Veiled Chameleon

[LaneyAnnette]

I’ve had my valid Chameleon since September 2020. I’m not sure how old she was when I got her, but she was the size of my thumb! (I have small hands) We bought her from the pet store. When we bought her crickets someone asked us what we had and we told them and they said she would last a month since she was our first chameleon. After that I did tons of research, which is why we built her a cage and at the time we didn’t know her sex. I also red nothing about needing a laying Ben… I know she’s a girl because I can see the lumps. It’s been probably 6 or more months ago she had lumps showing, but never laid anything. The lumps are back, so we filled the bottom of her cage with play sand. It’s around 5-6 inches deep. I’ve also been covering her cage to give her privacy, so she doesn’t get egg bound. I didn’t know if anyone could help.. It’s been over a month since the lumps came back.. Should we get a laying been that’s deeper? Why is she just laying on the ground? Why hasn’t she had her eggs? Should we take her to the vet?

I added a photo of her I just took. I was the one that dug the hole, so I could make sure it doesn’t fall on her and I’ve made sure to keep it moist.

 

[Chameleoking]

I would get a lay bin and fill it with 8in. of playsand. I go 12 in. but 8 will do. It must stay moist at all times. Just enough moisture so that when you sqeeze the sand in your hand it holds shape without dripping. Or dig a tunnel and if the tunnel holds without collapsing that's also another way to tell if its moist enough. If she don't get those eggs out of her it can do serious harm to your chameleon.

 

[Sonny13]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Always good you came here for asking advice or gathering information.

I can´t give you the best advice at the moment and the more experienced members will chime in later. However, to help them in advanced to getting things more straight I´ll ask you to please fill out beneath form, therewith we now all the details and makes it easier to give advice. First things noticeable on the picture is that she looks stressed (maybe due the camera) or dehydrated, because her eyes are sunken in a bit. Also noticed the water dish, in general chameleon don´t drink from a dish or in other words standing water. But, I starting to make assumptions based on a picture, therefore filling out form is really important for the best help.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
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.
--------------
Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Chameleoking]

Check this link out this should help

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. If your girl is just laying on the ground, she is in distress. A vet visit to determine why is the best course of action. Chameleons can go downhill very quickly.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum?

You're lucky she didn't become eggbound with the first clutch of eggs. Are you sure she didn't lay them in the cage somewhere...like in a plant pot or something? It's unusual fo them to reabsorbed the eggs.

Right now I would bet she's eggbound....and if she is she needs to see a vet ASAP to have it dealt with or you will lose her. How long has she been laying on the ground? Did she try to dig at all in the last month?
How many insects do you feed her in a week? Is this the way you fed her when she had the lumps last time too?

What UVB light do you have on her cage? Have you changed//replaced it since you've had her?

What supplements have you been dusting the insects with and how often with each supplement? How heavily do you dust them?
I'm looking for phos, calcium, D3 and vitamin A in the supplements so please be specific.

 

[LaneyAnnette]

She never had the first clutch. I’m 100% sure she didn’t because she’s not in the cage she used to be in and I looked all over for them.

Everything we researched told us one thing and then we looked more and they were saying something else! So we really struggled with what was right and what was wrong…

I dust her crickets in pure calcium carbonate every other time and I was feeding her as much crickets as she wanted every two days. And she always eats! I also typically just put the crickets in her cage because she can get to them and I figured the hunt was good for her. I put around 6-8 and I watch to see how much she eats and typically they are gone quickly. Also, she is drinking out of the water bowl because I read that it doesn’t hurt to put one in just incase and she drinks out of it. I’ve watched her multiple times drink out of it. I don’t use D3 because I watched a video from a reliable source and she said it couldn’t have D3 because you can give them to much and they will die. She also didn’t say anything else about other vitamins just calcium…

She does have new lights that we just put in not long ago. One is a T5 HO linear UVB bulb and the other is a heat lamp. I shut them both off during the night. I try to do 12 hours on and off.

She has been laying on the ground for two days now. I haven’t seen any dog spots and I mist the cage a lot. And I always make sure her sand is plenty wet for her and I spray it a little more for during the night so it doesn’t dry by morning. Which it shouldn’t since I have her covered for privacy and I spray her tons. Tomorrow we are going to take her to the vet to get her help.

Also, on handling her I don’t a lot, but if I get close to her she will try and climb on me so then I hold her. I typically leave it up to her just because I don’t want to upset or stress her out. I know they can get stressed and it’s not good on them.

 

[LaneyAnnette]

Update:
She started getting worse Wednesday night, so I stayed up to keep an eye on her. As soon as the vet opened I called and said I had an emergency, so they moved her appointment from Friday @1pm to Thursday 9:30am. I took her to the vet and they said she was not egg bound that her eggs were still to little and that she was not dehydrated. She had fluid in her left lung, so they gave her a shot and antibiotics to help with the ammonia. When we returned home I went to put her back in her cage and she was lifeless… I’m not sure if the sickness killed her or if she stressed her self out to much from the vet visit. Thank you guys for all the help.

 

[Kaizen]

Update:
She started getting worse Wednesday night, so I stayed up to keep an eye on her. As soon as the vet opened I called and said I had an emergency, so they moved her appointment from Friday @1pm to Thursday 9:30am. I took her to the vet and they said she was not egg bound that her eggs were still to little and that she was not dehydrated. She had fluid in her left lung, so they gave her a shot and antibiotics to help with the ammonia. When we returned home I went to put her back in her cage and she was lifeless… I’m not sure if the sickness killed her or if she stressed her self out to much from the vet visit. Thank you guys for all the help.

I’m sorry for your loss. If I can offer some advice…

Stay off chameleon related social media for a few days. Take the time to grieve. Resist the urge to second guess and blame yourself—that’s unhelpful. When you’re ready to move forward, we’re here.

 

[Sonny13]

Poor girl , really sorry for your lost. At least you did everything you could for her, fluid in her left lung doesn´t sound good. Don´t know if that is caused due a RI or advanced stage of it, or some other disease.

Keep her in your mind

 

[LaneyAnnette]

I’m sorry for your loss. If I can offer some advice…

Stay off chameleon related social media for a few days. Take the time to grieve. Resist the urge to second guess and blame yourself—that’s unhelpful. When you’re ready to move forward, we’re here.

Thank you

 

[MissSkittles]

I’m so sorry. Keep her in your heart.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I’m so sorry!!