Veiled Chameleon Dying

For the past 2 weeks he hasn’t really ate anything and barely drinking water, and he’s been losing weight and his eyes are sunken in more and more. Vet says he has a vitamin a deficiency and gave us medicine for him, but it doesn’t seem to be working as its been 5 days now. He’s been sleeping on bottom of cage and moving very slow. Any suggestions how to revive him before he passes away? Vet says he’s too tiny to really do anything.



Veiled Chameleon

Born: March, 2021

6 months old as of September

Bought from: Petco

Mesh tank

Male

Feed him crickets and meal worms, (not gut loaded), currently on medication with vitamin A

Has dripper

Has a humidifier when needed

Has food bowl for worms and crickets (crickets jump out of it, but we place crickets in bowl because he can never catch crickets)

Humidity ranges between 40 - 70 (tries to keep it between 50 - 60)

Temp ranges between 70 - 90 (mainly at 80)

Basking temp ranges between 90 - 95

UVB Light: 10%
 

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Vet says to get poop sample to get tested for parasites but he hasn’t even been doing that for the past week or 2 now.

Supplements: Herptivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamin. And Calcium with Vitamin D3, ultrafine powder
 
For the past 2 weeks he hasn’t really ate anything and barely drinking water, and he’s been losing weight and his eyes are sunken in more and more. Vet says he has a vitamin a deficiency and gave us medicine for him, but it doesn’t seem to be working as its been 5 days now. He’s been sleeping on bottom of cage and moving very slow. Any suggestions how to revive him before he passes away? Vet says he’s too tiny to really do anything.



Veiled Chameleon

Born: March, 2021

6 months old as of September

Bought from: Petco

Mesh tank

Male

Feed him crickets and meal worms, (not gut loaded), currently on medication with vitamin A

Has dripper

Has a humidifier when needed

Has food bowl for worms and crickets (crickets jump out of it, but we place crickets in bowl because he can never catch crickets)

Humidity ranges between 40 - 70 (tries to keep it between 50 - 60)

Temp ranges between 70 - 90 (mainly at 80)

Basking temp ranges between 90 - 95

UVB Light: 10%
Should also add that this is also my first chameleon
 
Right now, I think it’s best to not use any of those supplements if he will even still eat anything. Hydration is most important to focus on. You can try dripping a few drops of water on his head and see if he’ll drink. I hesitate to tell you to put any water in his mouth as their airway is in the front and the risk of accidental aspiration is too high. Also, the stress of that would be too much at this point. Do your best to keep him comfortable. He may go to the bottom and stay there. If he does, you can place something soft under him.
I suspect the problem is with the supplements. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A are both fat soluble and can build up to toxic levels. Both are used usually only one feeding every other week on an alternating schedule, (the vitamin A usually being in a multivitamin) and plain phosphorus free calcium without D3 is used for every feeding. I’m really not sure if there’s any way to help get the fat soluble vitamins out of his system. Perhaps @kinyonga or another member can better advise you on this.
 
Right now, I think it’s best to not use any of those supplements if he will even still eat anything. Hydration is most important to focus on. You can try dripping a few drops of water on his head and see if he’ll drink. I hesitate to tell you to put any water in his mouth as their airway is in the front and the risk of accidental aspiration is too high. Also, the stress of that would be too much at this point. Do your best to keep him comfortable. He may go to the bottom and stay there. If he does, you can place something soft under him.
I suspect the problem is with the supplements. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A are both fat soluble and can build up to toxic levels. Both are used usually only one feeding every other week on an alternating schedule, (the vitamin A usually being in a multivitamin) and plain phosphorus free calcium without D3 is used for every feeding. I’m really not sure if there’s any way to help get the fat soluble vitamins out of his system. Perhaps @kinyonga or another member can better advise you on this.
Thank you, I will try these and hope it works.
 
How often should I be misting him, and with hot, warm or cold water? I tend to use a spray bottle with warm water for a few seconds on him 2 - 3 times a day, sometimes every other day
 
How often should I be misting him, and with hot, warm or cold water? I tend to use a spray bottle with warm water for a few seconds on him 2 - 3 times a day, sometimes every other day
Just use room temp water. What we perceive as warm can be scalding to a chameleon. You want to spray the plants around him for at least 2 minutes, or until all are dripping. You could also add a dripper for about 15 minutes at a time once or twice a day. You can make one by poking a tiny home in the bottom of a Solo party cup and set it on top of the enclosure where it can drip onto plants.
 
Just use room temp water. What we perceive as warm can be scalding to a chameleon. You want to spray the plants around him for at least 2 minutes, or until all are dripping. You could also add a dripper for about 15 minutes at a time once or twice a day. You can make one by poking a tiny home in the bottom of a Solo party cup and set it on top of the enclosure where it can drip onto plants.
I have fake plants, are the plants supposed to be real or can they be fake?
 
I have fake plants, are the plants supposed to be real or can they be fake?
With veileds, you want veiled-tested live plants only, that need to be properly washed, repotted in organic soil without chemical fertilizers or perlite, and add rocks too big for him to eat over the soil in the pots. Here's a list to choose from (veiled-tested ones only): https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
 
I have fake plants, are the plants supposed to be real or can they be fake?
Real plants are best, but right now that is one of the lowest priorities. If your little guy pulls thru (and I’m praying that he does), it would be best to go thru all of your husbandry.
I seem to recall something about natural unfiltered sunlight helping to push supplemented Vitamin D out of the body. I’ll have to try searching for that. @ERKleRose do you know about this?
 
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