Can my Veiled Chameleon have some sort of cancer?

citybabe66

citybabe66

New Member
:( My veiled chameleon has 2 bumps on his face just above his nostrils. he isnt eatting (its been like 3 weeks since he has eatten) he only drinks when I force it (driping water on his mouth) he dont move around his cage much, and he isnt basking at all either. he is about 2 to 2 and half years old now. any clues? what can I do to get him to eat?:confused:
 
as or the ating, it could just be that time of the year...

please post all enclosure info as well as pictures so that we can do some sort of investigation for you.
 
I wonder about abscesses. Especially if not eating for that length of time. Had a chameleon that got stressed out and developed abscesses on his body. Had to get antibiotics from the vet.
 
Are the symetrical (in the same place on both sides)? Are they growing?

Can you post a picture?

It could be an infection. Often bumps in that area can be involved with a sinus infection. It would be a good idea to have it checked by a vet.
 
Are you able to give him a little bit of natural sunlight? That might perk him up a bit and stimulate his appetite.

Are the bumps a recent development for sure?

Is he gaping? If his sinuses are clogged and he's having trouble breathing, he should be gaping his mouth open to breath.

Are you able to post a clear closeup of his face with those bumps and also one of the setuP?
 
yes the bumps are right next to each other.

best picture I can get of them right now
this is his enclosure, I have dropped his vines down some due to him not moving around very much and i didnt want him to fall.
 

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That is the most interesting use of a guinea pig cage for a chameleon I have ever seen. Does he hit those bars alot, or try to stick his head through? I would think that he would need some more height to a cage than that one allows. I am thinking he doesn't eat crickets or they would be all over your house.
 
Julirs said:
That is the most interesting use of a guinea pig cage for a chameleon I have ever seen. Does he hit those bars alot, or try to stick his head through? I would think that he would need some more height to a cage than that one allows. I am thinking he doesn't eat crickets or they would be all over your house.
Click to expand...

What a nice way of saying "that's a really bad enclosure for a chameleon."
Sorry, I wasn't going to offer my opinion on that ... I think the medical issue should be foremost ... but I couldn't help commenting.
Once you get his bump issue taken care of, you really need to address his enclosure.

-Brad
 
I agree Brad-poor little guy needs to see a Vet! I just thought of my Veiled-he would be bashing his casque and nose trying to get out. Funny-I have a bird cage in the garage and I remember thinking that I could may use it as a good sunning cage and then I quickly had this thought of his casque getting wedged between the bars. :( Leon uses the entire height and width of his 24X24X48 daily!
 
I've used those cages for baby turtles and they work well...but there is nothing that will try to escape in that case!
 
I posted a thread a little while ago about my veiled having a bump on his head. Nobody can give me a straight answer because nobody truely seems to know why. I did take him to the vet. He is only 5 months old i believe, so the vet didn't want to drain the bump. If it is still there in a few months it will have to be drained. The only explanation the vet could give me was that it was an injury that has gotten infected. I myself don't believe that theory because I haven't seen one injury on him. Certainly not on his face.
I hope a vet can give you some insight into your chams problem.
If you find out the problem, PLEASE PM me to let me know.
PS. I know you probably got the hint from others by now, but I'll tell you again. A veiled chameleon in an enclosure like that is borderline torture. I don't meen to sound harsh, but the cham needs some help other than his bumps. Go on e-bay an find an open air enclosure or at your local pet store. The taller the better. Ficus or habiscus for foliage asnd your cham would not suffer as much.
 
Last edited:
hey Joe.
with abscess, you don't exactly need a large wound for it to develop into an infection.
A tiny bite from a cricket can also develop into an abscess.

In fact, this symptom is also common for people.
I should know this because i got one 2 years ago from a tiny spider bite (about 1/8" size) that does not even leave a mark.
the abscess grows to 1.5" in diameter.

just my 2 cents :)
 
Ok first and foremost...the one bump popped and green stuff came out. the vet didnt have a clue as to what it was or what caused it. But he is now moving around and drinking on his own. He looks alot better and i believe he is doing alot better too since he is moving around and such. He has crickets in his enclosure he watches them but hasnt eatten yet. (the crickets are in a part of the enclosure that they cant get out of, but my veild has easy access from above)

Now for his enclosure... I had him in a mesh enclosure, that was 2.5 feet tall, and his veil got rubbed raw from him climbing and rubbing it across the top on the mesh. (this enclosure was specifically for a chameleon) It wasnt good for him, plus the black mesh didnt allow for him to have enough light. He does great in this enclosure! He uses the bars to climb, he dont try to squeeze through them and he isnt getting his veil rubbed raw! I just added a ficus tree that he seems to love. His enclosure sits kinda high up so he gets the feeling of being up higher. I think its a good choice compaired to the mesh.,
 
Greetings. Thank you for the update.

Green stuff oozing out would seem to indicate a staph infection. Did you actually take the cham to a vet, or just talk to a vet on the phone or online? It seems that any kind of vet would recognize an infection of this type. Staph infections (if that's what it is- just my guess) can become systemic and are potentially life threatening. They can develop from a tiny pin prick on the flesh. The more dangerous ones begin internally. They are a bacterial infection. Treatment generally includes cleaning out the infected site on a daily basis and a course of oral antibiotics. Without proper treatment I would be very concerned for the future health of your chameleon. I just can't comprehend any kind of vet not knowing how to respond to this situation. Abscesses in general, and this sort of infection are not unique to chameleons by any means. How frustrating for you.

Glad that he appears to be doing better. He is probably feeling a lot less pain and pressure since the area drained. Please let us know how things progress. I wish you the best of luck with you little guy.
 
The drainage happened after I took him in. The guy (vet) told me he had his own collection of chameleons when I got there so I assumed he knew something about them. any way It cost me a 50.00 office call fee just to tell me what I already knew, not much.
 
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