Reaching for Imaginary Branches

CrazyChamLady13

CrazyChamLady13

New Member
Well this cham mom is worried. Waldo, my 8 month old veiled has been reaching for imaginary branches resulting in falls. Yesterday he was free ranging and reached out and fell 7' off the top of his enclosure. He hasn't been eating unless its right in front of him. If its too far in front of him, he'll hiss at it and run off. He hasn't been drinking and I've given him 2 showers in the last week. I'm worried and don't know what to do.

He gets the recommended supplements when he eats. He gets natural sun every day for 8 hours.
 
Is he reaching for his shadow thinking it is a branch? Mine does that sometimes when he is next to a wall.
 
He does inside and outside of the enclosure. :(

He just reaches out and falls.

He's in a 27"27"48" enclosure stand is 25" tall making it 72" tall
 
Since he is only striking food close to him, and his is "missing" the branch he is reaching for, it makes me think he is having an eye problem which is affecting his long range vision, and perhaps depth perception.

Do both eyes track cleanly?
Does he focus both eyes when he does strike food close to him?
Is one eye being rubbed on branches?
Is one eye closing more often than the other?

A vet visit may be in order…


Nick
 
He rubs his right eye alot. He had a incident 2 weeks ago, he fell in the mop water while he was free ranging above the sink. Might have something to do with it. Should I make his cage shorter in height?
 
If he's rubbing his eye it may be irritated by soaps or grime in the water. A vet visit might be a good idea, just to get them checked out and get some ointment on those eyes if needed. Maybe don't let him free range so high or in dangerous places while he gets checked out/treated. Or put a towel on the bottom of the cage to soften any falls.
 
Does anyone have a info to a vet in Houston TX area? And is there a way to set up payment plans with a vet? Hubby just got a new job but doesn't start til the end of this month, so wont receive his first paycheck til December.
 
Does he ever grab his own legs, as if they were branches?

I agree with the folded up towel on teh bottom of the cage to soften any landing

yes, many vets will do payment plans :)
 
Got Waldo to eat today. But doesn't want to drink. He panics when I start spraying, then when he panics he falls. I've been thinking about lowering his cage height. Also thinning about putting hardware cloth in for easy climbing.
 
CrazyChamLady13 said:
Got Waldo to eat today. But doesn't want to drink. He panics when I start spraying, then when he panics he falls. I've been thinking about lowering his cage height. Also thinning about putting hardware cloth in for easy climbing.
Click to expand...

hardware cloth can have sharpe edges/joins. And I doubt it would be any different than holding onto branches, in terms of falling (or is he climbing screen?)

Rain from above and onto leaves, and use a driper, rather than spraying himdirectly.

Does he ever grab his own legs, as if they were branches?
 
He's screen climbing and walking on the branches. He's grabbed his leg a couple of times and I know its a sign of mbd :(

I'm gutloading my bugs with apples, carrots, yams, kale, and Collard greens this week
 
I assumed, but you didnt say, if you are dusting with calcium every day!?

I very rarely ever see either of my veileds drinking, but I know they do,
because they make the biggest mess when they poop of any cham!! :eek:

Looks like a blob of eggwhite with the solid brown part seperate.

Squee Sr did the same thing as your cham, he was always reaching for things that were not there and falling.
I took him to a rep vet, and was told he had a neurological problem with depth perception. He could see with both eyes just fine, but could not "process" what he saw!!

I had to watch him on the free range as he would walk right over the edge of stuff and fall.

He was also a "runt" and underdeveloped (like Smidget).
But this was not apparent until he was about 6 months old.

He developed tumors and died very suddenly :(

He was a high pedigree Kammer's baby ($$$$), so not only was I sad, I was pissed off too!!

Question; did he start falling and reaching for invisible stuff after he fell into the dish water, and not before?
 
He would fall a couple times before that incident. He have a strong grip but still falls. And he's still the love bug that's he's been since he started free ranging. Yesterday he realized that he couldn't get out of his enclosure, he started hanging out under his basking light.
 
Yes... I'm a stay at home mom so he can came out whenever I'm home... I need to redo the free range so he can be safe. The kitchen window gets direct sunlight all day long and I usually leave the window open (screen is in place) so he can bask. I'm going to really enforce the screen with the plastic hardware cloth.
 
can i make some humor to lighten the situation? Christmas is around the corner. maybe a gift card to lens crafters for his stocking?
 
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