toe nails

[samueljoern]

my jackson's chameleon seems to me missing some toe nails and some of them are really long and bent the wrong way. he has lost the ability to securely hold on to the mesh walls and climb freely he frequently falls off. please inform and help A.S.A.P!

 

[Kate]

my jackson's chameleon seems to me missing some toe nails and some of them are really long and bent the wrong way. he has lost the ability to securely hold on to the mesh walls and climb freely he frequently falls off. please inform and help A.S.A.P!

I've heard that they can get stuck in certain types of mesh. Unfortunately they don't regrow.

 

[Lovereps]

I love Jackson's but they are a bit more exacting in their care requirements than many other types of chams.
Since he didn't come to you that way, you need to determine how/why he is damaging his nails.

It could be from someone pulling him off a screen/branch or it could be that he is in too small a cage and is roaming the screens out of anxiety.
It could also be caused by infection.
Whatever the cause, he needs to keep whatever remains of his nails to be a tree-dwelling creature.

If you can post clear pictures of his toes, perhaps it will be obvious if he has infections on his feet.

As Kate said, once gone, nails are typically gone for good.

Here is an excellent video about how to properly handle a cham (video by Screameleons).
http://www.screameleons.com/how-to-handle-your-chameleon-properly/

You would be wise to post the answers to the questions from the link below, so if anything isn't as it should be, you'll be able to fix it before it impacts his health:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

 

[samueljoern]

well i rarely handle him and im the only person who lives with him. he's in a large cage 3 feet tall by 18in wide the only thing i can think of is that maybe he fell a couple times and started to mangle them

 

[Lovereps]

Possibly the screen mesh is too small or as mentioned before, infected toes.

He really shouldn't be falling.
The only times any of my chams has fallen is when they were quite ill.

I posted a link to the how to ask for help questions because more often than not, people are given bad husbandry advice by pet shop employees.

For example, if you dust a Jackson's foods as frequently as you would a Veiled or Panther's, your cham will develop serious, potentially fatal troubles in less time than you would imagine.

 

[samueljoern]

here are some pictures

 

[samueljoern]

so what should i do guys?

 

[Trillian]

Copy and paste the form from the link above, then we'll have more information to make suggestions from.

 

[samueljoern]

im confused as to what i should copy and paste

 

[Lovereps]

You would be wise to post the answers to the questions from the link below, so if anything isn't as it should be, you'll be able to fix it before it impacts his health:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

This one, from my first reply to you in this thread.

Your pics were a bit too out of focus to see anything.

 

[rsepiphyte]

Is the toenail or is it the toe that is black in this picture? Perhaps since i raise and show dogs and have several parrots that i am a toenail nazi. If i find toenails overgrown or mis-shaped i clip the tips off. I do it to help the chameleon from catching those sharp tips on things and also makes it easier for me to handle them. I would trim this toenail back as far as you can and apply a topical antibiotic such as neosporin or polysporin. I would also place the chameleon in a "recuperation cage" in which all climbing surfaces are scrubbed and disinfected as well as possible. And try to feed from cups and not let insects climb around the enclosure at night while the toe is healing. Ruth

 

[pssh]

You really shouldnt clip the nails unless a vet recommends it for whatever reason (not sure why they would though?) they need their nails to climb properly. Chameleons, except when babies, dont usually climb screen unless they dont have enough vines, are receptive, in too small of a cage, or perhaps are looking for a mate. Does he have enough places to climb around in his cage?

 

[samueljoern]

ok so he like i said before is a jackson maybe a year old i feed him a cricket diet with a spray calcium supplement made by zilla he has not been eating as much or as active although he keeps a nice green color as if he is comfortable. i see some missing nails and bent long nails on his left front foot and right back foot. all of his nails have increased in legnth so i figured it was normal at first. he is almost never handled and only handled by me. He had always liked to climb on the mesh but has recently been falling due to what i believe to be the the nails he is in a large mesh cage that is 3 feet tall by 18in wide with ample foliage that is all artificial. he also gets misted once every 6 hours for a minute.

 

[samueljoern]

yes he has lots of leaves and vines to hide and climb on

 

[patrickfraser]

My veiled female broke off some toenails while being restless and climbing the screen cage at laying time. They were completely gone. I have started to see little "nubbins" of nails on the toes missing them. It looks like they are growing back. It probably depends on how the toenail is broken off originally. If yanked out from the "root" there is less chance of growing back than, if say, it was just broken off at the toe line.
The most important thing is to check for any infection or abnormalities with the toes that have lost the nails. I was really worried with my female, because no sooner did she break off a couple of nails, she started digging her tunnel. ARGH!
Good luck and I hope they will grow back for you and especially for your chameleon.

 

[Lovereps]

Like I said, "I posted a link to the how to ask for help questions because more often than not, people are given bad husbandry advice by pet shop employees."
When I first got my Jackson's I found out here that the care instructions I was given by a pet shop with a good reputation were quite wrong.
Most 1st time cham owners make serious errors because they were told to do the wrong things. No shame in that if you fix the problems before it's too late.
My chams' vet told me that by the time most people bring their chams to him, it is already too late.

You mention that "he has not been eating as much or as active", these are red flags. You can heed them or ignore them. There won't be a bunch more.

Chams hide all signs of illness for as long as possible since showing weakness means becoming someone else's dinner out in the wild.

You asked about a problem with your cham, so I really can't understand why you don't want to cut and paste the questions and provide answers to all the questions on the link that I've provided twice already (and another member has also suggested that you do so.)

Not to be cruel but....You are definitely making your cham ill because you are not meeting his most basic needs and he will surely die if you don't change things without delay.


Based on the details of your reply:

You mist him for 1 minute every 6 hours = far too little water for a Jackson's
Unless there is a dripper going in the times between, he is dehydrating, his kidneys will fail and he will die

Calcium spray on all his crickets = too much calcium which will result in calcium deposits in his organs, leading to death
AND
he needs a variety of foods, not just crickets
AND
the spray might have other things besides calcium in it that aren't good
AND
there's no D3 in his diet, so unless he is outdoors, he will develop MBD (metabolic bone disease) which is fatal

Then there are the issues of proper temperature, UV lighting, etc.

I've been trying to help you out but you seem to not want to be bothered with the requests for more info.

He's your cham to care for or not--it's just cruel if the answer is "not".

 

[Decadancin]

I would love to see some pics or a more detailed description of his enclosure! I have never seen nails pointing out like that, and am very concerned! I think this could be part of the reason for falling, but I need more info. Some missing nails and some damaged means something is very wrong! Please post some pics of the enclosure and fill out the how to ask for help info so we can help! Please!!!

 

[samueljoern]

sorry but im new to this forum and im trying to figure out how all this works. i have not been spraying all his food and he has a uvb light and heating lamp i will increase the amount of moisture in his cage i appreciate the advice on that.
also i think im just going to take him to a local veterinarian who specializes in reptiles but thanks for what you have provided me with.

 

[Dr O]

in terms of just the nails themselves and his gripping issues; they are lost forever and obviously may worsen if there are husbandry issues going on.

it's sad when they can't hang on like they used and they will fall A LOT. often several times a day. while they generally do just fine after a plunge, you would be wise to have several layers of leaves and vines to help break and slow the falls, and make sure you don't have any branch stubs or anything facing upwards that he could fall and impale himself on.

 

[Lovereps]

sorry but im new to this forum and im trying to figure out how all this works. i have not been spraying all his food and he has a uvb light and heating lamp i will increase the amount of moisture in his cage i appreciate the advice on that.
also i think im just going to take him to a local veterinarian who specializes in reptiles but thanks for what you have provided me with.

A reptile specialist is a definite plus for any cham owner and you're very fortunate to have one in your area. I'm sure you won't regret getting your cham checked by a good vet.
Jackson's are my favorite and I would love for you to have him healthy and you happy.
That's why we wanted you to post the answers to these questions-- we want you to successfully care for your cham.

Live plants will help to keep the required levels of at least 50% humidity at all times in his cage. Not all plants are safe though, some are toxic.

In addition to a dripper, there are automatic misting sytems that make your life a lot easier. MistKing is a well regarded, widely available system. One of the forum sponsors who stocks them is: http://www.joshsfrogs.com/misting.html

Here are the "How to ask for help" questions, if you're so inclined. You can skip the ones you've already answered but it's easier for others to see all the info in one post.

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.


Pictures are helpful