Really worried! Burnt??

grumpychameleon

grumpychameleon

New Member
Hi,

We have a veiled chameleon, he got a patch small patch of back on his head and recently that bit fell of literally while shedding. From there he seemed fine, but then suddenly over the space of a week or so his back has gone black + he has patches here and there of black.

Today it almost looks pussy, the spikes on his spine are almost loosing definiton.. its 95% on one side....

We had been told that it might be his bulb... here is the set up...

100watt [basking area = 25degrees] exotera halogen sunglo...

He has crickets, locusts, strawberries, cress occasionally, meal worms + wax worms. We top up his water with a syringe when we handle him, he contently drinks from it.

Hes eating less than usual + is a tad more grouchy, but his back doesnt seem to be causing him discomfort, he doesn't flinch etc when you touch his back.

PLEASE PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!!!!

We are hopefully going to take him to a local reptile vet on sat or tues...





5.jpg



Here are some links to more pics

http://www.puddle.me/meals/1.jpg
http://www.puddle.me/meals/2.jpg
http://www.puddle.me/meals/3.jpg
http://www.puddle.me/meals/4.jpg
http://www.puddle.me/meals/5.jpg
http://www.puddle.me/meals/6.jpg
http://www.puddle.me/meals/7.jpg
 
OUCH!!! That poor boy seems to have heavy burn marks and cricket bites on him :( Get a lower watt heating bulb and make sure to check the temps! And never leave feeders in the cage overnight or they will bite the cham. GET HIM TO A VET so they can prescribe him something!

ALSO fill this info out

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
 
Oh wow. It does look burned, but the black on the side of the torso leads me to believe this might be something else. How far away is the light from the chameleon when he basks? What is your temperatures on your basking area?
How about your UVB? how close is it to the cage and what's the strength?

It's good you're going to the vet. I would also suggest bringing in a fecal for them to examine in case the skin condition could be parasite-related. This is just a precaution, because this really does look like a burn. The side burn leads me to believe it might be UV burns though unless he somehow managed to bask on his side?
 
leid said:
How far away is the light from the chameleon when he basks? What is your temperatures on your basking area?
How about your UVB? how close is it to the cage and what's the strength?
Click to expand...

The uv bulb is a 10.0 what ever that means. He is 30ish cm away from the lamp when basking, the temp a 60cm ish away from the bulb is 25 degrees.
 
Hm. Lights aren't inside the cage, right? He seems older, so I take it the lights have been situated in the manner which you've described for a while then? It seems odd that just now there would be burns all over his body. Just to be sure you might want to lower basking temp and increase light distance until you take him to the vet. Also I might was well tell you now, UVB bulbs are a no-no. They are compact and can literally blast your chameleon with too much UV. People here will advise you to get a zoomed linear 5.0 tube.

If he seems fine though, this can be reversed! I'm sure the vet will be able to get him back to health. Good luck!
 
leid said:
Hm. Lights aren't inside the cage, right? He seems older, so I take it the lights have been situated in the manner which you've described for a while then? It seems odd that just now there would be burns all over his body. Just to be sure you might want to lower basking temp and increase light distance until you take him to the vet. Also I might was well tell you now, UVB bulbs are a no-no. They are compact and can literally blast your chameleon with too much UV. People here will advise you to get a zoomed linear 5.0 tube.

If he seems fine though, this can be reversed! I'm sure the vet will be able to get him back to health. Good luck!
Click to expand...

The bulbs are in the cage, but he doesnt climb near them to be honest... the uv bulb is uvb + linear. This all seems to have happened around the time that our 50watt bulb broke and we put in a 100 as a temp, completly forgot to change it... but the thing is that he basks on both sides roughly equally - and still only black on one side.....
 
Sancho said:
ALSO fill this info out....
Click to expand...

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Mesh 6 x 4 x 4


Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

100 watt bulb temp 60cm away is 25degrees - on all of the time as farm house gets cold at night :S

Lowest overnight temp? unsure thermometer broke couple weeks ago :S
Humidity – spay twice a day with hand held spray – fine mist
Plants – Not sure but remember they were ok for him
Location – Living Room
traffic areas? Sat on floor but he is foot above our heads :D

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon – Veiled, male, 8months ish
Handling – Everyday
Feeding – Locusts + crickets + mealworms + starwaberrys + waxworms + cress, as and when he runs out, usually a few every couple of days – fruit is there in evening couple of times per week, feeding area isn’t moved
How are you gut-loading your feeders? – fruit + veg + minerals
Supplements – dusting couple of times per week with calcium
Watering – spray cage with fine mist couple times per day + via handling + dripper
Fecal Description – Black + white mostly black – not been checked for parasites
History – Nothing of note
Current Problem – See above
 
grumpychameleon said:
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Mesh 6 x 4 x 4


Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?

100 watt bulb temp 60cm away is 25degrees - on all of the time as farm house gets cold at night :S

Lowest overnight temp? unsure thermometer broke couple weeks ago :S
Humidity – spay twice a day with hand held spray – fine mist
Plants – Not sure but remember they were ok for him
Location – Living Room
traffic areas? Sat on floor but he is foot above our heads :D

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon – Veiled, male, 8months ish
Handling – Everyday
Feeding – Locusts + crickets + mealworms + starwaberrys + waxworms + cress, as and when he runs out, usually a few every couple of days – fruit is there in evening couple of times per week, feeding area isn’t moved
How are you gut-loading your feeders? – fruit + veg + minerals
Supplements – dusting couple of times per week with calcium
Watering – spray cage with fine mist couple times per day + via handling + dripper
Fecal Description – Black + white mostly black – not been checked for parasites
History – Nothing of note
Current Problem – See above
Click to expand...

Chams need it dark at night so the light should be off while he is sleeping if it gets below 65F @ night I would suggest a ceramic heat lamp for at night that way it's dark. Also ditch the mealworms they aren't good for them.
 
I agree. You can get the lights sancho advises and it will keep your viv suitable for night temps.
 
basically the problem is the UV bulb. The 10.0 is way to much for him. You need to switch it to a 5.0 linear bulb. Instead of leaving the light on 24 hours you should get a small space heater and put it by the cage. That should help the temperatures (only if it gets lower than mid 60's i would say(make sure it doesnt make it to hot.)

Mist him a few more times a day, but that doesnt have much to do with the burns
 
Yeah. I think its best to make the changes Sancho said. I'm leaning toward the UV as well.
 
leid said:
The side burn leads me to believe it might be UV burns though unless he somehow managed to bask on his side?
Click to expand...

The zoomed and exo-terra bulbs are formulated to reduce UVC output so UV burns are unlikely. I know my veiled will angle herself on her vine to receive the most light on her sides.

Keep in mind the the size of your chameleon when you measure the basking spot. The vine or plant may read 90*F but your cham is receiving light 3"-4" above that point. Temps can jump 20 or 30*F in that small amount of space. This would account for the large amount of burning on the back. Cut back bulb wattage. A 75W incandescent spotlight is more appropriate. Halogens put out a lot more heat from my experience.

It seems your enclosure ambient temps are already on the high end. What's the room temperature where he's located.
 
what kind of 100w bulb are you using...if it is a actual red heat bulb that is way too much heat......my house stays pretty cool in the basement and even at night it dips to around 62-67 and i do not use a heat bulb....during the day i have never had to use anything except a normal 40w household bulb turned on and off throughout the day...just to make sure they dont burn....my ambiant temps range from 70-80 throughout the day but usually sit at 75 and i have never had a problem...for the most part switching the light off and on throughout the day replicates clouds moving over the sun...so ot gives them a chance to cool off and than heat up again....if you ask the vet for some cream for the burns everything should be alright...i had a similar problem with a cham i got from someone else in poor health and it had some burns...i cant remember the cream name but it worked and everything was fine within a couple weeks....chams are pretty strong when it comes to flesh wounds..in my opinion....i had a male nip a females arm pretty hard during an attempted mating and she healed up real quick with no aid at all..there was a little wound but it still healed quick.....i wish you luck...and GET THE LIGHTS OUT OF THE CAGE!!!!!....HANG THEM OVER AND GET A THERMOMETER AND A HYDROMETER....10 BUCKS FOR THE DUAL READER FROM ALMOST ANY PET SHOP OR AQUARIUM STORE!!!
 
dindy said:
HANG THEM OVER AND GET A THERMOMETER AND A HYDROMETER....10 BUCKS FOR THE DUAL READER FROM ALMOST ANY PET SHOP OR AQUARIUM STORE!!!
Click to expand...

I wanna know where you shop. Cheapest I've found was for $20 at Canadian Tire on clearence. Local exotics shops want upwards of $30-35 for one.

You also want to consider getting a temperature gun for accurate basking temps of both your basking spot and the chameleon.
 
dindy said:
what kind of 100w bulb are you using...

...........

GET THE LIGHTS OUT OF THE CAGE!!!!!....HANG THEM OVER AND GET A THERMOMETER AND A HYDROMETER....10 BUCKS FOR THE DUAL READER FROM ALMOST ANY PET SHOP OR AQUARIUM STORE!!!
Click to expand...


The bulb is halogen.not red... I will get the lights out of the tank and put them on the roof of it asap :) then a trip to the vet :)

Thank you all for the help, will let you all know how it goes :)
 
BigR said:
I wanna know where you shop. Cheapest I've found was for $20 at Canadian Tire on clearence. Local exotics shops want upwards of $30-35 for one.

You also want to consider getting a temperature gun for accurate basking temps of both your basking spot and the chameleon.
Click to expand...

*Chuckles* and converts dollars to sterling :rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

C
Veiled Chameleon slowing down and falling.
Replies
8
Views
1K
Chey8708
C
Z
Dehydration Help
Replies
9
Views
427
jamest0o0
jamest0o0
Gecky
Please help, I don't know what's wrong
Replies
3
Views
834
kinyonga
K
C
Male veiled keeping mouth slightly open sometimes
Replies
6
Views
949
ehdee6
ehdee6
Congo221
Help!
Replies
9
Views
2K
JacksJill
JacksJill
Back
Top Bottom