Chameleon has bent casque at to, what is the problem?

[iheartpepe]

My veiled chameleon who is 8 months now has a slightly bent casque. He is showing no other sign for mbd. I recently changed to feeding him every other day for 5 roaches on feeding days and 4 worms once a week. I dust the insects with calcium dust without d3 every time and once every other week i give him a multivitamin with d3. His uvb light is fine so what is the problem?

 

[iheartpepe]

Please help me

 

[Tkrd69]

Might depend on the side they face to get uvb. My veiled is like that too.

 

[Raymond1412]

Might depend on the side they face to get uvb. My veiled is like that too.

I agree!! This also happened with my past baby chameleon!

 

[Raymond1412]

My veiled chameleon who is 8 months now has a slightly bent casque. He is showing no other sign for mbd. I recently changed to feeding him every other day for 5 roaches on feeding days and 4 worms once a week. I dust the insects with calcium dust without d3 every time and once every other week i give him a multivitamin with d3. His uvb light is fine so what is the problem?

I think it affects them more as they're younger because I have a 2-year-old Veiled who basks on the same side and never gets a bent casque

 

[Lindasjackson]

What kind of uvb light are you using? Is is a coiled bulb or is it a long linear bulb? What brand?

 

[Beman]

I know you said your UVB is fine but can you show us or tell us what you are using? Can you post a few more pics up close of the casque and some additional pics of the chameleon without the screen in between.

The side they bask on has nothing to do with this. UVB exposure for their bodies is involved in D3 synthesis. The body makes what it needs of D3 from UVB lighting.

I have seen this in chams that did not have the right UVB when they were young. Or incorrect UVB distances as they mature. I have also seen this with incorrect supplementation.

 

[iheartpepe]

I use a 5.0 UVB bulb that is long and stretches along the whole terrarium ceiling. Only the very top of the casque is slightly bent at the top but it hasn’t gotten worse and he has no signs for mbd.

 

[isaiah33]

I use a 5.0 UVB bulb that is long and stretches along the whole terrarium ceiling. Only the very top of the casque is slightly bent at the top but it hasn’t gotten worse and he has no signs for mbd.

Could I see a pic of the cage?

 

[iheartpepe]

Here

 

[isaiah33]

Here

Ok so I would suggest removing the fake plants and getting real ones, and getting a lot more sticks so he/she could climb I would fix this as soon as possible. Also make sure the sticks go up till 6 inches below the uvb light

 

[isaiah33]

Could someone post a safe plant list?

 

[ToastyCham]

Could someone post a safe plant list?

Here is the safe plant list.

 

[isaiah33]

Here is the safe plant list.

Thank you

 

[Beman]

Here

So it looks like you are actually using a T8 Fixture type. The issue with these is that they do not produce the UVB levels far enough into the cage. So looking at the distance you have this boy is not getting any usable UVB. This is why you are seeing the miss shaped casque. He is developing MBD (metabolic bone disease). You want a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 or 6% bulb. And you need your branches below it to be 8-9 inches down from the screen to put the chameleon in the correct UVB level.

 

[MzLaurie]

Welcome! I am so glad you came here when you did. With the knowledge of all the chameleon owners here you will be able to stop what is happening and fix things right up. Chameleons are climbers hence the splayed hands. Being up high makes them feel the safest so you need to create a jungle gym. The first thing my veiled does when he wakes up is go to his heat perch. Once he is heated up he is off hunting and doing what the males do, a perimeter search hoping to find a female. Now real plants will help keep the humidity level up and also water stays on real plants instead of just rolling off of plastic. So he can drink the water off of the real plants. You can buy Flukers bend-a-branch on Amazon it’s inexpensive and is made to last. I suggest the medium and heavy thickness for his age. Zip ties can help you anchor things in place. Now Beman is the best husbandry guide you can find so I suggest you let her go through everything with you. Also chameleon academy has great setup advice and pics to get ideas from. You boys casque is bent a bit but if the cause can be stopped now, he be should be fine. All chams are unique. It looks like your boy has a large casque and he isn’t even full grown. If it stays bent, it just gives him character. So glad you knew something wasn’t right and found your way here. Now you can fix things. It’s not your fault, there is just too much bad info out there which is why I am so thankful for this forum! Best of luck to you both.