New cham and not sure if he is ok?!

[Abenefiet]

Maybe I am too worried?! And maybe not! Went to Petco with kids, and employee sold me baby veil and a box of stuff and said it was perfect pet for kids and first time reptile owner! Did some research on here after, finding out everything he told me was not true! Love this little guy, but he seems not well. Don't know too much about reptiles so I apologize and am trying to bring him back to health asap. Here's what I got:


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - male veiled chameleon, not sure age, they told me was a baby is all.
• Handling - not very often as I read it can be stressfull
• Feeding - he is eating 10-12 medium sized crickets dusted with zoo med reptile calcium without d3 few times a week. Reg crickets everyday.
• Supplements - treats like wax worms given about 2 a day and the crickets eat on fruit (if that is what gutloading is)
• Watering - I mist him for around 2 minutes several times a day, and have a dropper going constantly. I have seen him drink only a handful of time.
• Fecal Description - it's white and dark brown. Seems yellow sometimes so I mist him more.
• History - I bought him from petco a week ago, and they have no idea about anything they say.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen cage, and it's the medium sized cage that came with the kit. I want to say 18"x18x32?
• Lighting zoomed combo deep dome
• Repti sun 5.0 uvb and daylight blue reptile bulb 60 w
• Temperature - basking temp is 90-95 and the lowest is 75. I have a digital therm.

• Humidity - I have humidty issues! Currently in way more than originally planned so I'm doing the best i can till payday. When I come home from work it's around 25% I try and maintain a much higher with misting a shower curtain ( I wash and clean cage out frequently to avoid bacteria and stuff) but it's been near impossible to maintain higher than 60 for more than 2 hrs at a time.
• Plants - I have a snake plant in the cage, lots of fake vines and bamboo for perches?
• Placement - the cage is my living room, as petco said he was created family pet. He is on a table so cage is higher than everyone besides Husband.
• Location Gillette wyoming

Current Problem - his coloring is dull and I'm worried about mbd? First cham so I maybe just over worried?!?! Please help!

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Do you have a picture of him and his enclosure?

 

[Abenefiet]

I'm trying to upload it, but it's not working.

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

I'm trying to upload it, but it's not working.

are you using your phone or laptop?

 

[Abenefiet]

Here is his home, I'll get one of him.

 

[Abenefiet]

are you using your phone or laptop?

Phone

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Looks like you got it figured out, great! he doesn't look like a "baby"... can you get a picture of his entire enclosure? a shot like this so we can see the big picture, too?

 

[Abenefiet]

Here is another one. I hope someone can help me! I hope I can get him better if he is sick!

 

[Abenefiet]

Here is another one. I hope someone can help me! I hope I can get him better if he is sick!

 

[Abenefiet]

He is 8 inches long including his tail. Not sure if age, pet store said he was baby

 

[Abenefiet]

Looks like you got it figured out, great! he doesn't look like a "baby"... can you get a picture of his entire enclosure? a shot like this so we can see the big picture, too?

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

First, you will find that there is a lot of disdain for Petco (and the like) for their sale of chameleons. As you found out, they do not tell new owners how to properly care for them and really just want to sell them. I'm so glad that you found this forum.

For a juvenile (9 months or younger): ambient 72-80F, basking 85F - the night/lower temps could be 70 or even a little lower. Adult males basking is 90-95F. So his basking area (and possibly the entire enclosure could be too hot. His basking spot should be 6" lower/below the light - sorry, it's hard to tell where the vine/branch is.

Veileds can handle lower humidity than other chams - around 40-70%. Live plants will help keep the humidity up. Manual mistings more often and putting plastic on 2-3 sides can help. Do you have a humidity gauge? they are pretty inexpensive at a Home Depot or Amazon.

Feeders for juveniles 3-6 months of age should be 10-12 small crickets daily and after 6 months this can be every other day. You should be supplementing by dusting your feeders with calcium without D3 every feeding. Then a calcium with D3 2x a month and a multivitamin 2x a month - alternate weeks.

Assuming he is otherwise healthy... he needs time to adjust and could probable benefit from a quiet space until he settles in.

 

[Abenefiet]

Here it is. He seems to look worse As the afternoon is going on. There is no vets where I live and the people at the pet store seem clueless?

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Here it is. He seems to look worse As the afternoon is going on. There is no vets where I live and the people at the pet store seem clueless?

The picture wasn't attached

 

[Abenefiet]

The picture wasn't attached

 

[ali9021]

He looks to be the same age as my little guy about 3-4 months. I got mine at Petsmart which probably wasn't the best place, but here he is. Mine was brown for 2 weeks also, sometimes it is just stress or the temperatures in the cage.

 

[Abenefiet]

Hopefully that on came in. In regards to heat, should I raise the light or lower the vines?

 

[Abenefiet]

He looks to be the same age as my little guy about 3-4 months. I got mine at Petsmart which probably wasn't the best place, but here he is. Mine was brown for 2 weeks also, sometimes it is just stress or the temperatures in the cage.

He is turned like white along his legs and spine? Is that normal?

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Hopefully that on came in. In regards to heat, should I raise the light or lower the vines?

whatever is easiest for you... for me, it was to lower the vines

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

He is turned like white along his legs and spine? Is that normal?

He might be getting ready to shed... it's tough to tell from that pic