Sperm plug problems

[Morbis the meleon]

Chameleons are diurnal and have a parietal eye that is very light sensitive. The difference between a dull light that is on his cage and the moonlight if the proximity to him. The light is concentrated closer than the moon. You said earlier that you were concerned now because he is sleeping. If he is sleeping during the day then it is most likely bothering him.

On another note, You said you dust with a multivitamin and Calcium with D3 accordingly, what is your schedule? Do you use calcium without D3 as a daily duster?

Please know, I am just trying to help you figure this out. I would feel horrible if I saw something I thought might help and didn't say anything and then you were to have trouble later. The whole reason you came here was for help, right? I know you asked mainly about the sperm plug but these are just things I have picked out from the information you have given. He is super cool looking, I love his white toes. Veils are wonderful and have such personalities.

My baby gets multivitamin and d3 calcium every 2 weeks. I give him calcium with every feeding. (Dusted crickets) I also have a pretty good diet for him and get him organics from the local farmers market. The light is really, really, really, dull and I've seen him sleep all night with his head right beneath it completely unbothered/un-agitated. I really don't think it's the light because i would barely consider it a light. I can't even tell it's on half the time. I will pick him up a ceramic heat emitter just in case though because I will take any opportunity to spoil my cute little Morris.

 

[Peachypink]

It's always good to cover all the bases.

Thanks for clarifying the supplements, you just never know. I didn't see a mention of calcium with no D3 and I've seen new members be a bit confused on the right supplement schedule. Again, just trying to get the bigger picture to help best we can.

I know you don't want to hurt the great relationship you have with him and tick him off with the misting but it really will make a world of difference in his hydration. I had a veiled the hated it so much. My trick was to just make sure to not spray him directly. And eventually, he got to where he would drink from the nozzle if I put it on stream and let the water arc right in front of him after I had sprayed for 2-3 minutes. It was hilarious. He would get right up to the nozzle and lick it. If I accidentally pushed the trigger too hard and sprayed him in the face he would back away but then come right back. I used one of those reptile sprayers that have the pump and use air pressure.

 

[Morbis the meleon]

It's always good to cover all the bases.

Thanks for clarifying the supplements, you just never know. I didn't see a mention of calcium with no D3 and I've seen new members be a bit confused on the right supplement schedule. Again, just trying to get the bigger picture to help best we can.

I know you don't want to hurt the great relationship you have with him and tick him off with the misting but it really will make a world of difference in his hydration. I had a veiled the hated it so much. My trick was to just make sure to not spray him directly. And eventually, he got to where he would drink from the nozzle if I put it on stream and let the water arc right in front of him after I had sprayed for 2-3 minutes. It was hilarious. He would get right up to the nozzle and lick it. If I accidentally pushed the trigger too hard and sprayed him in the face he would back away but then come right back. I used one of those reptile sprayers that have the pump and use air pressure.

That's super adorable. Not to get too off track but my little Asian long tail grass lizard does that sometimes as well. He even runs up the tweezers in search of food like I'm starving him lolol! Reptiles are the best, they always make me laugh.

 

[Decadancin]

The light is really, really, really, dull and I've seen him sleep all night with his head right beneath it completely unbothered/un-agitated. I really don't think it's the light because i would barely consider it a light. I can't even tell it's on half the time. I will pick him up a ceramic heat emitter just in case though because I will take any opportunity to spoil my cute little Morris.

The light is really, really, really, not necessary and can still be disruptive to a chameleon's sleep. (Especially if he is right under it.) What temp is the enclosure at night? As stated, it is a good thing to have the temps drop at night. Even into the 40's in some cases. Reptiles have different needs than us high maintenance mammals .

 

[jajeanpierre]

My baby gets multivitamin and d3 calcium every 2 weeks. I give him calcium with every feeding. (Dusted crickets) I also have a pretty good diet for him and get him organics from the local farmers market. The light is really, really, really, dull and I've seen him sleep all night with his head right beneath it completely unbothered/un-agitated. I really don't think it's the light because i would barely consider it a light. I can't even tell it's on half the time. I will pick him up a ceramic heat emitter just in case though because I will take any opportunity to spoil my cute little Morris.

Your baby looks a little dehydrated.

The retained sperm plugs are a symptom of Vitamin A deficiency, which I think is a pretty big problem with captive chameleons, especially captive bred ones. I've never seen a sperm plug hanging from any one of my many adult males chameleons. I believe the reason is because all but two of my male chameleons were hatched or grew up in the wild and their mothers had a perfect diet so the egg they hatched out of would have been very nutrient rich, which is not the case for captive bred veileds. Many of the vitamin powders use Beta Carotene which a chameleon doesn't convert to Vitamin A. The vitamin powders that actually do contain Vitamin A begin to deteriorate as soon as they are opened (if not before) and last at most 6 months in the refrigerator. I use human Vitamin A gel caps and put a drop from a 8000 IU Vitamin A cap on a feeder once a month. I am thinking of doing it twice a month and for some I do. I am hesitant to write what I do since there is more to Vitamin A than just Vitamin A and I haven't read all the research. I have also bought some injectable Vitamin A (with Vitamin E included I think) from my vet but am not sure of the dosage to give (she gave me a dosage but I question what the vet tech wrote down because the math just doesn't add up) and am unsure of the strength since she didn't sell me a vial of it, just a syringe full to inject into feeders. With all the usual caveats, I think there is so much Vitamin A deficiency in captive chameleons, I am going to take the position that a drop of human-grade Vitamin A (NOT Beta Carotene) from a 8000 IU human gel cap on a feeder once a month will not do any harm. But, of course, it might.

I also think that an automatic misting system is a necessity for every pet chameleon. Hand misting is just not the same as a mister going on and fogging the place for a few minutes several times a day. I rarely if ever see my chameleons drink. In fact, if I do I think they must be sick or dehydrated. It seem to me that my chameleons seem to breath in the water rather than actively drink exept after something like laying a clutch of eggs.

You mention that your chameleon is "unbothered/un-agitated" by a light on at night. I don't think you understand the dynamics of stress in captive chameleons. Stress is not something you or I can see. It is a physiological response of the chameleon. It is internal. It is the balance of stress hormones in the blood stream. You cannot see that. You might find somewhere down the line that your chameleons gets sick or just doesn't so well. You won't be able to connect that illness to the chronic low grade stress of a light at night. Stress suppresses the immune system. There is a reason that people who handle their chameleons a lot have chameleons that tend to die prematurely or become ill often. A chameleon's immune system keeps it healthy, not a vet's intervention.

You do not need to add heat at night. The only time I think you might need a heat source at night is if you lived in an igloo and I really doubt that is the case. Really, if the house is warm enough for humans, it is most certainly warm enough for a veiled chameleon at night. You don't need a ceramic heat emitter at night for a veiled. A regular light bulb will be enough during the day.

I hope that helps you as you obviously adore your little guy.

 

[Morbis the meleon]

Your baby looks a little dehydrated.

The retained sperm plugs are a symptom of Vitamin A deficiency, which I think is a pretty big problem with captive chameleons, especially captive bred ones. I've never seen a sperm plug hanging from any one of my many adult males chameleons. I believe the reason is because all but two of my male chameleons were hatched or grew up in the wild and their mothers had a perfect diet so the egg they hatched out of would have been very nutrient rich, which is not the case for captive bred veileds. Many of the vitamin powders use Beta Carotene which a chameleon doesn't convert to Vitamin A. The vitamin powders that actually do contain Vitamin A begin to deteriorate as soon as they are opened (if not before) and last at most 6 months in the refrigerator. I use human Vitamin A gel caps and put a drop from a 8000 IU Vitamin A cap on a feeder once a month. I am thinking of doing it twice a month and for some I do. I am hesitant to write what I do since there is more to Vitamin A than just Vitamin A and I haven't read all the research. I have also bought some injectable Vitamin A (with Vitamin E included I think) from my vet but am not sure of the dosage to give (she gave me a dosage but I question what the vet tech wrote down because the math just doesn't add up) and am unsure of the strength since she didn't sell me a vial of it, just a syringe full to inject into feeders. With all the usual caveats, I think there is so much Vitamin A deficiency in captive chameleons, I am going to take the position that a drop of human-grade Vitamin A (NOT Beta Carotene) from a 8000 IU human gel cap on a feeder once a month will not do any harm. But, of course, it might.

I also think that an automatic misting system is a necessity for every pet chameleon. Hand misting is just not the same as a mister going on and fogging the place for a few minutes several times a day. I rarely if ever see my chameleons drink. In fact, if I do I think they must be sick or dehydrated. It seem to me that my chameleons seem to breath in the water rather than actively drink exept after something like laying a clutch of eggs.

You mention that your chameleon is "unbothered/un-agitated" by a light on at night. I don't think you understand the dynamics of stress in captive chameleons. Stress is not something you or I can see. It is a physiological response of the chameleon. It is internal. It is the balance of stress hormones in the blood stream. You cannot see that. You might find somewhere down the line that your chameleons gets sick or just doesn't so well. You won't be able to connect that illness to the chronic low grade stress of a light at night. Stress suppresses the immune system. There is a reason that people who handle their chameleons a lot have chameleons that tend to die prematurely or become ill often. A chameleon's immune system keeps it healthy, not a vet's intervention.

You do not need to add heat at night. The only time I think you might need a heat source at night is if you lived in an igloo and I really doubt that is the case. Really, if the house is warm enough for humans, it is most certainly warm enough for a veiled chameleon at night. You don't need a ceramic heat emitter at night for a veiled. A regular light bulb will be enough during the day.

I hope that helps you as you obviously adore your little guy.

I have also read a lot about vitimin A deficiencies and the foods that contain beta carotene. I agree he could probably use more A in his life. I'm from NY and I just moved to South Carolina so I probably don't need a heat source at night, I'm just used to harsh winters and instinctively want to warm him. As for misters/foggers I have used both... I feel like misters make a huge mess in one area, and are very uncontrollable.. As for foggers, I love them! But they are bacteria city and I swear I would clean the one I had twice a week and it was still discusting. I would hate to blast him in the face with a bacteria colony. Do you have any suggestions as to what kind of misting system or fogger (I would prefer a fogger) that limits these problems? Also I hand feed him since his tongue didn't work when I first got him. I established a good trust with him and he comes out onto my arm for feeding time, then I put him back or handle him for about twenty minutes at most.

 

[Andee]

Mist king is the best misting system. But as with each misting system you need good drainage for the cage.

 

[Decadancin]

With the difficulty feeding and all the other info you've shared, I'm very certain there is a vitamin A issue along with the dehydration.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I have also read a lot about vitimin A deficiencies and the foods that contain beta carotene. I agree he could probably use more A in his life. I'm from NY and I just moved to South Carolina so I probably don't need a heat source at night, I'm just used to harsh winters and instinctively want to warm him. As for misters/foggers I have used both... I feel like misters make a huge mess in one area, and are very uncontrollable.. As for foggers, I love them! But they are bacteria city and I swear I would clean the one I had twice a week and it was still discusting. I would hate to blast him in the face with a bacteria colony. Do you have any suggestions as to what kind of misting system or fogger (I would prefer a fogger) that limits these problems? Also I hand feed him since his tongue didn't work when I first got him. I established a good trust with him and he comes out onto my arm for feeding time, then I put him back or handle him for about twenty minutes at most.

You can't get away without dealing with drainage. It is a fact of chameleon keeping.

He does not need any extra heat at night. He comes from the escarpment in the west of the Arabian Peninsula where the night winter temps approach freezing in some areas. He does not need heat at night. In fact, a decent temperature drop will probably do wonders for his over all health. I am tempted to try to leave my veiled outside this year until the temps get down to about 40F. As long as he can heat up during the day, he'll be just fine with any house temperature.

Mist King is my favorite. If you are having water issues, deal with the drainage problems: More plants to catch the mist so it lands on leaves before it leaves the cage, big drainage pan. There are all kinds of solutions. You can even fully plant the bottom of the cage so the water falls onto soil.