Panther chameleon color loss

[tamarasimovic]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - panther chameleon, about 1,5 year old
Handling - loves being handled, comes out by himself
Feeding- grasshopers, crickets, worms
Supplements - Calcium with vitamin d once every week, calcium without vitamin d twice a week
Watering - Misting system on timer and drip system
Fecal Description - Brown and white solid
History - got him at a pet store, was in very poor condition, but then got better in my care

Cage Info:
Cage Type - he has a mesh cage, made of wooden sides and mesh top and front. Inside he also has a styrodur background for climbing. It is 120centimeters tall, 80 centimeters wide.
Lighting - one heat lamp and two UVB lamps
Temperature - 80 at basking and no less than 70 during day anywhere in cage. At night may reach 68 minimum
Humidity - varies from 50-70%
Plants - All live plants, ficus
Placement - Against a wall, in my bedroom
Location - Slovenia

Current Problem: I have had my panther for 8 months now. He was in pretty poor condition when i got him, he had no nails, couldn't shoot tounge,.. He put himself together in my care, has now grown nails, is eating, loves being handled. He still can't fully shoot out tounge, but the vet said it was from him being handled so poorly in the vet store. The problem is that lately he has been loosing his color, has becoming paler and paler. I will attach images for reference. I am getting worried. He has been acting as usual, eating, climbing, no special changes, but the color.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=88172&stc=1&d=1382772189

https://www.chameleonforums.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=88172&stc=1&d=1382772274

 

[tamarasimovic]

This is him now

 

[carol5208]

Hi there and sorry to hear you have some concerns about your chameleon. A couple of things and not sure if they would have anything to do with color. Do you gutload your prey items? You did not mention what you feed your insects. Remember what ever nutrients are going into your bugs are going into your chameleon. Personally 80 is a very low basking temp for a panther. I would bump that up about 10 degrees. Also, I do not know how handling can stop your chameleon from shooting his tongue. I am not sure what the vet meant by that. Lack of tongue use that is gradual normally points towards some type of imbalance(mineral, vitamin) or maybe something that is lacking in the diet. Unless, he permanently injured it somehow it could maybe be fixed. Do you give a multivitamin? You did not mention that either. Have you changed out your UVB bulbs? What type are they 5.0. 10.0...and why two in the cage?

 

[tamarasimovic]

Yes i gutload their food, i give them dandelion leaves, lettuce, carrots,... I give him a multivitamin, containing d3 once a week, and calcium every other day or so. I have tried changing the bulbs, 2 weeks ago, but nothing has improved. I have a 5.0 and a 2.0 bulb, i was told by my vet that that is the best combination, and i have been using it for my older chameleon since i got her and had no problems. I am getting worried since no vet (i have visited 3) seems to fnd anything wrong, but he keeps loosing color.

 

[tamarasimovic]

Oh, and i calculated the temperature wrong, his normal temperature is around 25 degrees celsius (75F) and basking is around 33-35 celsius (90-93F).

 

[carol5208]

Honestly, I don't know what to tell you. Could he be getting ready to shed possibly? Probably a dumb question but I know mine will look very dull and chalky looking before a shed but they do not lose complete color like that. Is it warm enough where you live to take outside for natural sunlight.?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Panthers have been known to go through full color phases, especially in the winter. It doesn't happen often, but here's a few for examples. https://www.chameleonforums.com/panthers-mid-life-crisis-color-change-76455/ Mine lost all the red and orange for the winter months but come spring he got it all back. He only did it once and is back to normal now.

 

[tamarasimovic]

Thanks for the help No, he has been through quite a few sheads and has never had color loss like that.

Yes, i was thinking about the same thing, since i got him in spring, and he was out alot in the spring and summer months, but now fall has started and it is just too cold to take him out. I just hope nothing is wrong, since he is acting and eating normally

 

[ataraxia]

Hi, Not saying this is the case here but what im about to state is experience with odd coloring in female panthers. Odd coloring like turning grey in color or staying dark 24/7 typically is a sign of an issue. In all of my instances so far it has been infection (usually a tongue injury).

I would take your chameleon to a vet for him to examine in his mouth, maybe an xray, bring in some feces for analysis, maybe even some blood work.

The tongue can be a hard place to examine as they will sometimes pull it further into the mouth when it is forcibly opened. A way for you to get a good view of the tongue is if he hand feeds. Take a favorite prey item and hold it out. While he is aiming look over the tongue well and then try to get the best look as he does shot his tongue for any abnormalities. Black areas, swelling, inflammed areas would be some expamles as to what to look for.

Edit: Just to be sure. This cant be the start of a full body shed?

 

[tamarasimovic]

Thanks for the advice, i will take him to the vet first thing tomorrow. Since he has issues with shooting his tongue, this might be the reason..

I am quite sure this isn't happening due to a shed, since it has been happening gradually for a month or so and he has shed during that time.. That was when i started worrying, when his color didn't improve when the shed was complete

 

[Tay And A]

Get repashys vitamin a powder

 

[pssh]

Is it possible that now that he is getting better these are actually his normal colors? Perhaps he was stressed out because he was poorly and was showing brighter stress colors. Does he still fire up? If he does, does it look anything like his old "normal colors?"

 

[tamarasimovic]

He does show some signs of color he had, when he sees my female, sometimes when he sleeps (but it is much lighter then). Not that bright but in the same shades. I have an appointment at the vet today, just to make sure, he will check his poop, blood and take an x-ray. I want to be sure he's healthy)