Please help ... my Cham is letargic, clumsy and falling of his twigs

coockiemonster

New Member
Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Male, Veiled chameleon, when I bought him they said he was 3 - 3.5 years old used for breeding. I had him 2 months
  • Handling - I handle him only when need to clean his cage, so far 2-3 times since I had him
  • Feeding - I feed him calci worms, meal worms, as I don't know how much of them he needs and don't want him to be hungry I fill his dish every time it gets empty …. Locust 2-3-4 depends how many he wants. I give the locust bug grub, carrots, greens, apple and some time orange
  • Supplements - Exo Terra PT1856 + D3 Reptile Calcium and Exo Terra PT1861 Reptile Multiple Vitamins I dust the feeders with them every day
  • Watering - I mist the plants every day at least 4-5 times for 2-3 min and I have a water drip … I've seen him drinking very rearly
  • Fecal Description - he has not been tested for parasites … his droppings are brown and hard also there is white bit with it … tomorrow I will take a picture and add it.
  • History -

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - glass cage, dimensions H25" x D18" x L22"
  • Lighting - RepTech Spiral UV lamp (13 watt, 10% UVB), Vansuky 25W AC220V-240V Reptile pet appliances flat-type Infrared Ceramic heat lamp. I switch on the lights at 9am and turn it off at 10-11pm
  • Temperature - During the day the in the cage it is 25C-24C, Lowest overnight temp is 19-18C. I measure and regulate temp with komodo thermostat.
  • Humidity - when i mist the cage humidity rises to 70-80% but it quickly goes down to 50% and stays around 50%. I measure it with tian LCD Digital Embedded Thermometer Hygrometer Probe
  • Plants - I use live plants … have 2 ficus benjamina
  • Placement - his cage sits on top of our dining room table … we live in open plan apartment so I can see him from every where in the apartment … we have 2 dogs if that makes any difference but they sleep all day, the only traffic is me and my husband moving around.
  • Location - I live in Yorkshire, UK

Current Problem - My cham for the last couple of days being very lethargic, become very clumsy and I've seen him falling down from his twigs … today I found him laying on the bottom of the cage so very concerned … I've picked him up … his grip is still strong but not as strong as before (before he was stopping the blood circulation n my fingers), usually he eats his worms and I refill his dish twice a day but for the last 2 days he haven't eaten a lot …. usually when he goes t sleep he was more compact with his tail curled in a coil last night and tonight he is stretched out on the twig laying on it and his tail is relaxed and not on a coil. I took pictures of him today managed to climb out of his cage which I will attach and I took picture of him how he is sleeping at the moment.
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Oh I'm worried about him. He looks so much better than my little guy so I'm hopeful for you. I'm a new owner so I don't have any advice but there are some really smart people on this blog and I'm sure they will have great advice for you.
 
Oh I'm worried about him. He looks so much better than my little guy so I'm hopeful for you. I'm a new owner so I don't have any advice but there are some really smart people on this blog and I'm sure they will have great advice for you.
Thank you so much ... How is yours now ... I was just reading your thread at the moment ... Hope he is well
 
well for starters, don't feed mealworms, those cause impaction. also don't supplement multivitamin every day. use calcium with out d3 every feeding and use calcium with d3 and multivitamin twice a month. your cage needs to be a min of 2'x2'4'. he should also have a 5.0 linear bulb for a cage that small. switch up to 10.0 when you get a bigger cage, as for the lethargic-ness idk, you need to go to a vet, it could be from a number of things. it also looks like his eyes are a bit puffy, mention that at the vet if you go other than that good luck and I hope he feels better soon

edit: a lot of times mbd can be a cause for lethargic-ness, but it could also be a disease or a parasite. it all depends
 
He has opened both eyes for 3 days in a row, which makes me jump for joy but he still won't walk or move on his own. I mean he walks when I am force feeding him and he is trying to get away but in his cage he just sits in one spot all day. I know he is getting so much better but I really want him to eat on his own. There is a Youtube video that shows how you can hold a worm to their lip and then push in a worm when they open it. Try that to get him to eat. Mine will spit it out about 3 times before he will actually eat a worm so I am giving him Carnivore Care, 1 TBSP per day which is not fun to get in him but I can tell his health is getting so much better. Please keep us posted on yours. These people are so smart, I hope someone answers you quickly. Add a pic of his cage, they usually ask for that also.

Thanks for asking about my little man!
 
well for starters, don't feed mealworms, those cause impaction. also don't supplement multivitamin every day. use calcium with out d3 every feeding and use calcium with d3 and multivitamin twice a month. your cage needs to be a min of 2'x2'4'. he should also have a 5.0 linear bulb for a cage that small. switch up to 10.0 when you get a bigger cage, as for the lethargic-ness idk, you need to go to a vet, it could be from a number of things. it also looks like his eyes are a bit puffy, mention that at the vet if you go other than that good luck and I hope he feels better soon

edit: a lot of times mbd can be a cause for lethargic-ness, but it could also be a disease or a parasite. it all depends
Thank you so much for your reply I will change his bulb stright away .... I will definitely take him to the vet ... And I'll start looking for a bigger cage
 
I think you have poisoned him via over supplementation. Cut out all supplements and try to run as much water through him as possible. He needs a vet, no doubt.
oh poor little guy …. i'll cut out the supplements, but should I stop them all together for a bit or just give him less for now I will take him straight to the vet …. how should I give him more water … should I mist him more or I have to try ti give him water with suringe … thank you for you reply
 
Hello! humm :/ lot of things wrong in your husbandry you will have to make lot of changes if you want too keep in alive past the next 1-2 months! but if you are ready to do it! it can reverse the situation!

1-Feeding :(critical) calciworm are really cool except they are hard to digest, so not good for a regular feeding! (personally i prefer the fly bsfl, easy to digest and good feeder ;) easy to dust to catch and stimulate chameleon! But! for now, i suggest you to go buy thoses feeders ASAp : silkworm, crickets of dubia (in this order)
2-supplement : (critical) cut it down go with multi-vitamins every week (every two week sometime) and calcium 3 time/week this is so easy too provide toxic vitamines dosage (some vitamines like A, K, D3, and E can be toxic for human And chameleon this is maybe what happen too your chameleon right now so cut it down ;) )
3-watering is good this i a lot for a veiled but! this is can't be really dangerous, just try to avoid misting when he is under the basking
4-cage : glass can lead too respiratory infection, i really suggest to switch too the screen (except if you are familiar with chameleon and you really know how to handle glass cages with them! but..
Temperature : Now this is critical : you have to raise your temperature too ass a basking spot near too 30.. you can go too 35, this is a veiled come from Yemen.. its freaking hot in yemen :p this is a semi desertic chameleon and he really need it too digest and assimilate nutriments and too preserve immunitary system
5-Lightening (critical too) : this UVB bulb is garbage :/ when you get some $ go buy a linear T5ho UVB 5.0 light (zoomed or arcadia got some) with the fixture this is about 60$ maybe less (im from canada.. i dont know the price where you from) but it wort every $

So, according too the picture i think he might caught a small infection (the eyes seems puffy) so might be sinus infection of someting, did you notice any thick saliva or hard breathing lately? HE might need a vet, so maybe you should start looking around your place for a good vet with chameleon (carefully look for a vet because some are really bad with chameleon and something they make things worst :/ )

Dont hesitated if you have question!

Chameleon Info:
  • Your Chameleon - Male, Veiled chameleon, when I bought him they said he was 3 - 3.5 years old used for breeding. I had him 2 months
  • Handling - I handle him only when need to clean his cage, so far 2-3 times since I had him
  • Feeding - I feed him calci worms, meal worms, as I don't know how much of them he needs and don't want him to be hungry I fill his dish every time it gets empty …. Locust 2-3-4 depends how many he wants. I give the locust bug grub, carrots, greens, apple and some time orange
  • Supplements - Exo Terra PT1856 + D3 Reptile Calcium and Exo Terra PT1861 Reptile Multiple Vitamins I dust the feeders with them every day
  • Watering - I mist the plants every day at least 4-5 times for 2-3 min and I have a water drip … I've seen him drinking very rearly
  • Fecal Description - he has not been tested for parasites … his droppings are brown and hard also there is white bit with it … tomorrow I will take a picture and add it.
  • History -

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - glass cage, dimensions H25" x D18" x L22"
  • Lighting - RepTech Spiral UV lamp (13 watt, 10% UVB), Vansuky 25W AC220V-240V Reptile pet appliances flat-type Infrared Ceramic heat lamp. I switch on the lights at 9am and turn it off at 10-11pm
  • Temperature - During the day the in the cage it is 25C-24C, Lowest overnight temp is 19-18C. I measure and regulate temp with komodo thermostat.
  • Humidity - when i mist the cage humidity rises to 70-80% but it quickly goes down to 50% and stays around 50%. I measure it with tian LCD Digital Embedded Thermometer Hygrometer Probe
  • Plants - I use live plants … have 2 ficus benjamina
  • Placement - his cage sits on top of our dining room table … we live in open plan apartment so I can see him from every where in the apartment … we have 2 dogs if that makes any difference but they sleep all day, the only traffic is me and my husband moving around.
  • Location - I live in Yorkshire, UK

Current Problem - My cham for the last couple of days being very lethargic, become very clumsy and I've seen him falling down from his twigs … today I found him laying on the bottom of the cage so very concerned … I've picked him up … his grip is still strong but not as strong as before (before he was stopping the blood circulation n my fingers), usually he eats his worms and I refill his dish twice a day but for the last 2 days he haven't eaten a lot …. usually when he goes t sleep he was more compact with his tail curled in a coil last night and tonight he is stretched out on the twig laying on it and his tail is relaxed and not on a coil. I took pictures of him today managed to climb out of his cage which I will attach and I took picture of him how he is sleeping at the moment. View attachment 218864 View attachment 218865 View attachment 218866 View attachment 218867 View attachment 218866 View attachment 218867 View attachment 218868 View attachment 218869 View attachment 218870 View attachment 218871
 
oh poor little guy …. i'll cut out the supplements, but should I stop them all together for a bit or just give him less for now I will take him straight to the vet …. how should I give him more water … should I mist him more or I have to try ti give him water with suringe … thank you for you reply
Completely.
 
Hello! humm :/ lot of things wrong in your husbandry you will have to make lot of changes if you want too keep in alive past the next 1-2 months! but if you are ready to do it! it can reverse the situation!

1-Feeding :(critical) calciworm are really cool except they are hard to digest, so not good for a regular feeding! (personally i prefer the fly bsfl, easy to digest and good feeder ;) easy to dust to catch and stimulate chameleon! But! for now, i suggest you to go buy thoses feeders ASAp : silkworm, crickets of dubia (in this order)
2-supplement : (critical) cut it down go with multi-vitamins every week (every two week sometime) and calcium 3 time/week this is so easy too provide toxic vitamines dosage (some vitamines like A, K, D3, and E can be toxic for human And chameleon this is maybe what happen too your chameleon right now so cut it down ;) )
3-watering is good this i a lot for a veiled but! this is can't be really dangerous, just try to avoid misting when he is under the basking
4-cage : glass can lead too respiratory infection, i really suggest to switch too the screen (except if you are familiar with chameleon and you really know how to handle glass cages with them! but..
Temperature : Now this is critical : you have to raise your temperature too ass a basking spot near too 30.. you can go too 35, this is a veiled come from Yemen.. its freaking hot in yemen :p this is a semi desertic chameleon and he really need it too digest and assimilate nutriments and too preserve immunitary system
5-Lightening (critical too) : this UVB bulb is garbage :/ when you get some $ go buy a linear T5ho UVB 5.0 light (zoomed or arcadia got some) with the fixture this is about 60$ maybe less (im from canada.. i dont know the price where you from) but it wort every $

So, according too the picture i think he might caught a small infection (the eyes seems puffy) so might be sinus infection of someting, did you notice any thick saliva or hard breathing lately? HE might need a vet, so maybe you should start looking around your place for a good vet with chameleon (carefully look for a vet because some are really bad with chameleon and something they make things worst :/ )

Dont hesitated if you have question!
oh thank you so much …. I will address all the points you mentioned straight away… thank you so much … ufortunately it is proving difficult to find a vet familiar with chameleons near me … is there anything I can do if he has infection until I find a vet …….
 
Hello! humm :/ lot of things wrong in your husbandry you will have to make lot of changes if you want too keep in alive past the next 1-2 months! but if you are ready to do it! it can reverse the situation!

1-Feeding :(critical) calciworm are really cool except they are hard to digest, so not good for a regular feeding! (personally i prefer the fly bsfl, easy to digest and good feeder ;) easy to dust to catch and stimulate chameleon! But! for now, i suggest you to go buy thoses feeders ASAp : silkworm, crickets of dubia (in this order)
2-supplement : (critical) cut it down go with multi-vitamins every week (every two week sometime) and calcium 3 time/week this is so easy too provide toxic vitamines dosage (some vitamines like A, K, D3, and E can be toxic for human And chameleon this is maybe what happen too your chameleon right now so cut it down ;) )
3-watering is good this i a lot for a veiled but! this is can't be really dangerous, just try to avoid misting when he is under the basking
4-cage : glass can lead too respiratory infection, i really suggest to switch too the screen (except if you are familiar with chameleon and you really know how to handle glass cages with them! but..
Temperature : Now this is critical : you have to raise your temperature too ass a basking spot near too 30.. you can go too 35, this is a veiled come from Yemen.. its freaking hot in yemen :p this is a semi desertic chameleon and he really need it too digest and assimilate nutriments and too preserve immunitary system
5-Lightening (critical too) : this UVB bulb is garbage :/ when you get some $ go buy a linear T5ho UVB 5.0 light (zoomed or arcadia got some) with the fixture this is about 60$ maybe less (im from canada.. i dont know the price where you from) but it wort every $

So, according too the picture i think he might caught a small infection (the eyes seems puffy) so might be sinus infection of someting, did you notice any thick saliva or hard breathing lately? HE might need a vet, so maybe you should start looking around your place for a good vet with chameleon (carefully look for a vet because some are really bad with chameleon and something they make things worst :/ )

Dont hesitated if you have question!
hi, can you please tell me what size the dubia roaches should I order and approximately how many silkworms and roaches per day should I give him, as I don't want him to be hungry.... during the night I am turning of his basking light should I keep on turning it off or leave it on … for now until I find him another house, is it ok still to keep him in the glass viv it has a small fan to circulate the air, or I should change it asap. Thanks
 
if he is an adult he should be able to handle full size worms and roaches, mine is also 3.5 yrs and he does great with full size
 
Don't leave his lights on over night it will interfere with his sleep patterns. He won't get proper sleep with any lights on.
hi, I am turning off his uvb light … I wasn't sure should I turn off his basking light it is ceramic bulb and don't give any light.... at the moment I am turning it off night time should I keep on turning it off or leave it on
 
hi, I am turning off his uvb light … I wasn't sure should I turn off his basking light it is ceramic bulb and don't give any light.... at the moment I am turning it off night time should I keep on turning it off or leave it on

Turn off all lights and ceramic bulbs at night. 12 hours on, and 12 hours off.
 
Then it depends on the ambient temperature of your house if it is warmer than 60˚F at night you won't need it if it is colder than 55˚F then you may need to add some heat from the ceramic heat emitter but probably only during the coldest part of the night.
 
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