Newbie help required: white patches on head

[penny]

Hi There.
I am newbie chamaleon keeper. I have had a yemen chameleon for three weeks. She is in a terraruim with plants and branches. We feed her crickets and meal worms dusted with mineral supplement. She has a 75W heat lamp and a UV light which are timed to come on for 12 hours a day. I spray her terrarium to give her water each day. She settled very well at first but today we find that she has white patches on her head. They seem to be peeling and appeared overnight and seem to be getting bigger quite quickly. They are not on any other part of her body. See pics attached. Does anyone know what this is and what I shoud do? Any advice gratefully appreciated. Thank you.
'penny's minder'

 

[Ashley]

...... it looks like she is shedding to me. How old is she?

 

[Julirs]

Perfectly normal-she is shedding! That means she is growing.
Now-if you answer these questions-people will be able to help you make sure that all is well...brand names of things are also a great help!
Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[jac]

I have a baby boy Jac. Weve had him 3 weeks to. He did exactly the same. We did get a bit worried but luckily we have a beady dragon to so sorta realised he was shedding. It does look a little worrying doesn't it. Jac's disapeared in a day or two. He due to do it again now. He gets all shiny on his veil before he shed's. He's also started to go light brown down the back of his veil now, which he didnt have before. But think its normal. She looks gorgeous by the way. This is the first time I have had a chameleon, they are adorable! I've always wanted one. Im a new'b to. Lets hope we can learn together.

 

[jac]

Perfectly normal-she is shedding! That means she is growing.
Now-if you answer these questions-people will be able to help you make sure that all is well...brand names of things are also a great help!
Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Hello, Sorry to jump in on this forum and talk about my baby jac, but it seem's both chameleons are going through the same stages. I wondered if you I answer the aboe questions whether you could comment on jac please?

Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size? Using an exo-terra 60x45x45. The glass one with the vents all round.
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day? It has a unit at the top of the cage. One heat bulbs to the left hand side then 2 exo terra tropical bulbs, one in the middle and one to the right.
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night? Temp is between 80 and 90 in the day. thats at the basking area. Ambient temp is around 70. at night it goes down to around 60-70 when the lights are switched off. He has his heat mat on at the bottom all day and night.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? Humidity is normally around 80-90. We have an exo terra med waterfall and fogger in the bottom and a drip and we spray him 2-3 times a day. We only have the fogger on for 20 mins first thing in a morning and 20 mins at night. His water fall is on all day, switched off at night. His dripper is on very slowly. We spray him 3 times a day.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Using lots of pastic plants, vines and branches.
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? The viv is next to the window, but the blind is closed all day. Against the wall on a stand that is around 100 cm high. so he's fairly high up.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. Yemen, Male (we think. He has lil knobbles on his feet...) we got told he was around 6 months old and weve had him around 3 weeks.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Mainly locusts and crickets. Some wax worms. He's eating tons at the min. We tap around 6-10 in at a time of locusts and thats around 2-3 times a day. He has wax worms at night (not to late). He gets fed in a morning, at dinner if were off work. Once or twice at night, depending on if he's eat them all or not. We dont give him anymore until he's ate them all. We have the locusts in a house. they have oats etc. we put in calic powder. The pet shop said to chuck a sprickle of fish food in there to? and we have solid water to help keep them alive and hydrated. We bought some calci powder just for chameleons, it has all nutrients in etc.
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use? Calci powder. some in the house and they climb into a tube so we can put them in easily, so before putting them in we put a lil more down the tube.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking? We have a dripper which he doesnt use much. He did the first day we got him, we saw him drink on the first day, we were so shocked. He must of been de-hydrated. We have an exo terra waterfall at the bottom running all day and is cleaned out reg. We spray him 3 times a day. he seems to like the spraying on the leaves more than anything. We have seen him drink, very few and far in between though! We treat all of his water. drops of reptile vitamins and drops of calcium water cleanser for reptiles. It takes the clorine and something else out.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. H pooing a lot, greeny colours, some lighter whitey colours. getting biggr in size. slimy but a good solid.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about. Just that he's drinking enough and the brown bit at the back of his veil. Im sure it wasnt there before? I think he's all good and healthy though. I appreciate any help and tips.

 

[Julirs]

Jac-most people here are going to say mostly the same things!
First-get rid of the waterfall. They are downright dangerous bacterial breeding grounds and there is no way you can keep it clean enough. Dripping and misting are the way to go. Second, most people keep Veileds, esp. 6 month olds, in screen cages. It can be done in glass, but is not recommended. It is hard to keep the temps and humidity from getting too high, and can lead to upper respiratory infections. Now, for the most important part, if those are the screw in type coiled compact UVB lights-they have been found to cause eye issues, burning, and death in chameleons. Most will suggest the Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 linear flourescent tubes and a separate basking lamp. Live plants are the best way to go, and supplementing can get tricky. If you haven't already, read up on this site: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

 

[jac]

Jac-most people here are going to say mostly the same things!
First-get rid of the waterfall. They are downright dangerous bacterial breeding grounds and there is no way you can keep it clean enough. Dripping and misting are the way to go. Second, most people keep Veileds, esp. 6 month olds, in screen cages. It can be done in glass, but is not recommended. It is hard to keep the temps and humidity from getting too high, and can lead to upper respiratory infections. Now, for the most important part, if those are the screw in type coiled compact UVB lights-they have been found to cause eye issues, burning, and death in chameleons. Most will suggest the Zoomed Reptisun 5.0 linear flourescent tubes and a separate basking lamp. Live plants are the best way to go, and supplementing can get tricky. If you haven't already, read up on this site: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/

Thanks for getting back to me, so basically nearly everything we have is wrong? Im worried now.

 

[penny]

Hi Julirs
Thanks you for your reply. I am relieved that it is a normal thing and not a fungal attack! Penny is shedding more obvioulsy now and it is spreading over from her head to her back.
I have answered your queries below. Thank you for your help.

Perfectly normal-she is shedding! That means she is growing.
Now-if you answer these questions-people will be able to help you make sure that all is well...brand names of things are also a great help!
Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using?
en exo terra terrarium. glass front and sides. wire top.
What is the size? 2 foot high, 1.5 foot deep and 1.5 foot wide.

Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
reptiglo 5 uvB in top of cage above the wire mesh.
Exo terra 75W tight beam basking spot lamp in top of wire at the front left of terrarium. They are on from 8am to 9 pm
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? Its at 106 de. F in the basking spot. elesewhere in the terrarium its between 70 - 80 deg. F.
What is the temperature at night? At night It goes down to about 65 ish I think. I haven't measured it.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? I do not know exactly what her humidity levesl are. I spray the plants twice a day until they are well covered.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Three umbrella plants and two ficus.
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? On a desk at knee height. beside a window, I try not to let a draught affect her. There is a radiator on the wall nearby.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Female. Yemen Chameleon, The pet shop had had her about 8 weeks before we bought her. She is the length of my palm.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
She gets meal worms and crickets. She gets as many as she eats in a session and somethime we let one or two crickets out over the plants so she can hunt which she seems to enjoy. I feed the meal worms porridge flakes and the crickets grated carrot and lettuce. She is fed twice a day.
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
I dust all food with reptivite. It is a white chalky powder.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
She drinks off the leaves when I spray and licks the drops of the glass. now and again she would take a drop of the spray bottle.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
She drops a pale gooey thread before dropping a hard brown pellet. It did not smell until I fed her locusts one time when I couldn't get crickets. It does not smell usually.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[dodolah]

i am bit worried with something else really.
the white patch is just him shedding.
but the first picture, his snout looked a bit funky to me.
has it always been that swollen? Looked like the beginning of mouth rot.
You might want to watch out on that and possibly make an appointment with a vet.

 

[penny]

Thanks for the link Dodolah. her nose is fine, it was the angle I took the picture at I think.

 

[Julirs]

Whoa-first thing-temps are way too high. I am not sure, but if you have any lights inside the cage they all need to be on the outside. Temps in the basking spot should be 85-90, and mid 70's in the rest of the cage. With temps that high you are risking dehydration. Simply elevate the basking bulb above the cage until your temps measure right-use a digital thermometer with a probe to get accurate temps. THe Reptilglo is hopefully a linear tube and not a compact coil. She seems to be quite young, so the Exoterra will be OK for awhile, but screen cages are much preferred. The other thing I would be concerned about is the dusting. Reptivite is a multivitamin that should only be used a few times monthly. You need a calcium powder with D3 and one without D3. I use Repcal. I use the one without D3 6X weekly, the one with D3 1-2X monthly, and Herptivite once/twice a month

 

[penny]

ok thanks Julirs. could I not just use a lower wattage basking light? instead of putting it outside the cage?

 

[Julirs]

Lights should never be inside the cage as there is a burn hazard and a shock hazard from all of the water. It should sit on top of the cage.