Possible URI?

[mbprime]

Hey guys...so I have been posting quite a bit on here and still researching about my little cham. Here is some basic info..

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, Male, 2 Months Old. Owned for about a week.
Handling - 1-2 times daily for 10min. or if we are cleaning his cage.
Feeding - Crickets/Spring Mix. Since he is so young we were told as much as tolerated so we give him 5 in the morn and 5 afternoon, he ate 6 two days ago and yesterday 2 maybe 2 today. We are gut loading with cantelope, melons, and Flukers Orange Cricket Food.
Supplements - Calcium w/o D3 daily, and Multi Vitamins every other feeding.
Watering - Misting by hand for 30seconds each time. See him drinking occasionally, a few times today but he has looked dehydrated.
Fecal Description - No parasites, feces is white/brown.
History - Optimus has been doing alright, a copule of days ago he made a popping noise which kinda worried us. We checked his temps/humidity and have been watching him feed. Everything seemed fine except he did not eat and saw him drink.

Cage Info:

Cage Type - Screen Cage 18x18x18
Lighting - ReptiSun 5.0 UVB and Incadescent 40Watt, 9am-9pm
Temperature - Cage floor is about 70-75 and basking is 85, overnight is about 70-75 where he sleeps at the top.
Humidity - 40-60%, Mist 3-4 times daily, Hygrometers - digital and analog.
Plants - Live Plant is a Ficus, two fake vines and some fake ivy.
Placement - Cage is on an end table, no fans turned on in the room.
Location - Spokane, WA - dry and hot.

The last couple of days he has been not feeling well and yesterday he had a bit of mucus in his mouth. We took him to the vet (who knows herps) and he checked out fine, just advised to keep the cage clean, temps in check and humidity. We believe he might have the beginnings of some sort of respiratory infection, so both the breeders and the vet advised possibly boosting his cage temp and then keeping it extra dry at night. He said there are antibiotics but he is so young....We dont mist two hours before lights out so the cage is dry before bed. I guess what I want to know is there anything else recommended for little chams and URIs? Today he seems to be blowing bubbles a little bit and he only went to the VET YESTERDAY!

Also, what would be the BEST way to measure humidity we have both analog and digital but two VERY different readings. One analog is at the bottom of the cage and reads around 40-60% but then the digital read at the top (basking)18%.

 

[ataraxia]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/cham-question-65427/

 

[Stanly]

Blowing bubbles and popping does indeed sound like a respiratory infection, did the vet do a culture and sensitivity test (swab the inside of the mouth) our just a visual exam?
I'm not sure on one that young (do they not give meds at all?

when my panther had a respiratory infection one of the forum members suggested a warm mist humidifier directed towards him at night (not so close that it was to hot), and as your vet and breeder have suggested slightly elevated temps.

Also be sure he's drinking enough (white urates), 30 secs seems like a pretty short misting for only 3-4 times a day (of coarse I have a panther and jacksons not a veiled)

Lastly I'd cut down on the handling except when absolutely necessary, he's still trying to adjust and needs to be left alone, you can spot clean with out removing him
(clean poop, dry excess water etc.) I would only take him out for deep cleaning (full cage wash) which I personally only do about once a month, you may want to do it more but so long as you spot clean I can't see more than once a week.

 

[mbprime]

The vet did not do a c&s on him. I think the vet was hesitant because he is extremely tiny (0.25 lbs)and kept saying that if he prescribed antibiotics it may do more harm than benefit.

I agree completely with you on the handling...less stress!We have a warm mist vaporizer next to his cage and have been running it. Would you run it the whole night?

@atraxia: thank you. For a young chameleon how would you recommend showering with the cham, to try to loosen up some of his secretions.

 

[ataraxia]

your shower head has to be removeable. place him on a fake or live plant in the tub. set the water to warm *not exactly scalding hot but pretty warm and aim the shower head at the wall. as a result a the further he is away from the mist bouncing off the walls the finer it will be.