Casque problem?

[phoenixnr]

Is this normal? A burn? I have been looking at pics online and none I have seen have had this black discoloration. Thoughts? He is new to me. About 5 years old I am told.

 

[Nicodemayo]

It looks good to me. Sometimes males will have black on the edges of their casque.

 

[Justin Carl]

He looks dehdrated/thin and is in the middle of a shed.
I'm going to need someone to agree or disagree on that though.

 

[phoenixnr]

I am showering him once a day and feeding him waxworms as well as his usual crickets to try and fatten him up a bit. Silkworms on their way.

 

[kinyonga]

Can you post some more pictures of him please?

 

[MWheelock]

I agree that he is very thin. Hard to tell from the picture whether he is dehydrated or not.

I also do think that he was burned and the top of his casque is damaged. I would recommend that you get zylofen for that. I don't think neosporin is good enough in this case. Since it has not scabbed off, I'm not sure that oral or injectable antibiotics will do the job.

Once the dead material falls off, you may see naked bone. Just continue to treat and the tissue will grow over it again. (We are talking months.) The color will be pale to white and a little more light sensitive. The color will not come back on thes parts as the chromatin was destroyed.

Good luck,
Matthew

 

[phoenixnr]

Here you go. Casque problem is a little worse on the other side.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

It looks to me like he could use a sandwich!

Seriously a decent meal would do him a world of good.
Get some silkworms (I like coastal)
and I wouldn't hesitate to give this animal waxworms for awhile .... as many as he wants.
Roaches, Superworms and crickets ... get him fed up a little.
I don't see a burn ... just an old guy who needs to eat!

-Brad

 

[chamlover]

My first veiled had something like that a lilttle while after i got hiim. I thought i had done all my research, but not knowing much about reptiles i never thought of shedding. Anyway, he did end up with necrosis on his casque and almost all the way done his dorsal crest. My vet at the time, not a reptile vet, gave me some blue liquid, usualy used for snakes he said, I put that on him 3 x day, showered him 2 times aday to remove all old skin with mineral oil and withing a couple of weeks he was fine. He might not look that good to anyone else, but he is still my favorite. Besides, nobody told him it fell off and i took all his mirrors out. lol.


Debby

 

[summoner12]

he does seem a bit thin. Like everyone said, feed him well.

Btw what kind of UVB lamp are you using?

 

[phoenixnr]

Repti-glo 5.0 spiral. Original owner had it so the Cham could get within inches of it. I have it placed where he can only get within 8 inches. Other light is a basking flood with refelctor.

 

[summoner12]

if the glass is in a spiral I think you have a repti-glo made by Exo-terra.

Either way I would get rid of the lamp. My first Cham had markings like yours from when I used a reptisun 10.0 compact (i didn't know how bad they were). I would get the reptisun 5.0 tube for him and start feeding him whatever he'll eat.

 

[Nicodemayo]

dude get him out of that glass cage.

 

[summoner12]

dude get him out of that glass cage.

Ya know I didn't notice that glass, good point!

You really need a screen cage. The link I provided is good for a male ages 6 months and up.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Repti-glo 5.0 spiral. Original owner had it so the Cham could get within inches of it. I have it placed where he can only get within 8 inches. Other light is a basking flood with refelctor.

That light must go!!!!
you need a linear tube (Repti-sun 5.0) UVB light.

-Brad

 

[phoenixnr]

Thanks for all the advice to date. This forum is a great resource and the time spent by the senior members helping out the new comers is much appriciated. I will get rid of the compact and get a repti sun 5.0 (the tube). Going to keep the glass tank for a bit though. Not sure about maintaining humidity levels here in Canada with a screened enclosure. Maybe have two and move him to the screened in the summer....

 

[Cainschams]

You can always get a humidifier or put lots of real plants in his cage. Also misting 3 or so times a day helps keep the humidity up which should be done anyway. Really need to get him out of that glass cage. With misting the glass will hold water for a longer time and you want the enclosure to dry out before misting again so bacteria and mold does not grow. Veileds do not need as high humidity as a panther or jacksons. I dont own one so Im not sure but read Brad Ramseys site it is on the bottom of his posts Im sure it has that in there and maybe some other things to better your set up.

 

[Will Hayward]

A screen cage isn't nessescary in Canada. However, the cage you have him in has stiff and sharp metal mesh at the top which can do a lot of damage. That type of cage does not have enough ventalation for adult veileds, and they could certainly use any extra room. Fortunately Veiled chameleons are not a species that ar very dependant on humidity and are fine as long as they are hydrated, and shed without issues. So conteracting the original point, you can get away with a screen cage in Canada.

I suggest having the bottom, both sides, and part of the back solid, and the front, the top and part of the back screen. This is the combination I have decided works best based on trial and error of my own cage building.

I'd suggest a custom built cage.

 

[Electric]

You should really reconsider, alot of us are in canada and have screen cages, and I don't think humidity is that big of an issue with veileds as long as he's drinking and getting regular mistings. I don't know where you're located but I doubt it's THAT dry in your house... no desert climate zones here lol. Cram the screen cage full of live plants to help keep the 'non wet' humidity level of the cage more humid than outside the cage and you'll be fine.

 

[Will Hayward]

One might consider it more if the Canadian Users edited their profile to show their location...