Pregnant ??

[bbyy.z]

hello !
doodle is a translucent piebald veiled chameleon. she is a rescue so i’m not 100% on how old she is but i’m guessing around the 1/1.5 mark. she started getting these orange and blue colors about 2 weeks ago and i thought it might just be her colors changing but some say it could be puberty/pregnancy ?? she’s always had a bit of a tummy but lately it seems a little different. not sure if she just needs to poop or if she has eggs that need expelling. she is still eating, drinking, and doesn’t spend time at the bottom of her cage. she has been basking in her light more and doing a smidge less climbing around. i have a vet appointment set up for wednesday october 6th but i just want to make sure nothing is extremely wrong with her in the meantime ? i went out and bought egg laying material (bucket, safe dirt) and basically need to know if i should try and get her in the vet sooner or if i should set up an egg bin for her ?

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP !!

 

[UhManDuh]

I don't know much about veiled's but she def looks egg bound in that photo from above. Set up a lay bin asap.
If she's still eating / drinking then I wouldn't move the vet visit up because those are good signs.

 

[Fchamel]

@kinyonga @MissSkittles

 

[bbyoda]

You've got a very pretty girl! She looks like she's got eggs. Get the lay bin set up for her and in her enclosure asap. Make sure there are branches that go down to it so she can get to it easily.

Here are some resources to check out until @kinyonga and @MissSkittles can chime in. They have experience with girls and egg laying.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi! What a pretty little girl. You are correct that she’s plump from producing eggs. First they’ll become receptive, which is getting their teals, yellow and other colors and patterns and are usually restless during this period. All prettied up and looking for a man. That usually lasts for a couple of weeks and then the egg production starts. It can be anywhere from a few weeks after being receptive that they’ll lay. Definitely set up your lay bin and keep it in her enclosure all the time. When she needs it, she’ll find it and use it. Make sure she has a couple of stable ways to get in/out.
Although each chameleon is different, just prior to laying, some may start eating less, start going lower in their enclosure at times and colors and patterns may change either subtly or dramatically. Once she starts her digging, it is absolutely essential that she be given privacy. Cover up the visible parts of her enclosure, making sure to leave plenty of ventilation and then just wait. I poke peep holes in the sheet I use so I can monitor progress. If she sees you, she can stop digging and that can lead to being eggbound. She may dig a few tunnels until she’s happy with one. She may sleep in her tunnel. The whole process usually takes 1-2 days and you’ll know she’s done when she’s in her basking spot looking dirty and thin and all of her tunnels have been covered. You’ll need to feed and hydrate her very well for the next 2-3 days. I give hornworms and silkworms after along with other feeders. The next day you’ll need to find and count her eggs. If she hasn’t been mated, they are infertile and can be thrown away.
Signs that things are not going as planned and she needs a vet ASAP…lethargy, staying low in her enclosure/not basking, not eating/drinking, eyes closed during the day, dropping eggs as she’s moving around, etc.

 

[MissSkittles]

I tend to babble on and on, so maybe splitting this into 2 won’t look so wordy.
Laying takes so much out of our girls and shortens their lives. Because of this, we try to reduce their egg production and laying thru temperature and diet. You want to keep your basking temps no higher than around 80. After you’ve fed her well for a few days after laying, you’ll want to start feeding her 3-4 feeders, 3 days a week (plus occasional little treats). It may take a cycle or two before you see any changes. I do this for my girls and it’s worked amazingly well. My one girl hasn’t laid since Feb 2020.
It’s also essential that all of your husbandry be spot on to prevent not only general health issues, but egg problems. If you’d like, we can review all of your husbandry. The questions are here. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/ Just copy/paste with your answers and make sure to include pics of your entire enclosure.
I hope I’ve been of some help.

 

[bbyy.z]

Hi! What a pretty little girl. You are correct that she’s plump from producing eggs. First they’ll become receptive, which is getting their teals, yellow and other colors and patterns and are usually restless during this period. All prettied up and looking for a man. That usually lasts for a couple of weeks and then the egg production starts. It can be anywhere from a few weeks after being receptive that they’ll lay. Definitely set up your lay bin and keep it in her enclosure all the time. When she needs it, she’ll find it and use it. Make sure she has a couple of stable ways to get in/out.
Although each chameleon is different, just prior to laying, some may start eating less, start going lower in their enclosure at times and colors and patterns may change either subtly or dramatically. Once she starts her digging, it is absolutely essential that she be given privacy. Cover up the visible parts of her enclosure, making sure to leave plenty of ventilation and then just wait. I poke peep holes in the sheet I use so I can monitor progress. If she sees you, she can stop digging and that can lead to being eggbound. She may dig a few tunnels until she’s happy with one. She may sleep in her tunnel. The whole process usually takes 1-2 days and you’ll know she’s done when she’s in her basking spot looking dirty and thin and all of her tunnels have been covered. You’ll need to feed and hydrate her very well for the next 2-3 days. I give hornworms and silkworms after along with other feeders. The next day you’ll need to find and count her eggs. If she hasn’t been mated, they are infertile and can be thrown away.
Signs that things are not going as planned and she needs a vet ASAP…lethargy, staying low in her enclosure/not basking, not eating/drinking, eyes closed during the day, dropping eggs as she’s moving around, etc.

thank u !! this is incredibly helpful ! i put her egg laying bin inside her enclosure and covered it with sheets. one more question, do i keep her lights on or turn them off ?? they’re currently on a timer that shuts off at 7:30pm so should i leave it as is or keep it off for the next couple of days ?
thank u

 

[MissSkittles]

thank u !! this is incredibly helpful ! i put her egg laying bin inside her enclosure and covered it with sheets. one more question, do i keep her lights on or turn them off ?? they’re currently on a timer that shuts off at 7:30pm so should i leave it as is or keep it off for the next couple of days ?
thank u

You’ll want to keep everything the same. The only changes you’ll make is she won’t be interested in eating and to offer hydration, if you don’t have an automatic misting system, use a dripper on some plants near, but not over the lay bin.

 

[Miels]

Any update on doodle?

 

[kinyonga]

Any update on doodle?

You're not likely to get an answer since the OP hasn't been on line since.