Hi everyone, I am new to to caring for a veiled chameleon. I was cleaning out an apartment and found this little girl in a fish tank with a huge peice of wood and wood shavings. It had a water bowl and some beetles. I'm not sure when it had actual food. My man concern is this chameleons walking so strange, she almost looks like shes waving. And she never picks up her body off the floor. Shes very skinny and is constantly in a u shape, her ribs just stick out. I have brought her home and got her some calcium coated crickets andmealworms. Her tank now is larger with UVB light and I was able to bring in a branch for her to climb. I put coconut bedding on the bottom and some fake plants around, misting the leaves and side of tank. I spent what I could to prepare her a good habitat with the funds I have available and the local pet store didnt know much about them even tho they sold them there. Is there any other suggestions that yall might have to help rehab this chameleon? Do you think she will make it?
Rehabilitating found Chameleon
- Thread starter Fidget
- Start date
Thank you. Ok so attached is pictures of her on the dresser, she doesnt lift her body at all. I tried to post a video but it wont let me upload it. Today she looks fatter and shes actually starting to pick up her tail and curl it. I'm going to try to go out and find some more fake plants and leaves and such today to make her habitat more tropical. And pick up more calcium coated crickets, she ate 17 of them suckers yesterday plus a spoon full of large superworms
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That looks really good!! We are going out today to see what all we can find. We weren't expecting to gain a new family member but determined to give little Yoshi the best life she can have. I'm doing much more research now and going to find a way to get her in a more natural habitat and much more nutrients.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
Well the first thing you have to do is get her out of that fish tank. Chameleons cant live in fish tanks.
She needs to see a Vet, TODAY as well.
Reptofreak
Chameleon Enthusiast
I commend you for helping the poor girl. But with her condition being so severe I would consider having the vet Put her down. It’s sad and whoever left her in that apartment needs to be turned in for animal cruelty. I would seriously look into who the former tenant was and turn them in. That’s not just a case of bad husbandry, it’s animal cruelty! They left her to die!
Bill
Bill
The neighbor told me the tenant passed away 3 months ago with no family. I'm just the hired help to clean it out. I have a friend making a screened enclosure this weekend and we are going out today for branches and such. The vet just told us she has mbd but no broken bones. and needs extra calcium uvb light and low branches n foliage instead of tall since shes a fall risk. She may recover but it's going to be a long road. Thank you all for your help and guidance.
lokiopolis
Established Member
I wish you the best helping her, it breaks my heart that things like this happen
absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
Good luck to you - it's a long road ahead, but it is possible. You are wonderful for rescuing her like this and doing all you can to help her. We're all rooting for you both!
Reptofreak
Chameleon Enthusiast
Ah, well that just makes the story even sadder doesn’t it.
Well your definitely in the right place to get the information you need. There are some amazing and helpful people here that have a vast wealth of knowledge.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
You are undoubtably going to have a long slow healing process with this poor girl. You do need to get her out of the fish tank and into a cage ASAP. She needs some decent air flow. Veiled chameleons are from Yemen and not tropical. You may be able to pick up a decent cage off Craigslist...just clean it well. To avoid risk of respiratory and other infection her humidity should only be 40% during the day with basking temp of low 80’s. At night no lights or added heat - temps should drop and humidity can get much higher. In a fish tank meeting those needs will be very hard. No substrate...just bare floor is best or a paper towel. Live plants like Pothos and lots of branches/sticks or vines. Of course a proper linear uvb light like T5 with 5% bulb is needed to synthesize bit D. Gutload feeders well. This is a great place to learn much more and do check out the podcasts. https://chameleonacademy.com/
Honestly I’m surprised this little girl survived so long without any care. Did the vet prescribe any calcium or other supplements? If not, you’ll want to dust at every feeding with phosphorus free calcium. Twice a month dust feeders with calcium with bit D3 and twice a month with a multivitamin. Here are help sheets in feeders and gutloading them.
Honestly I’m surprised this little girl survived so long without any care. Did the vet prescribe any calcium or other supplements? If not, you’ll want to dust at every feeding with phosphorus free calcium. Twice a month dust feeders with calcium with bit D3 and twice a month with a multivitamin. Here are help sheets in feeders and gutloading them.
She need some Iiquid calcium from a vet.
She will also need proper supplementing, well fed properly fed/gutloaded insects, proper UVB light and good basking temperatures.
What you've done with the bottom of her cage is perfect except that I would remove the substrate and just keep it bare for now so she doesn't accidentally ingest some substrate and become impacted as well.
With proper treatment t she could still have a good life although her arms and legs will never be straight.
Supplementing...I dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with RepCal phos free calcium powder lightly at all feedings but 4 a month. Two of those 4 I dust lightly with a phos free calcium/D3 powder (say he 1st and 15th of the month). The other 2 days (say the 7th and the 21st) I dust with herptivite. Herptivite has a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A...so if/when your chameleon needs some prEformed vitamin A it will be up to you to give it separately.
Gutloading/feeding insects...crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms can be fed/gutloaded with dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, mustard greens, zucchini, squash, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, carrots, etc and a SMALL amount of apples, pears, melon, berries.
Basking...light...you can use a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that produces a temperature in the low to mid 80'sF...close enough to her that she can bask without getting burned or being able to touch the light for now.
UVB..long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light is the most often recommended one to use. Make sure it's close enough to do her some good while she is healing...but again...not close enough that she can touch it.
I hope this helps.
She will also need proper supplementing, well fed properly fed/gutloaded insects, proper UVB light and good basking temperatures.
What you've done with the bottom of her cage is perfect except that I would remove the substrate and just keep it bare for now so she doesn't accidentally ingest some substrate and become impacted as well.
With proper treatment t she could still have a good life although her arms and legs will never be straight.
Supplementing...I dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with RepCal phos free calcium powder lightly at all feedings but 4 a month. Two of those 4 I dust lightly with a phos free calcium/D3 powder (say he 1st and 15th of the month). The other 2 days (say the 7th and the 21st) I dust with herptivite. Herptivite has a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A...so if/when your chameleon needs some prEformed vitamin A it will be up to you to give it separately.
Gutloading/feeding insects...crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms can be fed/gutloaded with dandelion greens, kale, collards, endive, mustard greens, zucchini, squash, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, carrots, etc and a SMALL amount of apples, pears, melon, berries.
Basking...light...you can use a regular incandescent household bulb of a wattage that produces a temperature in the low to mid 80'sF...close enough to her that she can bask without getting burned or being able to touch the light for now.
UVB..long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light is the most often recommended one to use. Make sure it's close enough to do her some good while she is healing...but again...not close enough that she can touch it.
I hope this helps.
cyberlocc
Chameleon Enthusiast
I see this alot, am curious where it stems from?
Veiled Chameleons are from Tihamah, in Yemen, its the Western Coastal Plains, and is 100% Tropical. They may be found in other areas of Yemen as well, of that I dont know I know little about Veileds, they are not a favored species of mine. I do know they are also found and have became invasive in Tropical Florida, and Tropical Maui. If you have any sources of them living outside of Tropical Conditions I would love to see it.
To be clear I am not trying to attack you miss skittles or anyone else, just curious where this stems from as I see it quite often, and if it is Fact, I would love to know
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