New with questions :)

[CJ's Exotics]

Hopefully she will get better. Good thing she went to the vet, parasites can lead to a quick downfall, and i think that every chameleon should get checked for parasites every 6 months or year. I think that their diet can give them parasites very easily, crickets especially.

 

[Linds0806]

Another update-

She’s doing great.... it’s kind of amazing. Energy/alertness has improved so much! She still doesn’t really use her tongue... seems like she’s trying to though. I’m hoping it’ll just kind of improve over time with practice.

Since she’s been feeling better, she’s showing more colors! Good sign, I hope?

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Her colors look great. I don't know much about Veiled gravid coloration, but can you post a picture from the side view? It might just be the angle, but she might be gravid.

 

[hopps31]

It is great she is more alert!

Make sure she is staying hydrated, parasites and medication is rough on there little systems.There are many different things that can affect their tongues, vitamin deficiency, injury, and dehydration.

 

[kinyonga]

She's showing her big girl colors in that photo so she might be starting to produce eggs now. If her tongue issue is due to a calcium imbalance it's important that it's corrected ASAP. It's also important that she have access to an appropriate egglaying site at all times now.

 

[Linds0806]

Her colors look great. I don't know much about Veiled gravid coloration, but can you post a picture from the side view? It might just be the angle, but she might be gravid.

I attached another photo. I really hope she doesn’t need to lay eggs. I don’t think she’s capable of that task... but the more I look at that photo...

It is great she is more alert!

Make sure she is staying hydrated, parasites and medication is rough on there little systems.There are many different things that can affect their tongues, vitamin deficiency, injury, and dehydration.

When you say make sure she’s staying hydrated... every time I feed her I make sure she gets some water too, and 90% of the time- she doesn’t seem to want it... she moves away. I never see her drinking inside her enclosure. That’s being said- urates are normal, whitish yellowish, however feces part has been smaller than they used to be. Diet has been mostly dubia’s, aside from this past week- mostly crickets. I’m frustrated, I ordered nutrigrubs and small dubia’s from dubiaroaches.com Nov 21- and they still haven’t arrived.

She's showing her big girl colors in that photo so she might be starting to produce eggs now. If her tongue issue is due to a calcium imbalance it's important that it's corrected ASAP. It's also important that she have access to an appropriate egglaying site at all times now.

I put the laying bin back in there yesterday Removed the plant and top 2 inches of soil. She doesn’t want anything to do with it - haha. I don’t know what I expected to happen after placing her in it, but, she didn’t even walk around in it to see what it was.... she *very quickly* got out of there and went back to her hang out spot at the top. I put the black sheet back over it to give her some privacy, just in case. I’ve been extremely diligent in making sure she’s got enough vitamins. I give her calcium with d3 2-3 times per week now. The vet said juveniles require a bit more than adults... plus I don’t have that linear uvb bulb yet- they’re kinda expensive since I have to also get the fixture. I’ve been looking at a bunch of websites and on amazon, I wish there was a reasonably priced product that included both.

So- back to the hypothetical egg laying issue, the guy at the reptile store said that they have to be “cycled” in order to lay eggs, and that although it’s still a possibility, I shouldn’t be too concerned that she become egg bound. I kind of took that with a grain of salt- he was kinda strange. Anyway, I truly don’t think she’s capable of laying them considering she still hasn’t made a full recovery from the parasites. I feel like with most reproductive organisms, when an illness is present/body isn’t at 100% functionality, the reproductive system/process is pushed aside so to speak- like a survival mode process. I’m hoping that’s the case with egg laying creatures... but I don’t know if it works like that or not. I’m just kind of thinking out loud - sorry

Sadly, I’m quite certain that if she has eggs, she won’t be able to lay them and will become egg bound. Which breaks my heart to say. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, as I know that there’s a chance that this may not be the case. Fingers crossed!

Kinyonga- I learned that is the Swahili word for chameleon. Did you choose that for a reason? I hope you don’t mind my asking, it’s just interesting to me. I really appreciate your help by the way.

 

[CJ's Exotics]

Hopefully she won't get egg bound if she is gravid.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I’ve been extremely diligent in making sure she’s got enough vitamins. I give her calcium with d3 2-3 times per week now. The vet said juveniles require a bit more than adults"....the calcium (a mineral) is important for the eggs for her muscles and for her bones right now. Giving vitamins twice enough is s precaution...she should get enough from her diet but just in case she doesn't we give the vitamins a couple of times a month. D3 is only given a couple of times a month to ensure that she has some but leaving her to produce the rest from her exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up which is why we are cautious. D3 also needs to be in balance with the vitamin A... Vitamin A is antagonistic to D3....so they need to be in balance. It's all a balance.

You said..." plus I don’t have that linear uvb bulb yet- they’re kinda expensive since I have to also getthe fixture. I’ve been looking at a bunch of websites and on amazon, I wish there was a reasonably priced product that included both"...you can buy the fixture cheap at places like Walmart or a hardware or building store. Does she have any UVB now?? She should....it's important.

You said..."So- back to the hypothetical egg laying issue, the guy at the reptile store said that they have to be “cycled” in order to lay eggs, and that although it’s still a possibility, I shouldn’t be too concerned that she become egg bound"...cycled?? Well I guess if you call feeding her, providing her with nutrients cycling then he's right but that's hardly cycling.

You said..."Anyway, I truly don’t think she’s capable of laying them considering she still hasn’t made a full recovery from the parasites. I feel like with most reproductive organisms, when an illness is present/body isn’t at 100% functionality, the reproductive system/process is pushed aside so to speak- like a survival mode process. I’m hoping that’s the case with egg laying creatures... but I don’t know if it works like that or not. I’m just kind of thinking out loud - sorry "....doesn't seem to stop them just because she isn't capable of laying them doesn't mean that it's not a problem. They pretty much have to lay them or die eventually because they can't.

You said..."Sadly, I’m quite certain that if she has eggs, she won’t be able to lay them and will become egg bound. Which breaks my heart to say. I don’t want to get too far ahead of myself, as I know that there’s a chance that this may not be the case. Fingers crossed!"... If she has eggs she has to lay them. If you work on her nutrient balance you will give her the best chance possible that she will lay them...if you don't get things right then there's a great possibility of her dying.

You said..."Kinyonga- I learned that is the Swahili word for chameleon. Did you choose that for a reason?"... Exactly and then I was surprised that a whole group of chameleons were named kinyongia after I chose it. I also post under chameleoncrazy...but someone else was also posting under that so unchanged on some forums.

You said..." I hope you don’t mind my asking, it’s just interesting to me. I really appreciate your help by the way"...I don't mind you asking and I'm glad when I can help with chameleon issues.

 

[Linds0806]

Man this has been a crash course!

Here’s little pascalita digging. Photos not that great because I was being sneaky. Dug practice holes yesterday. When I saw she was dirty I assumed yesterday that she was either digging or had fallen....

Anyway, will post better reply later! Sorry I’ve been MIA recently. I’m glad I now know why homegirl wasn’t eating. Sheesh!

 

[chameleon conjurer]

I live in Columbus, Georgia. I breed silkworms and superworms for my panther. I've lost chams in the past to the various parasites that crickets carry.

If you need an alternative for the vet you use, may I recommend mine: Dr. Kim West at All Creatures Vet Clinic in Auburn, Alabama. Phone: (334) 826-2577. She's very good and she's had cham owners as far away as the Florida Keys come to her.

I hope your little one continues to do better!

 

[kinyonga]

Please don't let her see you watching her while she's digging!!!! She will likely abandon the hole and may become eggbound.

You said..."I’m quite certain that if she has eggs, she won’t be able to lay them and will become egg bound"...why do you think that?

 

[Linds0806]

Kinyonga- I think I was just feeling discouraged. I felt like she had gone through so much, and that if laying eggs was a difficult task, she may not be able to do it... she still doesn’t even use her tongue to catch insects.

Don’t worry, I remember reading that privacy/not being disturbed is important for egg laying.

 

[Linds0806]

How long should this take..?

 

[Linds0806]

**update**

Pascal still does not use her tongue. She lays eggs and sheds her skin every now and then, and otherwise seems healthy and happy.

I tried to start breeding my own Dubias and they’re definitely breeding, but the babies seem to stay babies forever, I’ve yet to really see the medium sized ones that she prefers to eat.