What is this coloring? Is she going to shed?

Coop

Avid Member
My chameleon, flower, has lately had an ashy-colored spot, and it has been spreading lately across her back. What is this? Is she going to shed?
 

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The eye shown is her bad eye. She has already been taken to the vet for it, and is getting better
 
Looks like a cold, scared, vulnerable cham to me. Give her some more foliage to hide in, put more branches closer to the heat source, etc.

Most of my girls stay a shade of dark, but when they're that dark its usually because they feel exposed or cold.

More plants to hide in... more branches to bask on. That's my guesses anyway.
 
Will do. I am heading going to get her a pothos plant and a laybin this weekend. That is however only one side of the cage, and that is not her basking spot. I took the pic when she had just woken up. The bump was a cricket bite, vet already gave me medicine.
 
One more question. She recently stopped eating as much as she usually does, and has been closing her eyes when basking. This has only happened since I took her to the vet two weeks ago, and had to give her medicine. Is this stress? Is she sick with something else?
 
So I once Put like 40 crickets in my cham enclosure. I didn't know they could bite and cause that much harm...... TBF he ate more tan half of them, whenn I woke up, they were all on him lol. No damage whatsoever, I did sprayed him with water though, Crickets are disgusting.
 
One more question. She recently stopped eating as much as she usually does, and has been closing her eyes when basking. This has only happened since I took her to the vet two weeks ago, and had to give her medicine. Is this stress? Is she sick with something else?
More than likely it's the medication and the illness causing your cham to be weak... just as in humans. Again though, this is my opinion... only you know your cham.

Usually with having to medicate a cham, their food intake drops. So long as shes mostly active and alert... I'd just keep an eye on her.

Also, it's been two weeks... has she been taking cat naps and the diminished appetite since then? Or is it newer than that? Also, what's the medication and what's the diagnosis you got?
 
Sorry for the late response. The cat naps and reduced eating have started about a week ago. For both the eye and bite, both were because of a cricket biting her from before I had her in my care. she is 11 months, turning a year old in a few weeks, and have had her for almost 6 months. I will take a picture when i get home (around seven at night) of her enclosure. It has been a little more bare that it should be recently, due to some of her branches cracking and some difficulty with the foliage in the cage. Usually she spends her time in the top, less covered cage, and not a lot of time in the shaded regions. I will purchase a plant this weekend for her and a bulb as well.
 
Sorry for the late response. The cat naps and reduced eating have started about a week ago. For both the eye and bite, both were because of a cricket biting her from before I had her in my care. she is 11 months, turning a year old in a few weeks, and have had her for almost 6 months. I will take a picture when i get home (around seven at night) of her enclosure. It has been a little more bare that it should be recently, due to some of her branches cracking and some difficulty with the foliage in the cage. Usually she spends her time in the top, less covered cage, and not a lot of time in the shaded regions. I will purchase a plant this weekend for her and a bulb as well.

Yea... it happens. I just switched out trees due to die off from lack of lighting (I am thinking). Even now, I had to add those branches up top as that's where he likes to be - above the tree. King of the world.

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Other than a "cricket bite", was there any sort of infection or something? I thought you had said medication... but what's it for. I've had a few cricket bites back when I used crickets still... and one hornworm bite before I started removing their mandibles... and never had any kind of medication or infection. But I'm pretty much a helicopter keeper.

Is the medicine just a topical ointment or is it a mouth feed type? If it's just an ointment, it shouldn't be causing the cat naps. Have you noticed anything else "off" with her? Maybe like, lack of motor control, grasping at the air, missing the food when she shoots, etc. My WC lady has been napping the last couple of days, but she just laid...

A decrease in appetite, activity, and naps are usually no good... but a little nap here and there with "normal" behavior otherwise is not nearly as worrisome. Again, I'm no vet... and by no means am I trying to concern you.

My girl with MBD would occasionally nap... but i haven't seen her do it in a while. She will still hang from the branches all sprawled out (in a hammock type way)... and she looks like she would be napping.
 
What's the name of the medication you've been giving her?
i would get the lay bin in ASAP. Can you post a couple more photos so I can see the ashy coloured spot better and all of her from the side too please?
 
i Have just gotten home early, pictures requested will be attatched. Cage is very bare due to her other, larger branches cracking. I was worried about splinters, removed them and all plants that were around or under them.
 

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This is the medicine given. Her prescribed doses ended Wednesday.
 

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Thanks for posting the medication... Did you make sure you kept her well hydrated while she was on it? If it is the mess that are making her close her eyes she should not be shutting them anymore. has she been digging in the substrate at the bottom of her cage or in plant pots lately? Do you free range the insects? Is she pooping?
 
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i Have just gotten home early, pictures requested will be attatched. Cage is very bare due to her other, larger branches cracking. I was worried about splinters, removed them and all plants that were around or under them.
Your enclosure is woefully bare. It should look more like the picture I’m attaching. Chams need lost of places to hide and feel safe. I would say that just the stress of being exposed all the time could be causing her health to decline.
Bill
 

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She is pooping, she has an automatic mister along with me hand misting her. Crickets are freeranged, but maimed beforehand. The cage usually has a lot more hiding spots, it is because of some branches braking. I am getting live plants and more cover this weekend
 
I would move the substrate so she can't ingest it accidentally when she's trying to snag a cricket.
She looks gravid and looks like she needs a laybin ASAP.
 
Okay. I will purchase laybin, playsand, and plant tomorrow. I will also fix the substrate tomorrow morning.
 
UPDATE: I have purchased a pothos and an asparagus fern. Planning on using the pot of the fern for the laybin. What type of soil that both flower can use for digging and for the plant?
 
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