Overweight Cham?

Not big enough. See the image I posted above.... you want a container with 6-7 inches of depth for the moist playsand.
I don’t have one at the moment. This will have to do for now. i have the sand and it’s getting set up right now
 
Do you have a large plant pot? The depth is just as important as the width & length. Do you have a cube storage bin…even a fabric one to sacrifice to a good cause. Not sure how fabric will do, but for a temporary solution I think it would work well.
 
Do you have a large plant pot? The depth is just as important as the width & length. Do you have a cube storage bin…even a fabric one to sacrifice to a good cause. Not sure how fabric will do, but for a temporary solution I think it would work well.
I don’t have anything bigger that would fit in the cage
 
I’ll be putting my feedback in red. You do have several upgrades to make.

  • Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, female, a little over a year old; She has been in my care for a year.
  • Handling - I very rarely take her out of her cage
  • Feeding - I have been feeding her around ten large crickets every morning. I feed the crickets carrots. As has already been said, this is too much. I feed my ladies 3-4 feeders 3 days a week. Crickets are a good staple feeder, but adding variety is much better. Roaches and silkworms are great additions. You also need to add more variety to what you are feeding your bugs. Keeping your feeders well fed a variety of foods will make them healthy, which is much more nutritious for your chameleon. Attaching feeder and ‘gutload’ graphics.
  • Supplements - I put ZooMed repti calcium without D3 in the bag that the crickets come in and shake them up before i put them in the feeder cage. This is good to use for every feeding. You also need to add a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. There are several supplements and regimens. The one I prefer is the calcium without D3 at every feeding except one every other week, in which I use Reptivite with D3.
  • Watering - I have an automatic mister that sprays for 60 seconds every hour during the day, and 12 seconds every hour at night. This provides plenty of water droplets on the leaves. I see her drinking often. It would be much better to mist for longer (2 mins) and with less frequency (2-3 times daily). Besides stimulating your cham to drink with longer sessions, the decreased frequency allows your enclosure to dry out and better maintain ideal humidity range.
  • Fecal Description - Brown and slightly wet; a bit bigger than my fingertip. She has never been tested for parasites. I always think it’s a good idea for a vet wellness check with a fecal check for parasites. I especially think this is a good idea for you to do now as your girl is carrying eggs and hasn’t been getting the supplements she needs to form and lay them without issue. A really great vet in Orlando is https://myavho.com/ X rays would also be a good idea.
  • History - I was not aware she was a girl until today. It happens. ;)
Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - screen, 16" L X 16" W X 30" H Your lady will be much happier in a larger enclosure, like a 2x2x4’ enclosure. In addition to giving her more space, it gives you more space for her lay bin.
  • Lighting - zoomed UVB 5.0 bulb, i am not sure of the wattage of the heat bulb. i think it’s 75. I turn all the lights off when the sun starts to set. From your pic it seems you have a screw in uvb. These bulbs can only provide adequate uvb levels 2” away. The standard is a T5HO with a 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Then basking area needs to be 8” down from that. A timer is a great thing to put your lights on a 12 hour schedule.
  • Temperature - I am not sure of the temperatures. There is a plant on the floor of the cage that she sometimes goes under for shade. Temperatures are very important. Digital thermometers with a probe are most accurate. Basking area should be no higher than 80. I use a 60w bulb to attain this temp during the day. At night there needs to be a drop in temp. I too am in Florida, so it’s hard to get any cooler than the ac is set at (74 in my house).
  • Humidity - The humidity generally remains at 80% at night and during the day. I have some peat moss set up in the direction of the mister. I use a small humidity gauge. This is great for at night when temps are cool, but much too high for the daytime. Ideal daytime humidity is between 30-50%. Decreasing the frequency of your mistings and removing the moss (which is an impaction risk) will greatly decrease your humidity.
  • Plants - I only have plastic plants. Veileds love to nibble their plants…especially the girls. It only takes one nibble to get impacted which can be fatal if untreated. I hang my plastic plants on the outside of my enclosures for added privacy. Pothos and philodendron and terrific plants to start with. I’m attaching a couple of safe plant graphics for you. Do keep in mind that most will require a special plant light.
  • Placement - The cage is in the corner of my room, not near any fans of vents. The height from the top of the cage to the floor is about 58 inches. Not bad. Being arboreal they feel safest when they are higher than us and the world. Getting the larger enclosure will put your girl even higher, which she will enjoy.
  • Location - I am located in Florida.
Current Problem - She has never laid eggs and could possibly be egg bound. As I’ve already said, it would be best for a vet visit to determine where in the cycle of laying she is, determine if there’s any problems and of course, get the best and most educated advice. If Orlando is too far for you, give your general location and another member can help guide you to a great and experienced chameleon vet. Just because a vet will see a chameleon doesn’t mean they are very experienced with them. As this reply is already quite long, let me go over laying a bit more in an additional reply.
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She’s had her laying bin since Thursday and she has not taken any interest in it. Do you think i should make a vet appointment now? What vet in Orlando do you recommend?
 
Additionally, it would be a great idea to print out a copy of your husbandry questions so you have the answers on hand…most vets will ask most of those questions and more. Printing out the one with my feedback would perhaps be even better, so you can let the vet know of the changes suggested and which you’ve made or have in planning. Just saves quite a bit of time.
 
Additionally, it would be a great idea to print out a copy of your husbandry questions so you have the answers on hand…most vets will ask most of those questions and more. Printing out the one with my feedback would perhaps be even better, so you can let the vet know of the changes suggested and which you’ve made or have in planning. Just saves quite a bit of time.
My girl still has not laid and i have not been able to make a vet appointment, but i am evacuating tonight due to the hurricane. Are there any precautions i should take with her?
 
No. We are staying at a hotel for the night and leaving her here.
OK so here’s what you need to know make sure any windows are boarded up well in the room she’s in. If power goes out she will be fine. you can fill a cup with ice cubes and put a few pinholes in the bottom set it on top of her cage and then at least she’ll have water dripping if she needs it.
 
OK so here’s what you need to know make sure any windows are boarded up well in the room she’s in. If power goes out she will be fine. you can fill a cup with ice cubes and put a few pinholes in the bottom set it on top of her cage and then at least she’ll have water dripping if she needs it.
Windows are not a problem. The only reason we are evacuating is because we live on the water and it might flood. It is not a mandatory evacuation but we are being safe. i unplugged her lights and mister and put all the cords up. I fed her 3 medium feeders and cleaned her cage before i left. I also wetted her laying bin again and put a cup with ice and a hole in it over the top of one of her plants. We are only leaving for the night so i’m sure she’ll be fine.
 
Windows are not a problem. The only reason we are evacuating is because we live on the water and it might flood. It is not a mandatory evacuation but we are being safe. i unplugged her lights and mister and put all the cords up. I fed her 3 medium feeders and cleaned her cage before i left. I also wetted her laying bin again and put a cup with ice and a hole in it over the top of one of her plants. We are only leaving for the night so i’m sure she’ll be fine.
Yeah I used to live in Wilmington NC on the coast. Not fun when you have to evacuate. Good luck.
 
I’ll be putting my feedback in red. You do have several upgrades to make.

  • Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, female, a little over a year old; She has been in my care for a year.
  • Handling - I very rarely take her out of her cage
  • Feeding - I have been feeding her around ten large crickets every morning. I feed the crickets carrots. As has already been said, this is too much. I feed my ladies 3-4 feeders 3 days a week. Crickets are a good staple feeder, but adding variety is much better. Roaches and silkworms are great additions. You also need to add more variety to what you are feeding your bugs. Keeping your feeders well fed a variety of foods will make them healthy, which is much more nutritious for your chameleon. Attaching feeder and ‘gutload’ graphics.
  • Supplements - I put ZooMed repti calcium without D3 in the bag that the crickets come in and shake them up before i put them in the feeder cage. This is good to use for every feeding. You also need to add a calcium with D3 and a multivitamin. There are several supplements and regimens. The one I prefer is the calcium without D3 at every feeding except one every other week, in which I use Reptivite with D3.
  • Watering - I have an automatic mister that sprays for 60 seconds every hour during the day, and 12 seconds every hour at night. This provides plenty of water droplets on the leaves. I see her drinking often. It would be much better to mist for longer (2 mins) and with less frequency (2-3 times daily). Besides stimulating your cham to drink with longer sessions, the decreased frequency allows your enclosure to dry out and better maintain ideal humidity range.
  • Fecal Description - Brown and slightly wet; a bit bigger than my fingertip. She has never been tested for parasites. I always think it’s a good idea for a vet wellness check with a fecal check for parasites. I especially think this is a good idea for you to do now as your girl is carrying eggs and hasn’t been getting the supplements she needs to form and lay them without issue. A really great vet in Orlando is https://myavho.com/ X rays would also be a good idea.
  • History - I was not aware she was a girl until today. It happens. ;)
Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - screen, 16" L X 16" W X 30" H Your lady will be much happier in a larger enclosure, like a 2x2x4’ enclosure. In addition to giving her more space, it gives you more space for her lay bin.
  • Lighting - zoomed UVB 5.0 bulb, i am not sure of the wattage of the heat bulb. i think it’s 75. I turn all the lights off when the sun starts to set. From your pic it seems you have a screw in uvb. These bulbs can only provide adequate uvb levels 2” away. The standard is a T5HO with a 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Then basking area needs to be 8” down from that. A timer is a great thing to put your lights on a 12 hour schedule.
  • Temperature - I am not sure of the temperatures. There is a plant on the floor of the cage that she sometimes goes under for shade. Temperatures are very important. Digital thermometers with a probe are most accurate. Basking area should be no higher than 80. I use a 60w bulb to attain this temp during the day. At night there needs to be a drop in temp. I too am in Florida, so it’s hard to get any cooler than the ac is set at (74 in my house).
  • Humidity - The humidity generally remains at 80% at night and during the day. I have some peat moss set up in the direction of the mister. I use a small humidity gauge. This is great for at night when temps are cool, but much too high for the daytime. Ideal daytime humidity is between 30-50%. Decreasing the frequency of your mistings and removing the moss (which is an impaction risk) will greatly decrease your humidity.
  • Plants - I only have plastic plants. Veileds love to nibble their plants…especially the girls. It only takes one nibble to get impacted which can be fatal if untreated. I hang my plastic plants on the outside of my enclosures for added privacy. Pothos and philodendron and terrific plants to start with. I’m attaching a couple of safe plant graphics for you. Do keep in mind that most will require a special plant light.
  • Placement - The cage is in the corner of my room, not near any fans of vents. The height from the top of the cage to the floor is about 58 inches. Not bad. Being arboreal they feel safest when they are higher than us and the world. Getting the larger enclosure will put your girl even higher, which she will enjoy.
  • Location - I am located in Florida.
Current Problem - She has never laid eggs and could possibly be egg bound. As I’ve already said, it would be best for a vet visit to determine where in the cycle of laying she is, determine if there’s any problems and of course, get the best and most educated advice. If Orlando is too far for you, give your general location and another member can help guide you to a great and experienced chameleon vet. Just because a vet will see a chameleon doesn’t mean they are very experienced with them. As this reply is already quite long, let me go over laying a bit more in an additional reply.
View attachment 304662View attachment 304663View attachment 304664
I share the feeders for my chameleon with my bearded dragon. I tried to do my own research, but found nothing. Do you know if i can gutload the same for the feeders for my beardie?
 
I share the feeders for my chameleon with my bearded dragon. I tried to do my own research, but found nothing. Do you know if i can gutload the same for the feeders for my beardie?
Yes. I feed all of my insects the same, provided they don’t need special chows like silkworms/hornworms. They all get the same fresh produce I make my beardie’s salads with…varied greens (collards, mustard, turnip, dandelion, etc), various squashes, peppers, raspberries, blueberries, etc. plus I also feed the bugs some bug burger.
 
Laying really takes a great deal out of our sweet ladies and shortens their lives, so we try to reduce the number of eggs produced and the frequency of production through lower basking temps and limited diet. I have 2 veiled girls and feed them 3-4 feeders, 3 days a week and keep their basking temps no higher than 80. Both laid clutches in Feb/Mar of 2020. One got a glimpse of my male which I suspect triggered egg production, so she laid another clutch in Mar 2021. My other girl has not laid since Feb 2020. Overfeeding tends to lead to very large numbers of eggs produced, which in itself can lead to egg binding.
My ladies prefer larger bins of at least 12“ wide/long. I fill to about 6” deep with washed play sand that is kept moist enough to hold a tunnel without collapsing. One of my girls likes to dig horizontally, so this is super important. Make sure there’s at least 1-2+ stable ways to get in/out of the bin. If you desire, you can mix in a bit of organic soil and put a plant in one corner. When she needs to lay, she’ll find and go to the bin. She will need total privacy. If she sees anyone, she may abandon laying and become egg bound. I use a light sheet and cover the bottom half of the enclosure. If I suspect my girl is going to lay any day now, I’ll partially cover it in advance. The whole process takes on average 1-2 days. She may dig several holes until she likes on. She may sleep in her tunnel. You’ll know she’s done when she’s sitting on her basking branch looking much thinner and dirty. You’ll want to feed and hydrate her very well for 2-3 days and then resume her diet. I try to have hornworms and silkworms for my girls after laying for the hydration they offer. I also give a very long misting which will help remove some of the dirt on her. Give her a day or 2 before removing the lay bin and counting the eggs. I remove the bin at night when she’s asleep if I can do so without disturbing her.
Signs that laying is near…decreased appetite, darker spots and patterns and restlessness.
Signs that she is distressed…lethargy, staying at the bottom of the enclosure, no appetite, not drinking and anything that you just don’t feel right about. (Go with your ‘gut’).
I hope I’ve been of some help to you and your pretty little lady. Don’t delay in making that vet visit. She may need some liquid calcium…only your vet will know.
In terms of most important husbandry to correct ASAP…uvb and supplements.
I cannot afford a vet appointment, so i’ve been doing my own research in vet books, and i am going to
Laying really takes a great deal out of our sweet ladies and shortens their lives, so we try to reduce the number of eggs produced and the frequency of production through lower basking temps and limited diet. I have 2 veiled girls and feed them 3-4 feeders, 3 days a week and keep their basking temps no higher than 80. Both laid clutches in Feb/Mar of 2020. One got a glimpse of my male which I suspect triggered egg production, so she laid another clutch in Mar 2021. My other girl has not laid since Feb 2020. Overfeeding tends to lead to very large numbers of eggs produced, which in itself can lead to egg binding.
My ladies prefer larger bins of at least 12“ wide/long. I fill to about 6” deep with washed play sand that is kept moist enough to hold a tunnel without collapsing. One of my girls likes to dig horizontally, so this is super important. Make sure there’s at least 1-2+ stable ways to get in/out of the bin. If you desire, you can mix in a bit of organic soil and put a plant in one corner. When she needs to lay, she’ll find and go to the bin. She will need total privacy. If she sees anyone, she may abandon laying and become egg bound. I use a light sheet and cover the bottom half of the enclosure. If I suspect my girl is going to lay any day now, I’ll partially cover it in advance. The whole process takes on average 1-2 days. She may dig several holes until she likes on. She may sleep in her tunnel. You’ll know she’s done when she’s sitting on her basking branch looking much thinner and dirty. You’ll want to feed and hydrate her very well for 2-3 days and then resume her diet. I try to have hornworms and silkworms for my girls after laying for the hydration they offer. I also give a very long misting which will help remove some of the dirt on her. Give her a day or 2 before removing the lay bin and counting the eggs. I remove the bin at night when she’s asleep if I can do so without disturbing her.
Signs that laying is near…decreased appetite, darker spots and patterns and restlessness.
Signs that she is distressed…lethargy, staying at the bottom of the enclosure, no appetite, not drinking and anything that you just don’t feel right about. (Go with your ‘gut’).
I hope I’ve been of some help to you and your pretty little lady. Don’t delay in making that vet visit. She may need some liquid calcium…only your vet will know.
In terms of most important husbandry to correct ASAP…uvb and supplements.
So, unfortunately i cannot afford a vet at the moment. I’ve been researching in vet books, and i’ve decided to start her on NeoCalglucon for a few weeks, since she still hasn’t laid and i can clearly see that she’s carrying. Do you have a brand of liquid calcium that you recommend?
 
I cannot afford a vet appointment, so i’ve been doing my own research in vet books, and i am going to

So, unfortunately i cannot afford a vet at the moment. I’ve been researching in vet books, and i’ve decided to start her on NeoCalglucon for a few weeks, since she still hasn’t laid and i can clearly see that she’s carrying. Do you have a brand of liquid calcium that you recommend?
No, I don’t use liquid calcium. Perhaps @kinyonga or @jannb may be able to advise.
 
You said..."So, unfortunately i cannot afford a vet at the moment. I’ve been researching in vet books, and i’ve decided to start her on NeoCalglucon for a few weeks, since she still hasn’t laid and i can clearly see that she’s carrying. Do you have a brand of liquid calcium that you recommend?"... Why are you giving her extra calcium exactly? What do you expect it will do?
 
You said..."So, unfortunately i cannot afford a vet at the moment. I’ve been researching in vet books, and i’ve decided to start her on NeoCalglucon for a few weeks, since she still hasn’t laid and i can clearly see that she’s carrying. Do you have a brand of liquid calcium that you recommend?"... Why are you giving her extra calcium exactly? What do you expect it will do?
 

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I'm not a vet so what I say comes from my experience and that of others, studies I've read and vets I've dealt with along the way, etc.

Generally...if a chameleon is eggbound giving her calcium won't likely fix things. If a chameleon is eggbound the usual solution is to have her spayed to save her life.

If she's around the time she should have laid sometimes a little extra calcium in liquid form can help or oxytocin given by a vet...but the timing has to be right. Also, calcium needs D3 in order to be absorbed and it also needs to be in balance with vitamin A and phos.

If calcium is given and the eggs are too big because she's eggbound it might be possible that it will cause an egg to rupture or something else to happen.

The most common reason for eggbinding seems to be over feeding and temperatures that are too high along with improper supplementing sometimes.

An X-ray could help the vet figure out if the chameleon has follicular stasis irs eggbound.
 
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