Please help Sick Veiled Chameleon

[kaydee]

Male Veiled Chameleon age unknown, in my care 3 years
Feeding :5 calcium dusted gut fed crickets/ or about 6 calcium dusted wax worms
Handling : not very often he freaks out if u pick him up although he will usually eat worms out of my hand
Supplements: zoo med calcium powder/d
watering: dripper drips all day and I mist him throughout the day as well
Cage;36"x18" screen jungle vines and artificially greenery
lighting 100 watt basking light, UVB light, and red light for night time
temp 80-85 degrees humidity usually around 50 %
Location S. California


Please Help!! So about a month ago i noticed my veiled chameleon "Streetz" seemed lathargic i hadn't seen him eat or drink and he was just chillin on the bottom of the cage. I took him to a reptile specialist he gave me some Neo Cal Glucon 1.8g to give him 2x a day and also he told me to feed him chicken baby food with the syringe if he continues not eating. He seemed slightly better at first like he actually got on his branch for part of the day but since then he's gotten worse much weaker and doesnt move much at all. When he poops its not diahrrea but definently wetter and looser than normal. Also it feels like there fluid buildup in his neck/throat.He does not like it when i feed him but he wont eat on his own so ahhh i dont know what to do..I don't know how old he is - when he was literally found on the street 3 years ago he was already a full grown adult so its very possible that hes very old. I don't want to keep feeding him if its making him worse or just prolonging the inevitable. If I could afford it I would take him back to the vet unfortunately its not really an option. If anyone has any advice I would really appreciate your input. Thank you

 

[oneillchameleons]

You should be using calcium WITHOUT d3 every feeding
Calcium with d3 every two weeks, multivitamin every two weeks.

Enclosure for an adult should be at least 24"x24"x48".

You don't need any light on at night. Veiled chameleons require a completely dark photo period, and benefit from a slight drop in nighttime temps, no lower than 68 degrees or so.

Please post a pic of your Cham and enclosure so we can help you further. It sounds like he may be getting old, but a few changes in your husbandry may help to keep him healthy and happy in his twilight years.

 

[Lathis]

I worry about the fluid build up around the throat. Can you post a photo? It could be edema.

I'm surprised the vet told you to use chicken baby food - too much protein can be bad for chameleons. Too much protein can cause gout, kidney damage, and edema. Reptiboost or a product like that might better than human baby food. An older cham may have decreased kidney function, and maybe he isn't processing protein and multivitamins as efficiently as he used to.

Go easy on the baby food or switch to reptiboost and see if the swelling decreases.

What vet did you see? We have a lot of members here in Southern California and i know several of them have experienced vets they could recommend. Did you have a fecal test for parasites done?

Ditto on the recommendations above re: night lights and supplements.

If you have had him for three years, and he was an adult when you found him, he may indeed be getting old. That may be why he is having troubles staying healthy. I hope you're able to keep him happy and comfortable if it is his time.