New user: veiled chameleon has a strange blue spot?

celinann

New Member
Hi,
I found this site while looking on the internet for help with a strange spot that showed up on my veiled chameleon's arm recently. I'm going to follow the outline for asking for help:
Chameleon info
- I got him last June and he hasn't had any problems eating, drinking, or climbing around. I believe he is nearing two years of age.
- I'd say I handle him about once every week or two just for a couple minutes. He is pretty tame, but like most chameleons I'd say he prefers to be safe in his cage.
-I feed him about every other day: several large crickets and a few superworms. Sometimes I feed him one or two superworms on the off days if he's looking hungry. I feed the insects the Fluker's insect food that looks kind of like sawdust. I supplement two or three of the crickets each feeding with ReptiCal + Vitamin D.
-He drinks well. I put water in the dripper for him, but I also spray him for about ten minutes twice a day until he starts drinking and gets a good amount.
-His feces as far as I can tell are pretty normal. Firm feces with white to light yellow urates. In the time I've had him I haven't taken him to the vet yet and he has not been checked for parasites.
-I live at school in a dorm for most of the year so he comes back and forth with me when I am on vacation. He travels in a box and doesn't seem to have a problem with it.
Cage info
-He lives in a screen enclosure about 2ft x 2ft x 3.5ft. Currently I am at home so he's out in our enclosed front porch with a space heater so it is a suitable temperature for him.
-He has a ReptiGlo 10.0 on for 12 hours each day and a red heat lamp on all the time.
-He has two live plants in his cage, I forget the exact types but I made sure they were suitable before putting them in.
-Right now I don't have any way of measuring the heat or humidity, to be honest -- my laser thermometer was left at school by accident. It's about 75-80 degrees in the room, and around his heat lamp it's more like 90 degrees.
I haven't picked up a hygrometer yet.

THE PROBLEM:
Recently he developed a spot on his forearm that looks kind of like someone spilled ink on him -- transparent and blue. At first I thought it might be a bruise, as he loves to climb on the screen of his cage in the morning and sometimes falls, but it doesn't seem to be going away and it's been about a week. If someone could let me know what this is and what I should do about it I'd be so grateful. I've included a few pictures of him and a close up of the spot. Thanks!
P.S.
I'm not sure why the one picture became rotated...sorry.

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Bluespot may be just a bruise or the emergence of natural coloration, cant say for sure.
Please include information regards calcium intake/supplimentation since you say "I supplement two or three of the crickets each feeding with ReptiCal + Vitamin D.", this may not be sufficient.
Your lizards front limbs are disturbingly rounded, or atleast appear to be.
Rounded limbs, are often a classic indicater of calcium deficiency, which left untended may develop into metabolic bone disease.
A tendency to fall while climbing might indicate the limbs are weakening.
Either visit a vet to eliminate this diagnosis, and/or have it treated and follow a schedule of regular supplimentation.
Please ensure your reptisun 10 is no more than 6-8 months old, after this time its uvb output becomes comprimised and no longer sufficient strength.
UV light is needed by the lizard to metabolise its calcium intake.
A little more dietry variety wont go astray either, too many supers may not be good.
Gutloading the feeders with fresh leafy veges will enhance your lizards vit & min uptake and provide more natural calcium.

Your heat source does not bneed to run 24/7 unless its really cool at night where its kept, i.e. below 60 f or so. A natural night time temperature drop is experienced by the lizard in the wild and is important to its health.
 
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Bluespot may be just a bruise or the emergence of natural coloration, cant say for sure.
Please include information regards calcium intake/supplimentation since you say "I supplement two or three of the crickets each feeding with ReptiCal + Vitamin D.", this may not be sufficient.
Your lizards front limbs are disturbingly rounded, or atleast appear to be.
Rounded limbs, are often a classic indicater of calcium deficiency, which left untended may develop into metabolic bone disease.
A tendency to fall while climbing might indicate the limbs are weakening.
Either visit a vet to eliminate this diagnosis, and/or have it treated and follow a schedule of regular supplimentation.
Please ensure your reptisun 10 is no more than 6-8 months old, after this time its uvb output becomes comprimised and no longer sufficient strength.
UV light is needed by the lizard to metabolise its calcium intake.
A little more dietry variety wont go astray either, too many supers may not be good.
Gutloading the feeders with fresh leafy veges will enhance your lizards vit & min uptake and provide more natural calcium.

Your heat source does not bneed to run 24/7 unless its really cool at night where its kept, i.e. below 60 f or so. A natural night time temperature drop is experienced by the lizard in the wild and is important to its health.

I agree. Your little guys needs 3 different supplements. Calcium without D3 at almost every feeding. Calcium with D3 twice a month and a multi vit. twice a month. I would recommend a vet visit. If he does have MBD he will need liquid calcium and injections to draw the calcium to the bone.
 
Also flukers gutload is no good.... Go to the sponsors page and buy some cricket crack from tikitiki reptiles... its a great dry gutload. Then offer some apples/oranges/greens as well for moisture.
 
It looks similar to a mark my veiled had on his belly a few days ago, I was worried he had burnt himself but I think it was just a bruise as it faded a few days later.

I would also suggest swapping the red heat light for a ceramic heater as chams prefer darkness to sleep so no light at all is preferred.
 
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