Severed toe

[raynahjj]

Hi everyone, I have a Jackson's chameleon named Sebastian, and yesterday while he was climbing the front-facing side of his enclosure, I realized one of his nails, and maybe the tip of his digit has come off. I will insert a picture, but I'm not able to get the best one. There is dried blood at the tip. He doesn't seem to be very bothered by the incident. I work at a pet store and our animal specialist suggested that I give him a 10 minute warm betadine bath. Which I realized is just iodopovidone, so I think I'll just go get that from the drug store? Unless there's something else I should be doing. I don't exactly know how it happened. I'm thinking it must've just gotten caught in something, which I feel so horrible about. I don't think it was from shedding, although I did consider that for a moment because I am not the best at maintaining a steady humidity. But I've realized he hasn't shed in a few weeks. But maybe I'm mislead, and it could still be a shedding related thing even if he hasn't shed recently? In any case, I'll be watching him closely to see if he tends to get stuck anywhere, and also to more closely monitor the humidity. Let me know what you guys think I should do for him. Thank you!!

 

[CBee7726]

Unfortunately I think this is a common occurrence with screen climbing: nails can get caught in the screen and can get ripped off, especially if they get too big to support their weight. How old is your boy?
Screen climbing is common when the chameleon is in a cage that is either too small, or not enough branches in the enclosure. What size is his enclosure? Please take a picture of the entire enclosure, including the lights.

 

[nightanole]

And this is the reason i switched to half inch or 1/4" screen. Though i lost the ability to free range feeders

 

[raynahjj]

Unfortunately I think this is a common occurrence with screen climbing: nails can get caught in the screen and can get ripped off, especially if they get too big to support their weight. How old is your boy?
Screen climbing is common when the chameleon is in a cage that is either too small, or not enough branches in the enclosure. What size is his enclosure? Please take a picture of the entire enclosure, including the lights.

I will send a photo of his enclosure. An upgrade is pending. I still have him in his first enclosure, and I'm looking to get him a new terrarium, I think the one I've been looking at is the Zilla Fresh Air Mesh Cage that is a 18x30x30 but I can't be sure if that's the exact one. His home right now is from the Zoo Med starter kit and it's an 16x16x30. I have some of the fake plants that came with the kit as well as some I've gotten from my store and online. I just bought him a spider wood branch, but other than that I'm not really sure how I'll improve the decor once I have the new cage. I have a UVB hood and rod on order that took me way too long to get...Also he's about 4-5 months old. By the way the hanging wire you see is from his old thermostat which I was swapping for the new one, so it was only temporarily there, and has since been moved.

 

[CBee7726]

So based on the photos, upgrades are in order, and I'm glad to hear you've gotten a head start on it!
Most recommend a larger cage size for this species than you currently have, and may be part of the reason he is screen climbing.
Most people recommend the linear T5 HO 5.0 for UVB. The compact does not put out enough UVB to be fully beneficial to your cham. This is really important, as it will eventually lead to MBD if not corrected. Which UVB hood did you order?
I would also replace the fake plants with more live ones that provide additional coverage. Adding more branches and climbing places will also help reduce the screen climbing in addition to providing more space.

@JacksJill @Kaizen

Finally, it may be a good idea to have your entire husbandry reviewed to ensure you're providing the best care you can for your cham, if you haven't done so already.
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:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful

 

[salty dog]

I second the linear uv light, without it your cham will not survive

 

[JacksJill]

This is a common injury. It can get infected and probably hurts. The best treatment would be vet care where he could get antibiotics and something for pain and inflammation. First aid might be good to get some triple antibiotic ointment or Silvadene on the wound.
Whatever you do watch it closely for swelling, unwillingness to use the foot as these would be signs of increasing infection and must be seen by a vet.
Adding more horizontal branches and even plastic temporary fencing material to the cage interior can help prevent this.