cam's not looking too good.

[aksdgff]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon, female, 2-3 months. she's been in my care for about 3 weeks.
Handling - I was handling her every day for a few minutes, she seemed to love hanging out with me. lately, i've been super busy and haven't had much time to spend with her
Feeding - She gets about 12-18 1/4 size crickets a day (unless she doesnt eat them all the day prior). she also gets mealworms mixed in. when i give her less crickets, she gets the mealworms in their place. i usually put them in her feeding bowl around 6am when i leave for work. if i dont have a chance (which isnt normal) she will get them at 1pm. i have the crickets eating bug burger. i want to introduce silkworms, but im still doing research.
Supplements - i have exo terra calcium, calcium w/D3, and multivitamin. i dust the crickets (and attempt to dust the worms) every day with calcium. once a month with D3 and multivitamin.
Watering - I spray her leaves 3x a day for probably a minute. she gets irritated with me and her leaves are soaked. i have seen her drinking but not every time.
Fecal Description - it's usually dried out when i find it but it's usually brown with a pretty white/lightttt yellow end. sometimes the brown part looks mucus-y?
History - Her brother died a few weeks ago from what i guess was a respiratory infection from poor conditions at a pet store.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - medium reptibreeze turned on it's side.
Lighting - reptiglo 5.0 uvb bulb on from 6am-7 or 8pm. and a 50 watt zilla day white light bulb over 2 feet from cage for extra heat when needed (my house is on the colder side)
Temperature - at the spot she usually hangs out, its between 76 and 78 during the day and 71-74 during the night. measured with a digital thermometer w/probe
Humidity - i'm not monitoring humidity yet
Plants - still using fake plants at the moment. i have a golden pothos not in the cage yet. i have to replant it first.
Placement - the cage is on the floor in a room that isnt frequented much.
Location - MD


Current Problem - my little girl seems to be less active these past few days. she seems pale and possibly sleeping during the day. it actually looks like she's squinting. =/ she's never eaten as much as i'd like her to. she seems to split 20 feeders between two days.

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. Sorry to hear that your little one is not looking well. This is how I keep young veileds and panthers. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

Try warming her up to the low 80's. I use a regular household bulb for heat. Be sure to remove any left over crickets or they could eat on your baby at night. Also the crickets do not stay gut loaded after a few hours.

 

[aksdgff]

will do. could the heat problem be causing her to keep her eyes closed? she seems to be walking with them close as well =//

 

[mcbdz]

Sorry you little girl isn't feeling very well. Can you post some pics of here. This may help pick up on something. You may want to contact a vet that works with reptile.

 

[aksdgff]

does anyone have any tips on getting her hydrated? i know the normal methods and the shower method but she's very young and not going for the water on her leafs

 

[aksdgff]

she just tried to climb up her branch and fell off because she wont open those eyes.

 

[rsepiphyte]

She looks so skinny as if she is re-absorbing muscle and body fat. (looking at legs )Have you wormed her? Perhaps you could stimulate her appetite with flagyl or metronidazole? Dose i normally use would be 75mg/kg and if you have her weight i can help you calculate the dose. She definitely has something "going on" be it an infection or some infestation of parasites. It is so hard to treat these little ones. When she opens her mouth do you see a pink or a greyish color. I hope you are able to bring her back to health. Ruth

 

[Carlton]

She looks so skinny as if she is re-absorbing muscle and body fat. (looking at legs )Have you wormed her? Perhaps you could stimulate her appetite with flagyl or metronidazole? Dose i normally use would be 75mg/kg and if you have her weight i can help you calculate the dose. She definitely has something "going on" be it an infection or some infestation of parasites. It is so hard to treat these little ones. When she opens her mouth do you see a pink or a greyish color. I hope you are able to bring her back to health. Ruth

It is very difficult to judge a juvenile cham's fat reserves by looking at legs...they are normally pretty thin while they are actively growing. Ribs tend to show slightly depending on the cham's posture. Instead, watch the casque and base of the tail. She doesn't look unusually thin to me. Also I doubt very much she has a heavy parasite load at this young age.

 

[rsepiphyte]

I just do not agree, parasites and infections can be picked up from food sources , there is some muscle wasting going on in this young chameleon. Ruth

 

[aksdgff]

she seemed to be a good weight up until this week. =/ im afraid to take her to the vet, because when i took my last one to the vet with significant RI symptoms, the vet said he had never seen such a little guy and he must just be dehydrated. the vet gave him fluids and he died the next day..

 

[carol5208]

I would also move the heat light closer. 2 feet away is too far.

 

[aksdgff]

I've moved it on top of the cage to get the temperature up, but I was told she was too young to really be basking. That's why I had it far away from the cage. It was also making the temperatures too high, but now that temperatures randomly plummited, I have to find a new position for it.

 

[Captive Creations]

I would be sure to have the enclosure dry before lights out and try to have it dry out between mistings. if she was in the same cage as the male I would assume that she could have an uri as her brother so I would say dry cage between mistings and try to have the temps on the higher side around 80's in older chams we try to raise the temps to help with uri but with young chams its a bit hard but I would try that and hopefully she can pull threw it. If you can I would either bring her to a new herp vet if you have one if not find out what your current vet can do for URI. just be sure you explain the symtoms and hopefully she will agree with your assesment and be able to help. I really hope she pulls threw for you I had seen alot of veiled hatchlings and I have to agree that she does NOT seem to be too sinny to me. I hope she improves for you. She is beautiful

 

[Elizadolots]

I agree with looking for another vet. Lacking that, is there a Herp society or something? It probably wouldn't hurt to get the opinion of someone who can see her in person and also has a lot of experience with young chameleons. If she was locally bred, maybe you can arrange to meet with the breeder.

 

[aksdgff]

would an upper respiratory cause her to keep her eyes closed??

 

[aksdgff]

here's some pictures from tonight. she opened her one eye for longer than she has in a few days.

the eye she still hasnt opened:

the eye she opened tonight:

 

[aksdgff]

anyone? =/

 

[stuwoac]

we had this bacterial infection of the eye from to much water left in substrates we had

had to leave with the vet so they could wash out eyes with antibiotics now both eyes are fine

we got a dry viv now too only wet while misting

if the bro died with RI the the viv at the sort was most likely very wet tooo

 

[aksdgff]

cam passed away yesterday i wish she could have pulled through to see the vet today.

 

[rsepiphyte]

I am so sorry to hear this. Chameleons are just not the easiest of pet to raise but i know you did your best. Ruth