My 4yr old veiled is dying. What do i do?

[Quemeleon]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - M 4y/o veiled , have had him since he was the size of my finger.
Handling - once a week to every other week
Feeding - mostly crickets gut loaded with commerical gut load, veggies(i.e. greens, apple, etc) and veggies similar to what i give my bearded dragon although he is not a big fan. sometimes super worms
Supplements - calcium 2-3 times a week and vitamins once a week
Watering - hand misting and dripper. sometimes i see him drink
Fecal Description - normal
History - have never had any health issues

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen 24x24x48
Lighting - 12hrs heat and ova/uvb combo
Temperature - 78 ambient, 85 basking
Humidity - 40% hygrometer, spray bottle, dripper
Plants - pothos and ficcus
Placement - in a small 4x4 room with a window. cage is about 3-4ft from ceiling
Location - east N. carolina

Current Problem - came home after 2 wk vacation and neighbors watched him like normal. he was lying on the ground of cage adn coloring was very light. he is having problem holding him self up and looks very lethargic. I seriously think i'm losing him. were trying to force feed small amounts of water. while keeping him warm. not sure what else to do. have had reptiles for years but never lost one randomly like this. my reptiles have generally lived their typical life span or longer.

 

[Lovereps]

It's hard for anyone to know what to do in your situation and my heart goes out to you.
Just about anything could have happened in your absence--injury, accidental poisoning, impaction, power outage without heat are 4 things that spring to mind--or it could just be his time.
Maybe the neighbors noticed something unusual with him or not.

I think you're doing all that you can and I hope that he turns around for you.

 

[CLP]

I'm very sorry to hear he is not doing well. The only thing I have noticed in your post is that your humidity is low for a veiled, though I doubt this is the cause of his current problems. However, it might make him more comfortable if you up the humidity. You should be trying to hit at least 60% a few times throughout the day.

 

[lovepicasso]

I'm so sorry to hear about your veiled, I don't think it would be the humidity, yours seems fine to me, but I'm no expert by any means, but the veiled cham care sheet says that humidity for the veileds should be kept at a minimum.

 

[jpm995]

I would worry that he hasen't been eating or especially drinking for 2 weeks. Maybe the sitters can help with this. I would hydrate him with showers and try to feed him, plus a vet visit may be in order. Good luck.

 

[CLP]

I'm so sorry to hear about your veiled, I don't think it would be the humidity, yours seems fine to me, but I'm no expert by any means, but the veiled cham care sheet says that humidity for the veileds should be kept at a minimum.

Note sure what care sheet you're referring to. The veiled care sheet frequently referenced on this forum - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html says "A desired humidity level is 55-65% during the days, with a 5-10% increase at night time", so I can't say I agree with you. I think the humidity is too low and may at least help to keep him comfortable, though as I said, not likely to be the cause of the problem. I would say a vet visit is required.

 

[DavidBuchan]

I can't see anything in particular wrong, so I also think a vet visit would be best.
I agree a higher humidity would probably be better, if only when he is shedding. The same caresheet does also say that Veileds are relatively forgiving regarding humidity If he has access to a constant dripper too he should be fine like that really.

 

[lovepicasso]

Note sure what care sheet you're referring to. The veiled care sheet frequently referenced on this forum - https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html says "A desired humidity level is 55-65% during the days, with a 5-10% increase at night time", so I can't say I agree with you. I think the humidity is too low and may at least help to keep him comfortable, though as I said, not likely to be the cause of the problem. I would say a vet visit is required.

This info I got was from the Lizard Lounge.



Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet
Scientific Name: Chamaeleo calyptratus
Lizards Home > Library

Description
The Veiled Chameleon, or Yemen Chameleon, is naturally found in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. They are arboreal lizards, spending the majority of their lives in tree tops.


Other Names
Yemen Chameleon

Statistics
Natural Location: Yemen, Southern Saudi Arabia
Average Lifespan: 4 - 7 Years
Estimated Size: Females: 12" to 18", Males: 18" to 24"

Captive Care Information

It is imperative for young Chameleons that you spray a heavy mist once a day.
Lighting, Temperature & Humidity
During the day it is important to offer lighting which creates a heat gradient of 80 degress F to 95 degrees F. The Chameleon will find its own comfort level by basking at different levels within the habitat. Do not use heating pads at the bottom, as this can seriously burn your pet. Chameleon's heat-sensors are on their backs, not their stomachs. At night, the lights should be turned off. You can also use a night time bulb, which creates the illusion of a tropical nightime atmosphere. The heat gradient at night should be from 70 degrees F to 85 degrees F.

Humidity should be kept to a minimum for Veiled Chameleons.


© 2005 - 2012, The-Lizard-Lounge.com
Lizards Home | Lizards Library | Lizard Care Sheets | Lizard Pictures | In The Wild

 

[DavidBuchan]

That Lizard Lounge caresheet does recommend it hotter and drier than most......and it suggests a nighttime bulb (maybe it means ceramic) so I'm not too sure how much I trust it.
Also, an 18" female Veiled? Really, I'd like to see how many eggs you could get out of a giant like that

 

[CLP]

That Lizard Lounge caresheet does recommend it hotter and drier than most......and it suggests a nighttime bulb (maybe it means ceramic) so I'm not too sure how much I trust it.
Also, an 18" female Veiled? Really, I'd like to see how many eggs you could get out of a giant like that

HA HA HA!! I'd like to see the look on a male's face when he comes across the 18" female!

That care sheet also says a heat gradient of 70 - 85 at night which aside from the low end of that scale is way too high. Chams need that night time temp drop. My guys go down to the mid 60s with no ill effects. I think I'll stick with the recommendations on the care sheet we have on this site.

 

[CLP]

Sorry Quemeleon to "highjack" your post and make jokes within what started out as a very serious post. Nobody on here wants to make light of your situation. I really recommend a visit to the vet, and hope you're guy makes it. Good luck!

 

[Carlton]

This info I got was from the Lizard Lounge.



Veiled Chameleon Care Sheet
Scientific Name: Chamaeleo calyptratus
Lizards Home > Library

Description
The Veiled Chameleon, or Yemen Chameleon, is naturally found in Yemen and Saudi Arabia. They are arboreal lizards, spending the majority of their lives in tree tops.


Other Names
Yemen Chameleon

Statistics
Natural Location: Yemen, Southern Saudi Arabia
Average Lifespan: 4 - 7 Years
Estimated Size: Females: 12" to 18", Males: 18" to 24"

Captive Care Information

It is imperative for young Chameleons that you spray a heavy mist once a day.
Lighting, Temperature & Humidity
During the day it is important to offer lighting which creates a heat gradient of 80 degress F to 95 degrees F. The Chameleon will find its own comfort level by basking at different levels within the habitat. Do not use heating pads at the bottom, as this can seriously burn your pet. Chameleon's heat-sensors are on their backs, not their stomachs. At night, the lights should be turned off. You can also use a night time bulb, which creates the illusion of a tropical nightime atmosphere. The heat gradient at night should be from 70 degrees F to 85 degrees F.

Humidity should be kept to a minimum for Veiled Chameleons.


© 2005 - 2012, The-Lizard-Lounge.com
Lizards Home | Lizards Library | Lizard Care Sheets | Lizard Pictures | In The Wild

When I read this I think it's going to create conditions that could be too dry and warm for a cham over the long term. Organ damage from low level chronic dehydration might be compounded by oversupplementation. You have been dusting with a herp multivitamin every 2 weeks? That's too often. With a good quality gutload such as you list, you should only be using a vitamin dust about once every 4-6weeks for an adult cham. Just to give you some ideas for thought. Oversupplementation symptoms can look a lot like MBD (weakness, lethargy, etc). Hope you can get him some help!