Warning on water crystals

[rachelk]

I don't use those water crystals i use the orange cubes for my feeders... also just about a few weeks ago i noticed my male veiled had a piece of paper towel hanging out of his mouth and he looked like he was trying to get it out with his hand, so i opened his cage and pulled the what looked like a "small" piece of paper towel out was a huge long piece, probably 4 to 5 inches long! he must have ripped a chunk off the paper towel at the bottom of his cage... i am pretty sure he was choking bc i definately pulled it out of his throat... i don't use paper towels anymore, instead i use reptile carpet. just another thing to think about...

 

[Syn]

I was thinking about making a list of potentially dangerous items for chameleons. Paper towels and water crystals will be on it.

 

[Lizardlover]

I dont see the problem of using them, so long as you dont put them in your chams cages theirs nothing wrong with them, it just happens one was in the chams cage and it was accidentaly ingested

 

[Syn]

I dont see the problem of using them, so long as you dont put them in your chams cages theirs nothing wrong with them, it just happens one was in the chams cage and it was accidentaly ingested

Very true, but there's always the accident like this, or there's a piece on the underside of a cricket that somehow managed to stick there. Eh. better safe than sorry I guess.

 

[jannb]

Nicodemayo; so sorry to hear about your cham. Jann

 

[dave101]

Thanks a lot for posting this. i almost did the same thing. Sorry for your loss!!

 

[dave101]

Also does wet paper towel help with humidity?

 

[Eric Adrignola]

Yeah - same deal - the gut contents of different chameleons all seem to stain the crystals the same color! My hypothesis has been supported by independantly ascertained research!

The crystal woudl have had to have been dry, really dry, for the baby to have swallowed it. How old was it and what species?

Crickets don't seem to swallow the things - I dont' think it's possible, given their anatomy. The crystals, when dried on a surface, stick to it pretty well. Possible the thing was left over from a long time ago, and knocked into the cage or the feeder cup or whatever.

I say they're safe, in nearly all ways, except for little ones.
The material they are composed of is non-toxic. It's purely a mechanical problem when swallowed, just like rocaks, perlite, etc.

Like all those things, you just have ot be careful.

 

[Nicodemayo]

I use the crystals all the time for my crickets. I have always kept the crystals in the cricket bin and would never put them into my cham cage. I am also aware of my dog... It reminds us that our chameleons are what they eat. Keep things out of the cage that is dangerous to them because they will probably try to eat it at some time...just like a little kid puts everything into their mouths.

I am so sorry for the losses incurred because of these crystals getting into chams. We are so attached to those little guys I just hate to hear about them dying from something avoidable.

The thing that upsets me most is that there is not one crystal to be found in my facility (hasnt been for quite some time) and i have NEVER placed them in the cage. It scares me to think that somehow they end up in the cage without me doing so. This could have happened to anyone and lucky for you. You dont have baby chams because they are where this issue lies. Its almost like a dried up crystal was inside of a 3/8 from the farm or something. Thats the only thing i could think of happening.

 

[Nicodemayo]

Yeah - same deal - the gut contents of different chameleons all seem to stain the crystals the same color! My hypothesis has been supported by independantly ascertained research!

The crystal woudl have had to have been dry, really dry, for the baby to have swallowed it. How old was it and what species?

Crickets don't seem to swallow the things - I dont' think it's possible, given their anatomy. The crystals, when dried on a surface, stick to it pretty well. Possible the thing was left over from a long time ago, and knocked into the cage or the feeder cup or whatever.

I say they're safe, in nearly all ways, except for little ones.
The material they are composed of is non-toxic. It's purely a mechanical problem when swallowed, just like rocaks, perlite, etc.

Like all those things, you just have ot be careful.

I know. Ive removed this girls sisters and I am checking all up in the plant and everything tomorrow. This was a 3 month old female panther.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

I just got this shipment from Ghann's. 1/4" and 1/2". I still have the boxes. I will check them for any evidence of crystals.

 

[Nicodemayo]

Cool. I have a large shipment arriving from Ghanns tomorrow. I will check as well.