‼️HELP‼️

[Good_vibes1313]

My panther chameleon has been acting dehydrated? For the last couple weeks, maybe about a month. I give him plenty of water and I see him drink plenty of water, his humidity levels are good, in the low 60s during the day and 90+ at night.. I have a mist king system, the right size cage (from chameleon academy), a light for heat and a then a uvb light as well. He’s always trying to escape his enclosure, sometimes even jumps to the glass and ends up falling.. he just has this stuck dry skin around him I’m assuming he’s shedding but it’s just been so long that now I’m getting concerned. Any tips? Any tips would be so helpful. Thank you!!

 

[Beman]

Can you please post more pics of the entire chameleon, his enclosure and give details on the heating wattage and UVB you are using?

 

[kinyonga]

What makes you think your chameleon is dehydrated?
What colour are his urates?

 

[Good_vibes1313]

What makes you think your chameleon is dehydrated?
What colour are his urates?

I guess dehydrated isn’t the right word, dry is more what I meant to say. His urates are white/yellow.

 

[Good_vibes1313]

What makes you think your chameleon is dehydrated?
What colour are his urates?

Can you please post more pics of the entire chameleon, his enclo details on the heating wattage and UVB you are usin

Can you please post more pics of the entire chameleon, his enclosure and give details on the heating wattage and UVB you are using?

Sure! He has a 22” 24 watt Reptisun 5.0 T5 UVB, and a 60 watt bulb by Exo Terra for heating. I will attach photos of the enclosure

 

[Good_vibes1313]

 

[Good_vibes1313]

There’s some more pictures, he’s also grey a lot and that concerns me.

 

[Good_vibes1313]

 

[kinyonga]

I guess dehydrated isn’t the right word, dry is more what I meant to say. His urates are white/yellow.

You mean that dry skin that is flaky looking and not like a normal shed?

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. What supplements are you using and what is the schedule for them?

 

[Good_vibes1313]

You mean that dry skin that is flaky looking and not like a normal shed?

Yes that is correct

 

[Good_vibes1313]

Hi. What supplements are you using and what is the schedule for them?

Hi! I’ll have to get the exact brand names, but I use a calcium supplement every feeding with no D3, it has bee pollen as well, and then I use a Calcium supplement with D3 twice a month, one usually in the beginning of the month and one towards the end.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi! I’ll have to get the exact brand names, but I use a calcium supplement every feeding with no D3, it has bee pollen as well, and then I use a Calcium supplement with D3 twice a month, one usually in the beginning of the month and one towards the end.

What about a multivitamin?

 

[Andrew1283]

I think a lot of keepers wayyy over do it with bee pollen. I stopped using it.

Your branches are too thick. Get some branches that are the width of your index finger and pinky. Otherwise his hands and feet are splaying out completely and he’s struggling to grip with his nails. You need a lot more horizontal branches too. Check out Neptune the chameleon’s video on how to set up a cage. My male chams like to patrol their cages each morning and then settle in to their perch spot. Try to make the branches so they run from the back to front and side to side like a square track so they can walk round and round. It’s good for exercise and increases their use of the entire enclosure.

 

[Andrew1283]

Also. I don’t know where you are but horn worms and silk worms solve all my hydration problems. They’re mostly water so it’s like feeding your cham a bag of water. I give my chams either a bunch of silk worms or one horn worm a week so I always know they’re hydrated. They drink too and their poops are perfect. And I hand spray including the screens for extra humidity and longevity of the moisture.

I don’t know if you hold him but if you do, stop. I don’t hold my Chams but I do touch their tails and feet before I feed them so they associate being touched with something good about to happen. But I don’t hold them unless I bring them to bask outdoors, under CLOSE supervision.

 

[Beman]

The 60 watt heat bulb is that a standard heat bulb or is it a Mercury vapor 2 in 1 bulb?

 

[kinyonga]

Yes that is correct

It could be a vitamin A issue.

 

[Andrew1283]

My panther chameleon has been acting dehydrated? For the last couple weeks, maybe about a month. I give him plenty of water and I see him drink plenty of water, his humidity levels are good, in the low 60s during the day and 90+ at night.. I have a mist king system, the right size cage (from chameleon academy), a light for heat and a then a uvb light as well. He’s always trying to escape his enclosure, sometimes even jumps to the glass and ends up falling.. he just has this stuck dry skin around him I’m assuming he’s shedding but it’s just been so long that now I’m getting concerned. Any tips? Any tips would be so helpful. Thank you!!

You said, “humidity levels are good, in the low 60s during the day and 90+ at night”

No, that daytime level humidity is not good and this is why I don’t like hybrid enclosures with permanent solid sides. They hold in moisture and you can’t remove the panel to make it a screen. If you have a screen enclosure you can add a solid panel if needed. If you have an enclosure with solid sides you’re stuck with it.

I also don’t like automatic misters because they spray a chameleon during a shed and that can cause the shed to get stuck. Chameleons are dry shedders so I don’t spray them during a shed, I supplement hydration with a dripper and horn worms or silk worms during those shed days.


Get a dehumidifier

 

[Good_vibes1313]

You said, “humidity levels are good, in the low 60s during the day and 90+ at night”

No, that daytime level humidity is not good and this is why I don’t like hybrid enclosures with permanent solid sides. They hold in moisture and you can’t remove the panel to make it a screen. If you have a screen enclosure you can add a solid panel if needed. If you have an enclosure with solid sides you’re stuck with it.

I also don’t like automatic misters because they spray a chameleon during a shed and that can cause the shed to get stuck. Chameleons are dry shedders so I don’t spray them during a shed, I supplement hydration with a dripper and horn worms or silk worms during those shed days.


Get a dehumidifier

I had originally owned an all screen cage but living in New Mexico it gets very dry and it wasn’t holding in humidity. I put panels on it and it didn’t seem to help much so after lots of research I ended up getting the cage I have now. I think I may need to change the automatic missing times I have set. Thank you for all your advice! Much appreciated!