Veil looks brown and bad?

[shrekbaby666]

I have a rescue veiled chameleon that came to me looking a little dry and his veil looks a little brown and almost scabby/damaged? My partner and I have been working to get him healthier but he seems to always be shedding and his veil isn't looking great. We're looking to book him in with our local exotics vet but until we can get an appointment I was hoping someone might have an idea of what's going on with his veil and what we might be able to do to help him?

No idea how old he is since he's a rescue, we have been trying to up his humidity and have made changes to his lights to make sure they aren't too close to him.

My partner understands the temp readings better so I can get those once he gets home but I wanted to make the post now just because I'm worried about the little guy and his comfort.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Yeah his casque is looking pretty rough. I would say it's possibly a burn. Do you happen to know what his cage setup looked like before you rescued him? Temps need to be lower than most folks think, so some accurate numbers of his basking area will be helpful here.

Silver sulfadiazine cream (1% I believe) is best used for burns to treat them and avoid infection, but you have to get it prescription from the vet.

Until you get to a vet, some plain/original (NOT pain-killer!) neosporin gently applied to his casque with a Q-tip can help prevent infection as well, but it's not nearly as good as the silver cream.

 

[shrekbaby666]

Yeah his casque is looking pretty rough. I would say it's possibly a burn. Do you happen to know what his cage setup looked like before you rescued him? Temps need to be lower than most folks think, so some accurate numbers of his basking area will be helpful here.

Silver sulfadiazine cream (1% I believe) is best used for burns to treat them and avoid infection, but you have to get it prescription from the vet.

Until you get to a vet, some plain/original (NOT pain-killer!) neosporin gently applied to his casque with a Q-tip can help prevent infection as well, but it's not nearly as good as the silver cream.

Before we got him he had a ceramic heat lamp sitting right on the cage, so a burn would definitely make sense.

His temps right now are 79F where he usually sits on a stick near the top (the probe is on the stick); the very top of the tank/basking area is 32.7C (probe is sitting on the top screen). Moisture around 53% (we just added a fogger and we are dialing in his misting system)

We're currently building him a much bigger enclosure as well.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Before we got him he had a ceramic heat lamp sitting right on the cage, so a burn would definitely make sense.

His temps right now are 79F where he usually sits on a stick near the top (the probe is on the stick); the very top of the tank/basking area is 32.7C (probe is sitting on the top screen). Moisture around 53% (we just added a fogger and we are dialing in his misting system)

We're currently building him a much bigger enclosure as well.

Yeah if he could get close to the heater, then it's likely a burn.

32.7C is waaay too warm for him, so if he's even able to access that, that's too hot. Basking temps should max out at 85F/29C. And you'll have to take into account how tall he/his casque is - if the highest basking branch is 85F, that's going to still be too hot because he's about 3" taller and close to his heat source than the probe.

Also make sure his heat source is turned off at night. Chams of all breeds need an overnight cooldown for proper bodily functions.

This is a great resource for veiled cham basics: https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

 

[shrekbaby666]

Yeah if he could get close to the heater, then it's likely a burn.

32.7C is waaay too warm for him, so if he's even able to access that, that's too hot. Basking temps should max out at 85F/29C. And you'll have to take into account how tall he/his casque is - if the highest basking branch is 85F, that's going to still be too hot because he's about 3" taller and close to his heat source than the probe.

Also make sure his heat source is turned off at night. Chams of all breeds need an overnight cooldown for proper bodily functions.

This is a great resource for veiled cham basics: https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/

Okay thank you! He can't get RIGHT up to the top of the cage where the probe is that reads 32C but he's close enough that we're going to readjust the heat so its further away so it cools down a little more where he basks.

We definitely turn it off at night as well and thank you so much for the link, that's gonna be really helpful for building his new enclosure and making sure he's a happy, healthy guy.

 

[CalamityCrow]

Okay thank you! He can't get RIGHT up to the top of the cage where the probe is that reads 32C but he's close enough that we're going to readjust the heat so its further away so it cools down a little more where he basks.

We definitely turn it off at night as well and thank you so much for the link, that's gonna be really helpful for building his new enclosure and making sure he's a happy, healthy guy.

Absolutely! And the folks in this forum are WONDERFUL at helping new keepers out. There's tons and tons of outdated/bad info on caring for chameleons, and a lot of people try to use the same husbandry as one would for a bearded dragon and... that'll lead to suffering and death for a cham. Scour the Chameleon Academy site - the podcasts and the videos are invaluable.

Also, check the thread here to find a good cham-familiar vet: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/area-by-area-country-vet-list.32880/
And if you want a generalized husbandry review, fill out the form located here and post it in this thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

The local experts (I'm definitely still, and always will be learning) will review it and give you some wonderful pointers for best practices in cage, lighting, enclosure plants/decorations, enclosures themselves, feeders, gutloading, etc. This is seriously the best and most consistent forum for chameleons that I have ever seen. You and your lovely rescue are in great hands here!

 

[redhorse]

JMHO- He actually looks great to me. Just finishing his shed makes things look bad but more pictures would be needed.
Plus, Males are very moody most of the time.
Can you share some full body shots? Thanks!

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome! I can see your concern for his casque. At the tip it is looking a bit rough - either has a burn or several layers of stuck shed. I am wondering about the tiny reddish bubble thing towards the tip of the casque. What is that? Is it stuck there or does it come off? I’m not sure what reptile mites look like, but that’s one of the very few things I think it looks like. You are correct that the right humidity will help your handsome guy shed properly, but you’re heading in the wrong direction. Unlike most other reptiles, chameleons are dry shedders and need lower humidity, between 30-50%. High humidity, water or commercial shedding aids can/will make the shed skin stick that much harder.
I don’t know what you know about chams husbandry, but we are always happy to help get everything just right with you. If you’d like a full husbandry review or any level of review, just ask.

 

[Beman]

Yeah I am seeing what the others are seeing. And my worry is that red bubble at the top of the casque is actually it oozing... Can be linked to a thermal burn as well. They can actually have a chunk of the casque fall off if it is not treated correctly.