Problems

Lucky29

New Member
Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, Male, I've had him for approx. 4 years
* Handling - I don't usually take him out of his enclosure or touch him, only if I'm cleaning his cage out (every month)
* Feeding - Crickets, and every 2-3 weeks 1-3 silkworms, normally I will give him at least 12~13 crickets a day. I'll give him a few in the morning, some more when I get home from school, and will feed him using a cup at night before he goes to sleep. I give the crickets carrots and sometimes apples, occasionally lettuce
* Supplements - 'Bone Aid' calcium powder (as calcium carbonate), and about once a week. He also has a vitamin D lamp which I need to replace once I get the money
* Watering - I mist his cage pretty heavily twice a day. I make sure the hanging pant in his cage is moist and the glass is wet (His cage is glass with a mesh top, once I get money I plan on replacing his cage with a completely mesh one). I used to see him drinking water a lot more. He would usually drink from this one plant he used to have (I have since removed the plant because it began to wilt) and would climb up to the top of his cage and drink droplets of water on the mesh roof (I'd open his cage door and spray, and then spray one section through the roof). This was his favorite way of drinking, but he doesn't do it anymore. Lately I need to manually give him water by slowly releasing drips from the spray bottle right in front of him. I use Brita filtered drinking water, not tap water. I used to use bottled water.
* Fecal Description - This is a problem... I haven't seen him poop in awhile!! He eats, but he doesn't poop. I check his cage daily to see if maybe it dried out but no. :( (Before he stopped pooing, it was mushy brown, with a hint of this orange-y and white stuff)
* History - He has this weird yellow mark on his 'horn'. I think it's a burn... He's had it for maybe a couple months but it's never bothered him though. It's yellow and it kinda looks like a small piece is missing (I don't think literally, it kinda looks like a scar...)


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Glass, I don't the exact dimensions but it's taller than it is wide... It's not too big.
* Lighting - Sun Glo neodymium 50~60W bulbs (Currently, 60W I believe). I turn his cage off while I sleep, so I turn it off at 10pm and turn it on at 8am.
* Temperature - There used to be one of those sticky thermometers in there but it has stopped working, I'll try to find a normal thermometer to find the temperature. Though it feels fairly warm in side.
* Humidity - I don't measure the humidity... I mist his cage to make it humid.
* Plants - I used to use a real potted one but like I said it wilted. He's taken chomps from the leaves but he's never been sick from doing that. I use 2 plastic hanging leaves. Also, I use wood chips on the bottom of his cage but he has never ingested one of them (He's caught them yes, but he's smart enough to spit them out lol). I plan on replacing the wood chips entirely with some kinda flooring...
* Placement - I keep it on a desk, it's between my room door and my work table (Which is beside a window, which I close during the winter)... Very little traffic, as I'm the only person who goes in/out of my room.
* Location - Southern Ontario (So yes it is currently winter, and freezing outside today!)


Okay, about a month ago my little Charlie seems to have 'given up'. He doesn't climb around anymore, he will usually be in the same place at the bottom of his cage all day. He doesn't bask under his lamp in his usual spot at all. He sleeps during the day, but not in a deep sleep because as I walk past he'll wake up. He doesn't drink water from anything unless it's directly from the bottle... He doesn't try very hard to catch his food as it will usually run away before he even reacts, and he barely shoots his tongue out but opts to get really close and only half his tongue to catch them... So I need to feed him all the time with a cup, and lately he's not even doing that! I remember before when I would hold up his pink cup (like, intense pink) his head would shoot up and he'd get very excited (turns a bright green, and runs straight for the cage door lol) but now he'll look up and waits for me to go to him, and then he just sticks his head in the cup and waits... He'll catch a couple, but the majority of the crickets end up escaping. He hasn't pooped in like a month... So I'm pretty sure there is something wrong with him. When he's laying down he lays on his forearms and doesn't utilize the bottom of his feet... His grip is also relatively weak. He has also gotten skinny recently. He's never been thin before, but now the outline of his ribcage is visible.

In summary:
* Eats infrequently and very slowly, and does not use his tongue to the fullest
* Lays on his legs instead of resting on the pads of his feet, he also doesn't move around too much
* Weak grip
* Hasn't pooped in awhile
* Drinks water infrequently (He never seems to notice the water drops...)
* Closes his eyes during the day


Help please! I don't want him to die! I'm hoping this is just a dietary problem I can fix cause exotic vets are expensive and I don't have the money. :(
 
The information you provided is great, but a picture would really help. You'll get alot more advice. A picture of his set up would be nice too.
 
He has a horn? When did he poop last? Hanging out on the floor with eyes closed is never a good sign. Many chameleons do so right before they die.
 
The information you provided is great, but a picture would really help. You'll get alot more advice. A picture of his set up would be nice too.

Okay I will try to find my camera.

He has a horn? When did he poop last? Hanging out on the floor with eyes closed is never a good sign. Many chameleons do so right before they die.

Yes he does. And the last time he pooped was maybe 3 weeks ago. :(
I don't get it, he was perfectly fine until one day I got home from school and he was just hanging out on the floor. I figured he may have gone hunting and that's why he was there, but he just never climbed again. I remember about 1 1/2 weeks ago I saw him hanging upside down from on his branches and thought he must be feeling better but when I returned he was back to hanging out at the bottom.

My dad has a theory that he has weak joints because I don't let him roam outside enough; could this be a possibility?

I'm going to go check up on him right now.
 
I would say it's vet time. Make sure to find one that has chameleons experience. Sounds like he may be impacted from the material at the bottom of the cage. His intestines are blocked if thats the case.

A picture would help us to determine the species of your chameleon. Veiled chameleons only have casques on top of their head... No horn.
 
Charlie might just be at the end of a fairly long life. He's been in your care for four years, and might be much older depending on age you received him. :( Only speaking from my exprience.
 
I assume that you mean casque not horn if its a veiled??

Can you please post some pictures?

What is in the bone-aid? Dusting the insects once a week is not enough IMHO especially since your gutload/what you feed the insects is lacking.

Lack of feces...calcium issues might slow the bowel down but he could also be impacted if he ingested any of the substrate. (You said..."I use wood chips on the bottom of his cage but he has never ingested one of them"..I don't know how you can be sure that he has never ingested any...it happens all the time.

Tongue dysfunction...this can be from a lack of calcium, dehydration, injury or a number of other reasons.

Sun Glo neodymium...this bulb to the best of my knowledge does not produce UVB thus does not allow the chameleon to produce D3 or use the calcium in its diet.

You said..."he lays on his forearms and doesn't utilize the bottom of his feet"...this also sounds like it could be a calcium issue.

All I can suggest is to get him to a vet ASAP.
 
And the last time he pooped was maybe 3 weeks ago. :(
I don't get it, he was perfectly fine until one day I got home from school and he was just hanging out on the floor.

My dad has a theory that he has weak joints because I don't let him roam outside enough; could this be a possibility?

It sounds as if the changes in his cage (removing the live plant) caused him to stop drinking enough to keep himself hydrated and also dried the cage out. Dehydrated chams end up with bowel impactions. The "white-orangy stuff" in his poop is called the urate. Chams are like birds...they don't produce urine, but this pasty white stuff that is expelled along with the feces. It should be white. Orange coloration means dehydration.

Chams are masters at hiding health problems until they are so weak they can't handle the problem any more. They don't just suddenly crash usually. This has been coming on for a while. The longer the urates spend in the intestinal tract the harder and more concentrated they get. Eventually the cham will have a lot of trouble passing it which is probably what you are seeing.

Weak joints from lack of exercise? I doubt it very much. They can get metabolic bone disease from a calcium/vitamin D3 imbalance (basically rickets), but won't have weak joints from inactivity.
 
I would say it's vet time. Make sure to find one that has chameleons experience. Sounds like he may be impacted from the material at the bottom of the cage. His intestines are blocked if thats the case.

A picture would help us to determine the species of your chameleon. Veiled chameleons only have casques on top of their head... No horn.

Yeah sorry, I've become accustomed to calling it a horn but yes it's a casque.

Charlie might just be at the end of a fairly long life. He's been in your care for four years, and might be much older depending on age you received him. :( Only speaking from my exprience.

I just double checked with my mother and he is only 4 1/2 years old.

I assume that you mean casque not horn if its a veiled??

Can you please post some pictures?

What is in the bone-aid? Dusting the insects once a week is not enough IMHO especially since your gutload/what you feed the insects is lacking.

Lack of feces...calcium issues might slow the bowel down but he could also be impacted if he ingested any of the substrate. (You said..."I use wood chips on the bottom of his cage but he has never ingested one of them"..I don't know how you can be sure that he has never ingested any...it happens all the time.

Tongue dysfunction...this can be from a lack of calcium, dehydration, injury or a number of other reasons.

Sun Glo neodymium...this bulb to the best of my knowledge does not produce UVB thus does not allow the chameleon to produce D3 or use the calcium in its diet.

You said..."he lays on his forearms and doesn't utilize the bottom of his feet"...this also sounds like it could be a calcium issue.

All I can suggest is to get him to a vet ASAP.

The Bone Aid's only ingredient is calcium carbonate. The bottle says only to use it 1-2 times a week for mature chameleons. What would you recommend to better gutload the crickets?

I was thinking there may be something stuck inside his stomach/intestines and really regret using the wood chips. The two people at the pet store I asked (I local one, so I figured the guy should know his stuff) and one big chain (PetSmart) said wood chips were fine but I recently read online that using them isn't very good.

I checked the packaging of the lamp and 'lo and behold it only emits UVA light. Though the other lamp I have only emits UVB light (it's not a heat lamp), the petstore owner who sold it to me said it helps give them vitamin D. Is there a possibility that these lamps 'die out' but continue to emit light (but with no UVB)?

It sounds as if the changes in his cage (removing the live plant) caused him to stop drinking enough to keep himself hydrated and also dried the cage out. Dehydrated chams end up with bowel impactions. The "white-orangy stuff" in his poop is called the urate. Chams are like birds...they don't produce urine, but this pasty white stuff that is expelled along with the feces. It should be white. Orange coloration means dehydration.

Chams are masters at hiding health problems until they are so weak they can't handle the problem any more. They don't just suddenly crash usually. This has been coming on for a while. The longer the urates spend in the intestinal tract the harder and more concentrated they get. Eventually the cham will have a lot of trouble passing it which is probably what you are seeing.

Weak joints from lack of exercise? I doubt it very much. They can get metabolic bone disease from a calcium/vitamin D3 imbalance (basically rickets), but won't have weak joints from inactivity.

Hmm... Well, it definitely looks like something related to lack of calcium and dehydration. Though I am also afraid that it could be that he accidentally swallowed a piece of wood. If it's the latter than it is nothing I can help him with, so I think it's time to go to the vet. I'm going to check online and try to find the nearest exotic pet vet.

What are some good ways to re-hydrate Charlie?
 
To help hydrate put a plant (safe and non toxic) in the shower and aim the water at the wall so that the mist bounces off the wall onto the plant. Add chameleon. Make sure the water is about lukewarm. Also use a dripper while he is in his cage and increase misting time to about 5-10 minutes 3-4 times a day.

Well hydrated feeders also help to hydrate better. Use fresh greens like kale, endive, collard greens, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. Also use fresh veggies and fruits like squash, carrots, apple, oranges, papaya, and sweet pepers.

You should dust the food with calcium without d3 at most feedings and use a calcium with d3 twice a month. A multivitamin should also be used about once a month. Buy a reptisun 5.0 linear tube as they are best for chameleons. UVB tubes work for about 6 months before they start to emit quite a bit less UVB into the cage. The reptisun can be used for a little bit longer than 6 months though. Make sure no glass or plastic is between the chameleon and the light.
 
To help hydrate put a plant (safe and non toxic) in the shower and aim the water at the wall so that the mist bounces off the wall onto the plant. Add chameleon. Make sure the water is about lukewarm. Also use a dripper while he is in his cage and increase misting time to about 5-10 minutes 3-4 times a day.

Well hydrated feeders also help to hydrate better. Use fresh greens like kale, endive, collard greens, mustard greens, and dandelion greens. Also use fresh veggies and fruits like squash, carrots, apple, oranges, papaya, and sweet pepers.

You should dust the food with calcium without d3 at most feedings and use a calcium with d3 twice a month. A multivitamin should also be used about once a month. Buy a reptisun 5.0 linear tube as they are best for chameleons. UVB tubes work for about 6 months before they start to emit quite a bit less UVB into the cage. The reptisun can be used for a little bit longer than 6 months though. Make sure no glass or plastic is between the chameleon and the light.

Thank you! I'll try this tonight.

I've contacted 2 local vets, wish Charlie luck!

EDIT: So I tried to do the bath, and it was a failure. :( Charlie got so stressed out! I settled him on a vine-y leaf-y plant, and turned the warm water on... It was functioning like I excepted (I tested it first and there was a soft mist on the plant, but when I did it with Charlie there was no mist) so I stood up to fix it the shower head and he turned dark brown and I knew I accidentally scared him when I got up. :( He then took a bit of a spill, his grip was so weak he kinda slid off but luckily he landed on another part of the plant (The plant is very 'long', it had a lot of vines extending horizontally and he just fell on a a bed of leaves). I think he got water in his eye cause he wouldn't open his eye.... I've placed him back in his cage, sheesh. I pray I can find a vet.

Thankfully, he's opened his eye and it's perfectly fine. I also noticed that his front claws have better grip recently, as he was squeezing my finger pretty tightly (Though not as strong as normal) but he back legs are so weak they just slide around.
 
I hope you are able to get to a qualified vet soon. It does sound like your chameleon may be suffering a calcium deficiency, and if not that certainly some other ailment. The vet may provide a calcium injection. And you will need to improve your husbandry as well. Have you ever read the raising kitty blog? There is good info there. Also, you may find these blog entries regarding feeders, gutloading and supplements of value:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
 
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