Help! Chameleon Not Eating - Eyes Closed

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Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I have a 4-5 month old (I think) female veiled chameleon. I have had him for about one month now.
Handling - I do not handle her very much, maybe twice a week.
Feeding - I try to feed her pin-head crickets, but she won't eat and seems like she's losing a lot of strength and weight.
Supplements - Reptivite with D3, once a month, however since she hasn't been eating she cannot receive this.
Watering - I mist her cage for about a minute or two, about three or four times a day. I see her drinking on occasion, usually she just wants to get away from the water.
Fecal Description - Black and white-ish yellow, she has not been tested for parasites, at least under my care.
History - I bought a pair of veiled chameleons from LLLReptile about a month ago, the male is doing fantastic, eating a ton and moving around a lot, however the female is not eating at all. When I first got her, she was eating and seemed to be doing okay, however it seemed as if the male was always much more active.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Homemade, wire mesh 4' x 2' x 2'.
Lighting - I use a normal, 100 watt basking bulb and an Exo Terra Reptile UVB 150 Compact Flourescent (I know that compact fluorescents are bad, however I did my research and this model is reported safe by numerous people, I also have it in a reflective fixture, so it's not as direct.) She usually is around 8"-12" under the UVB bulb. It's about 12-14 hours on, 12-10 hours off.
Temperature - Cage floor is probably around mid to low 70's, the top/basking area is usually around 78F. Average nighttime temp is around the mid 60's. I measure the temperature/humidity with a digital thermometer/hygrometer.
Humidity - The humidity is generally around 40%-55%, sometimes as high as 60% after a long misting. I also have a warm-mist humidifier, which is on during the daytime in the room.
Plants - I have a nice 3 foot schefflera in her cage.
Placement - The cage sits on the floor, and is in front of a window, however the window is not drafty at all.

Current Problem - My female veiled chameleon will not eat. I'm concerned she might have eaten some substrate which I have on the bottom of the cage, I'm in the process of replacing it all with rocks. I don't see how she could have eaten any substrate though, because she spends all of her time at the top of the cage. I also cup feed her, but to do that I take her out of the cage. I do see her drink every now and then after I mist. She seems to be losing more and more strength every day and I'm very concerned. I haven't seen her eat in nearly a week now. Her eyes are also just about always closed, and I am very concerned.

Pictures of her:
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Pictures of her cage:
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Any help is greatly appreciated, thanks!
 
Sorry to hear your little one is not feeling well. She doe not look good from the pic you posted. You said you have a male? Is it being housed in the same cage? What is next to your chameleon's cage. Is it another reptile? Your basking temp is too low. It should be about 85 or a little lower. 78 is too cold. How far away is your basking branch from you basking bulb? You should be giving calcium EVERYDAY to your chameleon at that age. Calcium is very important. Calcium without d3. The d3 one you can use twice a month. Also get a multivitamin to dust your prey with and use that twice a month. Check the back of the back heel of your chameleon. If it has a little bump, it is a male. It not, you have a female. That really is the only way to tell at this age.
 
I'm no expert, but I did notice a few things wrong with your husbandry that could partially be the cause of this...

1. Separate the two of them asap. Chameleons are solitary and will not tolerate the presence of other chameleons in close quarters. The fact that the male is very active and is a good eater could be stressing her out. Having them together in a cage is a disaster waiting to happen.

2. Your supplementation is incorrect. Your feeders should be dusted with calcium WITHOUT d3 at every single feeding. Dust with calcium WITH d3 once every other week, along with a multivitamin on opposite weeks.

3. Pinhead crickets are much too small for a 4-5 month old Veiled. I currently have 1 inch babies that are eating pinheads. Your guys could probably handle 3/8" crickets at this point.

I'm sure there are more experienced handlers on here who can shed better light on the situation, but I hope this is a start!
 
Sorry to hear your little one is not feeling well. She doe not look good from the pic you posted. You said you have a male? Is it being housed in the same cage? What is next to your chameleon's cage. Is it another reptile? Your basking temp is too low. It should be about 85 or a little lower. 78 is too cold. How far away is your basking branch from you basking bulb? You should be giving calcium EVERYDAY to your chameleon at that age. Calcium is very important. Calcium without d3. The d3 one you can use twice a month. Also get a multivitamin to dust your prey with and use that twice a month. Check the back of the back heel of your chameleon. If it has a little bump, it is a male. It not, you have a female. That really is the only way to tell at this age.

I have the male housed in a separate cage next to her, his cage is 5' x 3' x 3'. I just got a 150 watt basking bulb and will try that one out instead. What type of calcium without d3 do you recommend/use as well as multivitamins? I am also 100% certain that it is a female, she does not have the bump on her heel, my male chameleon does.

Thanks!
 
I'm glad they are separated, but I suggest putting up some kind of visual barrier so they cannot see each other.

I'm currently using Zoo Med calcium powder, but from what I've heard, Repashy has an awesome one!
 
So sorry your girl cham is ill.
Although none of us really wants to hear it, very often the only way to get the necessary help is to get the cham to a vet who is very familiar with treating chameleons.
Sleeping during the day, not eating, inactivity are all serious signs of illness and the cause must be found and treated without delay.

There are so many things that could have caused this to occur and as much as many of us would love to offer you THE solution to her health problems, it is truly time for a good veterinarian if she is to have any chance of recovering.
The basking temperatures were too low, which can lower immunity and decrease the ability to absorb nutrients from food--plus she was not getting the right balance and frequency of supplements, which also adversely impacts health.
It can also be that your compact UV bulb is an older, unsafe one that sat on the shelf for a few years, which led to her closing her eyes, which led to her not eating, which caused her to become weak and may have caused her to get an infection.

Unless it was specifically stated that she was captive bred, she is likely a wild caught chameleon , which very often are afflicted with internal parasites that can have a serious negative impact on a chameleon healthwise and can lead to death.
She could have ingested something that created a blockage in her intestines since her back legs are not gripping.
If she fell she could have suffered internal injuries, etc.
There are more possibilities still, which is why there's the need for a good vet to examine, diagnose and prescribe treatment.

Alaska is a huge state but if you are near Anchorage or Homer, there are vets who belong to ARAV, which means they at least have an interest in reptile medicine.
Here is a forum page with more info on healthcare for chams:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/healthx/vet/

Additional vet resources to look into: https://www.chameleonforums.com/veterinarian-resources-67/

Carlton, a forum member from SE AK may know of a good vet, especially if he is anywhere near you. You might want to send him a PM if he doesn't see your post.

As another member mentioned, a visual barrier between the chams is needed to lower her stress when her eyes are open.

It is important to look over all of the things that your Veiled chams need to ensure that their environments and care are optimal to prevent him from getting sick, too and to help her recover during treatment.
Here is an area of the forum where you will find much valuable info organized into sections, beginning with specifics on Veiled cham care:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/


It looks like you did a beautiful job with the cages and I am sure that you must care very much about them.
 
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