I've owned reptiles for years but this is my first cham. He was in our local Petsmart (peta should picket these people) I had looked at him off and on for several weeks hoping someone who was knowledgeable would buy him. He was in a 5 gallon aquarium with one plastic plant on the main isle of the store. I figured if I didn't buy him, his health would deteriote to a point that nobody would be able to help him. He is supposedly 4 months old, about 4 inches nose to vent. He seems to be in good health with no signs of MBD. They were feeding him 3 to 5 quarter inch crickets a day and watering him out of a bowl. He's now eating 8 to 10 full grown crickets that I gutload with flukers orange squares, collard greens, carrots and romaine lettuce. I've owned him about 3 weeks now and he has shed twice. His poop looks good with about a third or a quarter white urates. His colors are much more vibrant now and he seems happy.His cage is 30 inches tall by 18 deep by 24 long with a small scheffellera and a very thick pothos vine. I heavily mist twice daily with warm water and use a ultra sonic fogger to help keep up humidity. Humidity stays around 45 percent if I'm not misting and haven't run the fogger. I will get a larger humidifier soon to help with this. I use a repsun 5.0 for about 12 hours a day and an incadescent basking light. Temp in basking area is about 90 degrees and about 76 on other side of cage. I try to get him at least an hour or two of outside light every day when outside temps. permit. My main question is with his calcium and vitamin supplements. I've read so many different points of view that I'm confused. If he eats 5 crickets and 5 waxworms a day, I'll dust about half of them with Rep-cal Calcium with vit.d3 every other day. About twice a week on the off days from the CA, I will dust about half of his food with zoomeds reptivite. I'm scared to death that I'm overdoing it with the supplements but I'm equally afraid to cut back. Could someone please help me out on this?
Help with rescued veiled!!
- Thread starter dectr6
- Start date
christyo2o2
New Member
im sure everyone will have their say on this....
1st off i know what you mean about petsmart. Christy went in to our local and as she owns our cham went straight to the small reptile area they have. when she went to peak in on the baby veileds she saw on about 2 inches long laying on its side on the bottom of the cage dead. Above him was a cham of equal size and im sure age, not looking too healthy. She went to tell the worker who was taking care of that section there was a dead cham in the cage and he snapped at her and said he just cleaned the cage tthat morning so he knows there are no dead chams in there. She left petsmart in tears.
This is the same company that refuses to sell me rats to feed my snake because they do not believe in voluntarilly killing the animals.
This is only one issue i have with petsmart but we will get into the rest later.
As for your little guy that you saved, while he is growing he needs a WHOLE LOT of calcium and Vit D3. his bones are ever growing so he needs as much as he can get. Make sure he has a good UVB bulb as well because this does the same. The VITD3 helps him to absorb and use the calcium he has taken in so make sure he has plenty of that as well.
If you are dusting half of what he eats every day I would say you are doing well, you can prolly back off some once he is full grown but as he is growing he needs a ton!
Good luck with him and thanks for saving him im sure he appreciates it!
-Justin
1st off i know what you mean about petsmart. Christy went in to our local and as she owns our cham went straight to the small reptile area they have. when she went to peak in on the baby veileds she saw on about 2 inches long laying on its side on the bottom of the cage dead. Above him was a cham of equal size and im sure age, not looking too healthy. She went to tell the worker who was taking care of that section there was a dead cham in the cage and he snapped at her and said he just cleaned the cage tthat morning so he knows there are no dead chams in there. She left petsmart in tears.
This is the same company that refuses to sell me rats to feed my snake because they do not believe in voluntarilly killing the animals.
This is only one issue i have with petsmart but we will get into the rest later.
As for your little guy that you saved, while he is growing he needs a WHOLE LOT of calcium and Vit D3. his bones are ever growing so he needs as much as he can get. Make sure he has a good UVB bulb as well because this does the same. The VITD3 helps him to absorb and use the calcium he has taken in so make sure he has plenty of that as well.
If you are dusting half of what he eats every day I would say you are doing well, you can prolly back off some once he is full grown but as he is growing he needs a ton!
Good luck with him and thanks for saving him im sure he appreciates it!
-Justin
dodolah
Retired Moderator
I used Reptivite MTH, Repcal with D3 TF, Miner-All WSat. Sun no dusting.
Check his nose every morning, If you see a white solid substance form around its nose, usually that's the sign of over supplementation. so, cut back the dusting.
And one more thing...
I know this sounds cruel.. but the next time you see chameleons abuse by Petco or Petsmart, buying the chameleon from them to save it is not wise.
They will only replace it with another chameleon and the cycle of abuse continues.
you should notify the manager. If he does not bother then maybe report it to
your local official that deals with this.
But, the best way to teach Petco and Petsmart is by NOT spending your MONEY there.
Last edited:
christyo2o2
New Member
Unfortunately this is true, it goes with that whole 1 must die to save a million deal...
I know your right about not purchasing him. I'm sure they will just replace him, but I just couldn't check in on him every week and watch him go down hill. Yours is a valid point and probably the correct one. Thanks for the tip on the nose. Is there a certain type of basking bulb I should be using? I'm using an exoterra sunglow 50 watt. Also using the 24 inch repsun 5.0, which I've read by many of these threads is the best. Thanks for your suggestions!!
Jordan
New Member
The white discharge around the nostril is natural. It is a means to conserve water. They can discharge a couple different things in salt form from the nose. This means they do not have to use as much water to pass it through urates. I would not argue that an over supplemented veiled would discharge more nasal salts rather say it is not reliable enough to rearrange supplementing schedules without other signs. Really there should be no nasal salts tell they are or close to the sub adult stage. Important to remember as some veileds simply do not like water when they are young or at all.
I use three different types of supplements: calcium, calcium with D3/no phosphorus and a multivitamin. I use Rep Cal products, although, this is not as important as content.
I supplemented Calcium with D3 2-3 times a week with a young veiled, assuming he is not like a neonatal. Once a month with a multivitamin and every thing in between with just calcium. I do go a little heavier with the Calcium/D3 then other keepers I have talked to. Not going to defend that one.
I use three different types of supplements: calcium, calcium with D3/no phosphorus and a multivitamin. I use Rep Cal products, although, this is not as important as content.
I supplemented Calcium with D3 2-3 times a week with a young veiled, assuming he is not like a neonatal. Once a month with a multivitamin and every thing in between with just calcium. I do go a little heavier with the Calcium/D3 then other keepers I have talked to. Not going to defend that one.
christyo2o2
New Member
as for basking, the wattage depends on the size cage. it needs to be strong enough to hold it around 85 degrees in teh basking spot of the cage. The cage should have a warm side and a cold side. I have a 75 watt in my cham cage and a 150 watt in my snake cage so it all differs with size.
lbesok
Avid Member
I was having a terrible time trying to get the supplement schedule strait. A few people here advised me to read these articles, and the picture began to get clearer:
http://www.chameleonsdish.com/nutrition/balance.htm
http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/jan2003/nutrition/nutrition_jan_03.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/calcium.html
I believe for the most part, everyone has their own little dusting schedule that they have found works for them. It's pretty much trying to find the balance for your chams circumstances.
Currently I am using a plain calcium w/o phosphorus on T,Tr, and every other Sat. The Sat's I don't use this I alternate using minerals and calcium with D3. From what I understand D3 is more necessary for those chams not having natural sun exposure. Hope this helps a little.
http://www.chameleonsdish.com/nutrition/balance.htm
http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/jan2003/nutrition/nutrition_jan_03.html
http://www.chameleonnews.com/calcium.html
I believe for the most part, everyone has their own little dusting schedule that they have found works for them. It's pretty much trying to find the balance for your chams circumstances.
Currently I am using a plain calcium w/o phosphorus on T,Tr, and every other Sat. The Sat's I don't use this I alternate using minerals and calcium with D3. From what I understand D3 is more necessary for those chams not having natural sun exposure. Hope this helps a little.
Last edited:
ChameleonsTree
New Member
Will you be taking the cage outside at all for real sunlight? This factors in how much supplementation is done.
Last edited:
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Bg77 is closest to the schedule I'm following. Live in Louisiana, (state motto: Thank God for Mississippi). Far north Louisian, around Shreveport. Do these schedules take in to account that I'm gut loading the Crickets? Sorry for all the questions but I'm scared to death that I'm doing something wrong and I know how quick these guys can turn. Like I said, he seems very healthy in all respects and is growing quickly, has shed twice in the last 3 weeks. I just want to keep him that way.
