Please help

[Jkisor]

I am new to this forum but read things often. I would love to take them to the vet but it cost so much and they never tell me more than i already knew/thought. Please help!?

I have two 6 month old panther chameleons. I am using reptisun 10.0 as the 5.0 seemed to not be enough. I also use a basking bulb in the day and nothing at night. I live in WA so natural light this time of year doesn't happen. I have live plants in both med size cages with lots of vines to crawl on. I mist and feed every morning. I also have drippers that i use in the early afternoon as well. The lights are on timers from 8-9 everyday. After work, I mist and use the dripper again to get them some addition water, as I thought they were showing signs of dehydration. I dust my crickets with calcium and d3 daily as i feel they are still not getting enough nutrition. They eat very well and seem to have a regular bathroom cycle. I feed them mostly crickets with the occasional meal worm and wax worm.

One worry is that they are always hiding in the trees and I feel iike as if the lights are not enough??? but i am not sure what else to do. I have purchased different lights, heat emitters, etc...nothing seems to be warm enough/bright enough, but maybe I am under estimating.

Signs of illness:
Both are very small for their age (6months) and i have recently (this weekend) notices that they are not using their back legs? they fall more times than I can count and I have inspected to see if they are broken, but do not appear to be. I am hoping to take them to the vet with my next payckeck but want to give them my best in the mean time. Today was sunny, 70 degrees and I brought them outside. Both of them lightened up and looked great but the back legs/tails looked dark and under used. I put them in the shower to clear up any blockage and one of them definitely needed to go.. yuck. But I am really worried, i have tried everything and feel as if I am giving them proper nutrition.

What i think:
not enough UVB
not providing correct supplements, (too much or not enough)
not drinking enough water


Please help, thank you everyone for your support. I know I should bring them to a vet and am going to asap. Also, does anyone recommend putting supplements in the water? pedialyte??

 

[ChameleonFan1989]

Please fill this form in and please provide pics of your set up. Personally 10.0 is to much, 5.0 is fine for chameleons and the falling issue could be gutloading and supplimentation issues.

EDIT: I saw you are using D3 everyday, to much D3, using calcium without D3 everyday, calcium with D3 twice a month and multivitamins twice a month or use a all in one such as Repashy's calcium plus.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

 

[Carlton]

I am using reptisun 10.0 as the 5.0 seemed to not be enough. I live in WA so natural light this time of year doesn't happen. I mist and use the dripper again to get them some addition water, as I thought they were showing signs of dehydration. I dust my crickets with calcium and d3 daily as i feel they are still not getting enough nutrition.I feed them mostly crickets with the occasional meal worm and wax worm.

One worry is that they are always hiding in the trees and I feel iike as if the lights are not enough??? but i am not sure what else to do. I have purchased different lights, heat emitters, etc...nothing seems to be warm enough/bright enough, but maybe I am under estimating.

Signs of illness:
Both are very small for their age (6months) and i have recently (this weekend) notices that they are not using their back legs? they fall more times than I can count and I have inspected to see if they are broken, but do not appear to be. I am hoping to take them to the vet with my next payckeck but want to give them my best in the mean time. Today was sunny, 70 degrees and I brought them outside. Both of them lightened up and looked great but the back legs/tails looked dark and under used. I put them in the shower to clear up any blockage and one of them definitely needed to go.. yuck. But I am really worried, i have tried everything and feel as if I am giving them proper nutrition.

What i think:
not enough UVB
not providing correct supplements, (too much or not enough)
not drinking enough water


Please help, thank you everyone for your support. I know I should bring them to a vet and am going to asap. Also, does anyone recommend putting supplements in the water? pedialyte??

IMHO you are overdosing them with D3, and symptoms of oversupplementation can be similar to those of undersupplementation. More is not always better. Dusting is just a nutritional gap-filler to help make sure your gutloading is good. What do you feed your feeders? This may tell us a lot.

The 10.0 light may be too much for them (eyes especially), as you said they spend a lot of time hiding in the foliage. Most of us raise our chams on 5.0s so they are obviously "enough". They could be too hot if you are using even more basking light.

What's your cage humidity and how do you measure it? A cham can get dehydrated even though you offer a dripper and mist if the general air humidity in the room is too low. You need to check this. NEVER give a cham Pedialyte if it is drinking on its own! It is only for emergency short term use.

 

[Jkisor]

Bulbs

Note taken about the 10.0 i will go back to the 5.0, my vet is the one that said the 5.0 was not enough. As far as loading the crickets, I use an apple or a pear for the most part. Sometimes i use those stupid orange cubes for a day or two every month is i run low on fruit. i was using reptivite with D3 and repti calcuim without D3...that is what I was given. Any other suggestions????

I have an electric humidity checker but am not sure it is working properly. I have all screen cages so even when i do spray, it seems to get dry fast....too fast.

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - 6 month old panthers, males?, I have had since babies, the full 6 months
Handling - 2-3 time a week
Feeding - Crickets (8-12 small), with occasional meal/wax worm. Everyday
Watering - I don see him drinking, i mist 1-2 a day, with a dripper 1-2 a day
Fecal Description - Normal, one large one today in the tub.

 

[Carlton]

my vet is the one that said the 5.0 was not enough. As far as loading the crickets, I use an apple or a pear for the most part. i was using reptivite with D3 and repti calcuim without D3...that is what I was given. Any other suggestions????

I have an electric humidity checker but am not sure it is working properly. I have all screen cages so even when i do spray, it seems to get dry fast....too fast.

Your vet doesn't understand chams or their requirements.

Gutloading with a piece of fruit isn't enough. They also need fortified grains, dark leafy veggies, and can benefit from bee pollen and spirulina. Check the ingredients of the good gutloads offered by forum sponsors. There are good ones out there!

If you were using BOTH Reptivite with D3 and calcium every day you overdosed them with vitamins.

You can add as much live foliage to your screen cages as possible and hang sheet plastic on the sides of the cages to help hold humidity. If that doesn't work you may need to run a room humidifier next to the cages.

 

[reptilover]

I'm not a health expert or try to act like one but I agree over supplementing could be an Issue in ur case.. on another note where at Ib WA are u? In also here in this sunless state

 

[Olimpia]

Here's a snippet from my blog on supplements here on the forum:

There are risks associated with too much of this vitamin, which is why it is not recommended to supplement too heavily with this vitamin via diet. Too much of it will start affecting the nerves and muscles, and more severe toxicity will start to affect calcium levels; calcium will be highly elevated in soft tissues, such as muscles and kidneys, and begin to actually calcify these tissues, while debilitating the bone

So if they've been getting D3 every day, they may be experiencing these symptoms. I would IMMEDIATELY stop providing D3 and increase the water intake significantly, to try to flush out the excess vitamin and start alleviating the kidneys. I certainly would go to a vet that is more familiar with reptiles and see what additional steps can be taken to take care of this issue. If they are not using their back half this is a serious issue.

 

[Jkisor]

I am living in Seattle, from Olympia. I heard some types of plants for crickets is bad? anything you recommend?

Is it too late? if i stop for a short period then slow the intake of sups will there symptoms improve? Also, what brand of vitamins do you recommend?

Thanks for everyone's help, I hope I can get them healthy.

 

[Solid Snake]

I am living in Seattle, from Olympia. I heard some types of plants for crickets is bad? anything you recommend?

Is it too late? if i stop for a short period then slow the intake of sups will there symptoms improve? Also, what brand of vitamins do you recommend?

Thanks for everyone's help, I hope I can get them healthy.

Oy!

Yes.
I would recommend you dont give any D3 at all for a month or so. This will give them time to balance back out. Then start them on a normal regimen, and they should improve.

Here is sandrachameleons blog on gutloading, its the best info on the subject, and has what you should, and should not use. Id recommend reading through it as much as possible:https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/useful-info/

Thats just one section of it! Make sure you read through all her stuff

As for what supplements you should use, there are many good brands. I would recommend using Repashy Calcium Plus though. Its an all in one supplement, and makes it very easy, as you just use the same thing everyday. Rep-cal and sticky tongue farms products also come highly recommended.

 

[Elizadolots]

Hi, I'm sorry your chameleons are doing poorly.

Are they in the same cage? Are they both males?

 

[Jkisor]

There are all in different cages

Thanks everyone for the help, I will make sure to get their supplementation up to par.

Thanks again.

 

[Elizadolots]

Let us know how things go.