Chameleon is not eating and now has something on tail

[Lucasthecham]

Our chameleon was being watched by some friends while we are gone for a month. He is at least 3 years old (we got him from someone else). He used to eat 2-3 crickets a day (they are fed the orange cubes from fluckers and dusted with the calcium and d3 powder) and would hunt them immediately but for about 2 weeks now he has stopped eating. It happened while we were gone and he wasn’t moving much and very light colored.
We switched his bulb and heat light and increased humidity and he has perked up but still not eating. He is moving around and does look better but now I see something on his tail. I have seen him drink and poop and both look normal.
Any reason why he would stop eating? I have read forums and am thinking about using polysporin on his tail. I’ve beem cleaning it off with water and took him outside today for some sunlight.
The other thing I have wondered is if he is a he? Bc I read about egg binding and started wondering about that issue bc he doesn’t look smaller without eating. His belly is still full looking.
Thanks for any advice.

Hey! so sorry you weren’t given the correct information when you got your chameleon! ): he is in fact a she! we all got your back, please don’t feel like we’re “attacking” you, we’re all very passionate about our pets! So seeing your situation Might have made some of us a little scared and upset! Please let us know what the vet says tomorrow! Best of luck.

 

[stsutton]

Thank you so much! I hope she makes it. She is trying to eat so I hope that is a good sign.

 

[stsutton]

Hey! I’m not an expert at all but I have been trying to participate on this forum as much as possible as well as doing reading on my own and based on everything I have learned so far James is right, and I have seen many other people on the forum share the same information.

When I bought my chameleon I also bought the Fluker’s Orange cubes, thinking these would be good for gut loading. Many people on this form explained to me that these were not good for that purpose, and if that is still not enough when I took him to the vet he instantly told me that the orange cubes were basically useless when it came to making crickets more nutritious for the Chamaeleon. He said that if anything they might just help to keep your crickets alive for longer and then basically told me that I might as well just throw them away. He’s also right about the whole supplementing schedule thing. Make sure she is getting her calcium without D3 every day, calcium with D3 every two weeks, alternating with a multivitamin. I have also read that substrates are not the best idea when it comes to Chamaeleons. They cannot spit out and if they accidentally swallow something that is not food they might be in trouble. Plus keeping the enclosure clean with all that moss in the bottom must be a pain! Between the feeders that die and get lost in there, the poop, and the water it must be hard to keep up with. Live plants really help keep humidity up in your enclosure.

I really am not an expert in the subject and still have a lot to learn, but I suggest being open to what people on this forum have to say. A lot of them are very helpful. I wish you the best of luck and I hope your baby girl gets better soon

What should be on the bottom of cage? And what supplements do you personally use? Thanks

 

[jamest0o0]

A bioactively supported substrate without choking hazards(rocks, chunks of bark, etc) is what I use. That'll take some reading into, but isn't too difficult and is the easiest way to keep an enclosure clean. If you don't want an ecosystem in your chameleons enclosure then just go barebottom.

 

[andrearamirezo91]

What should be on the bottom of cage? And what supplements do you personally use? Thanks

I have a bare bottom on my cage. I’ve seen that a lot of people do.. it’s just so much easier to clean and maintain considering that you have spraying water going on and off all day and feeders dropping dead.

These are the supplements I use. I’m not sure if they’re the best out there, and someone else might probably suggest better brands. I’m just finishing these containers up before buying supplements myself because my friend’s chameleon passed away a few months ago and she just had them laying around. They did tell me on this forum to make sure my calcium was phosphorous free. It probably has something to do with the whole phosphorous-calcium balance thing @jamest0o0 was talking about.

 

[stsutton]

One more question, if she does need to lay eggs would sticking this plant in her cage help or hurt? I know it’s not the ideal but just trying to do what I can immediately. Her belly looks puffy so is that normal with dehydration? Again just trying to get her thru the night. Thanks for your thoughts.

 

[Goose502]

I have a bare bottom on my cage. I’ve seen that a lot of people do.. it’s just so much easier to clean and maintain considering that you have spraying water going on and off all day and feeders dropping dead.
View attachment 209227
These are the supplements I use. I’m not sure if they’re the best out there, and someone else might probably suggest better brands. I’m just finishing these containers up before buying supplements myself because my friend’s chameleon passed away a few months ago and she just had them laying around. They did tell me on this forum to make sure my calcium was phosphorous free. It probably has something to do with the whole phosphorous-calcium balance thing @jamest0o0 was talking about.

Bare bottom requires maintanance, this is work. Bioactive requires nothing. Once you’ve set up bioactive, you are done. Zero clean up. All the beneficial inhabitants and microfauna take care of all that. There is no better way.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Goose502 still blows my mind it hasn't caught on to the mainstream cham keeping in the US. Although more and more are starting to do it.

 

[Goose502]

All those dart frog people kept it secret for years too! Lol

 

[Bettina]

For me this bare bottom is very unusual since we are legally not allowed to keep chameleons without propper soil. Only when under quarantine we use bare bottoms and plastic plants because of hygenic reasons. I have a big enclosure for my crested geckos with all kind of tropical plants, I think thats part of the fun and little work with cleaning.

 

[jamest0o0]

For me this bare bottom is very unusual since we are legally not allowed to keep chameleons without propper soil. Only when under quarantine we use bare bottoms and plastic plants because of hygenic reasons. I have a big enclosure for my crested geckos with all kind of tropical plants, I think thats part of the fun and little work with cleaning.

It's illegal to keep chameleons without soil?!

 

[Bettina]

Our laws are very strict in Austria, Europe. You have to register each exotic animal and there are strict rules concerning enclosures. Veterinary office can show up any time to control, well, in Vienna they usually don't. Even for dwarf chameleons like my elliotis I need 40 x 20 x 30 inches. And soil, even if they don't care because they don't lay eggs but give birth to living babies. In Germany, our neighbour country, it's different. Don't ask me why.

 

[jamest0o0]

@Bettina I like the sounds of that though, seems like there would be less chance for neglect, abuse, etc. How do you feel about it? Veileds are a lost cause here, and if Panthers, Parsons, etc keep getting cheaper. We'll be seeing more of these species on the forums suffering from horrid husbandry as well.

 

[stsutton]

Just wanted to update: we got back from the vet and she didn't see anything wrong other than the obvious dehydration and not eating so he is very skinny. Unfortunately he or she is very underdeveloped due to the people who had him before us and so she was unable to definitively say if he was a boy or girl bc his bulge etc could be underdeveloped still. She gave him a vitamin AD shot and liquid calcium glubionate to take daily to help get him back on his feet. She also gave me Purina Critical Nutrition that can be syringe fed to him for the protein he needs until he gains his strength. She also recommended soaking him (I know this is controversial based on other threads I have seen) to rehydrate because giving him fluids would have been too hard on him and almost impossible with him being so small. He is drinking and moving around so he still has fight in him. I am hopeful that we can get him eating again he will recover and so was she. I am going to look into a new lighting setup with the longer bulb set up and live plants for him or her. I have removed the substrate as suggested also. Thanks for all the help!

 

[Harry The Cham]

Just wanted to update: we got back from the vet and she didn't see anything wrong other than the obvious dehydration and not eating so he is very skinny. Unfortunately he or she is very underdeveloped due to the people who had him before us and so she was unable to definitively say if he was a boy or girl bc his bulge etc could be underdeveloped still. She gave him a vitamin AD shot and liquid calcium glubionate to take daily to help get him back on his feet. She also gave me Purina Critical Nutrition that can be syringe fed to him for the protein he needs until he gains his strength. She also recommended soaking him (I know this is controversial based on other threads I have seen) to rehydrate because giving him fluids would have been too hard on him and almost impossible with him being so small. He is drinking and moving around so he still has fight in him. I am hopeful that we can get him eating again he will recover and so was she. I am going to look into a new lighting setup with the longer bulb set up and live plants for him or her. I have removed the substrate as suggested also. Thanks for all the help!

I think you should get a second opinion because of the fact that she told you he could be undeveloped and not have his spurs yet. Male veiled chameleons have spurs the day they are born.

 

[JacksJill]

What did the vet say about that area on the tail?

 

[Harry The Cham]

What did the vet say about that area on the tail?

Yea I forgot about that as well

 

[jamest0o0]

Agreed with @Harry The Cham

 

[stsutton]

She was talking about his penis bulge being underdeveloped not the spurs. He is just so small right now it would be hard to for sure say he or she doesn’t have spurs bc there is a darker spot and possibly a bump on his back feet but not clearly spurs, if that makes sense.
He is very small for his age, but I didn’t realize that until I got him and started researching him. I’m going to focus on getting him or her eating and strong again, then investigate the gender more possibly with another vet so we know long term.
The spot on his tail was easily removed by her and she thought it might be more from poop dripping on his tail when he was sick and so the polysporin worked to help. After scraping it off I don’t see a spot at all.
I was able to get him to eat out of the syringe and some water and he is climbing to the top of his cage so those are good signs hopefully.

 

[Harry The Cham]

She was talking about his penis bulge being underdeveloped not the spurs. He is just so small right now it would be hard to for sure say he or she doesn’t have spurs bc there is a darker spot and possibly a bump on his back feet but not clearly spurs, if that makes sense.
He is very small for his age, but I didn’t realize that until I got him and started researching him. I’m going to focus on getting him or her eating and strong again, then investigate the gender more possibly with another vet so we know long term.
The spot on his tail was easily removed by her and she thought it might be more from poop dripping on his tail when he was sick and so the polysporin worked to help. After scraping it off I don’t see a spot at all.
I was able to get him to eat out of the syringe and some water and he is climbing to the top of his cage so those are good signs hopefully.

it seems to me that you are very confused if your Cham does have a penis bulge than it should have spurs baby chameleons haven’t reached puberty and still have spurs what you are saying makes no sense because a chameleon cannot have a penis and not have spurs.