Dehydrated Veiled at petsmart!!!

[viaje]

I work at PetSmart (yeah, yeah, start the booing) where we sometimes carry chameleons, I'm pretty sure the only options are Veiled and Jacksons- I've only seen Jacksons once in our store, though.
Up till now, because the people in our store are, uh, above average, we've been able to keep the chameleons healthy with our limited supplies until we (mostly just me) have been able to find an experienced home for the little guys.

On to the problem-

But now, we got a very young little girl in- and she's dehydrated. I've been noticing today and yesterday that she's been holding her right eye shut much of the time. She's quarantined in a back room where we treat animals, and I'm desperately trying to hydrate her.

Like I said, we have limited supplies, she's being kept in a glass 20L and we have no way to effectively shower her like I'd like to.

Anyone know of a way I could hydrate her with supplies that would be available in the store already? something that is easy to find? anyone think a fogger would help? (I have access to one)
Oh, and I can't adopt her- she's a customer return, her dad wants her back once she's better.

 

[mrvoodoo]

I've got no advice in re-hydrating besides - misting well - make sure you let some of the moisture run across her lips... that's the best way I've been able to tell for certain that my guy is getting some water, he'll start licking his lips.

use one of those little plastic dog water dishes that I've seen at the water fountains, poke a needle hole through the bottom and fill it with water - set it on top of the cage to let it drip on a plant. Give her a nice warm shower if you can....

oh and can you not pop open one of the reptariums off the shelf to give her a better environment?

 

[Corruptedmuffin]

I also work at Petsmart. We don't order chameleons anymore. I am the only one that knows anything about them there and I can't be there to take care of them all the time so I told my manager to stop ordering them. We don't even order them upon request anymore because we once did that and the guy got cold feet.
Okay so on to your question. First get her out of the glass tank. Store use one of the mesh cages you guys carry. A fogger probably won't work. It might create too much bacteria. I don't know. Has anyone ever used these? If its possible use the cups you guys put the reptiles in to make a cup feeder so the crickets don't chew through the mesh.

 

[mrvoodoo]

p.s. you guys should get your stores to carry the aluminum frame mesh cages. I need to spend this gift card on something

 

[CleanLineChameleons]

Definitely no fogger...especially in a glass cage...that is a URI waiting to happen. I would suggest getting one of those drippers or a water bucket with a very small hole in it and drip it into a plant with a saucer thing under the pot to catch the water after it goes through the pot. Mist the guy 2 times a day being that she is in glass (too much sitting moisture is going to breed bacteria). Feed her some wax worms or super worms.

Chris

 

[Corruptedmuffin]

p.s. you guys should get your stores to carry the aluminum frame mesh cages. I need to spend this gift card on something

I wish we had these. I ended up building my own cage.

 

[summoner12]

I work at PetSmart (yeah, yeah, start the booing)

my GF used to work at PetCo.... its how I am in this chameleon mess now.... Most of us understand there are helpful members of the PetCo and PetSmart team.... If you happen to work there and want to help the cham you will receive gobs of help!

Anyone know of a way I could hydrate her with supplies that would be available in the store already? something that is easy to find? anyone think a fogger would help? (I have access to one)
Oh, and I can't adopt her- she's a customer return, her dad wants her back once she's better.

If you have some kind of fogger... Try using it on her to raise humidity. You guys should sell one of those pump up hand misting bottles(they are green). Use that and mist her with warm water for a continuous 5-10 minutes 3-4 time a day. If she does not drink.... try misting for longer. If you see her bulge her eyes in weird ways that seem freaky and abnormal...... its normal. She is trying to clean out whatever is in her eye... keep misting if you see this.

Much luck to you and thanks for keeping an eye out for the chams in the store!

 

[viaje]

If you have some kind of fogger... Try using it on her to raise humidity. You guys should sell one of those pump up hand misting bottles(they are green). Use that and mist her with warm water for a continuous 5-10 minutes 3-4 time a day. If she does not drink.... try misting for longer. If you see her bulge her eyes in weird ways that seem freaky and abnormal...... its normal. She is trying to clean out whatever is in her eye... keep misting if you see this.
QUOTE]
We use those pump misters on all our reptiles, actually, and I've been using exactly that on her twice a day. I have yet to see her drink (and as far as I know, no one else has either) Although when I got to work this morning I checked on her and her eyes seemed slightly fuller, as if she's being slightly hydrated (even if no one sees it happen?)

As for the reptariums, the only one we have in stock is a 65g and we won't get more (smaller) ones in because no one buys reptariums. They won't let me pull the 65g just for this use, I've got my own 65 that I could bring in, but
she's only ~4 inches long, would an enormous screen cage be better than a slightly more appropriately sized glass one?

 

[BocaJan]

Yes. You can mist and mist and mist and mist and mist with warm water and then wipe the bottom of the cage. The mesh will help the water to evaporate and help prevent URI. A glass cage is not good.

 

[kinyonga]

Does she sleep during the day?

 

[viaje]

I've never seen her sleeping during the day, I'm pretty sure she doesn't, but she's in a back room where people are only in a few times a day... so she isn't constantly under observation

 

[mrvoodoo]

with my jackson when I want to make sure I know he's drinking, I mist until I see him lick his lips --- sometimes this means getting a bead of water to form on his lips then he'll lick it.

 

[macro junkie]

with my jackson when I want to make sure I know he's drinking, I mist until I see him lick his lips --- sometimes this means getting a bead of water to form on his lips then he'll lick it.

how do u do this?by putting a drop on his lips?do u ever mist your chameleon directly?if so how much and how often?