Rescued Veiled Chameleon

[shaekinz]

Hello beautiful people!
I am a recent chameleon owner (two days recent) and was looking for some advice. We rescued Benji from one of my coworkers who was not providing him with the care needed for him to live a happy and long life. They would sometimes forget to feed him for a week or two at a time, no regulation of temperature or humidity levels, no misting just a bowl at the bottom of the enclosure, and one branch for him to climb on in the cage. Benji is about a year old now and seems much to small and skinny to me. I will attach a picture. We have been giving him crickets dusted in calcium/vitamin powder and offering spinach/ strawberries whenever he wants to eat it. I was wondering if anyone had any advice for me going forward on what to do to improve his condition? To be honest, also confused as to whether Benji really is a he or if he could be a she? Any helpful tips would be greatly appreciated for this new chameleon mama! I just want him to live the fat and happy life that he deserves

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!
So good that you could rescue him.

To tell the sex for sure...look at the back of the heels to see if there is a tarsal spur. Make veiled chameleons have them...females don't...
https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/glossary/tarsalspur.html

More to follow.

 

[kinyonga]

If you answer the questions below and show photos of the caging including the lights ...we can help you better...

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and types 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?
Placement - 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?
Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

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Please Note:
The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.

 

[kinyonga]

Here are some sites with excellent information too...
https://m.youtube.com/c/NeptunetheChameleon
https://m.youtube.com/c/ChameleonAcademy/videos
https://chameleonacademy.com

 

[Lindasjackson]

He definitely looks very small for his age!