Ok, veiled girl-something weird is happening...

[zsazsa85]

Hi everyone,
I started some threads lately,not successfully.
This time I really hope someone has an idea how could I help for my veiled girl.
So she is about to lay her first clutch, it is over a month now that she is a little different,but nothing abnormal except dehydration. Although I have a Mistking, dripper and give her water thru syringe and showers 2-3 times a week.
Yesterday she started to dig,but where: the 3D styrofoam background, on the bottom of the cage and in the middle. I have a 10x14" wide and 16" tall bin with playsand in her enclosure and she doesn't even look at it. I put her in several times but climbs out of it right the way...
Now we stood up a big garbage container attached to her enclosure with a climbing stick. I opened the little door on the bottom,so she can climb out but I'm not sure she will recognize it...We taped black garbage bags aroud the big garbage can and her enclosure so she can have her privacy.
Why doesn't she likes the small laying bin? What am I doing wrong?

Every help is appreciated!Thank you!

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Some chams are finicky about where they lay their eggs. I have heard of people actually placing their chams in a larger lay bin (like a trash can) with no way to escape. Leave her in there and let her have her privacy. Eventually the need to lay should take over and she will lay the eggs.

I have no experience with this method, so hopefully someone else will chime in with some more details.

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you! If she won't go in there or wouldn't stay I will just leave her there.
Anybody else?

 

[Saldarya]

To start I would suggest you leave here alone. I know you are excited and it is understandable that you want to make sure all goes well, but making adjustments daily will on its own make her uncomfortable, nervous, and may set her back to step 1 every time.

You say it has been a month? How many days exactly? They will search their area for suitable laying spot for days leading up to the need to lay, this may be what you are observing.

Again, please share exactly how many days it has been and step back and take a breathe.

If need be, like the poster said above, you can always put her in the trash can with some branches and a heat lamp above her for a bit.

Let us know

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you for the respond.
So I was away for 5 days in March, my husband was at home with her. I came back on the 21th March on Friday and she showed orange spots. She was pure green on Monday when I left her. I was very happy about it.
From the next week on, from one day to another she started to eat waaaaay less than before. She was a little pig, ate 15-18 crickets and some worms a day. Since then she eats maybe 1 cricket and 3-4 worms a day, sometimes nothing. She ate from feeding cup before, since that week she eats and drinks from my hand only. Oh and she likes to eat in the afternoons lately...
She is very active, more active than usual. That's what I meant she's changed.
She seems dehydrated, although I offer her planty of water.(I mentioned before)
I would leave her alone but how would she drink or eat then?

 

[jannb]

Are you positive she has eggs? They roam when they are receptive and they roam when they are looking for a place to lay. I had a female that didn't like any laying bin and I took her and put her in a large trash can laying bin with no way out and she went right to work. You can see the can in my blog attached below. The following times that she laid I use the trash can but I always kept a couple of different laying bins for her in her room......I free range. When I though she was ready to lay, I would put her in the big laying bin for a couple hours and if she didn't show interest then I'd take her back out and try it again in the next day or two. I sometime had her x-rayed to make sure she had eggs. The best thing to do it to provide her with a bin at all times and once she starts to dig then give her complete privacy. If you are pretty sure she has eggs and refuses the laying bin you could alway try the trash can method with no way out.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you very much Jann! I read your blogs!
I am absolutely positive she has eggs, 'cause the vet took an x-ray two weeks ago.
I had a bin in her enclosure, but every time I put her in,she climbed out right away. Now we have a big garbage bin with about 12" play sand in it. I will cover around the bin a black garbage bag. She has a vet appointment tomorrow morning.
Should I provide her a basking lamp while she is in the big bin?
If she starts to dig, at the end of the day should I take her out or just leave her in there?
I am so worried to make everything perfect for her...

 

[gman82]

I had the same problem I used a bin and it didn't work so I got a trash can I put her in it and let her in it for two days didn't mess with her at all and then she started to do her thing she was in the can for a total of 4 days no food or water she lay the eggs and then she came out I have a tree in the can and she when up it I put her back in her cage she was so tired I put some food in there and let her alone and she was fine I hope this helps and good luck
The biggest thing is to let her be it is hard I no but she will be better off

 

[jannb]

Thank you very much Jann! I read your blogs!
I am absolutely positive she has eggs, 'cause the vet took an x-ray two weeks ago.
I had a bin in her enclosure, but every time I put her in,she climbed out right away. Now we have a big garbage bin with about 12" play sand in it. I will cover around the bin a black garbage bag. She has a vet appointment tomorrow morning.
Should I provide her a basking lamp while she is in the big bin?
If she starts to dig, at the end of the day should I take her out or just leave her in there?
I am so worried to make everything perfect for her...

If she has had an X-ray then I would try the trash can with no way out and DO NOT let her see you when you check on her after 2 to 3 hours. Once she starts to dig LEAVE her totally alone. If she sees you looking she could abandon the hole and become egg bound. I have my trash can in a room where no one's at. Many times they sleep in the bin all night. I have never used a basking light on my laying bin.

 

[zsazsa85]

Thank you very much!
I think the vet will give her oxytocin, although I like to leave the animals do their job by themself...
She is going to be in the big bin and I'll leave her! Yes, it is going to be hard, but I'll leave her.
I hope she is going to be fine!
And how do I know she is done with laying???

 

[teejayteej]

Just an FYI: My lady will not lay in sand alone...I have to mix some dirt (from the pet section) in with it about 50/50. I make sure it is moist enough to hold shape so when she tunnels it holds it shape and does not fall. I had always used the mix, but when I tried just sand she held her eggs until she was just dropping them on the ground like she was pooping them. I went to the store and got the dirt and mixed with the sand and almost instantly she went straight to it and laid the rest of her clutch (49 total).

 

[zsazsa85]

Wow! She was dropping her eggs?
If she doesn't do anything today, I'll try a mix.
Thank you!

 

[laurie]

So what is happening? I was hoping to hear that you have eggs and a happy girl. Let us know how she is.

 

[zsazsa85]

Oh thank you!
She got calcium shot at the vet and now she is in the big garbage can...my husband will check on her soon. I cut a tiny hole so we can peek.
I'm just concerned a little about the temps. It is about 21 C in there...

 

[gman82]

You can look but do not let her see you no matter what ones you see her doing it you can keep a eye on her you will no at last I did the first time I hope this helps

 

[zsazsa85]

Alright! I hope I will know that too!!!
So she is digging! Wonderful news. She didn't get oxytocin, I am very happy about it, does it by herself!
I will peek for sure and tell how it goes.
Oh, what about the temperatures?

 

[kinyonga]

IMHO its not good if shes dropping eggs as a rule. If you are using a trash can you can cut away most of the lid and screen over the area you cut away and put the lid on the can. You can then lay a light across the screen to give her somewhat and light. Just be sure you don't make it too hot inside the can. Give her privacy....too much attention and letting her see you when she's digging disturbs the process of laying eggs.

 

[gman82]

Don't be despite if she doesn't lay in the first hole sometimes she will dig more than one hole I have seen her dig 3 hole and go back to the first one lol it will be OK not a I don't put a lid on my but I do put a stick in the middle of the can when she is done she will go up it but make sure at she is done before you take her out

 

[zsazsa85]

IMHO its not good if shes dropping eggs as a rule.

It was just a respond for Teejay, it was his/her cham.
Thank you for the advice!
Now she is in the hole, facing out, but I can't see her eyes that she is sleeping or is in the middle of pushing the eggs... Oh I'm just hearing her moving!
There is a stick for her so she can climb on when she is done (if she'll have enough energie).

 

[zsazsa85]

Don't be despite if she doesn't lay in the first hole sometimes she will dig more than one hole I have seen her dig 3 hole and go back to the first one lol it will be OK not a I don't put a lid on my but I do put a stick in the middle of the can when she is done she will go up it but make sure at she is done before you take her out

Thank you for your advice too! Now fingers crossed for Gerzsild (that's her name)
I am sooooo appreciating every help!!!