Feet peeling?
- Thread starter Cham1224
- Start date
cruz.m
Avid Member
I think she’s just started her shed. Did you not know that they shed their skin? Has she never shed before? I’m asking so I can know more, please fill this out as well! Also read through this
https://chameleonacademy.com/veiled-chameleon-care/
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- 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?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
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Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
cruz.m
Avid Member
My cham usually starts at her feet and stomach and gets her head last which is different then most people but not unheard of. She gets the shed off well and normally this way too so there shouldn’t be a problem, the first time my cham shed with me she started from her tail and head and it changed her last 2 sheds. (She’s only shed with me 3 times total since I purchased her)
Cham1224
New Member
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Cham1224
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Thank you, makes me feel better.
cruz.m
Avid Member
I’ll do some of the husbandry review but I’ll tag someone else with more experience to do the all of it. First question what is the tin foil for? @Beman
My feedback in red/bold
Chameleon Info:
My feedback in red/bold
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, female, estimated 6 /7months. How long has it been in your care? Since September 9, 2020
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? A few times a week. Is she coming out on her own or do you make her come out? I think you should minimize the amount you handle her to once a week but mainly whenever she chooses to come out
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? (Black Soldier Larvae, crickets, hornworms, silkworms. What amount? Dependant on the bug 8-10 a day. What is the schedule? 8:00 a.m. I wait until she wakes up after the timer puts her lights on at 7:00 am. How are you gut-loading your feeders? Greens, potato peels, apples. Worms have food that dome with usually. At this age she should eat only 4-5 bugs appropriately sized, gutloaded, and dusted every other day as she is around the age of egg laying. Feeding a lot and and providing high temperatures increases clutch sizes and large clutches can cause some health problems for females.
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I attached the brands I do W/O D3 everyday ( light dusting ) , With D3 every other Friday, The multivitamin the other Fridays not using with D3. Does your multivitamins have D3 in it? Also I’m not familiar with this brand so I’ll have someone else comment on this
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? I mist 2-3 times a day, dependent on how her humidity levels are, I struggle with that. I have seen her drink from the water mist that falls, not directly drinking off of leaves. I mist for a good minute at least each time. So I recommend you mist once before lights turn on for 2-5+ minutes and once before lights turn on for 2-5+ minutes. If you struggle with humidity you can cover the sides of the enclosure with shower curtains (or other things) to retain humidity. Do you have a dripper?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Her droppings are normal, brown and white urine, she has never been tested for parasites. I recommend you get her tested for parasites and drop off two more in case there were any missed.
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. None that I can think of now.
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screened cage, I purchased a ferret cage 31x20x54 and screened it all in and didn't put in any of the levels so she could have live plants and trees to climb. Personally I’ve never seen anyone do this before so it’s new, I’ll have someone else comment on that too but the minimum is 2x2x4 recommended is 4x2x4 although I think the dimensions of yours are fine but like I said I’ll have someone else comment on that
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? 12 hours on 12 hours off. I use a Reptisun linear 5.0 T5-HO UVB, Heat bulb 100w, I have recently kept her basking light on but am thinking that might be to much as I am reading with the UVB linear tube light. I’m confused? Can you clear this up as for basking lamp there’s no need to turn it off. If basking temps are too high you might wanna try a lower wattage. 80°f max
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I have digital thermometers and humidity reader. Her basking area in the day stays at about 80-86 degrees, the middle of the cage towards the bottom goes down to the low 70's during the day. At night I put on the fogger to stay on for 15 mins every hour to keep it cool. 86° is too high 80° Is the max. For humidifier I don’t use mine as my humidity stays pretty high at night but I’m pretty sure you can have it on for longer not sure I’ll have someone else comment on that as well.
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? My daytime levels stay within 50-65% ( I sometimes have to mist to get this level ) I measure with my digital readers from top to bottom of cage. 30-50% is the recommended humidity for veileds so humidity is definitely high. Try lowering it.
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I have life plants, I have Hibiscus, Pothos and Yucca type plant. You definitely should try adding more foliage I’ll post some veiled tested plants for you below.
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? I have it placed away from all air vents and slightly near the window but not right next to or up against. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? roughly 5 ft from floor to top of cage.
- Location - Where are you geographically located? Pensacola, FL
If she hasn't shed it could possibly be healing burns. Especially if you are worried about the temps being too hot you want to turn the basking off.
Does she screen climb? How far away is your uvb bulb? Does the metal from the ferret cage get hot?
Does she screen climb? How far away is your uvb bulb? Does the metal from the ferret cage get hot?
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cruz.m
Avid Member
She has she’s just always started at her head. Her body looks pale and like she’s starting her shed. I’m not sure but I think she’s just shedding
Are you using the aluminum foil to keep the moisture in? If so you want to switch this... Remove all of it from the top. You need air flow. Then any your using around the sides needs to be removed due to it being reflective. It can be a stress trigger. You can use duct window film... Run the sticky double sided tape on the frame of the enclosure and then the plastic hooked to that. Then she will not have access to the sticky stuff. Just press down really well when you add the film. You do not want it lifting and the sticky getting back into the enclosure.
Another option is to get 1/8 of an inch pressed pvc panels from home depot or lowes. These cut with a razor blade. They are totally water proof. You would drill holes in the edges to hook it to the cage with zip ties. This might be your safer choice and would be what I would do.
Now then what type of UVB strength T5ho are you running. Because your distances to basking will be different due to the cage bars. They will not reduce the output the way aluminum screen does.
Per the leg... She is shedding... Now what I do not like are her rolls of skin at the joint between the leg and the foot. Keep an eye on this and make sure the shed comes off and does not constrict.
What supplements are you using? Can you post some pics of her entire body so I can look at a few things?
Another option is to get 1/8 of an inch pressed pvc panels from home depot or lowes. These cut with a razor blade. They are totally water proof. You would drill holes in the edges to hook it to the cage with zip ties. This might be your safer choice and would be what I would do.
Now then what type of UVB strength T5ho are you running. Because your distances to basking will be different due to the cage bars. They will not reduce the output the way aluminum screen does.
Per the leg... She is shedding... Now what I do not like are her rolls of skin at the joint between the leg and the foot. Keep an eye on this and make sure the shed comes off and does not constrict.
What supplements are you using? Can you post some pics of her entire body so I can look at a few things?
Cham1224
New Member
I was told to put the foil on the outside of the cage to keep humidity inside. I have the window plastic ( to the outside ) on 3 sides as well. Before doing this I was not able to keep her humidity up above 40% during the day.
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Cham1224
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She use to screen climb in her old cage, this one she doesn't. I have the lights about 6 inches away from her branch. We screened the entire inside so she is not able to touch the cage itself. I didn't think of her little feet getting burned...
I just shut the basking light off.
cruz.m
Avid Member
I’m pretty sure she’s shedding can you post a pic of her now. Also what type of mesh did you use. Some filter out uvb rays and if it’s over the cage and the mesh she may not be getting enough uvb. Neptune the Chameleon is an an excellent source, what video did you watch, no fruits and veggies it’s unnecessary. Most Parasites are found with the fecal, under a microscope so definitely go to the vet for one. Chameleons are dry shedders so misting more won’t help if anything it’ll make it worse. It’s like their shed is sticking to them instead of lifting off. I recommend putting the digital hygrometer/thermometer near her basking area where her cask is. Did you just mist? I think you can remove the heat light and just keep the basking light. What is the brand? Are her feeders gutloaded and supplemented? Also do you have a proper laying bin set up for her? For the foil I’m not sure @Beman what else can they use to retain humidity I can’t remember?She use to screen climb in her old cage, this one she doesn't. I have the lights about 6 inches away from her branch. We screened the entire inside so she is not able to touch the cage itself. I didn't think of her little feet getting burned...
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Cham1224
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I do have the window film on 3 sides, I am removing the foil now. As far as the bulb for the T5O It came with the hood and and the bulb says
'22 inch / 559mm reptisun 5.0 UVB f24T5/REPT
She is hiding right now but will post more photos later. This was from last night. I just saw her other foot peeling so she is definitely shedding at this point. ( phew ) First time starting with her feet.
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Do you have anything between the light and the cage?
Without anything blocking it... with a single bulb T5HO and a 5.0 bulb and the type of cage your using that does not reduce the UVI output you need to have the closest branches 10.5 inches down and this would give her a 3 UVI level. Otherwise your risking over exposure.
If you use a layer of Aluminum window screen in between the light and the cage then your looking at needing a distance of 8-9 inches to branches below to get a 3 UVI.
Cham1224
New Member
I did just mist when after I took this photo so I forgot to post the basking one. Her basking temp has gone down since I shut it off but right now it's 81 degrees on her basking area. Her feeders are gutloaded but typically the crickets only - I assumed that goop of food they put down on the bottom of the container is their food ( or at least that is what the lady told me at the pet store ) Is that not gut loading for the worms?
I do have a proper laying bin, I made sure of that as I was panicking and attached that photo . It's 8 inches deep with clean sand mixed with a organic soil. After watching Neptune she mentioned a plant and they like to sometimes lay towards the root and to make sure there is a way down to her bin which is why the branch is there.
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Cham1224
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I do have aluminum screening between the light and her branch and will move the branch spot now.
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