Does She Look Healthy?

[TRA]

Hi guys, my veiled chameleon has been shedding for a while now and I don't know if there is something wrong with her. I mist her cage regularly etc. I've searched through the web and found all sorts of upsetting things. I really can't tell if she looks healthy or not. She is very alert during the day, etc. I look at her though and I think it looks like her eyes are kind of sunken in? I am wondering if she's dehydrated. Here's a picture of her:

She's my first chameleon, so I don't know if I'm worrying over nothing. I think I'm just seeing things that aren't there. All help is appreciated.

I don't know if it will help, but here's a picture of her when I first got her (taken under different lighting conditions so her color is going to look different):

 

[Justin Carl]

Are her eyes alway closed?
Fill this out in detail.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
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.

 

[TRA]

Are her eyes alway closed?
Fill this out in detail.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
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.

Here eyes are always open (unless she's sleeping, of course).

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Tank, 20 gallon I think. Height is sufficient as is length and width.
Lighting - UVB/Heat lamp, on 11 hours a day.
Temperature - Day temp. (from basking spot to coolest spot) 100 degrees to 80 degrees. 70 degrees at night.
Humidity - Humidity 70-90% by misting 2-3 times a day.
Plants - Live ficus, other artificial plants.
Location - Low traffic area.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - It's a female veiled chameleon, not entirely sure on the age. She's about 2-3 inches not including the tail.
Feeding - Crickets gut loaded with commercial gut loader and fresh oranges and other fruits, occasional fresh molted meal worms, same commercial gut load. Feed crickets 2-3 every day.
Supplements - I use Reptivite vitamin dust every 2-3 feeds.
Watering - I mist the cage. I see her drink when I sit and watch her.
Fecal Description - Firm logs, small white/yellow part on tip, rest is brownish.
History - N/A
Current Problem - I'm worried she might be dehydrated, but also about how long it is taking her to shed.

 

[xoiceox]

You need to be feeding her 10-20 crix a day! 2-3 is not enough at all!!! That's a big problem right there.

 

[TRA]

You need to be feeding her 10-20 crix a day! 2-3 is not enough at all!!! That's a big problem right there.

Well, I give her what she eats. I put any more in and there's usually always leftovers.

 

[Chase]

If you get your Cham to eat 10-20 a day then wow. He ate that many every other day.

 

[Justin Carl]

Well, first things first she is very cute.
It might be getting to the time where she needs to upgrade to a larger cage.
Prefer a screen one.
Can you be specific on her lighting. ie: brand
So, your not supplementing with any knind of calcium?
Crickets have a poor Calcium to Phosphorous ration that needs to be reversed through dusting.
Your also not supplying any D3?
She should be eatting more than 3 crickets a day.
How large are the crickets?

 

[TRA]

Well, first things first she is very cute.
It might be getting to the time where she needs to upgrade to a larger cage.
Prefer a screen one.
Can you be specific on her lighting. ie: brand
So, your not supplementing with any knind of calcium?
Crickets have a poor Calcium to Phosphorous ration that needs to be reversed through dusting.
Your also not supplying and D3?
She should be eatting more than 3 crickets a day.
How large are the crickets?

This is Reptivite dust vitamins.:
http://www.zootoo.com/reptiles_healthcare/reptivitereptilevitamins

It has everything, including calcium, phosphorus, and D3. I messed up on my size estimation, too. She's really about 1-1.5 inches excluding the tail. I feed her medium sized crickets, small enough that she won't choke, as well as freshly molted mealworms, also dusted and gut loaded.

The bulb I think is a Zoo Med Powersun 100 watt bulb.

 

[Justin Carl]

WOW! She is a baby.
Where did you get her? Just curious.
She needs to be eatting baby crikcets.
The rule of thumb is that she shouldn't eat anything wider than the distance between her eyes.
I'm guessing 1/4 inch.

Sounds like you are using a Mercury Vapor Bulb.
Where is it placed?
How close can she get to it?

I would toss that supplement is the garbage.
This link shows everything I use. I took the picture too.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=3846&c=3&userid=2427

Here is a copy of my caresheet.
Read it and print it out.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/justin-carl/20-caresheet.html

 

[TRA]

WOW! She is a baby.
Where did you get her? Just curious.
She needs to be eatting baby crikcets.
The rule of thumb is that she shouldn't eat anything wider than the distance between her eyes.
I'm guessing 1/4 inch.

Sounds like you are using a Mercury Vapor Bulb.
Where is it placed?
How close can she get to it?

I would toss that supplement is the garbage.
This link shows everything I use. I took the picture too.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/gallery/showimage.php?i=3846&c=3&userid=2427

Here is a copy of my caresheet.
Read it and print it out.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/justin-carl/20-caresheet.html

The bulb is placed above the cage. The closest she can get is 12 inches (that would be it she were climbing on the mesh top), and normally she more than 12 inches away from the bulb. Also, thanks for the caresheet and supplements. I'll try and get those supplements tomorrow. Thanks for the help!

 

[Justin Carl]

Thanks for typing all the information on your husbandry.
It help tp make the little changes in husbandry without asking the same question over.
I would use the search option on the top of the webpage.
You can find hundreds of threads by typing in 1 word.
What kind of camera are you using? D40, D200, XTi?

Good luck

 

[TRA]

Thanks for typing all the information on your husbandry.
It help tp make the little changes in husbandry without asking the same question over.
I would use the search option on the top of the webpage.
You can find hundreds of threads by typing in 1 word.
What kind of camera are you using? D40, D200, XTi?

Good luck

Thanks. Regarding the camera, I have a D200.

 

[xoiceox]

If you get your Cham to eat 10-20 a day then wow. He ate that many every other day.

My baby eats 10-15 a day he's a beast

 

[DarkRapture]

it's great to see that you are asking questions and taking care of your little one. the previous advise from others is great and i am glad to hear that you are following it!

there is a LOT of controversy about the mercury vapor bulbs! people have been saying that it has been UVB overexposing, burning (like sunburn), dehydrating (from over heating) and in some cases has lead to the death of poor little chameleons. because you have such a young little girl, i would really hope that you will go out and get a linear tube that produces UVB at safe and proven levels for chameleons. the reptisun 5.0 is the most recommended, and 18" would be perfect size for quite some time (please note that they must be changed every 6 months as they no longer produce the same levels of UVB!).

in addition to the tube, you would need a dome light with just a regular 65-75 watt bulb for heat. i prefer the blue-ish plant bulbs because they make the plants look great and provide spot lamp basking .the temps of 100 are waaaay to high for her and may have caused the dehydration. babies need to be about 85F in the basking and 70 ambient, so the smaller wattage will suffice.

i believe that changing the lighting and temperature will impact her hydration immensely. smaller crickets will help with the appetite issue as well. hope that she gets better!!!