Stuck shed behind veil on back

[ChadTheCham]

My chameleon has some stuck shed on his back behind his veil which has been there for a good while now and has built up a couple of layers of shed. Is there anything I can do to help him remove it? Or am I just doomed?

 

[Beman]

Stuck shed tends to be an issue involving something lacking in the husbandry.

If you want to fill out the form below with detail we can take a look at what may be missing. And please post photos of the cham and the enclosure.


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 - 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.

 

[MzLaurie11]

My chameleon has some stuck shed on his back behind his veil which has been there for a good while now and has built up a couple of layers of shed. Is there anything I can do to help him remove it? Or am I just doomed?

If your cham is comfortable being handled Blow on it with quick hard blows at different angles which may dislodge a stuck area. If that doesnt help, what i do is is get a small bowl with bottled water and a few qtips. I get him comphy on my chest covering him with a towel until he feels safe i let mine fall asleep. Then i gently rub a wet qtip and twirreling it and discard before trying it again. I had to do this because my cham was grabbing his crest and digging and i was afraid he was going to reinjure his crest.

 

[Beman]

If your cham is comfortable being handled Blow on it with quick hard blows at different angles which may dislodge a stuck area. If that doesnt help, what i do is is get a small bowl with bottled water and a few qtips. I get him comphy on my chest covering him with a towel until he feels safe i let mine fall asleep. Then i gently rub a wet qtip and twirreling it and discard before trying it again. I had to do this because my cham was grabbing his crest and digging and i was afraid he was going to reinjure his crest.

This really is totally the wrong feedback to give someone. Letting them fall asleep on you actually indicates a bigger health issue. A healthy chameleon will not willingly fall asleep on a person.

Also chams are dry shedders. what you are doing with adding moisture can not only make it worse but it does not solve the reason for it being stuck. This means either there is a husbandry issue OR the cham has not had enough time for it to completely let go.