New Chameleon Owner

[nafissoumik]

Hello!

I’m new to this so I apologize for any mistakes. I recently got a new chameleon from petco(yes I know that was a big mistake, I got another one from a breeder today which is doing great) and it hasn’t eaten in 5 days. It has drank water but it looks extremely skinny and not in good shape. It also has its eyes closed majority of the time. Any tips or suggestions on what to do? (I want to try and sort of rescue this cham and nurse it back to health as best as I can)

 

[ERKleRose]

Welcome on here! Is your other chameleon a veiled, as well? The best way for us to help you would be if you could fill out this form in as much detail as possible, including pics of the entire cage and lights! Also, if you could post pictures of the back of its back feet, we can help you sex it, too!

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[ItsMike64]

Hey!! You made it! To others: I brought them from Reddit over here to get help.

I have your enclosure photos in a PM but it would help to post them here, even though you already know you need a Reptibreeze XL.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!
Good @ItsMike64 for bringing @nafissoumik over to the forum!

Are you isolating/quarantining the chamelns from each other? That's important especially when one might not be well.

Please answer the questions that @ERKleRose posted. Be as detailed as possible. Do the supplements have D3, phos, calcium, prEformed (retinol) or prOformed (carotenoids) vitamin A in them. Be specific about the UVB light...long linear, coiled, 5.0 or 6 or what? Basking light being use? Urates white or orangish? Etc.

 

[nafissoumik]

Welcome to the forum!
Good @ItsMike64 for bringing @nafissoumik over to the forum!

Are you isolating/quarantining the chamelns from each other? That's important especially when one might not be well.

Please answer the questions that @ERKleRose posted. Be as detailed as possible. Do the supplements have D3, phos, calcium, prEformed (retinol) or prOformed (carotenoids) vitamin A in them. Be specific about the UVB light...long linear, coiled, 5.0 or 6 or what? Basking light being use? Urates white or orangish? Etc.

yup! the two of them are kept separately!

 

[nafissoumik]

Hey!! You made it! To others: I brought them from Reddit over here to get help.

I have your enclosure photos in a PM but it would help to post them here, even though you already know you need a Reptibreeze XL.

Nice to see you! Yup getting that sorted out!

 

[ItsMike64]

I would suggest also filling out the husbandry information for both of your chameleons and including pictures of them both along with both of their enclosures. That way everyone can have all the relevant information necessary to help you with proper husbandry

 

[nafissoumik]

I would suggest also filling out the husbandry information for both of your chameleons and including pictures of them both along with both of their enclosures. That way everyone can have all the relevant information necessary to help you with proper husbandry

I've filled out one for the first one, wasn't able to add any pictures because im on a laptop. I will fill out one for my other one as soon as possible and try to get photos too!

 

[kinyonga]

Link to husbandry question answers...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/new-chameleon-owner-requiring-some-help.187770/

More detail would help.

 

[kinyonga]

yup! the two of them are kept separately!

In separate rooms?

 

[nafissoumik]

In separate rooms?

One in my living room and one in my bedroom

 

[ItsMike64]

For future reference, you can just fill out the husbandry questions on this forum (for both chams) that way everything is in one place and the experts can access it a little easier. I am not an expert, but I can start to help you with a few things. As @kinyonga said, more detail would be great. As much detail as you can provide. If you take pics on your phone and email them to yourself, open it on your computer, download, and upload here. Or you can airdrop if using apple products.

OP's Husbandry Answers:
Chameleon Info:
-Veiled Chameleon, about less then 6 months old
-Handling, once or twice a day to offer water
-Feeding, offered mealworms, has not eaten anything since getting it
-Watering, misting about 3 times a day, with a bowl of water left in enclosure
-Fecal, dark green to black with white end
-History, kept with another chameleon at the pet store

Cage Info(will be fixed to a proper enclosure):
-Cage type, 29gallon aquarium
-Lighting, basking spot lamp (not in use)
-Temperature, 80-95F day / 65-75F night
-Humidity, day 40-55% / night 80-95%
-Plants, live plants
-Placement, few feet away from window to receive sunlight
-Location, NYC

Current Problem- It has not eaten since I got it (5 days), it has its eyes closed majority of the time. Looks fairly skinny. Any advice on what to do or suggestions?

 

[ERKleRose]

First off, sorry for the influx of questions and info, I know it can be very overwhelming, so sorry in advance!


Chameleon Info:
-Veiled Chameleon, about less then 6 months old Does it have tarsal spurs? If it does, then it is male. Males and females have different care requirements, so knowing the gender is important.
-Handling, once or twice a day to offer water How are you giving it water?
-Feeding, offered mealworms, has not eaten anything since getting it Mealworms are not good staples, just as occasional treats. Roaches, grasshoppers, and crickets carry the most gutload, but silkworms are super nutritional and provide extra moisture, too. Moths and flies are good, as well, along with black soldier fly larvae. The more variety, the better! Right now it's just important to get it to eat anything, especially something with nutrition. What do you gutload with? As with feeders, the more variety, the better! I've attached a great feeder chart below, along with a great gutload chart! What are you planning on supplementing with, along with what supplementation schedule?
-Watering, misting about 3 times a day, with a bowl of water left in enclosure How long do you mist for each time? Water bowls aren't good, as they're just breeding grounds for bacteria. Drippers and cool-mist foggers (foggers only at night!) are great secondary water sources! For a fogger, you need enough airflow (so not in its current tank; what are you planning on upgrading to?) and temps to be at or lower than 65°F, though, otherwise it gets dangerous.
-Fecal, dark green to black with white end
-History, kept with another chameleon at the pet store Do have pics of the green poop? It'll be best to get at least one fecal done (preferably two or three to make sure no parasites are missed), x-rays, and a general exam from an exotics vet with reputable chameleon experience for both your chams, separately, to make sure they're healthy. Not all vets are equal, as some have little to no experience with chameleons and some like to give meds and vitamins without figuring out if they're needed first, so make sure if they want to give any medicines, vitamins, injections, they give you a cause first that they can prove and show you

Cage Info(will be fixed to a proper enclosure):
-Cage type, 29gallon aquarium  What are planning to upgrade to? Could you post some pics, as well?
-Lighting, basking spot lamp (not in use)  What type and color of heat bulb do you have, along with the type, brand, and bulb strength of UVB?
-Temperature, 80-95F day / 65-75F night That's too hot of a basking spot. Basking spot temps do depend on gender, as well; 78-80°F for a female and 80-85°F for a male. The daytime ambient room temp should be around the low 70s, with nights being at or below 65°F. What are you using to measure temps? A digital thermometer with a probe should be used to measure basking temps at least, with the probe placed where the top of your cham's back is when it's on its basking branch. Digital thermometers and/or digital thermometer-hygrometer combos should be used throughout the enclosure to measure ambient and nighttime temps (at least 2, one near the top and basking area and the other near the bottom)
-Humidity, day 40-55% / night 80-95%  What are using to measure this? Veiled humidity levels during the day shouldn't go over 50%. As long as the temps are cool enough, and there's enough airflow, those nighttime levels are perfect!
-Plants, live plants  Are they veiled-tested?
-Placement, few feet away from window to receive sunlight  Be careful with this, especially in a glass aquarium, as windows can cause overheating in the enclosure if left in the sun. Also, UVB does not transfer through glass, all of it gets blocked. It's better to take your cham outside to receive natural rays if the environment is good and it's not too stressful on the cham.
-Location, NYC

Current Problem- It has not eaten since I got it (5 days), it has its eyes closed majority of the time. Looks fairly skinny. Any advice on what to do or suggestions?

Here's the gutload and feeder charts, along with two plant charts to have. Let us know if you have any questions, need more clarification, want more care links, etc! We're here to help!

 

[Tkrd69]

Hi and welcome to the forum. @ERKleRose and many more can help you out a lot. Some much to learn uvb, water and plants oh my. Have fun

 

[BostonKeith]

Taking a wild guess but i think he is a she Patterning and casque look about right for a beautiful lady but would still double check for bulge and spurs.