Advice for a new veiled owner please!!!

[Veiledcham920]

Hello, I am a new member and love all of the great advice and fun photos on here! My family and I have recently became owners of a veiled chameleon. Someone my husband knows gave him her 1 1/2 year old male, veiled chameleon. There was no warning, no preparation, nothing! So we pretty much have been crash coursing in chameleon care. We really enjoy him so I want to make sure he’s as comfortable as can be! Here is Yoshi’s info...

Your Chameleon - 1 1/2 year old, veiled male chameleon. We’ve had him 2 months.

• Handling - He has active times through out the afternoon where he wants to come out of his cage to roam and will climb right onto my hand and hang out for a bit.
• Feeding - Large crickets, 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. Gut load with untreated grass, carrots, spinach and random raw vegetables I’ll throw in as well.
• Supplements - Zoo med repti-calcium with D3. I sprinkle morning crickets every other day.
• Watering - Plant dripper, mist plants every morning same time I feed crickets.
• Fecal Description - Brown stiff poop with white urate.
• History - He came from someone that bred chams, she was very clear to my husband that he was very “domesticated” and used to living in a home and didn’t even need an enclosure. He was one of her more aggressive males which is why she couldn’t keep him.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Using an old wire cage I use to use for my bird. It’s 18x18x36. Looking to him getting an extra large size as he seems to be very active during the day and needs more space.
• Lighting - Solar brite, R40 white mercury vapor, a uva/uvb and heat lamp in one light. We run it 12 hours a day. Curious if this could be to hot or how far away should the basking spot be from this??
• Temperature - Don’t have a thermometer at the moment but when we first set up his enclosure the basking spot was around 80 degrees. He’s in our home so night temp in our home gets to about 70.
• Humidity - Not sure what humidity is in the enclosure I don’t have anything to check. He did shed some skin and there are still some patches not coming off so I figured he need more humidity. I placed a cool mist humidifier near the enclosure I run on low all day.
• Plants - I have a croton, birds nest fern and pothos plant in the enclosure. Outside of enclosure there are a few more live plants as well as a corn stalk tree he occasionally climbs on.
• Placement - Located in corner of the living room, no vents near by, near a window but does not get direct sun.
• Location - Michigan

Current Problem - Biggest problem I am concerned about are the spikes on his back. They were darker since we got him but now I’m afraid he has been burned as they are grey and crispy looking. Also curious if some of the greyer spots on his head heat burns. The light I am using, is there a suggested distance I should keep it??? Right now it’s about 8 inches from his lizard lounger.

Suggestions on humidity?? Is a humidifier ok? I was told they were desert animals and don’t need to much humidity in the first place so that’s where I could use some insight. He also has dry shedding skin that has not fallen off especially by the darker spikes along his spine. Wondering if that’s related with the humidity??
I will attach pics.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome. Putting my feedback in red.
Your Chameleon - 1 1/2 year old, veiled male chameleon. We’ve had him 2 months.

• Handling - He has active times through out the afternoon where he wants to come out of his cage to roam and will climb right onto my hand and hang out for a bit.
• Feeding - Large crickets, 6 in the morning and 6 in the evening. You’ll want to cut his feeding down considerably. He should be getting fed once every other day, in the morning and only about 4 appropriately sized bugs. Obesity in chams can have some serious issues. Try a variety of feeders. Gut load with untreated grass, carrots, spinach and random raw vegetables I’ll throw in as well. Good, but ditch the spinach. It can prevent calcium absorption. Attaching feeder and ‘gutloading’ sheets for you. *gutloading is more how to feed your bugs regularly
• Supplements - Zoo med repti-calcium with D3. I sprinkle morning crickets every other day. This one should be used only once every two weeks. Vitamin D3 can build up and cause toxicity. You’ll need a phosphorus free calcium without D3 for use on every feeding except one per week. You’ll alternate that one feeding every week with the calcium with D3 and the next week a multivitamin.
• Watering - Plant dripper, mist plants every morning same time I feed crickets. Misting should be for at least 2 minutes early around lights on and just before/after lights off. Dripper can be used mid day for about 20 minutes.
• Fecal Description - Brown stiff poop with white urate.
• History - He came from someone that bred chams, she was very clear to my husband that he was very “domesticated” and used to living in a home and didn’t even need an enclosure. He was one of her more aggressive males which is why she couldn’t keep him. Most veileds can be ’aggresive’. You can/should build trust with him. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Using an old wire cage I use to use for my bird. It’s 18x18x36. Looking to him getting an extra large size as he seems to be very active during the day and needs more space. Not too bad, but yes, he does need more space. The minimum suggested size is 2x2x4’ or equivalent.
• Lighting - Solar brite, R40 white mercury vapor, a uva/uvb and heat lamp in one light. We run it 12 hours a day. Curious if this could be to hot or how far away should the basking spot be from this?? Unless you have a solar meter to measure/monitor uvb levels, mercury vapor isn’t a good idea. Much better and safer uvb is a T5 with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb. It’ll need to be long enough to span the width of the enclosure. This is most likely what caused his burns. For basking, a plain incandescent light bulb (not LED) works well. Start at a 60w. Basking area should be at least 8-9” down from his lights. Lights should be on a 12 hour schedule.
• Temperature - Don’t have a thermometer at the moment but when we first set up his enclosure the basking spot was around 80 degrees. He’s in our home so night temp in our home gets to about 70. 80 with an absolute max of 85 is perfect for a male veiled. At night, it’s preferred to have a temp drop. As long as it doesn’t get below 60, he’ll be good. You do need a thermometer (preferably digital with a probe) to monitor and maintain temps.
• Humidity - Not sure what humidity is in the enclosure I don’t have anything to check. He did shed some skin and there are still some patches not coming off so I figured he need more humidity. I placed a cool mist humidifier near the enclosure I run on low all day. Ideal humidity is between 30-50% during the day. At night when it’s cool it can get much higher. It’s important to have a hygrometer to measure/maintain humidity. High heat+high humidity = high risk for respiratory infection. Also, chams are dry shedders so increasing humidity may not help with shedding.
• Plants - I have a croton, birds nest fern and pothos plant in the enclosure. Outside of enclosure there are a few more live plants as well as a corn stalk tree he occasionally climbs on. Perfect. If there are any fake plants, replace them with real. Veileds nibble their plants so they need to be real and safe. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
• Placement - Located in corner of the living room, no vents near by, near a window but does not get direct sun.
• Location - Michigan

Current Problem - Biggest problem I am concerned about are the spikes on his back. They were darker since we got him but now I’m afraid he has been burned as they are grey and crispy looking. Also curious if some of the greyer spots on his head heat burns. The light I am using, is there a suggested distance I should keep it??? Right now it’s about 8 inches from his lizard lounger. I’m afraid his back is quite burned. I can’t see his casque clearly enough to say if there are burns there too. Best course of action is to take him to an exotics vet with experience in chameleons. He will be needing a topical cream (silver sulfadiazine) and treatment. Depending on the severity of the burns, he may need an oral antibiotic too.

Suggestions on humidity?? Is a humidifier ok? You can use a cool mist humidifier only at night for a few hours when it’s cool. It’s considered naturalistic hydration. I was told they were desert animals and don’t need to much humidity in the first place so that’s where I could use some insight. While most of Yemen is (I assume) arid and desert like, there are cooler more humid areas in the mountainous areas that the veiled chams live in. He also has dry shedding skin that has not fallen off especially by the darker spikes along his spine. It’s very possible that the burn has somehow caused the shed skin to be more adherent. I wouldn’t mess with it. It’s very likely that he may lose some of his spines. This is where having veterinary care is essential. Wondering if that’s related with the humidity??
I will attach pics.
While not a priority now, he will be needing more branches and vines to travel on. Priority is a vet visit and correcting uvb lighting and supplementation. There is a great YouTube channel, Neptune the Chameleon created by a forum member...she covers so many topics and is always adding more. Another great resource is https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/. Of course, feel free to ask as many questions as you need. If you need help finding a good vet, another member may be able to help...just ask.

 

[Veiledcham920]

Thank you so so much for your advice! I actually just scheduled him a Veternarian appointment yesterday before I reached out here. The vet is a few weeks out so I will start with fixing the lighting set up.
The reptile store suggested the 12 crickets a day. Everything I read didn’t sound like a dozen crickets a day was typical so I did question it but he always ate them. Most days he looks like he waiting for his feedings and goes right for the bowl. I will definitely cut back though!

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you so so much for your advice! I actually just scheduled him a Veternarian appointment yesterday before I reached out here. The vet is a few weeks out so I will start with fixing the lighting set up.
The reptile store suggested the 12 crickets a day. Everything I read didn’t sound like a dozen crickets a day was typical so I did question it but he always ate them. Most days he looks like he waiting for his feedings and goes right for the bowl. I will definitely cut back though!

The vet can’t see you any sooner than a few weeks? He really should be seen within a few days. If that vet can’t get you in any sooner, perhaps another member can help you find another vet.

 

[Veiledcham920]

She said they were booked out due to COVID ? November 10th was the soonest. I will research some more in the area.

 

[Anisa.corp]

Did the other owners have any form of uvb on him?

 

[Beman]

Hi there and welcome. You got some wonderful feedback but I would like to expand on the UVB portion. With that enclosure since it is not screen you need the t5HO fixture and 5.0 bulb to be 11-12 inches away from the closest basking branch. With the type of cage you will not have much UVB reduction. At this distance he will get a 3 uvi level. I would do this asap. and get rid of the Mercury vapor asap. These are very dangerous when not used with a solarmeter 6.5 and do cause thermal burns when in close radius to the cham.

Additionally you need to make sure you see a knowledgeable reptile vet that has experience with chameleons. I am seeing signs of MBD in the back left leg this would be from improper supplementation and UVB lighting.

 

[Veiledcham920]

Did the other owners have any form of uvb on him?

From the sounds of it he free roamed her home and she had a couple lights in a green house her chams would occasionally use.

 

[Veiledcham920]

Hi there and welcome. You got some wonderful feedback but I would like to expand on the UVB portion. With that enclosure since it is not screen you need the t5HO fixture and 5.0 bulb to be 11-12 inches away from the closest basking branch. With the type of cage you will not have much UVB reduction. At this distance he will get a 3 uvi level. I would do this asap. and get rid of the Mercury vapor asap. These are very dangerous when not used with a solarmeter 6.5 and do cause thermal burns when in close radius to the cham.

Additionally you need to make sure you see a knowledgeable reptile vet that has experience with chameleons. I am seeing signs of MBD in the back left leg this would be from improper supplementation and UVB lighting.

Thank you. I am purchasing lights today. We have a vet appointment set up but it’s about 2 weeks out. Should I tell them it’s an emergency?

 

[Beman]

Thank you. I am purchasing lights today. We have a vet appointment set up but it’s about 2 weeks out. Should I tell them it’s an emergency?

Yes, I would. If he has a thermal burn he needs the silver cream sooner then later so it heals properly and stops infection. I can't tell from the pics. But with the MBD in the legs... If this is old then that is one thing. but if this is current then he needs the proper treatment to reverse the MBD. The limbs will always be bowed like that unfortunately. But if it is a current case of MBD then he is at risk for other limbs being effected.

Just make sure they know reptiles and work with them. A regular vet will not be able to help you the way an exotic vet with cham experience will be.

 

[MissSkittles]

I was so focused on looking at his spines, I completely missed his legs. ?

 

[Veiledcham920]

Yes, I would. If he has a thermal burn he needs the silver cream sooner then later so it heals properly and stops infection. I can't tell from the pics. But with the MBD in the legs... If this is old then that is one thing. but if this is current then he needs the proper treatment to reverse the MBD. The limbs will always be bowed like that unfortunately. But if it is a current case of MBD then he is at risk for other limbs being effected.

Just make sure they know reptiles and work with them. A regular vet will not be able to help you the way an exotic vet with cham experience will be.

Yes this is an exotic pet hospital. How can you tell they are bowed?

 

[Veiledcham920]

Is this correct?? I am getting him a screened enclosure and will need something for the width of the enclosure correct? With the hood? Or am I ok using a dome for the size enclosure I am getting?

 

[Anisa.corp]

Is this correct?? I am getting him a screened enclosure and will need something for the width of the enclosure correct? With the hood? Or am I ok using a dome for the size enclosure I am getting?

Yes thats the correct bulb but if you are getting a 24 inch enclosure then get a 22 inch buld with a 24 inch fixture

 

[jacksonchamnew]

Don't let them climb on back and walk around house; they will fall off.

 

[Beman]

Yes this is an exotic pet hospital. How can you tell they are bowed?

In the third picture the back left leg is very misshaped showing signs of mbd.

 

[Thatwizard420]

Is this correct?? I am getting him a screened enclosure and will need something for the width of the enclosure correct? With the hood? Or am I ok using a dome for the size enclosure I am getting?

Don't get that unless you have a T8 fixture

 

[Beman]

Is this correct?? I am getting him a screened enclosure and will need something for the width of the enclosure correct? With the hood? Or am I ok using a dome for the size enclosure I am getting?

This is the 18 inch T8 bulb which would go into the 20 inch T8 fixture. If you are moving over to a screen cage you need the T5HO fixture and the 5.0 T5 bulb. Most stores do not carry anything but the T8.