My chameleon may have MBD?

Kaelahrae

Kaelahrae

Member
3145CF60-00BD-4791-841C-0C4F7E4D6F3B.jpeg I have a male piebald veiled chameleon. He is almost 8 months old. He has been in my care for a while now but my mother also has been taking care of him while I’m away.
I almost never take him out of the cage unless for cleaning.
My chameleon has grown tired of gut loaded crickets and won’t take them anymore even when I dust them with calcium. So I have been feeding him super worms (i started this maybe a week ago but I do not know if it’s alright to calcium dust the worms. I use repti calcium without d3 most of the time but also have used reptivite for gut loading on veggies and fruits for my previous cricket routine,
The cage I do not remember the precise size but it’s also from zoo med? It’s all screen except for the bottom. I use usually 100 watt lighting with hangs above and have 2 different lights which I also forgot the name of because the enclosure is pretty tall. I turn off one of them every night as the directions on the light bulb container said to.
he has no physical deformities at the moment, but I can see he’s really shaky with his movements (not the leaf walk) and still gets around the cage.
He has had a lump on his throat before but it went away after a day in the picture I had just watered him. I believe the closest to his symptoms would be mbd. And because of the corona virus , I can’t take him to a vet and would greatly appreciate some help. How do I get him to eat crickets again? And what brands and dosage should I give my chameleon to help with the symptoms? I feel like a terrible chameleon mother but I try my hardest to keep up with the needs of my chameleon. I really need to know what can slow down the mbd or even help him get around the cage. PLEASE HELP I love him so much. And I work hard to try to keep him going. Please I want to help him in any way possible B203D15B-F974-441B-9EA5-66A9AC87D64F.jpeg
 
It does look like he has MBD. His shoulder also looks like it may be dislocated or something in the pictures but it may just be the angle. I’m not saying it is but I am saying it doesn’t look right. His casque also looks swollen and he looks pretty thin. MBD doesn’t just happen within a few days to a week, it takes months of improper lighting and dusting. You need to dust his food with calcium without D3 every feeding no matter what it’s on and try to get him outside if it’s warm enough for natural sunlight.
It’s important to find out what lighting you do have. He needs a linear UVB T5.0 bulb.
could you post a picture of his enclosure please so we can try to help identify what needs fixed.

I would still contact a good reptile vet and see if you can get him in. A lot of vets are doing curb side drop off and pick up. He really should see one, he’s probably going to need liquid calcium.

It looks like there may be more going on than just MBD.
 
#Chams4life said:
It does look like he has MBD. His shoulder also looks like it may be dislocated or something in the pictures but it may just be the angle. I’m not saying it is but I am saying it doesn’t look right. His casque also looks swollen and he looks pretty thin. MBD doesn’t just happen within a few days to a week, it takes months of improper lighting and dusting. You need to dust his food with calcium without D3 every feeding no matter what it’s on and try to get him outside if it’s warm enough for natural sunlight.
It’s important to find out what lighting you do have. He needs a linear UVB T5.0 bulb.
could you post a picture of his enclosure please so we can try to help identify what needs fixed.

I would still contact a good reptile vet and see if you can get him in. A lot of vets are doing curb side drop off and pick up. He really should see one, he’s probably going to need liquid calcium.

It looks like there may be more going on than just MBD.
Click to expand...
Hi thank you, I will be sure tomorrow to take pictures of the enclosure and I will contact a vet as well. Do you believe he can be helped? I heard u can’t cure it but it might be able to be helped.
 
Hi there. Just want to offer some input about diet. Like us, chameleons like variety. Super worms are ok as an occasional treat, but not as a staple. Roaches (dubia, discoid etc), silkworms, bsfl are all good additions to your guys diet and also more nutritious than crickets. You may even want to start your own breeding colony of roaches...is super easy and very economical, plus they are more pleasant and less able to escape than crickets. Silkworms can be a bit costly but if inclined, you could buy some eggs to hatch or even breed your own.
You didn’t say what you are gutloading with, so providing good options below. I only use fresh organic produce. Hope this helps.
3A71880E-02D9-450D-BF2D-4C30FF40FC97.jpeg
371A41C2-702F-43F9-A323-E8141FAF5B7D.jpeg
 
Update: I bought crickets, new gutloading food and calcium food for them provided from the picture reply I recieved. I also got some hornworms (4) but could not find silk worms unfortunately. Going to try and buy online. We are building a 2 ft long by 17 inch wide and almost 4ft tall enclosure. We are finishing it tonight so that is his cage size.
DBF8BBF0-49B8-49C2-ACF4-F9CD6633E7B2.jpeg

this is the light system that petco has showed me to use and I’m still using this. it is 60 watts for the daytime light. I will check the other lights wattage. And there is fake foliage and I used to have a golden pothos plant (planning on buying a new one tomorrow)please if u have more advice be sure to let me know!
 
It looks like your chameleon does have MBD. It would be best to check with a vet for treatment...X-rays or blood tests will confirm it and you will need a proper liquid calcium to give him until the bones are strong again. You also need to have the supplements and gutloading/feeding the insects right and the correct lights, basking temperature and water properly to get him back on track and keep him there before things become worse.

For supplementing it's recommended that you dust lightly with a phos free calcium powder at all but 4 readings a month. This will help make up for the often poor ratio of calcium to phos found in most feeder insects. At two of the missed feedings, once every two weeks, it's recommended that you dust lightly with a phos free calcium/D3 powder. This provides some D3 but leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of its D3 from its exposure to the UVB light you are providing for it. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but UVB from exposure to the UVB light shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the light. On the other two missed days, two weeks apart it's recommended that you dust lightly with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. This leaves it up to you to decide if your chameleon needs a prEformed source of vitamin A.
Vitamin D3 and vitamin A need to be in balance and calcium, phos, and D3 also need to be in balance...and this along with proper feeding/gutloading of the insects seems to accomplish that.

The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light. For basking a regular household incandescent light of a wattage that produces the proper basking temperature is all that's needed. No colored lights should be used and no lights at night.

Appropriate temperatures aid in digestion.

Water can be provided by misting the leaves etc in the cage for long enough that the chameleon drinks and using a dripper that drips at the rate of one or two drips per second will encourage drinking as well.

Hope this helps!

BTW I love the colors and patterns of your chameleon!
 
Last edited:
kinyonga said:
It looks like your chameleon does have MBD. It would be best to check with a vet for treatment...X-rays or blood tests will confirm it and you will need a proper liquid calcium to give him until the bones are strong again. You also need to have the supplements and gutloading/feeding the insects right and the correct lights, basking temperature and water properly to get him back on track and keep him there before things become worse.

For supplementing it's recommended that you dust lightly with a phos free calcium powder at all but 4 readings a month. This will help make up for the often poor ratio of calcium to phos found in most feeder insects. At two of the missed feedings, once every two weeks, it's recommended that you dust lightly with a phos free calcium/D3 powder. This provides some D3 but leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of its D3 from its exposure to the UVB light you are providing for it. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues but UVB from exposure to the UVB light shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of the light. On the other two missed days, two weeks apart it's recommended that you dust lightly with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. This leaves it up to you to decide if your chameleon needs a prEformed source of vitamin A.
Vitamin D3 and vitamin A need to be in balance and calcium, phos, and D3 also need to be in balance...and this along with proper feeding/gutloading of the insects seems to accomplish that.

The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light. For basking a regular household incandescent light of a wattage that produces the proper basking temperature is all that's needed. No colored lights should be used and no lights at night.

Appropriate temperatures aid in digestion.

Water can be provided by misting the leaves etc in the cage for long enough that the chameleon drinks and using a dripper that drips at the rate of one or two drips per second will encourage drinking as well.

Hope this helps!

BTW I love the colors and patterns of your chameleon!
Click to expand...
Oh thank you so much. This is the best worded explanation I have ever seen. I am currently gut loading crickets with 2 different supplements one for calcium and the other veggies (the right ones of course) but thank you so much . My lights stay at about 86 at the top and I mist 3 times a day sometimes more if I feel as if I see it needs one. As for a vet, I may not be able to get one as The closest one is a state away . But I will do anything I can to help.
 
Oops....I forgot to include feeding/gutlaoding above.
Dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, carrots, mustard greens, etc and a small amount of berries, melon, papaya, mango, apples or pears can be used for gutloading/feeding the crickets, superworms, locusts, roaches, etc.

Glad you liked the other post I made!

Where do you live?
 
kinyonga said:
Oops....I forgot to include feeding/gutlaoding above.
Dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, carrots, mustard greens, etc and a small amount of berries, melon, papaya, mango, apples or pears can be used for gutloading/feeding the crickets, superworms, locusts, roaches, etc.

Glad you liked the other post I made!

Where do you live?
Click to expand...
I live in South Carolina ?
 
kinyonga said:
I don't know this vet but it says he does exotics and has good reviews...so he might be a good one for your chameleon...
https://buckwaltervet.com/reptile-care-bluffton-sc/
Click to expand...
Oh thank you so much I was looking online for hours. Are my watts okay for my daytime light? It’s 60w and there isn’t any higher for it. And I have been using a repti sun 5.0 uvb. Right now I’m using a repti sun 5.0 UVB tropical
FCECCE35-E9BE-469D-B53C-88090CAC1CCA.jpeg

It says on the side helps prevent or reverse mbd
 
You said...". I use usually 100 watt lighting with hangs above and have 2 different lights which I also forgot the name of because the enclosure is pretty tall. I turn off one of them every night as the directions on the light bulb container said to"...are you leaving a light on at night?

You asked if the wattage is right...basking temperature should be in the mid 80's so base the wattage on what gives the right basking temperature. Also, test the heat of the basking light by holding your hand at the closest point that the chameleon can get to it and if you have to take your hand away it means the chameleon is likely to get burned.

Do you just have one UVB light on the cage at a time? The regular reptisun is what I use....it's a 5.0
 
kinyonga said:
You said...". I use usually 100 watt lighting with hangs above and have 2 different lights which I also forgot the name of because the enclosure is pretty tall. I turn off one of them every night as the directions on the light bulb container said to"...are you leaving a light on at night?

You asked if the wattage is right...basking temperature should be in the mid 80's so base the wattage on what gives the right basking temperature. Also, test the heat of the basking light by holding your hand at the closest point that the chameleon can get to it and if you have to take your hand away it means chameleon is likely to get burned.

Do you just have one UVB light on the cage at a time? The regular reptisun is what I use....it's a 5.0
Click to expand...
I have a daytime basking bulb which is 60 watts and The bulb case in the picture above in the other reply is the light I’m currently using. Which is a 5.0 but larger. The picture below is what I was using before yesterday.
EB9464DD-CA69-417B-B02E-797C67F4D1F4.jpeg

It says 5.0 and the temperature stays around 82 degrees when both bulbs are on throughout the day
 
Are you leaving any light on at night?

For UVB I recommend the long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light.
Basking light should be white not colored as well.
For basking I use a regular household incandescent light bulb.
 
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