BEWARE of buying homemade cages! My chameleon has MBD and I fear isn't gonna make it.

[KatiLemons]

I just wanted to put a thread out there about the dangers of buying homemade cages that you didnt build. I bought 2 cages last year for 75 bucks. On was used as a chameleon cage the other one was used for a bearded dragon. I sold the bearded dragon one last summer and put Calliope in the other one around Oct/Nov. I have been supplementing with the normal schedule for both my chameleons. Levi is in a regular 24x24x48 and is healthy as ever. Mar of 2012 I went to the vet and she noticed that her limbs were slightly curved and diagnosed her with MBD. She started failing from there. When I got home from the vets I kept thinking to myself, How could this happen. I had taken every precaution for this and now i feel absolutley Horrible. I looked at the differences in both of thier cages and the only difference was the cage itself. It was untreated wood with a dark screen. The bottom was plexiglass. I promptly bought a cage from LLL reptile and it showed up and i set it up about a week later, since then she has gone down hill. I have been giving her calcium drops for about 2 weeks. I called my vet and explained what was goin on and she said that I should just keep giving her the drops with an antibiotic I had left over from seeing her in March. Since then she has stopped eatting so the vet gave me a different antibiotic and some critical care food to syringe feed her. I have done that for the last two days but since yesterday she has gone REALLY down hill. She is really weak and dark. Shes falling alot and I'm not sure what else there is to do. Since feeding her the food yesterday she is showing signs of distressed breathing. I think its the end for my sweet girl. I just don't want her to suffer anymore.

 

[Hoj]

Oh I am so sorry for you and your little girl. I highly doubt the cage caused MBD though, the only way i could see that being the cause is if the uvb was being blocked by the design.
I hope she trun around and pulls through for you..

 

[KatiLemons]

Thanks Hoj!!
I believe that the screen was to thick and did bloock the UVB. I'm trying everything possible for a recovery.

 

[Foist]

Oh I am so sorry for you and your little girl. I highly doubt the cage caused MBD though, the only way i could see that being the cause is if the uvb was being blocked by the design.
I hope she trun around and pulls through for you..

Ya,I highly doubt a wooden cage can cause MBD.I have my cham in a homemade wooden cage with plexiglass he's fine.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Very sorry to hear this.

why the antibiotics?

Unless the "dark screen" is blocking all the UVB, the cage is probably not the problem?

 

[KatiLemons]

The antibiotics are for her tail. When she fell last week she snapped a small portion of her tail and it has since dried out.

 

[Olimpia]

I'm so sorry that she's going downhill! I like to supplement my female much more than my male because I think females just need much more of it, and providing the same schedule you would with a male may not be enough. Particularly when they're making eggs.

What type of screen is the wooden cage using? Because unless it was blocking the UVB light there is no reason the cage should contribute to a condition that is caused by mineral imbalances in the body.

Edit - I would actually caution against making blanket statements like the title of this thread. One experience does not make a rule, and it's statements like this that new members take as fact and it could make someone turn around and throw out their DIY wooden cage, one which they may have spend days and a lot of money making. Again, I'm really sorry that your baby isn't doing well but blanket statements like this should be avoided. If anything, the screen is at fault, but not the cage as a whole.

 

[Captive Creations]

you have gotten a lot of Great advice. I am so sorry your cham is so sick. I hope she gets better. Keep us updated on her condition. Some times chameleons can get MDB even when you ar doing everything right but It doesn't sound like the cage could be te reason unless it was completly covered. What is you suppliment schedule? When did you buy your UVB light? What kind of light is it? How close can she get to the light?

 

[kinyonga]

You said you are giving her calcium drops...is there anything else in with the calcium?? What supplements do you use for the chameleons normally and how often for each? (Please be specific about the brands, etc.)

As has been said...if the screen was not allowing the UVB to pass through it properly then that should be the only reason for the MBD.

However....I wonder if there could be something else going on with your chameleon that is causing her to decline so quickly??

What kind of wood is the cage made out of? Did you disinfect it before you put your chameleon in it? How long was she in the cage? How long was the tail damaged before she started on the meds?

Concerning the MBD...the quickest way to correct it is to give the chameleon injections of calcium until the blood calcium levels are high enough to give it a shot of calcitonin to draw the calcium back into the bones rapidly.

 

[pwerfulyifu]

Very sorry to hear this.

why the antibiotics?

Unless the "dark screen" is blocking all the UVB, the cage is probably not the problem?

i built my own cage as well but i put two layers of aluminum mesh on the top. the inner one kind of droops so it keeps a distance from the basking light. is that too much? do i have to remake the top? its silver aluminum and i do have a thick foliage. i also keep my t deremensis outdoors 3 out of the 7 days of week.