My chameleon passed away suddenly and I’m not sure why

River_ash28

New Member
(Like the title suggests, this will be a heavy post) I just can’t shake the feeling I’ve failed my poor girl. She passed suddenly, and didn’t appear sick, her color was fine, she’d been eating, drinking, her poop seemed normal, nothing really appeared wrong with her. She had good uvb and heat, and the humidity seemed okay too. She had a good sized enclosure and a good setup for her size, and my dad and I planned on upgrading it soon, as she’s grown a bit since we first got her.

I’m thinking she could have caught a lung infection since it turns out the mister might have been left on too long or often, but I didn’t catch any signs of one. She did have a bit of white stuff by her nose once, but it appeared to be skin as she’s she’d just started to shed and it went away by the time she was done shedding and I didn’t see it again. She’d occasionally open her mouth with her nose in the air but I haven’t seen her do it for at least a week. I’m also thinking it could do with the gutload I fed her crickets, or the calcium they were dusted with. (It was bought from petsmart after all so I wouldn’t be surprised) The only other things that really stand out is that sometimes I’d catch a little fly in her enclosure, or maybe she ended up overfed, since she’d always eat at least most of the crickets she was given but she’d leave some when she got full.

I didn’t really handle her, because she’d get scared so I just decided to just let her be after a few attempts.

I’d like to end this off by saying please be nice, I did my best, a did a whole buttload of research and even still I guess I should have done more. Feel free to ask questions as well if it helps you give ideas on what could have happened. In case it could help I’ve attached a photo.

C7F787D7-E08A-48A0-ADDD-C649FC64293D.jpeg

This is what her setup looked like. The little tube in the back is the mister, and while there are three heat sources, only the bulb was on during the day and if the night was cold I’d turn on the ceramic one next to it. It was also misted regularly with a spray bottle if the mister wasn’t on.

Possibly helpful info
Species: veiled
Age: was around 7 months
feed: Crickets and the occasional worm
Almost all crickets were dusted in calcium, the worms weren’t
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the forums 👋
Sorry about your loss 🥺
After reading your post and her being from Petsmart I'm thinking she was wild caught with respiratory infection and probably parasites. You mentioned mouth gaping, did you notice any star gazing also ?
 
Welcome to the forums 👋
Sorry about your loss 🥺
After reading your post and her being from Petsmart I'm thinking she was wild caught with respiratory infection and probably parasites. You mentioned mouth gaping, did you notice any star gazing also ?
Ohh I ment her food came from petsmart. I’m not sure where she was bought from as she was given to me by a cousin so it is a possibility, and it turns out I did catch her stargazing a few times.
 
Last edited:
What were her day and night time temps and humidity ?
Her day temp was about 72-74 on cool side and anywhere from 80-90 on warm side depending on how close to the heat source you’re checking. If the night was cold, warm side matched day temp, and if the night was fine it was about 72-74 on the whole cage
 
Welcome and I’m sorry for your first post to be a sad one. We may be able to determine why your little girl passed, but I will warn you that there is a high probability it was from husbandry error or something that you could/should have fixed or done something about. Do you still want an answer? I won’t be mean or intentionally make you feel bad, but I will be honest. If you still want and answer…..
Do you have any pics of your sweet girl…the most recent would be best.
What were you using for supplements? You mention only calcium - did it contain vitamin D3?
I see several lights besides the uvb…what are they all and how were they used? Did you use lights at night?
How often did you mist and for how long each time?
Had she developed any patterns or colors like teal and mustard yellow or orange? Or was she just pretty much a solid green color?
How much and how often did you feed her?
 
Welcome and I’m sorry for your first post to be a sad one. We may be able to determine why your little girl passed, but I will warn you that there is a high probability it was from husbandry error or something that you could/should have fixed or done something about. Do you still want an answer? I won’t be mean or intentionally make you feel bad, but I will be honest. If you still want and answer…..
Do you have any pics of your sweet girl…the most recent would be best.
What were you using for supplements? You mention only calcium - did it contain vitamin D3?
I see several lights besides the uvb…what are they all and how were they used? Did you use lights at night?
How often did you mist and for how long each time?
Had she developed any patterns or colors like teal and mustard yellow or orange? Or was she just pretty much a solid green color?
How much and how often did you feed her?
I’m thinking husbandry error that I missed too. And if it’s not any trouble I’d really appreciate an answer. I’m pretty sure the calcium she was given did include d3 and that’s the only supplement she was given. (I’m pretty sure the calcium was a big no, I don’t know why I didn’t think to double check 🤦‍♂️)

The lights besides the uvb are heat lamps, two being ceramic. one ceramic is turned on when it’s cold at night and the other is the old ceramic one but hasn’t been used since we got the newer one. The one on during the day was the purple light emitting one. She had not developed any colors or patterns besides the yellow ones on her back she’d had since she was first gotten.

She was fed about 5 crickets per a day, but depending she’d leave some so anywhere from 3-4 a day not counting worms, which she was given about three a week.

As for misting, the mister would be turned on and off throughout the day, very inconsistently, and sometimes I’d have it on at night. (I understand I did terrible with the mister.) And I’d spray it a bit too sometimes when the mister had been off for a while or I wanted to water the plants.

This would be one of the most recent (and best) photo I have, from about two months ago when I first got her.
A3F92A30-FD2A-42B4-8B19-05156816C6E9.jpeg

This is the true most recent photo I have of her. It’s from about a week ago, but it does a decent job of showing her care in the newer enclosure. Only one heat source was on like usual.
BA8FD001-2B34-482A-A6D9-47CCA6E52FCC.jpeg
 
Last edited:
The reason that I asked for a recent pic and about colors is that our sweet veiled girls can reach sexual maturity as young as 5 or 6 months old and produce and lay (infertile) eggs. Egg binding is sadly probably one of the more common causes for female veileds to pass away with a new keeper. However, if she didn’t change in appearance from the pic, doubtful that was the problem.
It’s possible she had a respiratory infection. Keeping her head pointed up, making any noises when breathing, thick stringy or ropy saliva are all signs of that.
Then there’s the supplements. It is essential that we get these correct. When I was a brand new keeper I didn’t quite understand the importance of them at first. We humans do just fine not taking any dietary supplements so maybe that is why their importance to our animals is often minimized by us.
Living bodies need calcium for strong bones, muscle functions and nerve conduction. However, in order to be able to use the calcium it needs to be converted into a usable form via vitamin D3, which we get from the sun, uvb bulbs or dietary supplements. Without any D3, the body can’t function properly. Having a uvb bulb will help, but not quite enough. This results in metabolic bone disease (mbd), which will eventually lead to death if not treated. This is a possible suspect if your calcium did not have any D3.
Then, we need to look at vitamin D3. This is a fat soluble vitamin, so it is stored in the body and takes time to be fully excreted. Because of this, we need to be careful in dosing as too much can build up and lead to toxic or deadly levels. If you were using only a calcium with D3 on a daily basis, this is high on the list of possible reasons that you lost your little girl.
Then there is the matter of stress. Again, we humans minimize the importance of this as we often have stress and are ok. For animals as sensitive as chameleons though, chronic stress can greatly contribute to their decline and death. Things such as not having a proper enclosure, constant exposure to seeing/feeling threatened by another animal, too frequent handling, etc etc are all stressors. I asked about the lights as chameleons need total darkness in order to have restful sleep and not getting that is a stressor. Being stressed lowers the immune system and healing, and combined with a physical issue is a recipe for passing.
Another potential cause that I can see is from the artificial plants. Veiled chams and especially the girls will nibble on their plants. They aren’t able to tell the difference between fake and real and many have taken fateful bites of fake leaves. This can result in a bowel obstruction, and if you can’t get the poo out, expect death.
Last, but not least that I can see is parasites. There are some that are much more serious than others. However, going back to having any source of chronic stress and even the mildest parasite infection can turn deadly. When we bring a new cat or dog into our home, we take them to a vet for a wellness check and have them tested for parasites. It’s a good idea to do that for all animals that we bring home.
The reason that I’ve gone into so much detail is because I want you to understand fully and maybe you’ll be able to pinpoint one or another as being the reason. I also want you to be aware of how important having the correct husbandry is. I’m not blaming you at all. You did all that you knew to be good and right for your pretty girl. You say you researched, but unfortunately there is a ton of incorrect and old info on keeping chams out there and there is no way you would have known. Chameleons are amazing animals to keep and I will encourage you to check out this site and learn all you can there. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Then come back here and start reading all of the posts and ask questions. I’m very sorry that your sweet girl passed. Hold her close in your heart and let her memory inspire you to learn more about chameleons. 💗
 
I forgot to let you know that I am not a veterinarian or even close to one. I also forgot to add that even with the best care, things can happen beyond our control. (I especially should know that!) To know for certain why your chameleon passed away, you’d need a vet to do a necropsy.
 
The reason that I asked for a recent pic and about colors is that our sweet veiled girls can reach sexual maturity as young as 5 or 6 months old and produce and lay (infertile) eggs. Egg binding is sadly probably one of the more common causes for female veileds to pass away with a new keeper. However, if she didn’t change in appearance from the pic, doubtful that was the problem.
It’s possible she had a respiratory infection. Keeping her head pointed up, making any noises when breathing, thick stringy or ropy saliva are all signs of that.
Then there’s the supplements. It is essential that we get these correct. When I was a brand new keeper I didn’t quite understand the importance of them at first. We humans do just fine not taking any dietary supplements so maybe that is why their importance to our animals is often minimized by us.
Living bodies need calcium for strong bones, muscle functions and nerve conduction. However, in order to be able to use the calcium it needs to be converted into a usable form via vitamin D3, which we get from the sun, uvb bulbs or dietary supplements. Without any D3, the body can’t function properly. Having a uvb bulb will help, but not quite enough. This results in metabolic bone disease (mbd), which will eventually lead to death if not treated. This is a possible suspect if your calcium did not have any D3.
Then, we need to look at vitamin D3. This is a fat soluble vitamin, so it is stored in the body and takes time to be fully excreted. Because of this, we need to be careful in dosing as too much can build up and lead to toxic or deadly levels. If you were using only a calcium with D3 on a daily basis, this is high on the list of possible reasons that you lost your little girl.
Then there is the matter of stress. Again, we humans minimize the importance of this as we often have stress and are ok. For animals as sensitive as chameleons though, chronic stress can greatly contribute to their decline and death. Things such as not having a proper enclosure, constant exposure to seeing/feeling threatened by another animal, too frequent handling, etc etc are all stressors. I asked about the lights as chameleons need total darkness in order to have restful sleep and not getting that is a stressor. Being stressed lowers the immune system and healing, and combined with a physical issue is a recipe for passing.
Another potential cause that I can see is from the artificial plants. Veiled chams and especially the girls will nibble on their plants. They aren’t able to tell the difference between fake and real and many have taken fateful bites of fake leaves. This can result in a bowel obstruction, and if you can’t get the poo out, expect death.
Last, but not least that I can see is parasites. There are some that are much more serious than others. However, going back to having any source of chronic stress and even the mildest parasite infection can turn deadly. When we bring a new cat or dog into our home, we take them to a vet for a wellness check and have them tested for parasites. It’s a good idea to do that for all animals that we bring home.
The reason that I’ve gone into so much detail is because I want you to understand fully and maybe you’ll be able to pinpoint one or another as being the reason. I also want you to be aware of how important having the correct husbandry is. I’m not blaming you at all. You did all that you knew to be good and right for your pretty girl. You say you researched, but unfortunately there is a ton of incorrect and old info on keeping chams out there and there is no way you would have known. Chameleons are amazing animals to keep and I will encourage you to check out this site and learn all you can there. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Then come back here and start reading all of the posts and ask questions. I’m very sorry that your sweet girl passed. Hold her close in your heart and let her memory inspire you to learn more about chameleons. 💗
Thank you so much! I’m thinking that she was getting too much d3 or decided to nibble on a fake plant.
 
I forgot to let you know that I am not a veterinarian or even close to one. I also forgot to add that even with the best care, things can happen beyond our control. (I especially should know that!) To know for certain why your chameleon passed away, you’d need a vet to do a necropsy.
I’ll talk to my dad about having a necropsy done on her. And like I said, thank you so much for your replies!
 
Back
Top Bottom