Panther chameleon Ideal diet

[Lizardlover1519]

Hello everyone!
So I need some help optimizing my chams feeding and supplementing routine. So I have a 1 year male old panther chameleon. As of right now he gets about 8 dubias a day (Sometimes dose not eat all) with about a dozen crickets once a week for food and occasionally when I get wax worms for my other critters ill throw some of those in there for him for variety. As far as supplements he get Repashys calcium plus LOD once a week and calcium without D3 on his regular daily feedings. I also give him a dusting of vitamin A supplement every 2 weeks per vet recommendation as he has been having issues with his eye. He is definitely underweight as he was struggling to catch food for a while due to his eye issue. I have been also giving his the correct dosage of carnivore care (per vet recommendation) until he is back to a good weight. I really want this guy to stay as healthy as possible. Is there anything you think I should be doing differently or adding to his routine? Thank you!

 

[Lizardlover1519]

Hello everyone!
So I need some help optimizing my chams feeding and supplementing routine. So I have a 1 year male old panther chameleon. As of right now he gets about 8 dubias a day (Sometimes dose not eat all) with about a dozen crickets once a week for food and occasionally when I get BSFL for my other critters ill throw some of those in there for him for variety. As far as supplements he get Repashys calcium plus LOD once a week and calcium without D3 on his regular daily feedings. I also give him a dusting of vitamin A supplement every 2 weeks per vet recommendation as he has been having issues with his eye. He is definitely underweight as he was struggling to catch food for a while due to his eye issue. I have been also giving his the correct dosage of carnivore care (per vet recommendation) until he is back to a good weight. I really want this guy to stay as healthy as possible. Is there anything you think I should be doing differently or adding to his routine? Thank

 

[GrannyK]

Hi there! Maybe filling out a current husbandry form while we wait for experienced keepers to chime in to give them the best picture possible. Also a pic of your enclosure and cham are more helpful as well.
So sorry you are going through all this.
Wondering, have they done a fecal exam and does that vet have experience with chameleons? Just a few things I think they will ask.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. long has it been in your care?How
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

 

[MissSkittles]

Hello everyone!
So I need some help optimizing my chams feeding and supplementing routine. So I have a 1 year male old panther chameleon. As of right now he gets about 8 dubias a day (Sometimes dose not eat all) with about a dozen crickets once a week for food and occasionally when I get wax worms for my other critters ill throw some of those in there for him for variety. As far as supplements he get Repashys calcium plus LOD once a week and calcium without D3 on his regular daily feedings. I also give him a dusting of vitamin A supplement every 2 weeks per vet recommendation as he has been having issues with his eye. He is definitely underweight as he was struggling to catch food for a while due to his eye issue. I have been also giving his the correct dosage of carnivore care (per vet recommendation) until he is back to a good weight. I really want this guy to stay as healthy as possible. Is there anything you think I should be doing differently or adding to his routine? Thank you!

Hi. So, filling out the above questions would help immensely. However, even without that, I can give my two cents about your supplements and feeding. I feed all of my adult chameleons 3 days a week, with treats on the weekends. I prefer to give smaller feeders, so each gets about the equivalent of 6ish 1/2” crickets or pinkie nail sized roach nymphs. My almost adult male panther I feed more. Usually panthers are pretty good about regulating their own diets. If there’s no health issues and he refuses some or all of a daily feeding, it’s time to cut back.
Now supplements…he’s being over-supplemented at current. He should be getting the calcium without D3 at every feeding (lightly dusted) and then one feeding every other week, you’ll instead use the Repashy calcium plus LoD. You do not want to give him any additional vitamin A, especially if you’re using the Repashy brand A.
There are two forms of vitamin A - preformed which is retinol or retinyl and is more from protein sources. This is fat soluble and like vitamin D3, can build up in the body to toxic levels if given too much. Provitamin A is beta carotene and other carotenoids from vegetable sources. This is not fat soluble, but it has not been proven that chameleons can utilize this form.
Repashy uses preformed, or fat soluble vitamin A in their supplements, so giving too much or too often you risk your chameleon getting too much and having it build up to dangerous levels in their body. I believe Repashy’s vitamin A contains both forms. Additionally, the Carnivore care contains vitamin D3 and vitamin A (does not specify which form though). I understand completely that you are following your vet’s instructions, however not all vets are as well versed in the finer points of chameleon husbandry as us keepers. I am going to flag @kinyonga who is one of the most experienced keepers and perhaps can offer her input. If you can post some pics of your chameleon in the meantime, that would be wonderful.

 

[Beman]

Can you post pics of the chameleon and the enclosure along with filling out the husbandry form? Has the vet run any fecal tests to rule out a parasite load?

 

[Lizardlover1519]

Hi. So, filling out the above questions would help immensely. However, even without that, I can give my two cents about your supplements and feeding. I feed all of my adult chameleons 3 days a week, with treats on the weekends. I prefer to give smaller feeders, so each gets about the equivalent of 6ish 1/2” crickets or pinkie nail sized roach nymphs. My almost adult male panther I feed more. Usually panthers are pretty good about regulating their own diets. If there’s no health issues and he refuses some or all of a daily feeding, it’s time to cut back.
Now supplements…he’s being over-supplemented at current. He should be getting the calcium without D3 at every feeding (lightly dusted) and then one feeding every other week, you’ll instead use the Repashy calcium plus LoD. You do not want to give him any additional vitamin A, especially if you’re using the Repashy brand A.
There are two forms of vitamin A - preformed which is retinol or retinyl and is more from protein sources. This is fat soluble and like vitamin D3, can build up in the body to toxic levels if given too much. Provitamin A is beta carotene and other carotenoids from vegetable sources. This is not fat soluble, but it has not been proven that chameleons can utilize this form.
Repashy uses preformed, or fat soluble vitamin A in their supplements, so giving too much or too often you risk your chameleon getting too much and having it build up to dangerous levels in their body. I believe Repashy’s vitamin A contains both forms. Additionally, the Carnivore care contains vitamin D3 and vitamin A (does not specify which form though). I understand completely that you are following your vet’s instructions, however not all vets are as well versed in the finer points of chameleon husbandry as us keepers. I am going to flag @kinyonga who is one of the most experienced keepers and perhaps can offer her input. If you can post some pics of your chameleon in the meantime, that would be wonderful.

Thank you very much for your help. I'm kind of panicking as he is really getting worse and I need all the help I can get.
So I have stopped the vitamin A since you sent this message but have continued to feed him with the supplements above. He is very underweight at the momment and one of his eyes is completely sunken. I will attatch pictures and fill out the form details below. I have been taking hi to the only exotic vet even remotely near me and we have had no luck with oral antibiotics and eye drops.\
My Chameleon - Panther chameleon, male , 1 year and 4 months. Has been in my care for 1 year and 2 months. I am aware of his very poor weight which is only about 56 grams right now.
Handling - Very very rarely only to administer carnivore care.
Feeding -I am feeding him about 5 medium size dubias per day and dusting them with calcium without D3 and he gets a supplement of repashys LoD plus once every other week. he also gets crickets instead of dubias once a week. I gut load the feeders using fluckers dubia roach food and the same for crickets. As of right now per vet instructions I have been giving fluckers repti boost per the dosage chart once daily by syringe.
Watering -He has an automatic misting system that mists the cage once per hour for 10 seconds, in addition i mist his cage once in the morning and once at night. I do see him drink the water dripping off the leaves
Fecal Description - stool is typically harder and looks like a normal color but there is a lot of calcium deposits. Photos attached.
History - I am a vet tech at the only exotic vet within over an hour of me and we have a supposedly very experienced reptile vet. My chameleon has been seen many times for his weight and eye I will attatch a photo of his eye. He had tried meloxicam oral injections and tobramycin eye drops for him and none have seemed to help. He also is interested in food and does eat every day and his behavior is also normal. He does very frequently miss his food but we are pretty sure it is because of his eye issues.

Cage Info: PICTURES ATTATCHED
Cage Type -The cage i have right now is a 30 by 16 by 16 inch mesh cage (HOWEVER he will be moving to a 4 by 2 by2 foot mesh inclosure when I move in august. the vet said to wait to move him until he is more stable)
Lighting - Ok I have an acacia brand tropical UVB bulb on top of the cage as well as a typical fluckers brand incandescebt basking bulb 75 watts that is about 3 inches from the top of his cage and 7 inches from his basking spot. the lights are on a 12 hour on 12 hour off cycle, both lights are off at night but the room at night is always around 70/75 degrees
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - I don't measure humidity but I probably should
Plants -I am not using live plants but use lots of spagnum moss and coconut husk for humidity
Placement - It is not near any vents or fans and is very close to the ceiling
Location - Kansas city missouri USA


I am ashamed at his condition but I have really been trying everything and need all the help I can get.
please let me know what to do and if I can answer any more questions.

 

[Lizardlover1519]

Thank you very much for your help. I'm kind of panicking as he is really getting worse and I need all the help I can get.
So I have stopped the vitamin A since you sent this message but have continued to feed him with the supplements above. He is very underweight at the momment and one of his eyes is completely sunken. I will attatch pictures and fill out the form details below. I have been taking hi to the only exotic vet even remotely near me and we have had no luck with oral antibiotics and eye drops.\
My Chameleon - Panther chameleon, male , 1 year and 4 months. Has been in my care for 1 year and 2 months. I am aware of his very poor weight which is only about 56 grams right now.
Handling - Very very rarely only to administer carnivore care.
Feeding -I am feeding him about 5 medium size dubias per day and dusting them with calcium without D3 and he gets a supplement of repashys LoD plus once every other week. he also gets crickets instead of dubias once a week. I gut load the feeders using fluckers dubia roach food and the same for crickets. As of right now per vet instructions I have been giving fluckers repti boost per the dosage chart once daily by syringe.
Watering -He has an automatic misting system that mists the cage once per hour for 10 seconds, in addition i mist his cage once in the morning and once at night. I do see him drink the water dripping off the leaves
Fecal Description - stool is typically harder and looks like a normal color but there is a lot of calcium deposits. Photos attached.
History - I am a vet tech at the only exotic vet within over an hour of me and we have a supposedly very experienced reptile vet. My chameleon has been seen many times for his weight and eye I will attatch a photo of his eye. He had tried meloxicam oral injections and tobramycin eye drops for him and none have seemed to help. He also is interested in food and does eat every day and his behavior is also normal. He does very frequently miss his food but we are pretty sure it is because of his eye issues.

Cage Info: PICTURES ATTATCHED
Cage Type -The cage i have right now is a 30 by 16 by 16 inch mesh cage (HOWEVER he will be moving to a 4 by 2 by2 foot mesh inclosure when I move in august. the vet said to wait to move him until he is more stable)
Lighting - Ok I have an acacia brand tropical UVB bulb on top of the cage as well as a typical fluckers brand incandescebt basking bulb 75 watts that is about 3 inches from the top of his cage and 7 inches from his basking spot. the lights are on a 12 hour on 12 hour off cycle, both lights are off at night but the room at night is always around 70/75 degrees
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - I don't measure humidity but I probably should
Plants -I am not using live plants but use lots of spagnum moss and coconut husk for humidity
Placement - It is not near any vents or fans and is very close to the ceiling
Location - Kansas city missouri USA


I am ashamed at his condition but I have really been trying everything and need all the help I can get.
please let me know what to do and if I can answer any more questions.

 

[Beman]

Has your vet run a fecal test to rule out a parasite load? @MissSkittles is offline right now so I will do your husbandry review.

 

[Lizardlover1519]

Not yet but I have just left a voicemail with the vet a few minutes ago to request one.

 

[Beman]

So I need some help optimizing my chams feeding and supplementing routine. So I have a 1 year male old panther chameleon. As of right now he gets about 8 dubias a day (Sometimes dose not eat all) with about a dozen crickets once a week for food and occasionally when I get wax worms for my other critters ill throw some of those in there for him for variety. As far as supplements he get Repashys calcium plus LOD once a week and calcium without D3 on his regular daily feedings. I also give him a dusting of vitamin A supplement every 2 weeks per vet recommendation as he has been having issues with his eye. He is definitely underweight as he was struggling to catch food for a while due to his eye issue. I have been also giving his the correct dosage of carnivore care (per vet recommendation) until he is back to a good weight. I really want this guy to stay as healthy as possible. Is there anything you think I should be doing differently or adding to his routine? Thank you!

So note Carnivore care has fat soluble vitamins in it this is why it is typically not a good option for chameleons. Vitamin A and D3 are two that build up in their tissues. It can take months for their levels to come back to normal. View this post to get info for what you should use https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/jackson-with-infections-and-not-eating.191406/post-1783691
NOTE if he is eating on his own you do not want to supplement with force feeding instead you can increase the variety and amounts of insects he gets. The only time it is recommended to force feed a chameleon is when they are not eating at all due to illness. BUT the root of the illness needs to be identified.



Additionally he is being overdosed with vitamin A just with the supplements. Repashy LoD 2 times a month is plenty enough there should not be anything more added. This is a multivitamin that has both D3 and A in it. So being as how he has been on this plus so much additional A for me is a strong indication that the eye issue has nothing to do with supplementation. Could be that he has an infection or something in the eye. You need a really good reptile vet that knows chameleons. Chams are a whole different realm of reptile. There husbandry needs and the illnesses should be addressed by a vet that knows what to look for. Having reptile experience does not mean they are going to know what to do with a chameleon.

I will start going through your husbandry info now.

 

[Beman]

See my feedback in red bold. Please let me know what questions you may have. This is going to be a lot of info.

Thank you very much for your help. I'm kind of panicking as he is really getting worse and I need all the help I can get.
So I have stopped the vitamin A since you sent this message but have continued to feed him with the supplements above. He is very underweight at the momment and one of his eyes is completely sunken. I will attatch pictures and fill out the form details below. I have been taking hi to the only exotic vet even remotely near me and we have had no luck with oral antibiotics and eye drops.\
My Chameleon - Panther chameleon, male , 1 year and 4 months. Has been in my care for 1 year and 2 months. I am aware of his very poor weight which is only about 56 grams right now. This is about 70 grams below the lower end weight for a cham of his age. Most males sit at a minimum weight of 125grams.
Handling - Very very rarely only to administer carnivore care. Note do not hold him by wrapping your hand around them. This for them is extremely stressful, it is what a predator would do before eating them. So let him sit on your hand instead. If he is eating do not force feed see info I gave in my last post.
Feeding -I am feeding him about 5 medium size dubias per day and dusting them with calcium without D3 and he gets a supplement of repashys LoD plus once every other week. he also gets crickets instead of dubias once a week. I gut load the feeders using fluckers dubia roach food and the same for crickets. As of right now per vet instructions I have been giving fluckers repti boost per the dosage chart once daily by syringe. Stop using the flukers roach food. This is too high in protein which will make the roaches have a higher uric acid level that the chameleon can have issues clearing from their system. It also is high in Vitamin A. See gutload sheet for fresh options or buy repashy bug burger. Repti boost can be ok but keep in mind giving this daily may be causing more stress than is good for the chameleon. Increase food intake daily especially if he is eating.
Watering -He has an automatic misting system that mists the cage once per hour for 10 seconds, in addition i mist his cage once in the morning and once at night. I do see him drink the water dripping off the leaves. So this is not really advised. You want to do a longer misting in the morning and then in the evening about 2-5 minutes in length depending on your ambient humidity levels. Consistent spraying all day creates a hot humid environment and an environment where bacteria can easily grow. Neither are good and increase chances of a respiratory infection.
Fecal Description - stool is typically harder and looks like a normal color but there is a lot of calcium deposits. Photos attached. Get a fresh fecal tested asap. My bet is this boy has a parasite load. This in my opinion should have been the very first thing done when looking at weight issues. Almost always lack of proper weight when eating is linked to a parasite load. They simply do not put on the weight they should be.
History - I am a vet tech at the only exotic vet within over an hour of me and we have a supposedly very experienced reptile vet. My chameleon has been seen many times for his weight and eye I will attatch a photo of his eye. He had tried meloxicam oral injections and tobramycin eye drops for him and none have seemed to help. He also is interested in food and does eat every day and his behavior is also normal. He does very frequently miss his food but we are pretty sure it is because of his eye issues. So I am not sure why the meloxicam was used. This is typically used for pain/anti inflammatory. The eye drops are for bacterial eye infections so since that did not work I think an antibiotic might be a better route. Blood work would show if his body is fighting an illness. Missing food could be linked to the eye not functioning as it should. I would make sure you are not free feeding this boy. Get a feeder run it will make it much easier for him to target and get close.

Cage Info: PICTURES ATTATCHED
Cage Type -The cage i have right now is a 30 by 16 by 16 inch mesh cage (HOWEVER he will be moving to a 4 by 2 by2 foot mesh inclosure when I move in august. the vet said to wait to move him until he is more stable) Ehhhh cage size and stability I do not agree with. This boy is not severely ill and falling. Males need a large cage. HOWEVER I would not move him until you have run at least 2 fecal tests a few weeks a part to ensure he does not have a parasite load. Not all parasites are the same. The medication and the cleaning required differ. So you do not want to risk cross contamination to the larger cage until totally clear of parasites.
Lighting - Ok I have an acacia brand tropical UVB bulb on top of the cage as well as a typical fluckers brand incandescebt basking bulb 75 watts that is about 3 inches from the top of his cage and 7 inches from his basking spot. the lights are on a 12 hour on 12 hour off cycle, both lights are off at night but the room at night is always around 70/75 degrees. Room temp is good for a daytime temp but too hot for a night time temp. Chameleons need the temp drop at night. If you can get it down to 65 at least at night this would be really good. Now you need to know your basking temp. It should not be any hotter than 80-83 at the branch. Get a temp gauge with a probe you can hook in at the basking brank right below the heat fixture. For UVB There is their Desert, forest, and a few others. I have not heard of tropical. Can you please tell me the bulb strength? It should be written on the glass at the very end of the bulb with a percentage.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - I don't measure humidity but I probably should... This is a really important aspect of their husbandry Daytime humidity should be 40-50%. Night time can be higher but must have colder temps.
Plants -I am not using live plants but use lots of spagnum moss and coconut husk for humidity... Both the moss and the coconut husk would be impaction risks. Also with this not being a fully bioactive bottom it is basically just a bacteria growing zone. I would remove everything from the bottom and have it be a bare bottom. Real plants are best but do not get any until you know if he has a parasite load.
Placement - It is not near any vents or fans and is very close to the ceiling
Location - Kansas city missouri USA


Ok good resources for you to learn from. https://chameleonacademy.com/panther-chameleon-care/
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

I would read through both of these. This is going to not only teach you how to provide what he needs but while reading you will see where you need to correct and the how to of it. Then ask all of your questions here.

 

[Lizardlover1519]

See my feedback in red bold. Please let me know what questions you may have. This is going to be a lot of info.

Thank you very much for your help. I'm kind of panicking as he is really getting worse and I need all the help I can get.
So I have stopped the vitamin A since you sent this message but have continued to feed him with the supplements above. He is very underweight at the momment and one of his eyes is completely sunken. I will attatch pictures and fill out the form details below. I have been taking hi to the only exotic vet even remotely near me and we have had no luck with oral antibiotics and eye drops.\
My Chameleon - Panther chameleon, male , 1 year and 4 months. Has been in my care for 1 year and 2 months. I am aware of his very poor weight which is only about 56 grams right now. This is about 70 grams below the lower end weight for a cham of his age. Most males sit at a minimum weight of 125grams.
Handling - Very very rarely only to administer carnivore care. Note do not hold him by wrapping your hand around them. This for them is extremely stressful, it is what a predator would do before eating them. So let him sit on your hand instead. If he is eating do not force feed see info I gave in my last post.
Feeding -I am feeding him about 5 medium size dubias per day and dusting them with calcium without D3 and he gets a supplement of repashys LoD plus once every other week. he also gets crickets instead of dubias once a week. I gut load the feeders using fluckers dubia roach food and the same for crickets. As of right now per vet instructions I have been giving fluckers repti boost per the dosage chart once daily by syringe. Stop using the flukers roach food. This is too high in protein which will make the roaches have a higher uric acid level that the chameleon can have issues clearing from their system. It also is high in Vitamin A. See gutload sheet for fresh options or buy repashy bug burger. Repti boost can be ok but keep in mind giving this daily may be causing more stress than is good for the chameleon. Increase food intake daily especially if he is eating.
Watering -He has an automatic misting system that mists the cage once per hour for 10 seconds, in addition i mist his cage once in the morning and once at night. I do see him drink the water dripping off the leaves. So this is not really advised. You want to do a longer misting in the morning and then in the evening about 2-5 minutes in length depending on your ambient humidity levels. Consistent spraying all day creates a hot humid environment and an environment where bacteria can easily grow. Neither are good and increase chances of a respiratory infection.
Fecal Description - stool is typically harder and looks like a normal color but there is a lot of calcium deposits. Photos attached. Get a fresh fecal tested asap. My bet is this boy has a parasite load. This in my opinion should have been the very first thing done when looking at weight issues. Almost always lack of proper weight when eating is linked to a parasite load. They simply do not put on the weight they should be.
History - I am a vet tech at the only exotic vet within over an hour of me and we have a supposedly very experienced reptile vet. My chameleon has been seen many times for his weight and eye I will attatch a photo of his eye. He had tried meloxicam oral injections and tobramycin eye drops for him and none have seemed to help. He also is interested in food and does eat every day and his behavior is also normal. He does very frequently miss his food but we are pretty sure it is because of his eye issues. So I am not sure why the meloxicam was used. This is typically used for pain/anti inflammatory. The eye drops are for bacterial eye infections so since that did not work I think an antibiotic might be a better route. Blood work would show if his body is fighting an illness. Missing food could be linked to the eye not functioning as it should. I would make sure you are not free feeding this boy. Get a feeder run it will make it much easier for him to target and get close.

Cage Info: PICTURES ATTATCHED
Cage Type -The cage i have right now is a 30 by 16 by 16 inch mesh cage (HOWEVER he will be moving to a 4 by 2 by2 foot mesh inclosure when I move in august. the vet said to wait to move him until he is more stable) Ehhhh cage size and stability I do not agree with. This boy is not severely ill and falling. Males need a large cage. HOWEVER I would not move him until you have run at least 2 fecal tests a few weeks a part to ensure he does not have a parasite load. Not all parasites are the same. The medication and the cleaning required differ. So you do not want to risk cross contamination to the larger cage until totally clear of parasites.
Lighting - Ok I have an acacia brand tropical UVB bulb on top of the cage as well as a typical fluckers brand incandescebt basking bulb 75 watts that is about 3 inches from the top of his cage and 7 inches from his basking spot. the lights are on a 12 hour on 12 hour off cycle, both lights are off at night but the room at night is always around 70/75 degrees. Room temp is good for a daytime temp but too hot for a night time temp. Chameleons need the temp drop at night. If you can get it down to 65 at least at night this would be really good. Now you need to know your basking temp. It should not be any hotter than 80-83 at the branch. Get a temp gauge with a probe you can hook in at the basking brank right below the heat fixture. For UVB There is their Desert, forest, and a few others. I have not heard of tropical. Can you please tell me the bulb strength? It should be written on the glass at the very end of the bulb with a percentage.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - I don't measure humidity but I probably should... This is a really important aspect of their husbandry Daytime humidity should be 40-50%. Night time can be higher but must have colder temps.
Plants -I am not using live plants but use lots of spagnum moss and coconut husk for humidity... Both the moss and the coconut husk would be impaction risks. Also with this not being a fully bioactive bottom it is basically just a bacteria growing zone. I would remove everything from the bottom and have it be a bare bottom. Real plants are best but do not get any until you know if he has a parasite load.
Placement - It is not near any vents or fans and is very close to the ceiling
Location - Kansas city missouri USA


Ok good resources for you to learn from. https://chameleonacademy.com/panther-chameleon-care/
https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

I would read through both of these. This is going to not only teach you how to provide what he needs but while reading you will see where you need to correct and the how to of it. Then ask all of your questions here.

I'm so sorry I am clearly doing everything wrong. I feel like in this case it is better to maybe surrender him. I love this lizard so much but I'm clearly not doing anything right. I want him to have the best chance in life. Do you have any suggestions on what to do.
I'm so sorry to you all I thought I was doing the right thing .

 

[Beman]

I'm so sorry I am clearly doing everything wrong. I feel like in this case it is better to maybe surrender him. I love this lizard so much but I'm clearly not doing anything right. I want him to have the best chance in life. Do you have any suggestions on what to do.
I'm so sorry to you all I thought I was doing the right thing .

Awwwww it is not a matter of doing it all wrong. Where you find yourself at right now is where soooooooo many people start out. It is just a matter of having the right information and people to help you. We are all very kind here and more then happy to help you. You are totally capable of providing the right husbandry now that you are armed with the correct information.

 

[Lizardlover1519]

I just really want him to make it and I'm very overwhelmed. I'm going to sit down tonight and try and go over all of your suggestions and fix everything I can. Do you think it's possible to correct his weight?
I will ask a lot of questions. And I really really will do all that I can.

 

[Beman]

I just really want him to make it and I'm very overwhelmed. I'm going to sit down tonight and try and go over all of your suggestions and fix everything I can. Do you think it's possible to correct his weight?
I will ask a lot of questions. And I really really will do all that I can.

First thing breathe it will be ok. Very overwhelming but your smart and can do this. Yes, I do think it is possible. He may not grow in length but will fill out and gain muscle and fat. First step getting a fecal test... Need to rule out a parasite load.

If you want to keep him I would be happy to mentor you. My name is Becca.

 

[Lizardlover1519]

Okay thank you so much. I am going to type out lots of questions and a game plan for help and will send shortly.

 

[Gloriawood]

Hello! You are in great hands! @Beman was very very helpful when I first got here. I had little right. Even less than you. My little guy had MBD and all his husbandry was wrong. Like everything. He has his third birthday coming up thanks to the lovely members here. Just take a deep breath and one step at a time. It can be done.

 

[jamest0o0]

Hello, I wanted to chime in. Been pretty busy so just skimmed through the thread, but want to say that getting a fecal at this point(think I saw that mentioned) is a big priority along with a good Cham vet. With that amount of food he should not be underweight/sunken eyes. That usually tells me parasites or organ failure or both. I don’t want to upset you, but when the eyes start sinking in it’s getting pretty serious and there’s no time to waste.

Sorry if my friend @Beman or anyone else said this already, I just wanted to quickly post this and wish you and your Cham the best.

 

[Lizardlover1519]

OK. PLAN
So my first steps are to stop giving him carnivore care and to get him a fecal test next time he produces a sample
I am going to change his supplementing to calcium without D3 every day and LoD twice per month.
Increase food intake.
The bigger tank has a lot of already established live plants and is massive but I was going to wait until I move to move him into that tank on August 11th. Should I move him as soon as I find out aboujt the parisite load or is it ok to wait until move?
I am installing 2 humidity/temp gauges as we speak
I am working on reducing the nighttime temp and I will get back to you on overall tank humidity and temps once the thermometers go through a day night cycle.
QUESTIONS
- For humidity should I get a fogger instead? and just have the sprayer go 3 times a day for longer periods? And for the fogger when should I have it running?
- For fecal, how often should he be going? because as of right now it is 2/3 times a week.\
- My vet suggested an antibiotic injection of Ceftazidime to be safe, should I take him up on that? Should I go for the bloodwork as well or wait till after the fecal because it is very expensive?
- As of right now he is eating from a cup positioned in the bottom of the cage that makes it easier for him to target and get close to the bugs. However the new tank he will be moving to have a feeding blind. Should I change something there? As of right now I give him his bugs in the morning and he eats all of them and i do that everyday. Should I change anything there either?
- So as of right now I have a layer of hydro balls and a layer of fir bark mixed with coco husk to help control the water. should I remove it? Also with the new tank there is a lot of dirt and it is a bioactive soil that has already been established. should I keep that or change it?

COMMENTS
He always sits on my hand with no issues and is not exhibiting any sings of stress but I will stop syringe feeding him anyways.
Vet has lots of cham experience so I'm really not sure what to do as there are no others even remotely close. I will continue to see this vet but will consult with you before going to make sure I'm hitting all of the concerns and things to bring up.
Please let me know if you have any other suggestions of equipment I can get and any other tips
thank you again!

 

[Gloriawood]

You are on the right track! I’ll let beman answer most of your questions since she is helping you. However I wanted to chime in on humidity because I’m very close to you. I’m in Thayer Missouri with is right on the Arkansas boarder, so only a few hours from you. I do not use a fogger. This is my misting schedule. 2 min at 6 am when lights come on. 1 min at noon. 2 min at 5:30 before lights off and 1 min at midnight.

My guy seems to like an afternoon drink which is why I mist at noon. It stays pretty humid here so a short misting in the middle of the night boosts the humidity pretty good.

I would give your misting schedule a try and see how the humidity with your new gauges is before you invest in a fogger. I’ve noticed in this area it’s harder to keep the humidity lower when needed than increasing it at night.