Hello i currently do not have a chameleon yet but i was wondering in what circumstances would you have to bring your chameleon to the vet. Does it need monthly/yearly checkups like dogs or cats or just if it has an infection or some sort of injury.
some people do well checks and some don't. The only thing you should do periodically is a fecal sample to test for parasites. Sometimes a chameleon can have them and not show any signs before things get bad. If you establish a relationship with your vet hopefully you can just bring in fecal samples without having to bring in your cham and pay for an office visit. Atleast mine would do that anyways.
It will depend on several things, but the best advise is to know who you are buying your cham from!! how long have they been breeding, what is their reputation, etc.
It pays to do your homework when it come to choosing a cham to buy.
Most newbies start with a male veiled because they are way more affordable then a panther, and males are easier to care for.
You also need to take into consideration if the cham is captive bred or wild caught.
If wild, you need to know how honest the breeder is about it's health and if it has already been checked for parasites.