Possible eggboud

[Elizadolots]

You should be able to steal a peek a couple of times a day without stressing her too much. Maybe you should create a "peep hole" by pinning a bit of the towel back so you don't have to disturb the towel more than the one time.

 

[beninan]

You should be able to steal a peek a couple of times a day without stressing her too much. Maybe you should create a "peep hole" by pinning a bit of the towel back so you don't have to disturb the towel more than the one time.

actually I thought of doing something similar, I set up an old webcam I had so I can watch her without her knowing.

 

[beninan]

Yesterday and today, she hasn't dug at all. He most recent hole has collapsed and hasn't done anything since. I contacted my vet for any suggestions and about how long before it's too long. He said that chameleons can go amazing lengths of time with eggs in them and still be fine. He also suggested about halfway building a tunnel for her and see if she would continue it.

I'm sure I'm going to be hearing the same thing "Just let her do her thing", but I'm just a concerned "parent" who only wants whats best.

 

[jannb]

Make sure the sand/soil is moist enough. I usually dig the hole for my female and she just goes in and gets it the way she wants it to lay......saves her allot of work.

 

[beninan]

Make sure the sand/soil is moist enough. I usually dig the hole for my female and she just goes in and gets it the way she wants it to lay......saves her allot of work.

ok I'll try that and see if she will go back to digging. I wasn't sure of they would actually lay their eggs in something that isn't theirs.

EDIT- Should I try to point her to the tunnel or should I just let her find it? Or will this just freak her out? I'm afraid if I let her find it, she wouldn't find it because I don't ever see her climbing to the bottom of her egg laying container. I did make a tunnel as deep as I could with my shovel (spoon), and the dirt is moist enough for my tunnel to hold. Hopefully she doesn't cause it to collapse somehow.

 

[Texas Panther Man]

Just make sure that the tunnel is large enough for her to fit into. After she lays her eggs. (think positive thoughts, and positive things will happen) I like to give my females a long warm shower for 30-60 mins. Just let them drink to their hearts content. Then give them some nice juicy feeders hornworms, or dubia, or silks. Keep us posted on her progress. Btw... my females wouldnt lay until i put them in a kitchen trash can with about 18" of mixed sand and potting soil. It had to be very moist not sloppy wet but almost like wet sand at the edge of the tide line at the beach. Both my veiled and panther females dug all the way to the bottom of the trash can.

 

[beninan]

Hmm still no eggs yet.
I never pointed her in the direction of the tunnel I made, but I have seen her on the ground the past few days so I'm sure she has seen it. She seems to be back to her normal self and is also back to eating. She hasn't dug any holes since her last hole collapsed. I've been thinking about putting her back into her cage and leaving a bigger container to dig in than what I previously had in there.

Now for the questions....
Is what my vet said true about chams being able to hold their eggs for long periods of time with no issues?
Would moving her back to her cage be a bad idea?
I would like to move her back because it's hard to keep my egglaying container at the right temp/humidity.
My vet wants me to call him back sometime during the beginning of next week for a followup on her. He seems pretty knowledgeable, as he's the person that everyone around here has been suggesting to me and he also told me a story about a c-section he performed on a cham.

 

[kinyonga]

I'm not going to read this whole thread again...but can/could she see you watching her when she is digging?

IMHO once the female has started to dig I don't think she can/should hold the eggs in any more...she would likely become eggbound.

You don't have to keep the female in the egglaying container...but you should not be constantly disturbing her. I always have an opaque container about 12" x 12" x 8' deep in the cage filled almost full of washed playsand. Some females will actually lay the eggs in this container. I only move the female to the bigger container ONCE when she is digging intently....and I leave her there.

Its bothering me that she is not still digging and that she is back to eating. If she starts to go down hill (lethargic, stops eating, eyes shut during the day, etc.) then get her to the vet RIGHT AWAY.

 

[beninan]

I'm not going to read this whole thread again...but can/could she see you watching her when she is digging?

IMHO once the female has started to dig I don't think she can/should hold the eggs in any more...she would likely become eggbound.

You don't have to keep the female in the egglaying container...but you should not be constantly disturbing her. I always have an opaque container about 12" x 12" x 8' deep in the cage filled almost full of washed playsand. Some females will actually lay the eggs in this container. I only move the female to the bigger container ONCE when she is digging intently....and I leave her there.

Its bothering me that she is not still digging and that she is back to eating. If she starts to go down hill (lethargic, stops eating, eyes shut during the day, etc.) then get her to the vet RIGHT AWAY.

The container shes in is a clear container, but there's a towel around it 75% of so nobody can see her when when she's down on the ground unless they stand above the container and look down. She does have a stick in there for climbing that reaches above the height of the towel so she can see outside, and she seems to be spending most of her time perched on the stick.

I haven't been watching her constantly to see if she's been digging either because I don't want to disturb her. I check up on her around 2 times a day (to turn on her light and turn off her light) and every time she's perched on the stick. So I'd figure, if she's not digging right now, I probably can take a look inside. The only tunnel in there is the one that I have made to hopefully coax her into digging in it. There are no other signs of tunnels, unless she has been digging them, not laying her eggs, burying the tunnel perfectly and then washing herself off, but I'm sure that's highly unlikely .

I'm going to move her back to her cage and put a bigger digging container than I had in there previously. I'll also watch her actions closely to she how she's doing and give the vet a call on Monday. Isn't there something that the vet can give her to start up the contractions? I'll have to maybe mention that to him.

 

[kinyonga]

You said one hole collapsed...she couldn't have laid the eggs in it and filled it in, could she? Did she look any thinner after that happened?
Maybe you should dig it up and look!

 

[beninan]

You said one hole collapsed...she couldn't have laid the eggs in it and filled it in, could she? Did she look any thinner after that happened?
Maybe you should dig it up and look!

Yes I did dig it up thinking the same thing, but no eggs. And she is still just as lumpy as ever.

 

[kinyonga]

All I can say is that it might be a good idea to see the vet.

 

[beninan]

Called the vet last Monday, got the receptionist. She said the doctor was unable to come to the phone when I called, but she did say again that chams can go several months with egg and be fine. So I left a message and a number for him to call me back. No returned call...

She's has seemed fine and active, until today. Now she looks dehydrated and spending a lot of time with her eyes closed. I misted her while holding her above the sink and she really didn't seem to care. I let the sink drip slowly and put her mouth close to it but she did not seem interested at all in drinking.

I called the emergency veterinary clinic around here (Brewer, Maine, 30 minutes away) and they said they only look at cats and dogs. So they refereed me to another clinic in Lewiston, Maine (2 hours away from here). I called them, they don't have anyone around that specializes in exotics, but they did have a doctor who has some experience with them. I talked to her, but she said that she didn't have any sort of meds that they can offer for a chameleon, but if I want to she can take a look at her. I don't really want to take a 2 hour trip one way to possibly find out she can't help. She then refereed me to another clinic, MSPCA-Angell in Boston, Mass. (4 hour trip one way). I called them for any advice, as a trip to Boston at 6:00 at night with a sick cham is not very desirable, and asked if I could speak to anyone that specializes in exotics. The receptionist (I think) said they do have people that can see her but they can not talk on the phone.....ok *click*

She usually goes to bed around this time (6:00 and later-ish), but I noticed this behavior when I got home from work at 4:00, which is really early for her to be going to bed.
Now it looks like I may have to wait till Monday and hopefully the vet can look at her. She still hasn't laid any eggs, but she did go back to eating the past few days. She only ate one cricket though I think, unless its hiding in her cage somewhere.
Does anyone have any advice on how to get some fluids into her or what else I should do to try to help her? I tried to gently open her mouth to drip some water in and I managed to get it open, but she closed her mouth before I could get any water in. This may be a dumb question, but do chams absorb water at all? I haven't read anything that says they do, but maybe I could try to keep spraying her.

 

[Olowanpi]

That female is eggbound for sure. She needs a vet NOW. It's gonna be expensive, but she will die if you do not get her there NOW. She may die anyways.

I will pitch in - if it's a "money issue." Maybe a couple of others here will to.

The question you have to ask yourself now is... "Do you want to try to save her, or her eggs if they are fertile?"

Tough question, I know, but it's reality.

If you take her to the vet, have them call me for a CC number...
PM me for my phone... I hope to hear from you!

 

[beninan]

That female is eggbound for sure. She needs a vet NOW. It's gonna be expensive, but she will die if you do not get her there NOW. She may die anyways.

I will pitch in - if it's a "money issue." Maybe a couple of others here will to.

The question you have to ask yourself now is... "Do you want to try to save her, or her eggs if they are fertile?"

Tough question, I know, but it's reality.

If you take her to the vet, have them call me for a CC number...
PM me for my phone... I hope to hear from you!

The problem is i can't drive to Boston now, and they are the only ones that can see me now.
her eggs are infertile too.

 

[beninan]

I took her to the vet and had to put her down this morning....
I never realized how attached I was to her. At least she's not suffering anymore...
I want to thank everyone that helped me through this, everyone has been a great help. I feel like I tried my hardest but I also feel like I should have tried even harder.

I do have about 80 crickets and a container of medium sized super worms if there is anyone in the Bangor, Maine area who would like to have them. I have no use for them now, and I would hate to just waste them. I'll keep them gutloaded just in case.

 

[Elizadolots]

I'm so sorry.