I'm relatively certain that our baby veiled chameleon has advanced metabolic bone disease. We've only had him for two months and he's still very little. Up until last week, he appeared happy and healthy. Then, slowly, he began to loose the ability to grasp and fell off his vines a few times. For the last 2 days he's spent his entire day at the bottom of his terrarium, barely moving. He looks ill. His body looks emaciated and I can see his limbs are deformed. The breeder suggested I not take him to the vet because it will only stress him more and certainly cause his death. I think he's going to die soon anyway. I don't want him to suffer any more. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
advanced metabolic bone disease
- Thread starter Viana
- Start date
bdjacobs95
New Member
My chameleon had a small problem with this. If you dont already, you should dust you crickets using a calcium supplement. I use repti-cal. Usually MBD is caused by a lack of calcium. So dusting the crickets would probably help him out. Make sure yopu keep him hydrated 
WelshOneEmma
New Member
You need to take it to a vet. How do you know that it didn't break any bones in the falls? Especially if it has MBD. It could be in pain, and needs to be addressed. I think its very wrong of the breeder to tell you to not take it to the vet.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
A vet visit seems a good course of action to me.
As would a full review of the set-up and husbandry provided, to identify the source of the issue, if indeed it is MBD.
As would a full review of the set-up and husbandry provided, to identify the source of the issue, if indeed it is MBD.
Murrdox
New Member
About the only thing I CAN tell you is that based on this behavior alone, your cham is not doing well at all, and may be close to death.
If you want to save him, you need to take him to a vet. Even then it might be too late.
Your "breeder" doesn't sound like he knows what he's talking about.
Passed away
Hi Everyone,
I tried to reply once before but was told I wasn't logged in so here I go again. I apologize if I am repeating myself. First of all let me thank you for all of your replies. I appreciate that advise. I'm sad to say our chameleon passed away within the last hour. We are all so sad. He was our first reptile and we quickly fell in love with his cute little face. Before we owned him, I was afraid of lizards but he quickly changed that. Now I'm hooked. Thanks again.
Viana
Hi Everyone,
I tried to reply once before but was told I wasn't logged in so here I go again. I apologize if I am repeating myself. First of all let me thank you for all of your replies. I appreciate that advise. I'm sad to say our chameleon passed away within the last hour. We are all so sad. He was our first reptile and we quickly fell in love with his cute little face. Before we owned him, I was afraid of lizards but he quickly changed that. Now I'm hooked. Thanks again.
Viana
chambabysitter1
New Member
I am sorry to hear that, at least you found this forum and the information it can provide. If you think about getting another chameleon, I would consult this guide as a how to. Alot of users use it here to great success and it is a short and easy, but most importantly an informatively sound piece.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
You have my condolences. Might I recommend finding another breeder if there is a next time? One that doesn't want you to take a very sick cham to the vet seems odd to me.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/
You have my condolences. Might I recommend finding another breeder if there is a next time? One that doesn't want you to take a very sick cham to the vet seems odd to me.
yoza717
New Member
Sorry for your loss. Hopefully I will never have to go through something like that.
But since you mentioned that you are hooked, there are some good threads on this site that has help me change my husbandry to the better (I hope). So I suggest reading and asking question as you prepare for your next cham. And most definitely stay away from that breeder that told you not to take your cham to the vet.
. Hopefully I will never have to go through something like that. But since you mentioned that you are hooked, there are some good threads on this site that has help me change my husbandry to the better (I hope). So I suggest reading and asking question as you prepare for your next cham. And most definitely stay away from that breeder that told you not to take your cham to the vet.
laurie
Retired Moderator
I am so sorry you lost your little cham. I have no idea who the "breeder" was but maybe they didn't know what they were doing. We have some really excellent breeders on this forum, give one of them a try, at least you will start with a quality cham and the support ti keep it that way. Hang in there.
Fate X
New Member
sorry for your loss.i have found it somewhat difficult to watch them die.
i have lost a few myself.
Zen Reptiles
Avid Member
Sorry to be the inconsiderate one, but if he was fine for the first two months up until recently, then it was definitely completely your fault and the breeder had nothing to do with it.
I don't know why you guys are ganging up on the breeder... if the chameleon died so soon, then the breeder probably saved this person a huge vet bill.
That said, welcome to the forum, and I hope you do plenty of research before you get your next chameleon.
Veiled chameleons need UVB exposure, a bright basking area, and calcium supplementation.
If you'd like to explain to us exactly what you were doing for diet, lighting, hydration, and general caging info (including if you used a soil substrate), then we can get to the bottom of what the cause was and help you enjoy your next chameleon to the fullest potential!
Hope this experience hasn't put you off keeping chameleons, because once you get the husbandry down right, they're a very rewarding and personable pet.
I don't know why you guys are ganging up on the breeder... if the chameleon died so soon, then the breeder probably saved this person a huge vet bill.
That said, welcome to the forum, and I hope you do plenty of research before you get your next chameleon.
Veiled chameleons need UVB exposure, a bright basking area, and calcium supplementation.
If you'd like to explain to us exactly what you were doing for diet, lighting, hydration, and general caging info (including if you used a soil substrate), then we can get to the bottom of what the cause was and help you enjoy your next chameleon to the fullest potential!
Hope this experience hasn't put you off keeping chameleons, because once you get the husbandry down right, they're a very rewarding and personable pet.
Cham
I had a chameleon who had a mbd we took him to the vet the next day weapons out and they gave usneo cal glucon to boost up his calcium we have it to him every 12 hours so twice a day he was doing fine for a quite if ttime was trying to climb his branch and could even turn around on it.hed climb down and stuff.We dusted his crickets and gave him UVB light.He died just yesterday we found him on the bottom of his terrium ants were walking all over and inside of him if like to know if y'all think it was the mbd or the ants .he fell off his branch and was on his side.was he already dead when they started getting on him or did they eat him .they were the small ants.I'm very sad to know this happened when he wasfine
I had a chameleon who had a mbd we took him to the vet the next day weapons out and they gave usneo cal glucon to boost up his calcium we have it to him every 12 hours so twice a day he was doing fine for a quite if ttime was trying to climb his branch and could even turn around on it.hed climb down and stuff.We dusted his crickets and gave him UVB light.He died just yesterday we found him on the bottom of his terrium ants were walking all over and inside of him if like to know if y'all think it was the mbd or the ants .he fell off his branch and was on his side.was he already dead when they started getting on him or did they eat him .they were the small ants.
I'm very sad to know this happened when he wasfine
Djturna4thakidz
Established Member
This is a 5 year old thread
Maximillion
Member
Max
My Max did the same thing we took him to the vet three days in a row he got an enima, calcium shots, water shots, and calcium by mouth. We had to take aggressive action in his care to save him and for awhile the vet said we could still lose him because he was so young. I went and got a cricket keeper and I now gut load them with the things Max needs. We changed his lighting to a better uvb and removed the red night light so he has total dark for at least 10 hrs a day. I give him calcium drops 2 times a day and dust his crickets with calcium. It's been a month of around the clock care but it was worth it he is now climbing again his color is much better and yes he is now a ninja cham but the key is get him to a vet now if you want to save him...
My Max did the same thing we took him to the vet three days in a row he got an enima, calcium shots, water shots, and calcium by mouth. We had to take aggressive action in his care to save him and for awhile the vet said we could still lose him because he was so young. I went and got a cricket keeper and I now gut load them with the things Max needs. We changed his lighting to a better uvb and removed the red night light so he has total dark for at least 10 hrs a day. I give him calcium drops 2 times a day and dust his crickets with calcium. It's been a month of around the clock care but it was worth it he is now climbing again his color is much better and yes he is now a ninja cham but the key is get him to a vet now if you want to save him...
Lovereps
Avid Member
Unless your cham has MBD, calcium dusting of feeders is what people do to ensure their cham gets enough calcium .
A UVB light is needed for the cham's body to be able to use the calcium it takes in.
You can copy and paste the questions from here https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
and then add all of your answers, then experienced forum members will read them and let you know if anything needs to be changed to keep your cham healthy or to help your cham get healthy again.
You will probably get the best results by doing that in a new thread, so more people read it.
Here is the best write up about MBD done by a veterinarian who is also a chamkeeper https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-metabolic-bone-disease-mbd-looks-like-how-happens-how-fix-95071/.
If you're in the US, you can get the calcium syrup from sellers on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Rugby-Calcionate-Syrup-Compare-Neo-Calglucon/dp/B00112G29O/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1408822762&sr=8-2-fkmr1&keywords=rugby+calcium+gluconate
