Fang caught sleeping during the day :(

[Fidget321]

Ok now this is stressing me out, so let me fill this in first:

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Round Cage, plastic mesh. (About 12" in diameter, not sure how tall)
* Lighting - 50w Basking lamp, that is on 12 hours a day, when it's icy cold, like it is now, temps drop below 55 F (13 c) at night so i'm leaving the basking lamp on during the night, I just pull it back in order to still have a temperature drop. 10.0 UVB, (I bought it too high I know), she only gets around 8 hours of this, and is outside in the sun whenever possible)
* Temperature - Overnight temp specified above. Basking temps during the day are normally around 77 F - 82 F, bottom of the cage is lower.
* Humidity - Humidity soars above 90 after misting, I normally don't check otherwise.
* Plants - Fake plant, plus one real Ficus plant in the cage
* Placement - Placed in my study, lowest traffic area.
* Location - Johannesburg South Africa


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Female, Flap Neck Chameleon, Adult, no idea how old she is. I have had her for about three months.
* Handling - Only when absolutely necessary.
* Feeding - Crickets, Meal worms, and the occasional silk worm. She has been eating next to nothing for the last two weeks.
* Supplements - Plain calcium (Without D3) four times a week. Calcium with D3 at one feeding every second week. I still cannot get my hands on a multivitamin.
* Watering - I mist two to three times a day for about 3 minutes. I also have a dripper.
* Fecal Description - Urates has orange in them. Feces still look normal.


Ok, I have read quite a lot about Brumation and how reptiles go through it when the temperature drops. An example of her diet from Monday:
Mon: 2 Crickets
Tues: 1 cricket and 2 mealworms
Wed: 2 mealworms
Thurs: Nothing

(Various items have been placed in her feeding cup, these are just what I monitored that was taken out)

She is still drinking water. There is little to no movement from her side, as she just sits on her basking branch (With her tail curled up normally when sleeping)
So I thought ok as long as she is still drinking water and not sleeping during the day, it's Brumation.

But last night (at around 17:00, sun sets 18:00) she was sleeping.
Even when I sat next to her cage she kept falling asleep, even with me looking straight at her. I have suspected that she has been sleeping during the day with me seeing her tail curled up.


Any suggestions/Improvements?

Thanks

 

[summoner12]

what kind of UVB lamp (linear tube or CFL)? and don't leave the heat lamp on at night. Chams need sleep. She isn't asleep during the day becaus she had a 'long night'... most likely cause by something else.

If night time temps are low use a heat coil

and for the daytime its good to use a normal household lamp... I like to use the Zoo Med 50w spot lamps. Don't use colored lamps. normal white or softwhite lamps are just fine. I prefer the clear lamps without a frosted glass.

sleeping during the day can be caused from too much UVB or the type of UVB lamp you are using. Check out the UV Guide to learn some more.

 

[Fidget321]

what kind of UVB lamp (linear tube or CFL)? and don't leave the heat lamp on at night. Chams need sleep. She isn't asleep during the day becaus she had a 'long night'... most likely cause by something else.

I might be slaughtered for this, I'm using a coil, as the UVB tube I bought burst in the first week when I misted. Because of the cage type, I had to perform super human tasks in order to get the tube to sit at the right place, the top of the cage is solid plastic. - (Please see my blog on a full description if needed)
This bulb has been there since April, and she only now started sleeping. I do plan on replacing it but I honestly need to build a better cage first.

Also, last night is the first time in about two weeks I left her basking lamp on, this is after I caught her sleeping?

sleeping during the day can be caused from too much UVB or the type of UVB lamp you are using

Ok, I'm going to do this as an experiment, I'm going to completely turn off the bulb. And only give her natural sunlight on Saturday and Sunday.
Hopefully this helps?

Thanks for the advice

 

[summoner12]

nightlights and sleeping don't have anything to do with eachother.... as in shes 'tired' because chamd sleep or don't sleep based on the lights being on or off.

I am confused about the cage.... It is a plastic cage and the light is inside? if so I am going to bet money the lamp is your problem and she will stop 'sleeping' in a few days without it.

I lost a young panther to a 10.0 Reptisun CFL. What brand are you using?

What kind of heat lamp do you use?

 

[Fidget321]

nightlights and sleeping don't have anything to do with eachother.... as in shes 'tired' because chamd sleep or don't sleep based on the lights being on or off.

I am confused about the cage.... It is a plastic cage and the light is inside? if so I am going to bet money the lamp is your problem and she will stop 'sleeping' in a few days without it.

I lost a young panther to a 10.0 Reptisun CFL. What brand are you using?

What kind of heat lamp do you use?

Thanks for the reply.

The lamps are outside on the top right hand corner, I think the UVB lamp is exoterra.

Heatlamp is an exoterra 50w normal basking lamp.

I switched the light off last night and I am not going to switch on the UVB today, I'd rather just put her outside in the sun tomorrow.


Her eating less and moving around less is still because of brumation?


Thanks again

 

[summoner12]

The not moving or eating is because she most likely can't see.

I would keep her inside. I only say this because the condition she has (if caused from the UVB lamp) is a defense mechanism. her eyes are shielding themselves. so if this is the case, putting her outside in bright light isn't really going to trigger them to try and recover. I would keep her inside and shower her once a day to keep her hydrated.

Check out this page if you didn't see it yet: Link

 

[Fidget321]

Ok, I kept the UVB lights completely off since Thursday. I also didn't have her outside.

The last time she ate was on Wednesday. I saw her drinking water on Saturday. I placed some Phoenix worms in her cup as to offer some variety from the mealworms and crickets, she looks at them and just ignores them.

I will be building a new cage during the course of this week, I will not use the coil again. But what worries me is nothing is changing even without the coil. I know the coil is very unhealthy, but I have a theory the coil might just be worsening something else?

I havent caught her sleeping again, I also haven't had the basking lamp on during the night.
I plan on buying a heat coil along with a 5.0 UVB tube.
Just one question, what difference would it make to buy an infrared red bulb instead of the heat coil?


Thanks

 

[Fidget321]

Not sleeping, but now not eating?

Hi All,

Just an update on this:
I haven't had the UVB Coil on again since Thursday. I saw her drinking water this morning.

But she is still only sitting in one place, doesn't move nothing.
Noe feces or Urate in almost two weeks and she hasn't eaten since last week Wednesday.
I read somewhere that placing reptiles in warm water speeds up metabolism and helps fecal movement, will this not also make her hungry?

I am now more than concerned with an animal that hasn't eaten in almost a week and I absolutely do not want to force feed her.

Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance

 

[summoner12]

Give her a little time... she needs to get her eyes back in line.... If you can get food into her then you should see poop in a bit. Make sure basking temps and ambient temps are on the mark so that she can metabilize her food. try to let her just relax... don't move her about much because it will just stress her out.

 

[Fidget321]

Give her a little time... she needs to get her eyes back in line.... If you can get food into her then you should see poop in a bit. Make sure basking temps and ambient temps are on the mark so that she can metabilize her food. try to let her just relax... don't move her about much because it will just stress her out.

Thanks for the reply.

How long about will it take for her eyes to repair? (I know it's just really a rough estimate, I just need to figure out when to start worrying)
The warm water also out because I would be moving her around?
There is no impending death of her not have eaten in almost a week?

Thanks

 

[summoner12]

Thanks for the reply.

How long about will it take for her eyes to repair? (I know it's just really a rough estimate, I just need to figure out when to start worrying)
The warm water also out because I would be moving her around?
There is no impending death of her not have eaten in almost a week?

Thanks

if the last time she ate was one week ago, she is fine. If she looks SUPER frail and thin, I would be a bit worried. No food for a week or two isn't that big of a deal as long as the animal was eating normally before the stop of food intake.

The eye recovery... I am not really sure how long it takes. it would depend on how badly she was injured and some other factors.

I would provide food for her, not handle her, keep the temps right and if she looks super thin and on the way out the door... start to worry. if shes healthy size... just give it another week.

 

[Fidget321]

if the last time she ate was one week ago, she is fine. If she looks SUPER frail and thin, I would be a bit worried. No food for a week or two isn't that big of a deal as long as the animal was eating normally before the stop of food intake.

She's fat She was eating way too much before winter. she still has her belly

I'm going to start monitoring the temps more carefully and try and maintain it relatively high, I also suspect the cold front that hit us since last week might not have done wonders for her appetite.

 

[summoner12]

She's fat She was eating way too much before winter. she still has her belly

I'm going to start monitoring the temps more carefully and try and maintain it relatively high, I also suspect the cold front that hit us since last week might not have done wonders for her appetite.

how high is high?

 

[Fidget321]

how high is high?

Well the temps I have in my pet owners manual for Flap necks are 26 - 28 degrees celcius (78.8 - 82.4 farenheit).

I was going to try and keep it on the high side of that. (82)