Female veiled trouble

M

michaelhorning48

New Member
I have a 6 month old female veiled chameleon and i think she just isn't thriving like she should be. i know that they come in maturity around four to six months, but she never showed any signs of wanting to breed and i believe that I've missed it completely, but recently she has been spending a lot of time at the bottom of her cage so i put a dish of moistened peat-moss at the bottom and she digs in it on n off throughout the day and has been doing this for about 2 weeks or so. I don't know how long it takes for them to lay there eggs, but I have the right lighting and her humidity and heat are at the correct temps, she stays relatively green for the most part, but shes not eating and she seems very lethargic. I know that when they are going to lay eggs fertile or not there appetite does decrease, but shes not eating at all.. Is this common? and another thing that concerns me is the fact that her growth seems to be stunted. I have a male chameleon same age, but he is huge compared to her... I know males are naturally bigger, but she looks exactly how she did when she was four months old. She just seems to be getting thinner and thinner:( If anyone has some insight for me I would greatly appreciate it.
 
if she is with eggs, peat moss is not sufficient for her to lay eggs. They should have a laying bin with with moist washed playsand about 12-16 inches deep and wide. They need to be able to dig a hole and tunnel to lay and the sand has to be able to be strong enough to not collapse. Yes, they will stop eating but I am not sure why she would be looking thin. Can you post pics please?
 
she didnt breed she was totally non receptive when i tried i think i missed the time period. if she is carrying eggs they're infertile. another thing she seems darker in the day when awake but when shes asleep shes almost atomic green. ill try the sand and ill try to get pics up by tomorrow afternoon thanks for the input
 
They don't have to mate to lay eggs. They will become gravid no matter what, and will have to lay eggs. A proper lay bin is a must. If she's small you can get 12" garden pot and fill it with a lay mix. I used wet play sand mixed with about 30-40% organic soil.
 
If she is only 6 months old I would not breed her or even show her to a male. It is unhealthy for her to make eggs that young especally if she seems smaller than she should be. Seeing a male could trigger her body to make eggs before she hasfinished growing. There is a higher risk of egg binding when a female makes eggs too young

That being said watch the video on how to set up a laying bin when the time comes.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/

Also there could be other issues such as parasites or inproper nutrition that can hinder her growth
 
michaelhorning48 said:
she didnt breed she was totally non receptive when i tried i think i missed the time period. if she is carrying eggs they're infertile. another thing she seems darker in the day when awake but when shes asleep shes almost atomic green. ill try the sand and ill try to get pics up by tomorrow afternoon thanks for the input
Click to expand...

The brighter colors when sleeping are normal because they are totally relaxed. a lot of people call it chameleon pajamas
 
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shes a lil shy but hope this helps
 
You know your chameleon and I think you should follow your instinct the something is wrong. Go here :
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
fill out this questionnaire and post an answered copy here and then print a copy and take her to the vet. If she's been digging for 2 weeks she could need to lay or already be egg bound. The vet can help you find out what is going on and get her back to healthy.
 
Im glad shes laying for you!

just dont let her see you watching her, and dont bother her at all.

they can take several days to lay.

she may also sleep in her hole at night, or continue to dig throughout the night..
 
Welcome to the forum! Lots of good info on here and nice helpful people.

Glad to hear that she is not retaining her clutch.

Please make sure she gets lots of extra calcium and water after she comes up from laying.

And post more pics?
 
Chameleons are awesome and addicting. I can't imagine life without them. I hope you have good luck with yours.

The best way to get top-notch advice on what you have/need, etc. is to fill out the awful questions. :) It is worth doing and you take a copy of the updated info to any vet appts to really save time, too. Just copy and paste this and then fill it in.


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 Info:

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?


And, we always love more pictures! :)
 
Took her to the vet sge has mbd $400. Later and hopefully the treatments work we will be hand hand feeding her supplements hopefully shell pull through
 
michaelhorning48 said:
Took her to the vet sge has mbd $400. Later and hopefully the treatments work we will be hand hand feeding her supplements hopefully shell pull through
Click to expand...

Hopefully the MBD was caught early enough that it can be reversed. I've got my fingers crossed for her! As for the $400.00, be aware that is just a drop in the bucket to what you may be spending over the lifetime with your chameleon - they can have pricey vet bills if you don't know what you're doing. It really does pay to do your research and hopefully the vet bills will be few and far between in the future.

Hope your little girl pulls through! Does she have a name? :)
 
My gf named her baby lol but she seems to be really happy abd green and she took her 1st injection tomorrow she goes in for another she also seems happy and i believe that shell make it her toungue streches pretty far still she actually nabbed a housefly off the wall when we got back from the vet which is kinda bad but well see what happens but shes also on a formula like supplement and an oral calcium so shell pull through
 
Not a good idea to leave the light on. They don't sleep well if the lights stay on. If she is in a room that doesn't get too cool, she should be fine with no extra heat and total dark. Best deal is to get a ceramic heat emitter and you can keep her warm around the clock.

I hope she does well with the injections. They have a much easier and shorter recovery that way.

The best thing for getting her UVB is natural sunlight if at all possible.
 
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