Concerned!

bridgofaith

bridgofaith

Avid Member
Concerned! Please help!

I have a 4 month old Nosy Be panther male. Last week I noticed him asleep on the bottom branch of his cage in the middle of the day, not normal for him. Immediately took him to the vet same day. The vet thought that he may be having some calcium issues as everything else looked fine. I dust everything he eats with Rep-Cal. I also bought him the Phoenix Worms which are supposed to be very high in calcium. He seemed to perk up a little. The last 2 days however, I have noticed him taking little naps throughout the day. His appearence hasn't changed, he's still drinking well but does appear to have slacked off on the amount he was eating. Should he go back to the vet? I'm very concerned about him. I told the vet everything I was doing and providing and he said that I was doing everything just right. So what's wrong?


http://s627.photobucket.com/albums/tt358/bridgofaith/?action=view&current=IMG_40632.jpg
 
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my cham started doing this due to a lack of vitamin A. Vet said he had hypocalcemia, but i administered vitamin A, and 3-4 days later hes was better than ever. hes still doing great, and one of the most active chams i have seen.
 
Hello,

and welcome to the forum. Please fill out the following form and please include very fine detail in the lighting section.

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
 
just noticed how young. i dont think they can get it at young, but u could be mistaken. filling out that form as well as pics of your cage, and the surrounding area will help out a lot!
 
Cage Type: All screen, 24x12x12

Lighting: Exo Terra 5.0 UVB compact light. On from 10am until 10 pm on timer.

Temperature: Between 82 and 85 degrees, thermometer is a digital Zoo Med. Has a heat lamp that stays on 24 hours at one end of the cage.

Humidity: I am not currently measuring the humidity. I mist the cage several times per day.

Plants: Live potted ficus type tree.

Placement: On a dresser away from any vents, about 5 feet off the floor.

Location: Live in Florida.




Chameleon: 4 month old Nosy Be male, purchased from a very reputable breeder.

Handling: Only 1 time to take to vet. I have owned him for a month and never have held him.

Feeding: Diet of crickets, fruit flies, and Phoenix Worms. I dust the flies and crickets with Rep-Cal every time I feed him. The Phoenix Worms do not require dusting. Crickets are gut loaded using Flukers High Calcium Cricket Diet and Flukers Orange Cube complete cricket diet.

Supplements: Rep-Cal Phosphorus Free Calcium with Vit. D3

Watering: I mist and use a drip system. Drip 1x daily for about 1-2 hours and mist several times a day until thoroughly wet.

Fecal Description: No change in fecal pattern. Dark brown and white. Not tested for parasites when taken to the vet.


Also, he has shed 1 time since I have had him. That was about a week and a half ago.
 
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Two things are of concern:

1) Compact fluorescent lights are known to cause eye problems to chameleons. You will not have any eye problems if you use regular tube fluorescents such as the popular Repti-Sun 5.0 UVB made by Zoo Med.

2) You do not need a heat lamp 24 hours a day. He needs cool temperatures at night (65-72F).

When you say "82 to 85 degrees", is that the coolest section of the cage? Make sure he has places to go if he wants to cool down. 82-85 at most is an ideal basking temperature, not a general cage temperature for a juvenile panther chameleon.

Please post a photo of your cage setup for more feedback.

Turn the heat lamp off as well unless your night time temperature falls below 60-65.
 
VerteX said:
Two things are of concern:

1) Compact fluorescent lights are known to cause eye problems to chameleons. You will not have any eye problems if you use regular tube fluorescents such as the popular Repti-Sun 5.0 UVB made by Zoo Med.

2) You do not need a heat lamp 24 hours a day. He needs cool temperatures at night (65-72F).

When you say "82 to 85 degrees", is that the coolest section of the cage? Make sure he has places to go if he wants to cool down. 82-85 at most is an ideal basking temperature, not a general cage temperature for a juvenile panther chameleon.

Please post a photo of your cage setup for more feedback.

Turn the heat lamp off as well unless your night time temperature falls below 60-65.
Click to expand...



Thank you so much for the help. I have noticed him closing his eyes and was concerned that he may have an eye problem and your mention of the light could be exactly the problem.

82-85 is his basking temp. He has cooler areas to go to if he wants to.

I have put the heat lamp on a timer for the same time as the UVB light. Is that still too much? It's 12 hours on and 12 off.

I'm going tomorrow to get a different light as suggested. I'll try and post a pick of the cage setup tomorrow also.
 
It looks like his eyes are getting worse. He looks like he can't open them this morning. Now I am really worried about him. He may need to go back to the vet. It may be associated with the type of light (the compact) But he seems worse today than yesterday.:(
 
Be careful...D3 from supplements can build up in the system.

I use Rep-Cal Phosphorus Free Calcium at most feedings and then Rep-Cal Phosphorus Free Calcium with Vit. D3 only twice a month.

I also use a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A twice a month. If you feel that your chameleon needs preformed vitamin A it can be given once in a while...but be careful...it can build up in the system and prevent the D3 from doing its job and lead to MBD.
 
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