somthings wrong with my chameleon
- Thread starter Xavyr
- Start date
first off you need to fill in the question-are for people to help you. sounds like MBD but we have no idea what condition's she lives in, ect. fill this out;
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.
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.
Elizadolots
New Member
I think it's a bit premature to be diagnosing MBD. It could be any number of things including a minor injury from a fall.
Definitely do fill out the form and if possible provide pictures, particularly showing the leg in question.
Definitely do fill out the form and if possible provide pictures, particularly showing the leg in question.
sdheli420
Avid Member
YA..but we all know what "shaky" means ..hopefully not mbd..
Elizadolots
New Member
But, she's shaky only when using the leg with the bump on it. While MBD is definitely something to consider, it's not a slam dunk diagnosis.
never said it was a slam dunk. just an oberservation. i don't like it when people say "shaky"
i have a female veiled chameleon
got her at petsmart a month ago maby a little bit longer
i handel her not often i try to give her ,her own space
i spray her 2 times a day and no i dont see her drink
her fecal Description is a yellowish white color
cage info
my cage is glass
light is exo terra 75w
i havent bought a thermometer
planst : i have a bambo plant and some fake leafs that you stick to the tank
the tank is located on my dresser in the corner of my room and i have a celling fan in the middle of my room and not by high traffic areas
and i live in austin texas
got her at petsmart a month ago maby a little bit longer
i handel her not often i try to give her ,her own space
i spray her 2 times a day and no i dont see her drink
her fecal Description is a yellowish white color
cage info
my cage is glass
light is exo terra 75w
i havent bought a thermometer
planst : i have a bambo plant and some fake leafs that you stick to the tank
the tank is located on my dresser in the corner of my room and i have a celling fan in the middle of my room and not by high traffic areas
and i live in austin texas
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
please describe the type of lighting in more detail
please describe in detail what you feed her, and what you feed the feeders
Please tell us what calcium and vitamins products you supplement with, and describe the method you use
You MUST measure the temperature and humidity inside the cage, else how else will you know if you are providing the right environment? This is especially important when using a glass cage.
please describe in detail what you feed her, and what you feed the feeders
Please tell us what calcium and vitamins products you supplement with, and describe the method you use
You MUST measure the temperature and humidity inside the cage, else how else will you know if you are providing the right environment? This is especially important when using a glass cage.
How old is she?
As was already said, we need more information.
In the meantime here's some information that might help...
You will need a UVB light or you will need to take it out into the sunlight daily. The most often recommended UVB light is the long fluorescent tube Repti-Sun 5.0. Some of the compacts, spirals and even some of the other tube lights can cause health issues. The UVB light should not pass though glass or plastic. If the temperature in the basking area is not in the mid to upper 80'sF then you will need a regular incandescent household bulb in a hood to make a basking area. IMHO its best to place this to one side over the lid of the cage to give a gradient in temps. Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium). Not sure how to tell you to dust WC insects if that is what you will be doing.
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Water can be provided by misting the cage at least once a day and by running a dripper.
Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Also...if its a female that is over 4 months of age it needs a place to dig in the cage so it can lay eggs when/if necessary. Veiled females do not have to mate to produce eggs and failure to provide a place to lay them can lead to eggbinding and death.
If by some chance your chameleon does have MBD you will need to correct the nutrient imbalance and correct your husbandry to keep the nutrients in line so it won't come back. Whatever damage is already done (like deformed/broken bones) will not correct itself...but the bones will become strong again. MBD also affects other systems in the chameleon which may or may not be okay once the problem is corrected.
As was already said, we need more information.
In the meantime here's some information that might help...
You will need a UVB light or you will need to take it out into the sunlight daily. The most often recommended UVB light is the long fluorescent tube Repti-Sun 5.0. Some of the compacts, spirals and even some of the other tube lights can cause health issues. The UVB light should not pass though glass or plastic. If the temperature in the basking area is not in the mid to upper 80'sF then you will need a regular incandescent household bulb in a hood to make a basking area. IMHO its best to place this to one side over the lid of the cage to give a gradient in temps. Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
A wide variety of insects that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it. At that size you only need to feed it every two or three days. Feed it enough that it doesn't get fat (and, of course, doesn't get thin either).
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium). Not sure how to tell you to dust WC insects if that is what you will be doing.
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Water can be provided by misting the cage at least once a day and by running a dripper.
Here are some good sites for you to read...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Also...if its a female that is over 4 months of age it needs a place to dig in the cage so it can lay eggs when/if necessary. Veiled females do not have to mate to produce eggs and failure to provide a place to lay them can lead to eggbinding and death.
If by some chance your chameleon does have MBD you will need to correct the nutrient imbalance and correct your husbandry to keep the nutrients in line so it won't come back. Whatever damage is already done (like deformed/broken bones) will not correct itself...but the bones will become strong again. MBD also affects other systems in the chameleon which may or may not be okay once the problem is corrected.
Last edited:
JohnnyButt
New Member
ugh I hate petsmart staff if barely equipped/knowledgeable to take care of reptiles let alone a baby cham don't know how many iv been in with veils for sale and no screen cages or calc w/o d3
sdheli420
Avid Member
totally not..and hell, i would hope not if my cham shook on one leg..usually bruises..since they are sensative lil creatures (im hoping for a simple bruise)
Elizadolots
New Member
You need to have the picture on your computer, not your phone.* Use the "post reply" button. You cannot use the "quick reply" box.
That will take you to a reply box with more tools. Click on the one that looks like a paperclip. That will let you browse your computer to find the file and upload it. It will show in your post as a thumbnail that will enlarge when clicked on.
If that doesn't seem to work, get a PHOTOBUCKET account. Follow their directions to upload pictures. You'll get an URL for each image. You can post them here using the little icon that looks like a picture of a mountain with the moon over it.
Please do give us all of the information in the "how to ask for help" form and share as many pictures as you can.
somthing whent wrong with are camera and im gana post the picture tmrrow .... and my chameleon is about 7 months or a little more and she is moving more but sne still hold the front part of her self up when she moves on the ground and she is still shakey but not alot ...thank you guys for helping me and ill try to get that picture posted and what other info do you need?
suzi
Avid Member
Without a doubt
