New mama chameleon owner with a few worries

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male 5 month old veiled chameleon. Been in my care for approx. 2 months
Handling - Sometimes, only when he climbs on me
Feeding - I feed him crickets (when first got he would eat 5-10 small)(now he only eats 1-2) I cup feed. Approx 1/2 hour-hour after 1st misting.
I don't gut load but I put apples, oranges etc in the cricket cage
He also eats mealworms...seems to be the only thing he will eat lately
Supplements - I have zoo meds reptivite with d3 & am getting plain calcium today as I have read more into supplementing
Watering - I mist 4-7 times daily. I do see him drink most days when I really watch
Fecal Description - He has never been tested for parasites. His poop is brownish/black & urine seems to be half yellow/half white


Cage Info:
Cage Type - I have a glass enclosure, approx 2 1/2ft tall and around. its hexagon screen top building new one as we speak
Lighting - I have 100w daylight exo terra sun glo. states creates heat gradients and stimulates UVA rays. & 75 watt infrared baskin spot
Both told by person at shop
Should I have both heat and UVB bulbs???
Temperature - Temp at top 84 mid cage 78 ? Lowest overnight temp 60? I have a temperature humidity gage.
Humidity - Before misting around 30% after a 2 min misting 50-60%? I mist. I measure by using a humidity gage
Plants - I have one live plant... Schefflera and one softer plastic vine & many sticks
Placement - Cruz is in my living room in corner, no fans, window a few feet away but curtain kept closed. It is high traffic.
Location - I live in Southern Ontario, Canada

Current Problem - He has always been a nice bright green in am when lights come on anywhere between 9& 10 am.
Had my sons bday party on sat mar 16 & the kids ran around in room..must have shook him scared him stressed him etc...Once I realized what was happening I made kids get out of room and I cover most of cage with soft blanket hoping it would calm him.
Since then his colors haven't been the same...morning he is green with his green and yellow strips out with black dots...but once light is on he goes brownish when hes baskin to warm up and goes to a green with his stripes still showing. Also since then, his tongue will not come out more than an inch. He only eats about 1 cricket and about 5-7 mealworms.When I stick my hand in to feed etc he don't hiss or nothing..occationally puffs up. I cup feed him with his food about an inch from his nose. I hope I got all the info in here. I think hes ok, but any thots on his health, enclosure...currently building a new one...or his tongue or in general would greatly appreciated
Thanks sooo much. I havents stopped reading on issues since his change and I am a very concerned MAMA here.

First picture is approx 1 month old
Second is his enclosure
Third is of him today

 

[lovepicasso]

He is a doll and should become a very handsome young man soon.....your cage looks good except you need all screen soon.....they will usually turn a darker color when basking because it warms them faster, also too many mealworms, they are hard to digest, so he may be having a slight uncomfortable feeling right now, he should be eating almost 10 small crickets a day dusted each time with calcium, every other Sunday I dust with calcium w/d3 and the every other Sunday I dust with vitamins w/d3......keep checking on back here to this thread and you will soon find a lot more info and don't be afraid to ask anything......welcome to the forum, and the best of luck with your new boy!

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

thanks

Thank you,
do you have any tips...he wont eat crickets much now..he turns his nose. but when I put the worms he eats em up
any comments on his tongue issue.
Im heading to get more supplements after work
and im building his new enclosure as we speak.just really cold out here to get out and do it. lol

 

[Sinfulintent]

Chams sometimes stick to one thing, like a kid that if offered candy or vegetables will usually take the vegetables. lol Stop with the meal worms and only offer the crickets, he may take a while but don't be discouraged they go on hunger strikes from time to time and will only eat 1 food but they won't starve themselves to death (at least not that I've read). try offering other worms as well. calci-worms, wax worms and such. might help you out a bit. As for the tongue I'm not sure about that one sorry

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

Thanks for the response I will give that a whirl

 

[Carlton]

Thank you,
do you have any tips...he wont eat crickets much now..he turns his nose. but when I put the worms he eats em up
any comments on his tongue issue.
Im heading to get more supplements after work
and im building his new enclosure as we speak.just really cold out here to get out and do it. lol

Yes you need a UV producing bulb in addition to the Exo Terra basking bulb. Incandescent heat bulbs don't produce the correct amount or type of UV (you need UVB, not just UVA). He will be better off nutritionally if you do gutload your insects so his occasional refusal to eat a variety will be less risky. There are good gutloads offered by the forum sponsors.

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

thank you , will pick one up on way home from work today.
any hints on tongue issue??

 

[lovepicasso]

Wish I could help more on the tongue issue but I haven't got a clue on that one......but a visit to the vet would not be a bad idea if it doesn't get back to normal soon.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Welcome to the forums! A number of problems can cause tongue troubles, including but not limited to: an injury to the tongue, calcium deficiency, other vitamin or mineral imbalance, a problem in the mouth (abscess, etc), dehydration, and sight problems. In your case I'd be quite worried about the lack of UVB and proper gutloading contributing to early MBD, which can cause problems with the tongue. The immediate addition of UVB is essential. You want to gutload with high calcium foods so your cham gets the nutrients he needs, especially now when his rate of growth is highest. You can read on good nutrition and gutloading here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/food/

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

ok will get uvb bulb tonight after work.
he is still eating & drinking though, good sign?
I can look into vet, closest one I have found is 2 hours away. Im going to ask around.

Also for everyday light in his enclosure I have read that some just use regular household bulb, is this ok for daily light along with uvb bulb?
Thanks for all the info

 

[Lovereps]

Eating and drinking are signs that the problem is in its earlier stages.
You are lucky to have had a veterinarian (Ferretinmyshoes) reply to your post.
The lack of UVB creates problems for chams because it makes them unable to use the calcium they take in.
Be sure to get a good UVB bulb like a Reptisun 5.0 .
Don't go overboard by getting a stronger UVB bulb because, as with many things, too much is as bad as too little.

I am surprised that no one mentioned that you need to use a multivitamin supplement 2x a month.
Reptivite without D3 is one brand some members use.
With the recommended changes, hopefully things will turn around for your little cham.
You may find this excellent caresheet to be helpful, also:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

Thank you for responding. I am very greatful that she responded I actually messaged her. As I want to get these issues for my lil man resolved.
I am going in about an hour after I am done work to get all of the above.

 

[carol5208]

Glad you are housing your cham in a new cage as you are actually housing him in a fish tank right now and not a terrarium. Terrariums are ok because they provide bottom ventilation and fish tanks do not. Also I see you have sand at the bottom of the tank. Do not put any in the new cage. Some chameleons will eat sand and it can cause digestion problems. Good luck with you new little one and glad you are taking all the advice in to get your cham on the right track.

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

hi carol...its not sand..must just be how the pic shows.

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

got his uvb light and calcium & multivitamin.
heres to hoping hes good to go
he ate 4 crickets dusted in calcium extending his tongue in his dish
will update when I see a change....
A huge thanks to all that replied and shared your insight

 

[CHAMELEON CRUZ]

He seems to be doing great!!!! very happy about that!!
hes back to his usual self...climbing on me and not wanting to go back into his enclosure...
Workin on his new enclosure. Any tips would be great..
Will post pics when I get it built.