worried cham parent! :(

[reptilover]

As far as the how to ask for help I have filled it out gone through It with many senior members.

My problem here Is possible dehydration.
Lighting supplementing and cage size is all good :

I got a chemical sprayer and spray 30oz of treated eater over his enclouser 2x a day and a little 8oz blast in the middle allowing it to dry in between and at night. He eats I see him lick leaves sometimes. I usualky make a point to leave as soon as I mist cause he prefers I'm not there.

He did just move into his big boy enclouser 5 days ago all screen 2ft by 2ft by 4ft. As a 4 1/2 month old male veiled.

He has a small orange tip on his poop. 90% white with that little orange tip. I have showered him before but didn't want to add to the stress with the new enclouser yet.. I got syringes and was going to water up some feeders and feed em by hand.

Could this be a sign of something other than dehydration?
Precautions on forcing water by filling feeders?

 

[K9Luvn]

I know it might seem redundant... but it is probably better to fill out the form again on this thread. That way members who assist you will be able to see everything with your husbandry and other questions they will need to know to more accurately try to assist you.

Have you considered feeding Hornworms?

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https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/



Please copy and paste with your answers to the questions so that experienced members can better assist you


***Also if you have pictures it can be very helpful***

Chameleon Info:

1. 
   [*]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?

 

[reptilover]

I know it might seem redundant... but it is probably better to fill out the form again on this thread. That way members who assist you will be able to see everything with your husbandry and other questions they will need to know to more accurately try to assist you.

Have you considered feeding Hornworms?

-------------------------------------------


https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/



Please copy and paste with your answers to the questions so that experienced members can better assist you


***Also if you have pictures it can be very helpful***

Chameleon Info:

1. 
   [*]Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? male veiled chameleon 4 1/2 months old been in my care for 2 1/2 years
   [*]Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I make an attempt daily but if he's not in the mood I dont bother. I do hand feed a wax worm or cricket or lettuce (romaine) daily to help establish our relationship I rinse the lettuce well right before so its dripping with treated water before feeding.
   [*]Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? I use a dry gutload also romaine lettuce and carrots mustard greens collars greens that I rotate weekly. working on a better dry than the commercial. I feed 12-15 crickets a day and remove any un eaten when lights go out.
   [*]Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I use rep-cal w/o d3 daily LIGHT dusting every feeder every day. Use rep-cal w/ d3 2 times a month and herptivite once a month. Switching to repashy as soon as my order gets here
   [*]Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? Watering described In first post. 2 heavy and one light misting. With a dripper for a couple hrs while I'm working. Mistking coming end of may.
   [*]Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Fecal is dark brown semi solid has never changed. Urates are 90% white with an orange tip (question at hand) the Fecal has stayed consistent since I got him except the orange tip. All Fecal is removed daily! Never been tested for parasites
   [*]History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. He just moved into a large screen enclouser 2x2x4 foot.
   
   [*]Cage Info:
   [*]Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Listed above.
   [*]Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? 12 on
   
   12 off with very slight fluctuation depending on my schedual. Repti 5.0 only 2 months old. 2 exo terra 50 watt basking bulbs in a double deep dome keeping hot spot at 88 degrees with slight fluctuation of ambient temps.
   [*]Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? To Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? 87-93 basking bottom branches down to 71 night temps lowest yet is 61 degrees. I have a space heater in room set to 55 as a just incase (i do live in Washington) I have a digital humidity+temp up top and bottom with a digital temp only with prob set exactly to the hottest spot.
   
   

Pic or Fecal will come after work there's always one laying there for me


SIDE NOTE: dripper was utilized only 3 days ago. Pics of frankie from 2 days ago are in my albums 4-6 month old. And I have wanted to feed hornworms but what I could find is like 60 dollars for 50 or so. Is this average? Can I find lower quantity? How often can they be fed?

Pics of enclouser can be found here.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/need-new-enclouser-advice-please-81833/

 

[reptilover]

Found good Hornworm price and quantity no help there thanks!

 

[K9Luvn]

Found good Hornworm price and quantity no help there thanks!

The hornworms grow fast. Don't need many of them as they will grow fast!!! I only feed them occasionally. Hopefully things will get better now that he is using the dripper. Do you have a picture of him as well?

 

[reptilover]

The hornworms grow fast. Don't need many of them as they will grow fast!!! I only feed them occasionally. Hopefully things will get better now that he is using the dripper. Do you have a picture of him as well?

There's pics In my albums. I'll post one.
And I found 25ct. Of the little little ones that come witg enough food I grow to 1.5 in. there ment for leopard gecko sub adult cham size which is perfect I have both

View attachment 54403
Excuse the half open eye he was settling to sleep when i ruddy interrupt usually he's bright eyed

 

[ataraxia]

K9: Hornworms are a great suggestion.

If i could add silkworms to that list also would be great for hydration.

You could add a ultrasonic cool mist humidifier to keep humidity up. that will help also with hydration.

In all i wouldn't stir yourself crazy. Keep what your doing. It sounds like your doing a great job.

 

[reptilover]

K9: Hornworms are a great suggestion.

If i could add silkworms to that list also would be great for hydration.

You could add a ultrasonic cool mist humidifier to keep humidity up. that will help also with hydration.

In all i wouldn't stir yourself crazy. Keep what your doing. It sounds like your doing a great job.

Thank u and has been added to tge list! so orange tip wouldn't be a sign of anything else just try hydrating well first? I appreciate ur help my stress level just went way down
I love ur avatar btw.

 

[HolyToledo]

Just for reassurance sake!

Welcome to the Worried Parent club!! You are not alone and came to the right place. This forum is fantastic!!

Try to quit stressing unless you see that the orange/or yellow amount continues to increase progressively, or suddenly changes drastically.

Figure out what is normal for your cham and keep an eye out for changes before worrying. I was told that with some chams, a small portion of colored urate is fine if it is a regular thing and is just what stays in them the longest amount of time between evacuations.

Slight variations can happen all the time depending on their moods, etc. You just don't want the variance to be something you have or haven't done.

I also suggest that you find a good cham vet now before any issues do come up, and hopefully you will never need them! But the last place you want to be is running around with a sick cham not knowing who to take them to or how well they work with our critters (some say they do but aren't very good at it). There is a good thread at the beginning of this section that lists vets according to area...

So, take a deep breath and relax a little! My male veiled has had many health issues and at his worst, his urates were solid orange for about a week and he has survived even that quite well. After a few months now, we have gotten to the point of solid pale yellow and are looking very forward to primarily white urates let alone something that looks as good as your critter's!

 

[DavidBuchan]

so orange tip wouldn't be a sign of anything else just try hydrating well first?

No, it's just a touch of dehydration ( it's like a human having a dark yellow urine instead of the clear urine passed by the truly healthy and hydrated or the truly drunk )
There sounds like no need to inject water into feeders yet.

Welcome to the Worried Parent club!! You are not alone and came to the right place. This forum is fantastic!!

Try to quit stressing unless you see that the orange/or yellow amount continues to increase progressively, or suddenly changes drastically.

Agreed....... My male does often have a yellow/orange crust on the tip of the urate.
I checked it and right below the surface it's pure white, so no worries