Just got a veiled chameleon last week for my brother for Christmas, about 3 months old. We love Carlton so much and we are so upset because we don't know what's wrong with him. I got him from petco and he started shedding that day. I was told I probably wouldn't even need crickets for a while because he's gonna eat his skin, but I still purchased some along with meal worms and reptical. The cage I built myself, screened about 22x16x34. I was also told to use a stronger bulbs because my cage was bigger, so I am using 100W infrared bulb and a 26W UVB150 bulb rated for desert. He hasn't eaten much but I figured that was due to his shedding. And we haven't used much of the calcium dust because I was told only a few times a week. After reading a bunch of these threads it seems as though he should be eating a lot and always use the dust. When we brought him home he was pretty active and seemed like the best climber ever; no matter what he did he would never lose his balance or fall. Now he barely moves and actually fell off his branch the other day (about 8 inches high). He can barely pull himself up anywhere and when he moves his back legs, they just go straight out as if he forgot how to use them. His colors seem fine, sometimes he looks pale, but never really any dark colors. I'm so upset, I don't know what's wrong with him and I'm hoping you guys can help me and Carlton out. Thank you
HELP! Baby Veiled Cham won't eat and back legs won't work
- Thread starter Agross721
- Start date
Kristen Wilkins
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi there and welcome . I'm sorry to hear your having difficulties with your new baby . I'm pretty new as well to chamealon. I can tell you you need to dust with out D3 every feeding , with D3 2 times a month alternate the other weeks with multivitamin . Also do you have a good exotic vet ? You will need one . If you post where you live @jannb might be able to help you . @Nursemaia is amazing along with @Andee . With can help you more then I . Do you have uvb and do you know if the pet smart had a uvb for your baby ?
YumeKitsune4
Member
Hey there! Sorry to hear about your baby! Please fill out this form and someone will be able to help you better!
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
And pictures always help! Of the cham and the enclosure!
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?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
And pictures always help! Of the cham and the enclosure!
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Welcome to the forums. I am sorry to hear about Carlton's problems. Please post some photos of him and his set up. This link below is how I recommend keeping young veileds. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-with-young-veiled-or-panther-chameleons.325/
Pitcard
Member
Right off the bat, Petco has given you the wrong info. Shed is not a food supply, you were right to get him bugs. Stick to crickets as a staple, mealworms are garbage for chameleons, the chitin will clog them up. Try superworms instead.
I supplement with Repashy Calcium Plus every other day, and plain calcium in between. The Repashy has D3 and vitamins, all they need.
It also sounds like your lighting is too intense. With a perch 8-10" away from the top, a 60w should be sufficient for heat. Maybe even a 40w, considering his age. House bulbs btw, you don't have to spend $20 a bulb for reptiles. For UVB, a linear bulb is best (T8-T50). Compact bulbs are below par. 5.0/10.0 can be used, but you must make sure his basking spots aren't too close and that he has shade in the cage. They don't like to be burning hot all day, they need to regulate body heat.
I supplement with Repashy Calcium Plus every other day, and plain calcium in between. The Repashy has D3 and vitamins, all they need.
It also sounds like your lighting is too intense. With a perch 8-10" away from the top, a 60w should be sufficient for heat. Maybe even a 40w, considering his age. House bulbs btw, you don't have to spend $20 a bulb for reptiles. For UVB, a linear bulb is best (T8-T50). Compact bulbs are below par. 5.0/10.0 can be used, but you must make sure his basking spots aren't too close and that he has shade in the cage. They don't like to be burning hot all day, they need to regulate body heat.
Lizzie The Chameleon
Avid Member
you should only be using d3 once every other week
Another loco Petco story veiled 
Here is some info from the forum for u to take a look,hope this will clear some misguided info.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
Happy reading.
Here is some info from the forum for u to take a look,hope this will clear some misguided info.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
Happy reading.
Andee
Chameleon Enthusiast
Actually repashy all in one vitamins are generally what I prefer. Which is what the calcium plus is and I prefer the LoD formula. It allows for better absorption over all and acts as a normal source of vitamins and minerals. I use it about three to four times a week and then use plain calcium when I don't dust with it. It also depends on the individual species of Cham how often you use it of course. In fact though there is generally nothing wrong with the separated types of vitamins and minerals, it in most general species of creatures cause poor absorption.
The OP needs to fill out the form and post pictures.
The OP needs to fill out the form and post pictures.
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
I don't often post on panther or veiled threads. Got my reasons.
Many here are offering good info and trying to teach you how to ask for help using the standardized methods used on these wonderful forums. despite that nobody has addressed the very real possibility your animal has a mechanical injury from what you've provided. If that's the case you need a vet, not some vitamins and also at that age, even a great reptile vet is going to be limited in what they can do.
Many here are offering good info and trying to teach you how to ask for help using the standardized methods used on these wonderful forums. despite that nobody has addressed the very real possibility your animal has a mechanical injury from what you've provided. If that's the case you need a vet, not some vitamins and also at that age, even a great reptile vet is going to be limited in what they can do.
Kristen Wilkins
Chameleon Enthusiast
My apologies you stated you do have a uvb .
Andee
Chameleon Enthusiast
It's not necessarily a mechanical injury though it could be. It could also be neurological which in my opinion would be worse. But also depending on where they got the baby could be severely vitamin deficienct in certain ways. From my experience most new keepers think their chams are two months old when it is quite obvious to more experienced keepers that they are 6+ months sometimes. It also depends on whether he was showing any symptoms at all in the beginning. Like I said, the form needs to be filled out and pictures sent before we can offer correct advice other than basic care.
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
You might be right, but I'm going off a lot of little factors in that paragraph and some experience from decades back.
Holiday chameleon, had it a week, the type of issues described, leaning towards a injury. I've seen injuries do that to iguanas and other young herps. I used to tell people buying a baby reptile to try and not handle it for the first month and let it grow. Plenty of times folks didn't listen. I hope this one makes it, but I'm not going to over complicate this for the original poster either.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
This is the first time I've heard about a pet shop employee saying that a cham's shed was all the food it would need for "a while". The store manager should be ashamed of letting such an ignorant person serve customers. I hope you will take our forum caresheet back to that store and demand a meeting with the manager. Tell them in no uncertain terms that they may well have lead to the death of your pet if not severe suffering. We try to impact their corporate views about animals such as chams but it is a very tough battle. It should not be tolerated IMHO. I boycott the big box pet supply chain stores, and I mean I boycott them for EVERYTHING and tell them why. I will not buy anything there...no supplies, food, or anything for any of my pets. Even if I don't have another local store to go to, I will order online from sellers who care, not these corporate thieves.
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
Angry Carlton is angry! <Runs back to cave and closes the boulder for protection>
rotadennis
Member
Petco told you wrong, shedding isn't a meal supplement, so you need to feed him. Also at that age he should be done shedding within 1 day. Also whats your humidity and temps look like? If you could fill out the form properly we'd better be able to help you also maybe post some pictures because he may have a broken leg or two. Petco probably didn't have the proper setup for him and also probably didn't dust their feeders with calcium so he could have a calcium deficiency or even MBD. I'd advise taking him to a reptile vet. If everyone in your cage was set up properly and you bought a healthy chameleon you'd have a chameleon eating normally. I bought mine from Canvas Chameleons and right out of the box he started eating out of my hand and has always ate normally. Within a month of having him he's as tame as "tame" could be. He lets us know when he wants to come out of the cage and jumps on our hands to hang out, but we also give our chameleon a varied diet with crickets dusted daily with Repashi Calcium Plus and random butter worms, wax worms, super worms, silk worms, horned worms fed to him through out the day. Tbh though back to your chameleon I think your main problem is that you bought a Petco Chameleon and maybe don't have the proper setup with your temps and humidity. Chameleons take a lot of money to start off with properly. Proper Cage setup with preferably live plants to help keep your humidity regulated, proper basking lights and uvb LINEAR bulbs, (I say linear UVB bulbs since they spread the UVB out properly instead of focusing it into one spot), and definitely a good automated mister. Preferably from CLIMIST or MISTKING. (I hand misted for awhile, but I swear once I saved up the $120.00 and bought my Climist mister my chameleon is happier than ever.(hand misting doesn't give such a fine mist and also they come with an easy setup timer where i'd set it for every 3 hours.) I swear I noticed a difference in his personality ever since I set that up, but yeah take your cham to a vet and set your cage up properly and learn the lesson of never buying from a petstore, but instead of a reputably breeder who you know takes care of your reptiles and handles them the way the should be.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
I suspect I am realizing that my last day of work is fast approaching and I'm feeling liberated enough to express myself in a less than PC manner.
OldChamKeeper
Chameleon Enthusiast
I like less than PC Carlton (come to the dark side with me)
Graves923
Chameleon Enthusiast
This is exactly what needs to be done. It may not be lead to anything but it could have an effect on that particular store. even if its just for a little while.
I'm an avid tarantula keeper and will only purchase from breeders on a trusted forum. One day while in my local petco I saw them selling tarantulas in these "Tarantula huts"... young spiders in this plastic container with a plastic leaf and food thats too big for the spiderling. No source of water and no ventilation both of which are important to keeping healthy spiders. I talked to the store manager and, long story short, they no longer carry the tarantula huts or tarantulas.
This may not work in every case but you never know.
Jax_Cham_MAN
Member
he may not getting enough water
UPDATE:
Sorry everybody, I thought I was gonna get emails with notifications when someone posted to this thread so I had no idea how many responses I got. I called petco because I had a 30 day garuntee. They said to bring him in and they took him to the vet, still waiting to hear word on what his status is.
Sorry everybody, I thought I was gonna get emails with notifications when someone posted to this thread so I had no idea how many responses I got. I called petco because I had a 30 day garuntee. They said to bring him in and they took him to the vet, still waiting to hear word on what his status is.
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