Help help please!!! :'/

[TheLivingLegend]

My panther chameleon just died. Was a female and the reptile store told me she only needs an inch of dirt in the cage which was a couple months ago when I first noticed her on the ground and asked about it. Also told me to give her vegetable oil and that nearly killed her. Told me to use subtrate and change it every 4 months The vet gave me oxytocin to help her pass the eggs. I noticed every time right after I gave her the shot the top of her head would sink and and so would her eyes. I was told to give her 2 shots a day, she was getting them for 4 days. I plan on breeding but Im starting to wonder if there is way too much work involved in taking care of chams PROPERLY. Thank you for your help :'(

 

[justjumpit621]

Seems like you have just been given all the wrong information unfortunately. Chameleons are VERY tricky to keep, and they do require a good amoutn of care and money to keep happy and healthy. If you want to try again with a site sponsor baby here is a link to my good friend's blog on raising your baby chameleon the right way. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[TheLivingLegend]

Thanks mate. I fell in love with Nosy-bes right away when I saw it at the reptile store. Such a shame cuz she was very healthy, active, always ate, always dumped. Then, when I noticed her on the bottom of her cage almost a couple months ago, is when I was told she only needed an inch of dirt in the corner of her cage. Like you said, given all the wrong information, last time I buy anything from those dgaf shady pos's. :'/

 

[twatts704]

Your intentions are right and heart are in the right place. However you were mislead with bad information. I think you should try again, you were not neglectful. Just mislead. I wish you luck in your next desicion and let us know what you decide

 

[GreenWithEnvy]

Don't give up!

Chams are a lot of work to take good care of but at the same time, once you get a system down it doesn't seem like it is tons of work. And it is very helpful to have all the lights on a timer, and I also have a misting system that is on a timer as well.

I think you should start off with a male and hold off on trying your hand at breeding for a while and just enjoy having such a beautiful boy.

Never trust pet stores, especially Petsmart or Petco. They do not take proper care of the chameleons and often do things they know will harm the animal just because it is "store policy" to do this or that everyday. And sometimes the animals are not in very good health when you purchase them because they just haven't been cared for well.

We do not have any dirt at the bottom of the cage, it is more sanitary not to. Just a nice live plant that is safe for chameleons in a pot, but the bottom of the cage is bare.

I would suggest exploring on the forum for members who have clutches that will be ready soon. But before you get another make sure that you read some of the links that are on this post for the right information on how to set up your habitat and have everything ready for a new baby.

Just don't give up based on what happened. It's not that you can't handle having a chameleon, it is just that you were giving the wrong information by a petstore that should not be selling chameleons. Chameleons are such amazing animals to have. As they get older and know you more their personalities really shine!

I know that TexasRanger has a clutch of Nosy Falys that will be ready soon. We are getting one of his girls since we have a little boy Faly and a Sambava boy as well.
We got our Faly from Eliot and Sandy at Chameleons Northwest. They are great!! They went over everything we possibly needed to know when we were getting our first baby. They have some really great cage packages that have everything that you need all together at a cheaper price than you could buy it all seperatly because Sandy buys everything whole sale. And then you can send them a picture of your set up before they ship the baby and they will check it out for anything that might be wrong or missing. The link I am sending you also has great Care Sheets that go over anything that you need to know. And if you have any specific questions you can private message me anytime, or my husband Cricketkilla , he knows a lot more than I do and would love to help you.

Also we have an area set up where they can free range while we are home, and they LOVE it.

Chameleons Northwest Website is http://www.chameleonsnorthwest.com/
and their care sheet http://www.chameleonsnorthwest.com/caresheet.htm
and things to look for when buying a cham from any source http://www.chameleonsnorthwest.com/selecting.htm

I would suggest browsing around their site, they have some great information!!

 

[TheLivingLegend]

Hey thank you very much for the links and tips : ) I was thinking the same thing, get a male since they cant become eggbound. Definitely want another one these chams are out of this world and EVERYONE that sees them for the first time is blown away, wants to get one, and dont care how much they cost. Oh believe me Ive been through it with petco and petsmart when I adopted a water dragon. Didnt even tell me about a uvb bulb. Great to know I have someone to turn to for help : ) One concern I do have is the humidity in my area is always at 15% at the most. With a live plant, repti shedding aid, and having the mister run every hour make for a happy panther? Or will it take its toll on them after a while? Thanks again really appreciate it.

 

[Elizadolots]

I'm so sorry.

You should look at this video on setting up a laying bin.

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

 

[Eltortu]

The only advice I can give you is to read before getting into anything. Keeping and breeding chameleons is not as easy as you may think it is!

 

[justjumpit621]

Don't use the reptishedding aid, it's just a rip off. Mist the cage every few hours, you can buy a mistking if it's easier. Live plants, maybe plastic along a couple sides if needed. I did this for one I had a while back, just went out and got plastic painter's drop cloth. It's only a couple dollars for 12x24 or something like that.

Also you don't need to get teh expensive heat bulbs from the store either, a 75 watt frosted house bulb works just as well for 1/20th of the price.