ive tried horned worms but they were too big for her

I want to start gut loading her with mustard greens and turnip greens but ive just ran out of funds until my next check but ive spent 400$ on her so far so its just one step at a time.

◦ Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?

Im at work so idk the brand but it says repti on both of them, one is an all purpose vitamin and nutritional supplement with all the essentials like zinc, cobalt, vitamins etc etc etc the nutrition label was and is very extensive.

◦ Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

Spray bottle, 2-4 times a day, she only notices the water when she is thirsty and not trying to escape her cage. When she does see the water she drinks like theres not tomorrow so I make sure to give her extra. I spray about half my spray bottles worth and it holds alot of liquid.

◦ Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

Im collecting a stool sample ASAP to check for parasites but so far the stool has been very dark and very large, but today she pooped a smaller poo that had a whitish color and the casing didnt have as much water so im worried about her drinking habits.

◦ History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

History? Neglected, incorrect lights, no love, starvation, basically animal abuse in definition. The previous owner should not be allowed to have pets... he thought she drank through her skin...


Cage Info:

◦ Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?

Glass tank but im getting a new one in a week

It wi be wire mesh 2 feet by 2 feet by 4 feet tall.

◦ Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

I use a double ceramic light fixture. One light is a blue UVA bulb and the other is a UVB light but it screws into the ceramic. Im getting her the elongated reptisun UVB light ASAP and will probably invest in it with the new cage. The bulbs she has are Reptisun but I triple checked the light with research to make sure it would work temporarily. Which it is.

◦ Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?

Havent gotten a gauge yet... like I said only had her 3 weeks and ive spent 400$ so im just improving everything 1 step at a time.

◦ Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?

Same as above

◦ Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?

I will be using live plants with her new cage

◦ 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?
Cage height is as tall as my waist, sits in the corner because thats where the desk is but she gets plenty of freedom otherwise. New cage will be in a different spot

◦ Location - Where are you geographically located?

Menasha Wisconsin USA


Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

Not many problems, she does have a small case of MBD but the vet said its going away with my care. She has a fractured/broken bone in her left forearm from MBD so yes, im aware.

Working on improving her water, but I spray and mist for almost 3-5 minutes straight every time.
--------------



Please Note:

1 The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.

2 Photos can be very helpful.
 

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Better to buy them at a grocery store. Picking stuff from your yard can be bad if there has been pesticides, weed killer or anything like it. Even if your neighbor sprays it can effect your yard.
What greens are your favs to give/offer your cham/reptile

Or if thats not applicable... what greens should I focus on for her? I want her to be as healthy as possible its just one step at a time
 
What greens are your favs to give/offer your cham/reptile

Or if thats not applicable... what greens should I focus on for her? I want her to be as healthy as possible its just one step at a time
An assortment of green leafy veg... key is to rotate them you need the different nutrients that come from each. We do this with gutload to rotating between to offer diversity. Same with feeders offering a variety is key.
 
An assortment of green leafy veg... key is to rotate them you need the different nutrients that come from each. We do this with gutload to rotating between to offer diversity. Same with feeders offering a variety is key.
Theres green feeders? Like for plants? Like theres a mealworm feeder... theres a greens feeder too?
 
At work, mustve read it fast. I meant how you mentioned feeders in general, im trying to understand your context with it
Feeding a variety of feeders is better. Meal worms shouldn’t be fed as they are very low in nutritional value and superworms should only be about 20 percent of your total feeder amount because they don’t gutload well and aren’t very nutritious.
 
Feeding a variety of feeders is better. Meal worms shouldn’t be fed as they are very low in nutritional value and superworms should only be about 20 percent of your total feeder amount because they don’t gutload well and aren’t very nutritious.
Ahh I see, makes sense why her poop wasnt as big this time... do you have any links to graphics about feeder(s)

Like mealworms should not be fed so thats 0% superworms are 20% but what about the other 80%?

Im sorry im asking so many questions, I just want the best for her.
 
Ahh I see, makes sense why her poop wasnt as big this time... do you have any links to graphics about feeder(s)

Like mealworms should not be fed so thats 0% superworms are 20% but what about the other 80%?

Im sorry im asking so many questions, I just want the best for her.
@janjan20 posted the feeder care image for you. I posted all the additional care images as well.
 
@janjan20 posted the feeder care image for you. I posted all the additional care images as well.
Thank you both, its all so appreciated.
Honestly like... this has been a huge learning curve and every time I think im doing everything correctly I find so many things I could be doing better. Its in constant improvement and I promised myself to give her 100% of what life has to offer that I can provide. Im learning more and more everyday but im also spending more and more time, money, and energy with her. The joy she brings me pays it all back double. Once I get the next stage of her care routine I will be adding an update on her to this forum. It will show her new cage, all the products I use, where she goes during the night, and even some nice before and after pictures of her. Thank you for following this and helping me, stay tuned for the next post ;)
 
I’m new too but I just want to tell you that at first my Chams would not drink in front of me. Even now my male waits until I’m almost gone.
You can probably get a lot of advice from more accomplished members for how to change your setup. Take that advice for sure.
From my experience: Make sure your temperatures are right, mine drank more after I realized they were too cold and adjusted basking temperatures. Don’t worry so much that you overdo the water. I was worried and overdid it with a dripper and humidifier that didn’t drain or dry in time and that can cause bacteria and upper respiratory issues. I felt so bad. She may be drinking and just not around you yet.
Just look at her eyes and her poops. If her eyes are spherical and not sunken, and her poops have white urates then she is hydrated.
If she is getting dehydrated then be sure to up your misting but keep the water warm.
The only exception is when I move the terrarium outside if it is warm and sunny I place a couple of ice cubes in a spot over some leaves to melt. I don’t know how good that is but my girl loves it.
Also make sure your feeders are hydrated. Hornworms are good for that, but not as a staple feeder.
 
I’m new too but I just want to tell you that at first my Chams would not drink in front of me. Even now my male waits until I’m almost gone.
You can probably get a lot of advice from more accomplished members for how to change your setup. Take that advice for sure.
From my experience: Make sure your temperatures are right, mine drank more after I realized they were too cold and adjusted basking temperatures. Don’t worry so much that you overdo the water. I was worried and overdid it with a dripper and humidifier that didn’t drain or dry in time and that can cause bacteria and upper respiratory issues. I felt so bad. She may be drinking and just not around you yet.
Just look at her eyes and her poops. If her eyes are spherical and not sunken, and her poops have white urates then she is hydrated.
If she is getting dehydrated then be sure to up your misting but keep the water warm.
The only exception is when I move the terrarium outside if it is warm and sunny I place a couple of ice cubes in a spot over some leaves to melt. I don’t know how good that is but my girl loves it.
Also make sure your feeders are hydrated. Hornworms are good for that, but not as a staple feeder.
I just want to correct a few things here... You can overdo the water if you are misting constantly through out the day and increasing the humidity too high with the basking light and T5. Veileds need to be more at a 30-40% range during the day max 50% humidity during the day. Otherwise you are at a higher risk for RI. This includes the cage constantly being wet. Particularly if one is using fake vines. They hold bacteria more. Breathing in the bacteria from a cage that does not dry out is another high risk situation for an RI. Also People should never use a fogger/humidifier during the day when the lights are on due to the increase risk for an RI. The only way this is acceptable is if they use a humidifier in the room where the cham is to up the ambient humidity if it is too low. They also should only be used during the coolest times of the night when your house is at its coldest. So for example I run mine from 12-5am only.
Water should always be room temp never warmed for a chameleon.
Think of it this way. When a storm rolls in temps drop and the sun is blocked by the clouds. The rain is always cool. So we want to mimic what they are getting in the wild.
This is why we fog at night. For Veileds especially because their daytime humidity is much lower and they do not get the rain consistently in Yemen. But what they do get is fog banks that roll in.

This is a very good podcast on naturalistic hydration. https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/
 
OK, I’m going to be a bit more direct this time.

If your vet said the husbandry listed in your original post is excellent, you need to find a new vet.

She’s not playing hide and seek, she’s scared of you and doing her best to escape.

You should be dusting every feeder every time.

You will kill her in short order if your giving her D3 twice a week. Should be twice a month.

Don’t know what you mean by nutrients, assuming your talking about multivitamins.

Nothing mentioned above matters in the slightest if you don’t get what I’ve covered here straight ASAP.

You repeatedly mentioned you want what’s best for her and I believe you. That’s why you should fill out the help form. If you won’t do it for yourself, do it for your chameleon.
 
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