Constipated male or gravid female?

Hoj said:
layin bin looks good just a fyi the cat will stress the shiznit outta your cham and may prevent her from feeling comfortable enought to lay
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She (Lily! new name!) really does not care about Apex (the cat in the picture). Apex rarely moves and sits there all day. Lily moves around, gets close to her, eats in front of her, and never shows colors or any other sign of stress.

But the moment the younger cat (Shenanigans, or Shenny for short) gets even close to the cage Lily hisses and flares colors. Basically we keep her away from the enclosure.

Would it be a good idea to put a sheet around the cage for now?
 
i would say as soon as you see her either digging or investigating the hole you dug then i would cover it up and leave her alone for the day.. again Jann is very knowlegable about this..
 
Hoj said:
i would say as soon as you see her either digging or investigating the hole you dug then i would cover it up and leave her alone for the day.. again Jann is very knowlegable about this..
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I saw her looking into the hole.
I threw a couple of silk worms in there and surrounded the whole thing with a sheet. 2 cats and 3 mo old rat terrier running around - better safe than sorry...
 
Leezochka said:
I saw her looking into the hole.
I threw a couple of silk worms in there and surrounded the whole thing with a sheet. 2 cats and 3 mo old rat terrier running around - better safe than sorry...
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you threw worms in the hole? i dont think i would do that, but not sure if thats what you meant
 
My biggest concern now is: is it too late?

How do I tell if she becomes bound with eggs? Or if she already has? If she does not go for the sand set up, how long do i give her before taking her to the vet?

She has been acting odd for a couple of weeks... I really hope it is still ok.
 
im not to sure on that one sorry, there may be some people following this thread that can chime in here, if not maybe just pm jann shes always willing to help a cham in need..
i would think from the pic she dosent look too crazy big so id say you caught it just at the right time, again not sure tho.. females are pretty new to me i am still waiting to experience my first laying but have been reasearching and preparing my girls cage thats where my info comes from.
 
Has she been seeming to look for a place to dig? Eating any less than usual (on her own not you cutting back)? Usually they look for a spot and will pace around the cage, going to the bottom to look for a spot. My female did not look for a spot and I had to place her in a laying bin. Dig a hole in the play sand, make sure a tunnel can be held well and won't collapse. Go ahead and leave that hole no need to cover it up once she investigates it because that'll only be messing with the laying site. My Cham layed in the hole I started for her, it was good because that meant less digging for her. She may or may not use your hole. Look up signs of egg binding and keep a good eye on her, mist her cage and if you can Jann recommended me to get some liquid calcium asap and start giving that to her. I got a flavored one and my Cham loves it so it made it easy to give her. You may want to get some, there are several online places. Also, if she becomes weak doesn't move around a lot or is lethargic... get her to the vet. She may or may not be egg bound yet but if she hasn't been looking for a spot and is still alert and strong seeming that might be a good sign, my girl started to show a really lumpy look underneath early on and didn't lay for some time after that. Best of luck, just keep reaching out and researching everything you can about the egg laying process.
 
Often females will start to roam but during this random pacing if you watch closely you will see her gyrate her body. Almost like shes trying to rid herself of a shed. She'll start digging and laying shortly after she starts doing this strange behavior. ;)
 
Texas Panther Man said:
Often females will start to roam but during this random pacing if you watch closely you will see her gyrate her body. Almost like shes trying to rid herself of a shed. She'll start digging and laying shortly after she starts doing this strange behavior. ;)
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Thank you!
I will watch for that. There has still been a deal of roaming, but no digging yet.

Yet, somehow she seems more content now that there is sand available.
 
Update:

She is still roaming around the enclosure.
Pooping, eating (I supplement with calcium), basking, sleeping well.
Even green with light orange stripes circles all the time.

Sometimes goes down to the sand bucket, but does not dig.

I keep re-weeing the sand when it gets too dry to hold a tunnel...

Any tips anyone?:confused:
 
You might want to consider a vet. She might need a bit of help to get started. Meanwhile, keep doing what you are doing. I would suggest that you minimize how much she can see you during this time. Re-wet the sand, then maybe wrap sheets around the cage and tear a little hole in one so you can peek.
 
Why?!

chameleoman said:
Do u giv ur chams baths???:confused:
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Someone advised bathing a constipated cham in warm water. So back when i thought it was a constipated male i tried it out =)

Update on the situation:

She roams around the enclosure, does not dig in the sand, but eats plenty of it...[sigh] Why do they do this to us???:confused:

Eating, drinking, pooping/peeping very well...

Read forums about eating sand. Seems like it is less dangerous to keep the bin in, and just use natural play sand (which is what i am using).
 
Are you 100% sure she has eggs? If she does not lay them she can die. I would take her to a vet that KNOWS chameleons and have her checked out. If she has eggs, they can give her a shot to help her start laying.
 
carol5208 said:
Are you 100% sure she has eggs? If she does not lay them she can die. I would take her to a vet that KNOWS chameleons and have her checked out. If she has eggs, they can give her a shot to help her start laying.
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Update - still not laying, and no longer looks gravid... No roaming, eats, sleeps, poops well. Is it possible for them dissipate?
 
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