worried about our baby veiled

gangi

New Member
we think gangi is about 3-4 months old, and we've had him for about 3 weeks now. at first we were really concerned because he wasn't eating or drinking or anything, but then once we let him get used to his environment we saw him get a few crickets. but for the last 2-3 days, gangi has just been on the floor of his enclosure...he found these cave like areas under big tree branches where he can hide and he just stays there for hours at a time....he usually sleeps there too. basically since hes found it hes been on the floor abt 70% of the time.
should we be concerned about this behavior?
is it a good idea to fill in that cave area so he can't get there, or is it okay for them to have a spot like that on the ground?

also, we are kind of confused on how much to mist him....right now we are doing it 3 times a day, for about 3-4 minutes each time. is this too much/too little? and should be misting him directly? he seems to drink when we spray at least once a day...he sticks his tounge out a little bit and sort of laps up the water...and then he sticks his head up in the area and looks up with his mouth open---is that normal behavior?
sometimes he seems to shy away from the misting as well....we always use pretty warm water, which we were told they like.

any help/input is greatly appreciated.......
we just want him to happy & healthy :)

thanks everyone
 
picture

here's a picture of gangi......and actually, gangi is a girl huh??


IMG_3088.jpg
 
Didn't reead all of it, cause I'm in a hurry. He looks like he's got MBD. I'd take him to a vet.

At least get some repcal with D3 (Rep-Cal - NOT reptocal or reptical) or minerall 1 in him ASAP. Also, some natual sunlight not filtered through glass wold help.
 
He/She does look like they may have MBD, and a Vet may be your only chance. Since you have only had him for 3 weeks, he probably came to you with it. Where did you get him? Please answer these questions from the sticky thread in the health forum to help others give you answers.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
 
Howdy Ian & Niko,

Even before I read Eric's assessment of MBD, I was thinking the same thing after I saw that photo :(. I'm not working this Friday and I will be around this weekend most of the time. I'll make the offer of a (free :D) house visit. I can bring some Ca/D3 and other supplies along with my UVB meter etc. and we can see what is what. You'll also want to make an appointment with an exotic vet experienced with chameleons so that things can be fully assessed and addressed. Toss me a msg and I'll toss you a phone number if you want to take me up on the offer :). (With a little luck, my refill of 10 pounds of W.E.R. insect gutload will arrive tomorrow and I can bring some of that too!)
 
Howdy All,

Gangi's keepers invited me over to take a peek at him. Gangi's MBD had been developing long before Ian and Niko brought him into their home. On top of that, the UVB tub's fixture came with a manufacture's pre-installed UVB filtering plastic lens cover :(. Fortunately, recently ESU appears to have decided to no longer import that fixture. We have modified his enclosure to give him easier access to UVB, which is now a Reptisun 5.0 tube in the same fixture BUT without the clear plastic UVB-stopping filter. Gangi is also getting unfiltered access to some hours of official Southern California beach sunshine :). He is also getting a small daily dose of calcium glubionate and a little bit of Ca/D3 to begin to turn things around. In the meantime, Ian and Niko are looking for a competent local vet to see about a proper evaluation and treatment plan.

The pet store that Gangi came from was not aware of the problem with their UVB sources. In fact, Gangi's brother was still at that store and there was a sign on his enclosure stating that he was not for sale and that he was sick. The store owner was giving him calcium (the wrong kind and no D3 in it either) but didn't realize that he wasn't getting any UVB to "activate" that calcium. We had a nice talk, fixed the UVB situation (used my UVB meter to demonstrate the problem) , changed to a different calcium (w/D3) source etc. The store owner was very excited to learn about some of the chameleon websites, including this one, and will be passing-on info to his chameleon customers.
 
Howdy All,

Gangi's keepers invited me over to take a peek at him. Gangi's MBD had been developing long before Ian and Niko brought him into their home. On top of that, the UVB tub's fixture came with a manufacture's pre-installed UVB filtering plastic lens cover :(. Fortunately, recently ESU appears to have decided to no longer import that fixture. We have modified his enclosure to give him easier access to UVB, which is now a Reptisun 5.0 tube in the same fixture BUT without the clear plastic UVB-stopping filter. Gangi is also getting unfiltered access to some hours of official Southern California beach sunshine :). He is also getting a small daily dose of calcium glubionate and a little bit of Ca/D3 to begin to turn things around. In the meantime, Ian and Niko are looking for a competent local vet to see about a proper evaluation and treatment plan.

The pet store that Gangi came from was not aware of the problem with their UVB sources. In fact, Gangi's brother was still at that store and there was a sign on his enclosure stating that he was not for sale and that he was sick. The store owner was giving him calcium (the wrong kind and no D3 in it either) but didn't realize that he wasn't getting any UVB to "activate" that calcium. We had a nice talk, fixed the UVB situation (used my UVB meter to demonstrate the problem) , changed to a different calcium (w/D3) source etc. The store owner was very excited to learn about some of the chameleon websites, including this one, and will be passing-on info to his chameleon customers.

I think that was an amazing thing you did for the family, and the pet store. I hope that Gangi recovers well, along with her brother. this is a truley lifting story.

-Jake
 
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