Sick chameleon -baby veiled

Mirandatt

New Member
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 - A veiled chameleon, a baby, unknown age, about the size of a mini Bic lighter...
Handling - so far, just out of his cage at the pet store and Into the one he's in now.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Well he isn't interested in food but I tried mealworms, crickets and kale.
Supplements - I do have calcium powder but haven't got to use it yet.
Watering - I mist his enclosure with warm-ish water for about 45 seconds about 5 times a day. I haven't set-up with a dropper because he doesn't move anyways.

Fecal Description - i have not seen
Any fecal matter
History - the pet store had 1 light on him and I don't
Think they ever dusted his food or really knew how to deal with him, which is too bad.

Cage Info: ?
Cage Type - glass aquarium, screen top, it's about 3x2x2.
Lighting - Both on for 12 hours, off for 12 hours. I have a tropical uvb bulb, Exo-Terra brand at 13 w. Also a daylight blue uva bulb from the brand Zoo-Med at 60 w.
Temperature - Cham lays at bottom of enclosure and does not bask. His average daytime temperature is around 80-85. I use a master craft laser temperature gun thing.
Humidity - Unknown for now. I'm waiting on getting paid to buy a dual temperature/humidity gauge.
Plants - I have 2 live non toxic plants in there. 1 is a Jade plant that's all I can remember. There's also 1 fake vine with leaves.
Placement - Chams enclosure is about 5 feet off the ground on a dresser, he's
not near any fans or vents. It's in a
Spare bedroom where there is low traffic, if any.
Location - I live in southern Ontario in Canada.

Current Problem - i know it was sort of irresponsible for me but here's my story: kept my eye on a baby chameleon getting improper treatment at the pet store and I could tell he wasn't doing well. The shop owner handed him over to me for free so that I could try helping him. I've had him for 2 days and he just lays lethargically at the bottom of the enclosure with his eyes closed. His legs are weak and he cannot support himself. His tail and back legs are a brown colour and they look a little dry and shrivelled. He will not take any food handed to him or put in front of him and I have not seen him drink either. He responds to misting by lifting his head and kind of seems to enjoy it? And opens his mouth up too.
Help me!!! What else can I do for the wee one?
 
Reply

Hey there, sorry to hear about this :( try giving it more calcium and spray it a bit more. When he opens his mouth it means he is getting water from the mist
 
Last edited:
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 - A veiled chameleon, a baby, unknown age, about the size of a mini Bic lighter...
Handling - so far, just out of his cage at the pet store and Into the one he's in now.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Well he isn't interested in food but I tried mealworms, crickets and kale.
Supplements - I do have calcium powder but haven't got to use it yet.
Watering - I mist his enclosure with warm-ish water for about 45 seconds about 5 times a day. I haven't set-up with a dropper because he doesn't move anyways.

Fecal Description - i have not seen
Any fecal matter
History - the pet store had 1 light on him and I don't
Think they ever dusted his food or really knew how to deal with him, which is too bad.

Cage Info: ?
Cage Type - glass aquarium, screen top, it's about 3x2x2.
Lighting - Both on for 12 hours, off for 12 hours. I have a tropical uvb bulb, Exo-Terra brand at 13 w. Also a daylight blue uva bulb from the brand Zoo-Med at 60 w.
Temperature - Cham lays at bottom of enclosure and does not bask. His average daytime temperature is around 80-85. I use a master craft laser temperature gun thing.
Humidity - Unknown for now. I'm waiting on getting paid to buy a dual temperature/humidity gauge.
Plants - I have 2 live non toxic plants in there. 1 is a Jade plant that's all I can remember. There's also 1 fake vine with leaves.
Placement - Chams enclosure is about 5 feet off the ground on a dresser, he's
not near any fans or vents. It's in a
Spare bedroom where there is low traffic, if any.
Location - I live in southern Ontario in Canada.

Current Problem - i know it was sort of irresponsible for me but here's my story: kept my eye on a baby chameleon getting improper treatment at the pet store and I could tell he wasn't doing well. The shop owner handed him over to me for free so that I could try helping him. I've had him for 2 days and he just lays lethargically at the bottom of the enclosure with his eyes closed. His legs are weak and he cannot support himself. His tail and back legs are a brown colour and they look a little dry and shrivelled. He will not take any food handed to him or put in front of him and I have not seen him drink either. He responds to misting by lifting his head and kind of seems to enjoy it? And opens his mouth up too.
Help me!!! What else can I do for the wee one?

If you can get him to open his mouth try giving him a small amount of Pedialyte with an eye dropper. Just enough so he can try swallowing it on his own. He is probably so dehydrated and depleted he has no energy to even try to drink or stand. I'm afraid that seeing large areas of dark or very pale color in odd places on his body are signs that he's close to death. So very sad and unnecessary!
 
I got a few good drops of pedialyte in his mouth . if he still seems the same in the morning should I give him a few more drops?
 
I got a few good drops of pedialyte in his mouth . if he still seems the same in the morning should I give him a few more drops?

Yes. He's in very bad shape so you probably won't see any rapid improvement. Don't be tempted to give him a lot of fluid at once. He can easily aspirate it (get it down into the trachea) that way. If he does respond, keep giving him some so he can swallow on his own. If he starts showing more energy you could try squeezing the soft body contents of a feeder insect into his mouth. You are trying to give him fluids, electrolytes, sugars and nutrients for energy.
 
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