Chameleon Ill

[skeart]

we recently purchased a small chameleon that we have had for a month. He (whom I believe through google is actually a she but since he looked like a "Nigel", she is always referred to as he). Nigel lives in a glass 40ish gallon tank with a 100w day light and a 100w purple heat lamp for night. These were the recommendations from the pet store. He has a coconut mulch floor, sticks for basking that reach up close to the light and plastic foliage to hide in. We were told to mist twice per day and feed 3 crickets per day by them as well which is what we have followed. We recently bought him large super worms so we were doing 2 crickets with one super worm.

In the last 2 days, Nigel has become lethargic and lays on the bottom of his cage, almost trying to burrow it seems. He is not eating and did poop today which looked normal to me. He is still changing from dark to light but I have noticed a white crystal substance crusted at his nose. I have also noticed lots of white cricket bits scattered in his cage. Most disturbing to me is that he seems to reach out with his hind leg, which seems to extend too far and almost seems to spasm. I am calling a local vet as soon as they open in the morning but am heartbroken that we have not cared for him properly and have caused this to happen. From a website that I was reading, animalarkshelter.org, it seemed to describe what he was going through with his leg as gout, a final stage of kidney failure.

I am reaching out to see if anyone has experienced this and if I have some hope of getting him to the vet before it results in him dying.

The pet store told us they don't like to be handled and we should leave him be more to just be "looked" at. We have not done that and he seems to be Ok with us holding him, doesn't puff up or hiss at us at all. Although I wasn't crazy about my daughter getting a cham, I have fallen in love with his grumpy, don't bother me, attitude having self.

 

[SJRG95]

The first thing i notice is that he has not UV light? they need that to get vitamin D and absorb their calcium. The white stuff around the nose is normal

 

[CarlC]

Read through this and make some changes.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

Carl

 

[repdog]

I notice lights, no supplements used, and you shouldn't have anything on the bottom. Yes go over the care sheets, they are great. I even go back to them to make sure I'm getting everything set up correctly. I hope you can get into the vet asap, take whatever they have.

 

[kinyonga]

we recently purchased a small chameleon that we have had for a month. what species?He (whom I believe through google is actually a she but since he looked like a "Nigel", she is always referred to as he). Nigel lives in a glass 40ish gallon tank with a 100w day light and a 100w purple heat lamp for night. What are the temperatures? You may be overheating him. If this is a veiled unless your room gets really cold at night you don't need a light and a light will disturb his sleep. If this is a sexually mature female it may also be producing eggs. These were the recommendations from the pet store. He has a coconut mulch floor, I recommend removing the mulch. It could be ingested and lead to a blockage. sticks for basking that reach up close to the light and plastic foliage to hide in. We were told to mist twice per day and feed 3 crickets per day by them as well which is what we have followed. If this is a hatchling it should be eating more than three appropriately sized insects a day.We recently bought him large super worms so we were doing 2 crickets with one super worm.you said it was a small chameleon. So how can it eat large suoerworms?

In the last 2 days, Nigel has become lethargic and lays on the bottom of his cage, almost trying to burrow it seems. He is not eating and did poop today which looked normal to me. He is still changing from dark to light but I have noticed a white crystal substance crusted at his nose. I have also noticed lots of white cricket bits scattered in his cage. Most disturbing to me is that he seems to reach out with his hind leg, which seems to extend too far and almost seems to spasm. I am calling a local vet as soon as they open in the morning but am heartbroken that we have not cared for him properly and have caused this to happen. From a website that I was reading, animalarkshelter.org, it seemed to describe what he was going through with his leg as gout, a final stage of kidney failure. the reaching with the leg could be MBD but there's not enough information to be sure yet. If it's gout there would be swelling. The white on the nostrils is likely salts he's trying to get rid of....normal. The best thing you can do right now is get him to a good reptile vet ASAP IMHO.

I am reaching out to see if anyone has experienced this and if I have some hope of getting him to the vet before it results in him dying.

The pet store told us they don't like to be handled and we should leave him be more to just be "looked" at. We have not done that and he seems to be Ok with us holding him, doesn't puff up or hiss at us at all. Although I wasn't crazy about my daughter getting a cham, I have fallen in love with his grumpy, don't bother me, attitude having self.

Good luck with him!

 

[Mike Fisher]

So many things wrong with how the pet store told you to keep him (like everything) it is a wonder he is still alive. 100W bulb in a 40 gallon tank day and night, no wonder he is trying to burrow. If they can't cool down they go downhill pretty fast. By using such a high wattage in an enclosed environment like a tank, you've taken away his ability to thermoregulate. Basically you are cooking him to death.

That's just the worst issue I see, you are really going to have to do a crash course in chameleon keeping 101.

First step, no heat at night, and get a thermometer in the tank to check the temps in the basking and cool area of the tank. Personally, I'd lower the wattage of the basking lamp to a 60W right away. Even with the hardiest of the warm species chameleons, 100W would be too much in such an enclosed environment.

 

[Scoobthenoob]

No heat at night?

Be sure the ambient temperature does not fall below 60f.

Although maintaining his environment at 60f should be done without intrusive lighting or aggressive heating.

 

[camimom]

Be sure the ambient temperature does not fall below 60f.

Although maintaining his environment at 60f should be done without intrusive lighting or aggressive heating.

temps can actually drop to below 50 and still be fine, so long as the cham has a good basking spot in the morning.

 

[Scoobthenoob]

Granted, however.

If you stabilize the ambient enclosure temperature at 60f then you have a 10f margin for equipment failure at night, or electrical/heating in house failure at night.

Canada has a habit of getting mighty cold in the winter, and I would feel more comfort in securing the ambience at 60f than 50f.

So yes your quite correct, just my comfort zone makes me maintain 60f.

 

[camimom]

If you stabilize the ambient enclosure temperature at 60f then you have a 10f margin for equipment failure at night, or electrical/heating in house failure at night.

Canada has a habit of getting mighty cold in the winter, and I would feel more comfort in securing the ambience at 60f than 50f.

So yes your quite correct, just my comfort zone makes me maintain 60f.

so youre saying your a paranoid cham parent?

 

[Scoobthenoob]

Paranoid...

I prefer to sleep at night safe in the knowledge that if the main system breaks their secondary system will kick in, if that fails then the generator will kick in, and if all the above fail that the diazepam will ensure the edge of the anxiety is removed.

 

[Mike Fisher]

Be sure the ambient temperature does not fall below 60f.

To what species are you referring? I didn't think that had been mentioned yet. I've kept certain montanes down to the mid 40s F at night.

 

[skeart]

Thank you for all of the posts. I had checked back a couple of times but did not see any posts, but was evidently experiencing an ID10T error. Nigel is still going strong since that post, took him to Dr. Joe who advised us that it was indeed lack of calcium and the proper lighting. "He" has since recovered and has went on in the last week to lay "his" first clutch of 32 eggs (which in an of itself was a stressful event!!) I appreciate everyone's advice, knowledge and patience. And yes, we were THOSE people who did not do their research prior and whose daughter said Mom, I would like a chameleon for my birthday. Sure. Well, we are learning now through forums like this where there is sometimes tough love that chams are not puppies, kittens or hamsters. We love our girl and she is my favorite amongst all of the furry critters at our home, and quite possibly the favorite amongst the humans as well. We are doing our best to learn all we can now about caring for her properly and consider myself lucky to have found the forum and folks like you who take time to help folks like me!