Unsure if I should take a trip to the vet!

bay1997

Established Member
Long time no talk!

I have a one and a half year old veiled chameleon, I have had him since he was about 2 months old.
He is is a 4 ft tall and 2.5 ft wide all mesh enclosure. Basking temp is 85 degrees, ambient is around 65-70, humidity sticks around 45-50 with spikes in the high 70’s around mistings which happen 3 or 4 times a day.
His staple feeders are large crickets guy loaded with repashy bug burger and are dusted with calcium each feeding
His last shed is almost over, just a couple pieces on his casque and feets are working their way off.
Everything has been consistent since he was brought home (after I took everyone’s initial advice and made some major upgrades after I first brought him home a year and some change ago) except that we moved his enclosure maaaaaybe 2 feet to the right 2 days ago.

I’ve left a couple messages for his vet and are awaiting a call back so I mostly just wanted a little reassurance or advice while I waited.

Yesterday my guy wasn’t hanging out as close to the top of his enclosure as he normally does, and wasn’t moving around as much as usual. I was alarmed by this and left him be.
Today however, he stayed in his sleeping spot even after his light timer went on which is unusual. When I put crickets into his enclosure he normally hisses and is very aggressive but today he didnt pay me or the crickets any attention. Hasn’t even tried to go after a single one. He did move from his sleeping spot to a different branch though and is currently just sitting and watching the crickets but making no attempt to eat.

Long story short, do you think such a short move could have triggered a stress reaction like this? What else could have made him suddenly start acting this way?
Again, I have left messages with his vet but was just hoping for a little extra insight.
 
Also! Thought I should add, he has a mixture of live and artificial plants. A large golden pothos as well as a large umbrella tree.
 
here are some photos of him from today, as well as a photo of his enclosure.
 

Attachments

  • 2DDD8626-E6E1-4D73-8F02-8C75B2C7889E.jpeg
    2DDD8626-E6E1-4D73-8F02-8C75B2C7889E.jpeg
    238.3 KB · Views: 87
  • B53CB861-6A17-4BFD-8165-46F2ED5D55CF.jpeg
    B53CB861-6A17-4BFD-8165-46F2ED5D55CF.jpeg
    272.2 KB · Views: 78
  • 8559EB52-B7FD-46FE-88AB-D5E8E77F270D.jpeg
    8559EB52-B7FD-46FE-88AB-D5E8E77F270D.jpeg
    311.6 KB · Views: 91
You said you moved the cage over....what's different about his new view? Can he see a mirror or shiny things he couldn't see before? See out a window he couldn't see out before? See another animal he couldn't see before? Anything else?
 
Last edited:
You said you mo Ed the cage over....what's different about his new view? Can he see a mirror or shiny things he couldn't see before? See out a window he couldn't see out before? See another animal he couldn't see before? Anything else?
He may have clearer view of a window, but it is still across the room. That is the only real difference
 
here are some photos of him from today, as well as a photo of his enclosure.
What type of UVB lighting are you using? I think it would be beneficial for you to fill out the help form. Just so we can see if there are husbandry aspects that are off.

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.
 
What type of UVB lighting are you using? I think it would be beneficial for you to fill out the help form. Just so we can see if there are husbandry aspects that are off.

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.
sorry for leaving everyone hanging! We ended up being able to see an emergency vet. Based on his physical they couldn’t find anything wrong besides behavioral symptoms. He got a full blood panel and was sent home to rest.
 
sorry for leaving everyone hanging! We ended up being able to see an emergency vet. Based on his physical they couldn’t find anything wrong besides behavioral symptoms. He got a full blood panel and was sent home to rest.
Well if you decide to fill out the help form we can double check everything to make sure it is on point as well. Hopefully it is just from being moved.
 
the same thing happened to me 2 days ago! although i moved her away from the window & she was also very strange the night before & fell:( im glad everything physical came back okay!!
 
Back
Top Bottom