URGENT. chameleon laying at bottom of cage :(

[khameleonmom]

i have a year old female veiled chameleon. she laid her first batch of eggs May 20th of this year. about a week ago she started laying on her branches and not gripping them unless she was moving. she was still eating and drinking well. and then about four or five days ago she started staying at the bottom of her cage, she is still eating/drinking. i figured she was about to lay her eggs since it’s been about five months but she still hasn’t and i’m becoming worried she might be egg bound. i leave her alone most of the time, she’s in a separate bedroom in my house. i tried to put her in her laying bin today and she got out and went back to the bottom of the cage. she moves around every once in a while but isn’t clawing at the bottom like she did the first time she laid eggs. the vet that i take her to is out for another week and a half almost. i’m looking into other vets but it’s hard to find one that will care for chameleons in my area. any advice would be greatly appreciated as i’m very worried about my girl

 

[kinyonga]

Is the laybin/substrate the same as what you used the last time?

 

[Kaizen]

I know this is tedious, but please try to fill out the following form:
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?

 

[khameleonmom]

Is the laybin/substrate the same as what you used the last time?

yes it is

 

[khameleonmom]

I know this is tedious, but please try to fill out the following form:
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?

 

[khameleonmom]

Female Veiled Chameleon, just over a year old. I’ve had her since she was very young maybe a few weeks so she’s been in my care about a year.

I don’t handle her unless i’m taking her outside, she doesn’t enjoy being handled at all even though i tried to work with her on that since i started caring for her, so i let her be. I usually use a stick and let her crawl on it and i put her on a tree or in another cage outside.

I feed her mainly crickets but also super worms, mealworms beetles and hornworms sometimes as well. I feed her everyday or every other day depending on if she wants to eat. I supplement with calcium with D3 every other time I feed her. I gutload all with a variety of vegetables and fruit sometimes or with Orange Cubes or a powder mixture for gutloading feeders.

I have a dripper that i keep filled up during the day, I spray her cage well usually every hour since i’m working from home. (her mister broke) yes i see her drink from it often or even from leaves in her enclosure.

Her droppings have always looked healthy and no discoloration. She hasn’t been tested for parasites.

She’s never had any kind of problems until now. She’s always eaten/drank well and been very active and always has looked healthy.

Her cage is screen and is 2ft by 4ft, the large size of zoomed cages.

I have a 100 watt heating lamp in her cage and I keep her basking spot about 9 inches away. I also have a 10.0 UVB. Lights turn on at 7am and off at 7pm with a timer.

I have a thermometer/hydrometer in her cage. Humidity is always around 75-85, temperature is usually around 78° and basking heat is about 85°. I have tons of plants in there and spray the cage often.

I have many live plants. mostly pathos plants, a large umbrella plant at the bottom and a long fake plant i keep around the top of the cage wrapped around. it’s very full.


It’s right in front of a decent size window, i have a rack under the cage about two feet up. there’s an air vent in the room but it’s on the other side of the cage. I also have a ball python with a heating lamp so it’s usually pretty warm in that room, maybe 76°. I live in southern Florida.

 

[Kaizen]

Female Veiled Chameleon, just over a year old. I’ve had her since she was very young maybe a few weeks so she’s been in my care about a year.

I don’t handle her unless i’m taking her outside, she doesn’t enjoy being handled at all even though i tried to work with her on that since i started caring for her, so i let her be. I usually use a stick and let her crawl on it and i put her on a tree or in another cage outside.

I feed her mainly crickets but also super worms, mealworms beetles and hornworms sometimes as well. I feed her everyday or every other day depending on if she wants to eat. I supplement with calcium with D3 every other time I feed her. Probably too much d3. D3 twice a month. I gutload all with a variety of vegetables and fruit sometimes or with Orange Cubes or a powder mixture for gutloading feeders. Powdered mixes like “bug burger” are good, orange cubes are not.

I have a dripper that i keep filled up during the day, I spray her cage well usually every hour since i’m working from home. (her mister broke) yes i see her drink from it often or even from leaves in her enclosure.misting during the day is probably not necessary, if your using a dripper. Mist heavily just after lights out, and just before lights on. Misting just before you go to bed will also help.

Her droppings have always looked healthy and no discoloration. She hasn’t been tested for parasites.

She’s never had any kind of problems until now. She’s always eaten/drank well and been very active and always has looked healthy.

Her cage is screen and is 2ft by 4ft, the large size of zoomed cages.

I have a 100 watt heating lamp in her cage and I keep her basking spot about 9 inches away. Any idea of the actual basking temps? 100 watt seems excessive. I also have a 10.0 UVB. 10.0 is not enough info. Is it a t5, t8, corkscrew? Lights turn on at 7am and off at 7pm with a timer.

I have a thermometer/hydrometer in her cage. Humidity is always around 75-85, temperature is usually around 78° and basking heat is about 85°. I have tons of plants in there and spray the cage often. Humidity at 75 during the day is very high. At night, humidities approaching 100% are great, but during the day they should drop below 50%

I have many live plants. mostly pathos plants, a large umbrella plant at the bottom and a long fake plant i keep around the top of the cage wrapped around. it’s very full.


It’s right in front of a decent size window, i have a rack under the cage about two feet up. there’s an air vent in the room but it’s on the other side of the cage. I also have a ball python with a heating lamp so it’s usually pretty warm in that room, maybe 76°. I live in southern Florida. why aren’t you keeping your Cham outside in southern Florida?

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

IMO I think your over doing it on the d3, this can cause lethargy and some weakness. Calcium no d3 should be given EVERY feed. Every 2 weeks give calcium with d3 and in another 2 weeks you will alternate with a multivitamin.
Also super worms should only be used as a treat NOT a staple feeder. Mealworms are also a poor choice as they aren't very nutritious. I wish you the best of luck and pray for her speedy recovery ?

 

[Kamikaze Chameleon]

This is helpfull

 

[khameleonmom]

IMO I think your over doing it on the d3, this can cause lethargy and some weakness. Calcium no d3 should be given EVERY feed. Every 2 weeks give calcium with d3 and in another 2 weeks you will alternate with a multivitamin.
Also super worms should only be used as a treat NOT a staple feeder. Mealworms are also a poor choice as they aren't very nutritious. I wish you the best of luck and pray for her speedy recovery ?

d3 comment is noted! i don’t feed super worms or meal worms often at all!! thank you!!

 

[khameleonmom]

i don’t think misting regularly or keeping humidity at a higher level is excessive. i might have been generous saying 75 all day long. i’ll look more into that tho. i don’t keep her outside mostly because i have dogs and it’s been getting colder out recently. i do take her outside often though and she has an area she can free range outside.

 

[Reptofreak]

i don’t think misting regularly or keeping humidity at a higher level is excessive. i might have been generous saying 75 all day long.

Daytime humidity for a Veiled shouldn’t exceed 50%

 

[kinyonga]

How many insects are you feeding her in a week?
How many eggs did she lay last time? Was that her only clutch?
Sounds like she may be developing MBD (laying on the branches, sitting low in her cage) from too much D3 from supplements....but it should be easy to stop since she has no crooked arm, etc yet. Just my opinion...I'm not a vet and you would need one to tell you for sure if she is on her way to MBD.

 

[khameleonmom]

How many insects are you feeding her in a week?
How many eggs did she lay last time? Was that her only clutch?
Sounds like she may be developing MBD (laying on the branches, sitting low in her cage) from too much D3 from supplements....but it should be easy to stop since she has no crooked arm, etc yet. Just my opinion...I'm not a vet and you would need one to tell you for sure if she is on her way to MBD.

i feed her about 8-10 crickets (or less if she decides to eat less than that) everyday or every other day. she had 63 eggs last time and yes it was her first and only clutch

 

[khameleonmom]

i have a year old female veiled chameleon. she laid her first batch of eggs May 20th of this year. about a week ago she started laying on her branches and not gripping them unless she was moving. she was still eating and drinking well. and then about four or five days ago she started staying at the bottom of her cage, she is still eating/drinking. i figured she was about to lay her eggs since it’s been about five months but she still hasn’t and i’m becoming worried she might be egg bound. i leave her alone most of the time, she’s in a separate bedroom in my house. i tried to put her in her laying bin today and she got out and went back to the bottom of the cage. she moves around every once in a while but isn’t clawing at the bottom like she did the first time she laid eggs. the vet that i take her to is out for another week and a half almost. i’m looking into other vets but it’s hard to find one that will care for chameleons in my area. any advice would be greatly appreciated as i’m very worried about my girl

okay so now i’m thinking it could be the beginning stages of MBD. what changes should i make to help her and prevent it? i’m going to stop supplementing as often as i was, and i’m thinking of putting branches lower in the cage and maybe substrate at the bottom in case she falls or is still laying there. what should i do with her now? should i try to get her on her branches or leave her be? i wanted to leave her alone and check in on her because i was thinking she was egg bound but now i’m not sure. taking her to a vet ASAP.

 

[kinyonga]

63 eggs is too many IMHO. Around 20 would be much better for her. You can usually decrease the size of the clutch by controlling her diet and temperatures. I keep the basking temperature at 80F. I feed them every second day about 4 crickets (or equal amount of other insects). It may take a couple of clutches to decrease or even stop egg production doing this.

Re: supplements...its recommended that you use a phos free calcium on all feedings each week but one. On that feeding, one week use a phos free calcium/D3 powder and on the alternate week on that one feeding use a vitamin powder. I use Herptivite because it has a beta carotene (prOfokrmed) source of vitamin A which cannot lead to an overdose of vit. A. This leaves it up to you to provide a prEformed source separately when it's needed. PrEformed sources can build up in the system and lead to issues. D3 from supplements can also build up in the system and cause health issues. Most of the D3 should be produced by exposure to the UVB light. All dusting so should be light.

Re UVB light...the most often recommended is the long linear tube reptisun 5.0.

I feed insects greens such as dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper and a tiny bit of fruit such as Apple, pear, papaya, berries.

Concerning MBD...as I said...you would need a vet to confirm this.

Hope this helps.