Julirs
New Member
I would leave the vitamin A up to the Vet-but only if the Vet knows chameleons and what he is doing. You do not want to over supplement vitamin A. Have a tube of Terramycin on hand to help out with eye issues.
my veiled has a puffy eye, wut could it be?
- Thread starter PicassoTheVeiled
- Start date
I would leave the vitamin A up to the Vet-but only if the Vet knows chameleons and what he is doing. You do not want to over supplement vitamin A. Have a tube of Terramycin on hand to help out with eye issues.
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
eek... im kinda scared now 
when i say he drinks every 4 days... i mean he will literally drink from the spray bottle every 4 days... i do mist really well twice a day until the leaves drip.
i dont really know if they are meal worms or super worms that im feeding since im new to reptiles and feeding (they are brown, about an inch long are lighter in the middle and have legs only up by their heads)they came with him. i just looked up pics on google, they do look like super worms.
about having a 5. ubv light at the top of the cage, he does... i just checked. the only reason i didnt put it before is because the bulb was still on while i was typing the last post out... waited for it to cool down before i took it out to check... whats wrong with the 10. uvb bulbs? if there is no more uvb in them, can they just be used to illuminate the cage??? cause i really like to see him.
i turn out the lights at night, however, i keep the ceramic heater on at night due to my house getting very very cold at night. i will replace the red heat lamp with an incadecent light though.
i really cant get away without having the ceramic heater, if i dont have it, his cage will be in the low to mid 60s, and thats during the day
i do have terramycin. i am currently putting it on his eye 3x a day... this is what the vet says to do.
pls respond to my corrections. id really appreciate it, thank you! i promise, as much as it sounds like hes got a horrible home, im really trying! ive only had him 4 days now and im trying my best to give him a proper home by changing the things the old owner had that were improper for him. please dont think im a terrible cammie mom... im trying, and learning, thats why i came here... to learn and i have been learning lots so far. so thank you guys... and please, be gentle lol, dont tear me a new one because of my mistakes... its only because im new to this
when i say he drinks every 4 days... i mean he will literally drink from the spray bottle every 4 days... i do mist really well twice a day until the leaves drip.
i dont really know if they are meal worms or super worms that im feeding since im new to reptiles and feeding (they are brown, about an inch long are lighter in the middle and have legs only up by their heads)they came with him. i just looked up pics on google, they do look like super worms.
about having a 5. ubv light at the top of the cage, he does... i just checked. the only reason i didnt put it before is because the bulb was still on while i was typing the last post out... waited for it to cool down before i took it out to check... whats wrong with the 10. uvb bulbs? if there is no more uvb in them, can they just be used to illuminate the cage??? cause i really like to see him.
i turn out the lights at night, however, i keep the ceramic heater on at night due to my house getting very very cold at night. i will replace the red heat lamp with an incadecent light though.
i really cant get away without having the ceramic heater, if i dont have it, his cage will be in the low to mid 60s, and thats during the day
i do have terramycin. i am currently putting it on his eye 3x a day... this is what the vet says to do.
pls respond to my corrections. id really appreciate it, thank you! i promise, as much as it sounds like hes got a horrible home, im really trying! ive only had him 4 days now and im trying my best to give him a proper home by changing the things the old owner had that were improper for him. please dont think im a terrible cammie mom... im trying, and learning, thats why i came here... to learn
and i have been learning lots so far. so thank you guys... and please, be gentle lol, dont tear me a new one because of my mistakes... its only because im new to this
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
how should i properly gut load them? the previous owner was feeding baby cereal and wet cotton balls. should i switch back to that or something entirely different? how do you guys gut load?
.... i feel bad
im glad i came here to learn what things i can do better
Julirs
New Member
We all started somewhere-so don't feel bad! Is it really that cold in CA? If the 10.0 UVB bulbs are older than 6 months-they won't have much UVB too them so you can use them to light up the cage-it sounds like a pretty big cage. Chams associate white light with heat, so changing out that bulb to give him as basking spot near 90 would be perfect. You might have Superworms-they are considerably bigger then mealworms, but are softer and healthier. Just make sure he gets at least a 10 degree temp drop at night. Mine get no night heat unless temps drop below 50.
You are in the right place to learn how to be a terrific cham-mom!
You are in the right place to learn how to be a terrific cham-mom!
Julirs
New Member
how should i properly gut load them? the previous owner was feeding baby cereal and wet cotton balls. should i switch back to that or something entirely different? how do you guys gut load?
.... i feel bad
Give your crickets sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens (not spinach) like Kale and Collards, apples, etc. Same stuff is good to gutload Super worms with.
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
awww man! i JUST went out and bought that cricket food lol... they do get apples btw, another thing i forgot to add lol theres so much info to add i forget things lol the superworms live in a tub of oatmeal with a piece of apple to get moisture. and the crickets have a piece of apple if they want it. ill pick up some of the things you listed for them
is the water gel okay for them? its that yellow stuff by flukers i think is the brand
is it okay to let the superworms live in oatmeal? should they be in something else like the wood shavings they come in when you buy them in the little tubs?
*sigh* so much to learn, so little time... i guess he will be okay temporarily until i can get everything he really needs... he has been okay this long... im sure he will be okay for a few more days until i can manage to get EVERYTHING the previous owner didnt have, which sounds like quite a bit!... btw, i just emailed her asking how old the bulbs were. what is the difference between 5. and 10. uvb bulbs?
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
btw, where i am, yes, it really is that cold. it was raining today and my house stays very cold for some reason even with the heat on... its an old apartment complex so the heating and air conditioning are extremely inefficient. they dont work very well, so i dont use them because its just a waste of money... if i dont turn the heater or air conditioning on before i actually need them, they can not catch up it almost feels like lukewarm air coming out, doesnt matter which i have on... the apartment manager is like a million years old and sucks at fixing things in a timely manner... so while i may be cold in my place, im trying to find ways to keep Picasso not so cold, especially at night. i will check the temp tonight though to see if it gets below 50
Elizadolots
New Member
Don't be too scared.
You're on your way to having it all down pat. You were handed a chameleon that had not been kept well. You've probably done more to help Picasso in the time you had him than the previous owner did in 11 months.
Superworms look a lot like mealworms.
That's a superworm. I'd suggest dumping the worms you have and checking the closest reptile stores to see if they have superworms. I just have a hard time believing the person who gave you the worms would have had the right ones.
The gel water is fine. Many, if not most use it for their feeders.
On the heater issue: Chameleons actually need a cool to cold night. According to Brad Ramsey's "raising miss kitty" blog they can handle temperatures as low as 40 degrees at night (though, that's probably not recommended often).
Does your heater have a temperature regulator feature? Can you set it so it only turns on when the heat gets below a certain temperature? If so, set that at 50 and set the "top" temperature at 60.
Julirs, I was a bit unclear on what you meant about the Fluckers and crickets...are you suggesting she feed them the Fluckers as sort of a staple diet and then "gutload" with the goodies for a few hours (or a day) before giving them to the chameleon?
You're on your way to having it all down pat. You were handed a chameleon that had not been kept well. You've probably done more to help Picasso in the time you had him than the previous owner did in 11 months.
Superworms look a lot like mealworms.
That's a superworm. I'd suggest dumping the worms you have and checking the closest reptile stores to see if they have superworms. I just have a hard time believing the person who gave you the worms would have had the right ones.
The gel water is fine. Many, if not most use it for their feeders.
On the heater issue: Chameleons actually need a cool to cold night. According to Brad Ramsey's "raising miss kitty" blog they can handle temperatures as low as 40 degrees at night (though, that's probably not recommended often).
Does your heater have a temperature regulator feature? Can you set it so it only turns on when the heat gets below a certain temperature? If so, set that at 50 and set the "top" temperature at 60.
Julirs, I was a bit unclear on what you meant about the Fluckers and crickets...are you suggesting she feed them the Fluckers as sort of a staple diet and then "gutload" with the goodies for a few hours (or a day) before giving them to the chameleon?
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
HHHEEEYYYYY! miss kitty is my cats name!
btw, yes, he is eating super worms. they look exactly like that picture. thank you
i will monitor the temp at night. if need be, i will turn the heater off. i keep the ceramic heater on at night, but the incadecent light is off. am i using the right light? someone on here said to use incadecent for heat... does that just mean a regular light bulb? like one to light a lamp? or is there a specific reptile one?
in the colder months, my apartment does actually drop below 40. this being because i do not heat my place in the winter because as stated above, my apartment manager sucks and wont get an efficient heater in my place... if i run it all night, i get maybe a degree or 2 temp increase. its just not worth it.... ill try it out and see how cold it gets at night without the ceramic heater... but only in the warm months cause in the cold months, the temp here will surely kill him and i dont want that.... it just about kills me in the winter, id hate to see what it could do to a creature that cant regulate their body temp lol eek
Elizadolots
New Member
oops..I added the "miss"...I guess it's all those years of watching Gunsmoke....
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
eeeekkk! thats why i named her miss kitty! lol ok im done haha.
btw, miss kitty LOVES her new creepy crawly friends haha shes always glued to the cage, doesnt care that theres a lizard in it, not sure shes even noticed... but boy does she love her cricket buddies! lol. she doesnt terrorize the cage... just quietly watches... occasionally she will put her paw on the screen (its sturdy metal screen btw)... then she realizes she cant actually get to the crickets and she stops... she doesnt do anything that would stress Picasso out
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
hrmmm. thats a toughy. cause i only have a one bedroom apartment... so theres only 2 rooms he could go in... living room and bedroom. and there is absolutely no room in my bedroom for a cage of its size... ill keep an eye on them cause, logically, its the best i can do
Elizadolots
New Member
lol...
Chameleons consider cats predators (and with good reason). Just seeing the cat there could be stressful.
Do you have your crickets in a "critter keeper" or similar small, clear plastic thingy? If so, maybe leave that someplace easier for the cat to see after you put the feeders in the cage... I don't think the crickets care that they are being watched and the greater number should mean the cat doesn't bother with the chameleon's cage.
Chameleons consider cats predators (and with good reason). Just seeing the cat there could be stressful.
Do you have your crickets in a "critter keeper" or similar small, clear plastic thingy? If so, maybe leave that someplace easier for the cat to see after you put the feeders in the cage... I don't think the crickets care that they are being watched and the greater number should mean the cat doesn't bother with the chameleon's cage.
Julirs
New Member
The OP mentioned that she had just gotten cricket food-and I was reading the posts quickly-I did not know if they were referring to that, or the Flukers stuff, or if the cricket food was Flukers. I don't like to see people ONLY using the commercial stuff. It is OK to use it, but I would still use fresh fruits and veggies. I always buy cricket food from my cricket vendor, and line one side of the bottom of the cricket bin with it. I then add fruits and veggies daily.
Elizadolots
New Member
Thanks, Julirs. There were multiple Flucker's products mentioned and I got confused.
The point is PTV, you don't have to consider the Flucker's cricket food a waste. Use it as part of the crickets' diet.
The point is PTV, you don't have to consider the Flucker's cricket food a waste. Use it as part of the crickets' diet.
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
okay. thanks guys. ill add some fresh goodies when i go to the grocery store tomorrow. good to kno i can still use the flukers cricket food as well as the flukers cricket water gel
PicassoTheVeiled
New Member
just thought id give an update...
his eye is still swollen, however, i read that refresh tears eye drops is a good eye flush for chams... incase there is anything lodged in his eye... which i was thinking it could be a tiny piece of card board cause his previous owner put him in a card board box for transport home and it happened just after i got him... cardboard boxes always have tiny pieces that come off the raw edges... anyway, i picked up some refresh tears, and his eye seems to be a little more mobile and seems to be open a little more often instead of staying closed all the time, so thats an improvement in and of itself, at least something has changed. i just put it in about 3 hours ago, so as far as i can tell, this stuff has potential. if not, he will be going to a different vet reccomended by member "pssh" she says that vet knows specifically about chams... im firing his current vet as he has now had a shot of vitamin A, and 3 out of 7 days worth of treatment for an eye infection and neither thing seems to be working. i HATE the idea of pumping him full of meds for nothing, that makes me very nervous.
so as of now, i am a tad more hopeful than i was yesterday since his eye is showing signs of increased mobility and useage *fingers crossed*
as i said in a private message to another member, i really hope all my efforts to fix his environment and get his health back in order arent in vein, id hate to lose him, cause honestly, ive gotten pretty attached to him in the short time ive had him id be devostated if i lost him
his eye is still swollen, however, i read that refresh tears eye drops is a good eye flush for chams... incase there is anything lodged in his eye... which i was thinking it could be a tiny piece of card board cause his previous owner put him in a card board box for transport home and it happened just after i got him... cardboard boxes always have tiny pieces that come off the raw edges... anyway, i picked up some refresh tears, and his eye seems to be a little more mobile and seems to be open a little more often instead of staying closed all the time, so thats an improvement in and of itself, at least something has changed. i just put it in about 3 hours ago, so as far as i can tell, this stuff has potential. if not, he will be going to a different vet reccomended by member "pssh" she says that vet knows specifically about chams... im firing his current vet as he has now had a shot of vitamin A, and 3 out of 7 days worth of treatment for an eye infection and neither thing seems to be working. i HATE the idea of pumping him full of meds for nothing, that makes me very nervous.
so as of now, i am a tad more hopeful than i was yesterday since his eye is showing signs of increased mobility and useage *fingers crossed*
as i said in a private message to another member, i really hope all my efforts to fix his environment and get his health back in order arent in vein, id hate to lose him, cause honestly, ive gotten pretty attached to him in the short time ive had him id be devostated if i lost him
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