Fairly New Chameleon Owner

[JALLEN]

Questions are at the bottom before the pictures. Thank you!

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Roughly 4 month old, female, veiled chameleon. I have owned her for two months.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I take her out every other day to let her roam.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Feeding mostly crickets, about 6-7 a day, by 9:00am. Just started on superworms, will give one daily. Occasional mealworms, waxworms and flightless fruit flies. I am gutloading crickets with butternut squash, carrots, and sweet potato, and they also get the yellow cricket quencher jelly.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Repti-Calcium without D3 at every feeding, Fluker’s Calcium with D3 twice monthly, and National Geographic’s Multivitamin Supplement Powder twice monthly.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Hand misting, three times a day for 30 seconds. I also have the Little Dripper, set to a slow drip. I see her occasionally drinking.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Consistency is kind of mucous, urates are white. Next poop is going to the vet to be tested.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Two days ago I brought her to the vet to be looked at. She was not eating, she was pale in color, nose discharge, laying down on branches, and sitting with her mouth open. She hadn’t pooped that day, so I had no sample to give to the vet, and still don’t. It will be dropped off as soon as it happens. The vet is unsure if it is a viral infection or bacterial, or a parasite, and wasn’t ready to give her any medicine until the fecal exam comes back. She did however give me a powder mixed with water to be given three times daily for 7 days to boost her back up with vitamins. She called it Critical Care, I believe. Pet store sold me a glass enclosure (bastards!), and she thinks that might be the main problem.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
After vet visit, I immediately went and bought the ReptiBreeze Open Air Black Aluminum Screen Cage, in size large (18x18x36).
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
I have the ZooMed dual dome. I got a kit that included the bulbs, which I believe is the ReptiSun 5.0 and a heat lamp – I am unsure of the brand off the top of my head.
I am wondering if I need to make the switch to a tube lighting now that I have a bigger enclosure.. Any suggestions?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Basking temp is between 80-85. I do not have a thermometer at the lower level of the cage. I am planning on purchasing one. I was originally using a night time bulb, but have since discontinued its use after reading these forums.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Humidity is between 50-70. Hand spray, three times a day for 30 seconds. I have a thermometer/hygrometer combo to measure both.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Fake plants at the top, live plants at the bottom. I have a Pothos, and a Schefflera. I bought them from Home Depot, then washed and repotted them with organic soil.
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?
It is in my livingroom, off to the corner. Unfortunately, there is no safe spot from my toddler, but she has been instructed to look not touch, and has been doing okay.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
New Hampshire, USA.


Alright! My questions : I got a lot of great information from my vet, and just made the switch to the screen cage yesterday. Any tips to improve the habitat? What are people doing about a drain system? I just realized there is nothing built in. I know I need more hiding spots at the top.. I am just unsure of how to do that, as I would like some real plants at the top as well. Since putting her in, she has been pretty dark. I’m sure it’s hard to adjust to a whole new home. I just want her to be as comfortable, and healthy as possible.
Also, am I missing anything care wise?


PS - the photo with her mouth open shows the nasal discharge as well..
has anyone seen this before and had any suggestions? She hasn't had her mouth open since switching to the screen, but is still having the discharge.

Thanks in advance!!

 

[JALLEN]

Nobody has any suggestions?

 

[bakednowningz]

Home depo/Walmart has these pot plants you can hang. Try getting one thats viney and hanging it a bit from the top... Find a one that'll grow vigorously throughout the cage. I'd leave it just a bit from the top where the lamps at, where she can bask but doesn't burn. She can climb down and find shade and cool off.

Plenty of misters/foggers out there. I use a fogger to generally keep the humidity to where I need it to be, and soon will have a mistking system (as they are known to be the best for a mist system) to provide mine with water throughout the day.

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. She actually looks good and so does your set up. I don't like the Coil lights and even though they are suppose to be safe now I still see keepers on here having problems with them and some are very experienced keepers. Dragon Strand has a universal drain pan. I'll see if I can find a link for you. http://dragonstrand.com

I recommend misting longer than 30 seconds at the time. It takes them awhile to get in the mood to drink and then awhile to drink once they start. Also don't worry about the nasal discharge if it's the white power looking stuff. That's how they expell the excess salt from their body and perfectly normal. A fecal is always a good idea and I recommend them at least every 4 to 6 months because they can get parasites from the feeders they eat. Instead of fruit flies I bet she would love house flies and silkworms. A large variety of well gut loaded feeders is best.

BTW, what's her name? I keep veileds and love them dearly. You can see my veileds here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-beautiful-veileds-142194/
I'm attaching a few links for you below to help you keep your girl healthy and happy.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html
http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html

Females lay eggs without a male even being around so soon you will need to prepare a laying bin for her.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/

 

[Andee]

I agree with Jann she doesn't look bad in my opinion. But it's good that you switched from a glass to screen, she could have what is the start of a URI if she's been holding her mouth open a lot. But I wouldn't worry too much about it if the vet hasn't said anything about it. Just keep an eye on her, it could also be her basking spot is too hot, what kind of temperature gauge do you have? I always use infared, they tend to be more reliable than analog and can take multiple readings.

As far as greenery and hiding spots go, I personally think she could use more, but you are at a point where it's not technically a necessity. I just like to make my enclosures so full to the point I have a hard time finding my chameleon, which makes it more like their natural environment.

I would consider investing in either a mist king automatic mister, which are amazing. Or getting a hand mister where all you do is pump it and then hold down the handle for a continuous spray, it's much less tiring and you can spray for longer times, also the mist tends to be finer.

I use this if I'm hand misting anything:

http://www.petco.com/product/119980...ions Mist'r Lizard Junior for Reptiles-119980

Or something with a similair design.

 

[JALLEN]

Thank you guys. Her name is Ellinore. I'm in nursing, and I take care of a wonderful old woman named Ellinore, and she is so small and dainty like my little lady.

Jann - from those posts, is my goal to not have her lay eggs? I thought it was important to have her lay them. I will adjust my misting time, and I'll actually buy the other mister that Andee mentioned. I've read that the MistKing is really only necessary if you aren't available to mist when needed? My husband and I work opposite shifts, so she's only alone 2 hours a day. I mist her right before I leave, and right when I get home, and he does it once in between.

Andee- I am using an analog. I will look into the one you mentioned.

 

[jannb]

Laying eggs is very hard on the females and shortens their life. If you can keep her from laying that would be the best for her unless you are breeding.

 

[Andee]

It is important to have a laying bin for your female chams so they can lay if needed and never get egg bound, but the idea is to reduce or possibly never have them lay. But ALWAYS give them access to the laying bin if they show signs of needing to lay. Just though I'd clarify what you meant Jann.

And there are tricks to getting them to lay less frequently, such as lowering their food in take and heat levels.