absolutbill
Chameleon Enthusiast
Over the span of the past month I've lost 2 of my 3 chameleons. I'm not new to keeping, and thought that I had a handle on everything. However their losses have brought some things to light that I hadn't realized, so to make their lives more meaningful I thought I'd share a couple of things I've learned in the hopes that others won't go down the same path.
My female panther, Keeley, was the first to pass away - it was quite suddenly on Earth Day ironically enough. She was about 2 1/2 years old, never bred, but was gravid. She had a lay bin in her cage, that had been there ever since she was 6 months old. I had misted it to make sure that the sand was moist enough, and trusted her to lay her eggs. She grew larger and larger, and I ignored the little voice inside my head telling me to take her to a vet. One day she looked plump and pretty hanging out in her tree, the next morning she was dead in her lay bin. I was heart broken, but she was my first female and I chalked it up to a learning curve. I've also determined I won't be getting any more females anytime soon.
This morning I lost Kimani, my male veiled, and my avatar. I got him when he was a month old, startled at his tiny size when I opened his shipping container. I made a cardinal mistake when he was a baby - to avoid stressing him out, I rarely held him. I wanted him to be comfortable in his surroundings. This turned into him being frightened of everything and everyone. He would hide when anyone approached his cage, and hiss at my husband (who fed him the majority of the time).
What I didn't realize in all of that time was that even though I was dusting his feeders correctly, because he wouldn't eat in front of anyone, and would let them run around his cage for hours, the feeders were knocking off all of the supplements. I thought I was doing the right thing by him, changing his UVB every 6 months, and giving proper nutrition. With his flighty nature I could never take him out to the lanai for the benefits of our Florida sunshine, until the last 6 months or so. By then it was too late as I was to learn.
About 3 weeks ago I was taking him out to the lanai when I noticed his grip failing. Keeping a close eye on him I realized he was getting weaker, and even falling. I took him to a local vet (not the most experienced but the best I had in the area). He suggested liquid calcium and sent me on my way. I gave the calcium and watched Kimani like a hawk. There was no improvement, so I made an appointment with the famous Dr. Mader in Marathon. For those not familiar with Florida geography this represented an 8 hour round trip drive for us - thankfully I had a good friend to go with me and keep me company.
Dr. Mader examined him, took x-rays, and then broke my heart. He told me that Kimani had about 30 broken bones due to MBD. He was a little surprised when I talked about my husbandry, and at Kimani's age (3 1/2 years old). That's when I determined that it was the dust being knocked off the feeders for so many years, and his unwillingness to let me hold him to take him out to the lanai. Dr. Mader gave me pain meds, as well as more calcium and recommended me moving Kimani outside to the lanai permanately.
For the past 2 weeks he has spent about 6-12 hours on the lanai on a makeshift holder on a ficus tree. I lined the floor underneath with pillows and towels for when he fell. I sat on the lanai after work holding him and coaxing him to eat anything he would. For about a week it looked like he was doing better, but over the last 3 days he lost the use of 2 of his legs as well as his will to live. This morning he passed peacefully, cradled in a towel under his favorite ficus tree.
I know this is really long, but I just wanted to share my story with other keepers, because knowledge really is power.
1. If you have a gravid female, and you get that "little voice", take her to a vet, immediately.
2. Dusting doesn't help if your cham doesn't scarf up everything in sight as soon as you give him his breakfast.
3. Teach your cham from an early age that you are not to be feared, and have a chameleon-friendly place to take them on a regular basis to soak up some natural sunshine.
My female panther, Keeley, was the first to pass away - it was quite suddenly on Earth Day ironically enough. She was about 2 1/2 years old, never bred, but was gravid. She had a lay bin in her cage, that had been there ever since she was 6 months old. I had misted it to make sure that the sand was moist enough, and trusted her to lay her eggs. She grew larger and larger, and I ignored the little voice inside my head telling me to take her to a vet. One day she looked plump and pretty hanging out in her tree, the next morning she was dead in her lay bin. I was heart broken, but she was my first female and I chalked it up to a learning curve. I've also determined I won't be getting any more females anytime soon.
This morning I lost Kimani, my male veiled, and my avatar. I got him when he was a month old, startled at his tiny size when I opened his shipping container. I made a cardinal mistake when he was a baby - to avoid stressing him out, I rarely held him. I wanted him to be comfortable in his surroundings. This turned into him being frightened of everything and everyone. He would hide when anyone approached his cage, and hiss at my husband (who fed him the majority of the time).
What I didn't realize in all of that time was that even though I was dusting his feeders correctly, because he wouldn't eat in front of anyone, and would let them run around his cage for hours, the feeders were knocking off all of the supplements. I thought I was doing the right thing by him, changing his UVB every 6 months, and giving proper nutrition. With his flighty nature I could never take him out to the lanai for the benefits of our Florida sunshine, until the last 6 months or so. By then it was too late as I was to learn.
About 3 weeks ago I was taking him out to the lanai when I noticed his grip failing. Keeping a close eye on him I realized he was getting weaker, and even falling. I took him to a local vet (not the most experienced but the best I had in the area). He suggested liquid calcium and sent me on my way. I gave the calcium and watched Kimani like a hawk. There was no improvement, so I made an appointment with the famous Dr. Mader in Marathon. For those not familiar with Florida geography this represented an 8 hour round trip drive for us - thankfully I had a good friend to go with me and keep me company.
Dr. Mader examined him, took x-rays, and then broke my heart. He told me that Kimani had about 30 broken bones due to MBD. He was a little surprised when I talked about my husbandry, and at Kimani's age (3 1/2 years old). That's when I determined that it was the dust being knocked off the feeders for so many years, and his unwillingness to let me hold him to take him out to the lanai. Dr. Mader gave me pain meds, as well as more calcium and recommended me moving Kimani outside to the lanai permanately.
For the past 2 weeks he has spent about 6-12 hours on the lanai on a makeshift holder on a ficus tree. I lined the floor underneath with pillows and towels for when he fell. I sat on the lanai after work holding him and coaxing him to eat anything he would. For about a week it looked like he was doing better, but over the last 3 days he lost the use of 2 of his legs as well as his will to live. This morning he passed peacefully, cradled in a towel under his favorite ficus tree.
I know this is really long, but I just wanted to share my story with other keepers, because knowledge really is power.
1. If you have a gravid female, and you get that "little voice", take her to a vet, immediately.
2. Dusting doesn't help if your cham doesn't scarf up everything in sight as soon as you give him his breakfast.
3. Teach your cham from an early age that you are not to be feared, and have a chameleon-friendly place to take them on a regular basis to soak up some natural sunshine.
