Helping it shed?

Slug

Slug

New Member
Today my chameleon had its first shed while in my care! I came home and it looked like my Senegals skin just exploded off of it while I was at work today. It didn't all come off, there are still bits on its body, but the top of it's head is still mid shed.

I am wondering if I need to help it out in any way, and if so, what do I need to do? Or am I once again worrying too much and things will work out naturally?
 
Hi there! Something good you can do is give your buddy lots of warm mistings and keep the humidity up. Don't pull it off or anything be side you can accidentally pull off the new skin.
 
Slug said:
Today my chameleon had its first shed while in my care! I came home and it looked like my Senegals skin just exploded off of it while I was at work today. It didn't all come off, there are still bits on its body, but the top of it's head is still mid shed.

I am wondering if I need to help it out in any way, and if so, what do I need to do? Or am I once again worrying too much and things will work out naturally?
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No, you dont need to pull it off. Just dont worry, keep misting and it will eventually come off.
 
Mine is having his first shed today too!!! It's 6 and a half weeks old. Can't wait to see him grow. :) it's about half way done. I just doubled his daily misting. I use warmer water too
 
The majority of the shed has come off with the exception of around it's nostril and a few areas where there were some small cuts (due to it being WC, my guess). The mistings shall continue.
 
Sometimes, it's really tempting to "help" them remove old skin, like when its around their eyes and looks like it must be very annoying.
But, as has already been said, DONT do it.
Let nature take it's course. ;)
 
Psychobunny said:
Sometimes, it's really tempting to "help" them remove old skin, like when its around their eyes and looks like it must be very annoying.
But, as has already been said, DONT do it.
Let nature take it's course. ;)
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Don't worry. I take advice very well. I am not going to pick anything off. I don't like it when I get a sunburn and my skin peels off, so I wouldn't pull skin off my cham. Hell, just yesterday, i looked at one of my tattoos on my left arm and it was peeling. I went to peel it off and it didn't come off easily and kind of hurt, so I could only imagine what it would feel like if a giant started pulling it off of me. (The metaphor being, me as the giant pulling the skin of a small reptile.)
 
Ditto to the advice about not picking it off but a small drop of mineral oil (baby oil) on those hard to shed places like spines, toes, tails or wherever will make the stuck skin slide right off.
 
My herp vet recommended putting neosporin on my Cham's foot when he had a particularly stubborn piece of shed still stuck after a few days. Pascal eventually got it off (with the assistance of the neosporin)
 
My only concern with doing that (neosporin or mineral oil) is what happens if it ingests it?
 
True, but it's not like chameleons lick or groom themselves like some animals. I think the chances of accidental ingestion would be slim.
 
Trace said:
True, but it's not like chameleons lick or groom themselves like some animals. I think the chances of accidental ingestion would be slim.
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I guess the reason that is a concern for me is because the biggest portion that is still stuck (despite misting) is right on its nostril. I have seen it kind of suck in water that has landed on its head and snout area and I am worried that it will do that with the mineral oil.

I am less concerned with small cut areas on its side (it apparently got a few scrapes during the importing process), but if the mineral oil works and those haven't come off with the misting by tomorrow (to allow time for a response to this posting) I will give the mineral oil a shot.

Man, it sucks being an anxious person by nature, and owning a chameleon...at times, they are relaxing creatures, and other times, the stress level is through the roof!
 
My apologies I didn't realize the stuck piece was around her nose and yes I agree I wouldn’t put a drop of mineral oil there just to be on the safe side.

A lot of the scratches and abrasions found on wild caughts sometimes take a few sheds to finally come off and disappear. My original response was to address improper shedding on those hard to shed places like toes and spines, not necessarily 100% for you but as well as for other people to learn. I took a look through your photo album and past threads and she looks okay (it is a female BTW). If you want to put a small drop of baby oil on those areas you can but you can also wait for another shed as well to finally let all of the scratches etc. heal over once and for all. Reptiles take a lot longer to recover from injuries than mammals do. I'm more concerned about her appetite though; is she eating any more for you? Wild caughts are a little tricky and I think it was Carlton and/or Hoj that mentioned that showering is good for wild caughts and it truly is. If time and money allow it perhaps give her a 15 minute shower every day for a week or two, this will help hydrate her and flush out her system. It will also help with the sheds. Once she is settled in a bit more and eating I would recommend getting a fecal done to rule out any internal parasites that may affect her long term health. Senegal's don't always recognize some our captive insects like silks and horns as prey but they will accept crickets, roaches and flies. In fact I don't think I've ever seen a chameleon turn down a fly! Sometimes too, these wild caughts seem to like green insects so if you can catch some katydids or grasshoppers, she may be more interested in those as well. Also dusting in Spirulina will change any insect into an irresistible green coloured one. ;)

Slug said:
Man, it sucks being an anxious person by nature, and owning a chameleon...at times, they are relaxing creatures, and other times, the stress level is through the roof!
Click to expand...

LOL! I can assure you that will never change. Dang chameleons!
 
Trace said:
My apologies I didn't realize the stuck piece was around her nose and yes I agree I wouldn’t put a drop of mineral oil there just to be on the safe side.

A lot of the scratches and abrasions found on wild caughts sometimes take a few sheds to finally come off and disappear. My original response was to address improper shedding on those hard to shed places like toes and spines, not necessarily 100% for you but as well as for other people to learn. I took a look through your photo album and past threads and she looks okay (it is a female BTW). If you want to put a small drop of baby oil on those areas you can but you can also wait for another shed as well to finally let all of the scratches etc. heal over once and for all. Reptiles take a lot longer to recover from injuries than mammals do. I'm more concerned about her appetite though; is she eating any more for you? Wild caughts are a little tricky and I think it was Carlton and/or Hoj that mentioned that showering is good for wild caughts and it truly is. If time and money allow it perhaps give her a 15 minute shower every day for a week or two, this will help hydrate her and flush out her system. It will also help with the sheds. Once she is settled in a bit more and eating I would recommend getting a fecal done to rule out any internal parasites that may affect her long term health. Senegal's don't always recognize some our captive insects like silks and horns as prey but they will accept crickets, roaches and flies. In fact I don't think I've ever seen a chameleon turn down a fly! Sometimes too, these wild caughts seem to like green insects so if you can catch some katydids or grasshoppers, she may be more interested in those as well. Also dusting in Spirulina will change any insect into an irresistible green coloured one. ;)



LOL! I can assure you that will never change. Dang chameleons!
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Ok, just 1 question for you. How can you tell it is a female? I haven't been able to find anything definitive on Senegals, but I can find plenty on Veileds and Panthers...I have even been able to sex a whole group of Veileds at the local PetCo. (They are very well taken care of there by a great reptile keeper.) Please include anatomical markers for me to check for in the future.

And, yes, once I changed it's basking light, the appetite kicked in like crazy! It re-explored its enclosure, top to bottom, turned a bright green (currently an even brighter green after the shed btw) and ate 8 crickets and 3 mealworms as soon as I put the cup near it. It also is eating mealworms out of my hand and off people who stop by's arms while they are holding it.

I apologize for referring to it as IT, but I want to make sure of its sex before I use HE or SHE. It also does not have a name yet. My girlfriend and I allow a 1 month period to go by, in the event that our new pet doesn't survive, without a name to avoid getting too attached, but now that month has passed for my cham! I have been coming up with both male and female names as well as some that could work for either. I have a few that are sticking but have not been said out loud.

Once I have a name, it will go through the usual "naming ceremony" were I will announce the name to my girlfriend, and I will make a sign to go on it's enclosure stating it's newly given name. We have done this will all of our animals ever since we had a few die very early on...now it is a superstition...if you give it a name before the month passes, it will die. (That has actually happened, we had a Red Eyed Tree Frog that my girlfriend blurted out a name before the month was up, and it died the next day, so we don't do that anymore)

Yes, I know it is weird. Yes, I get strange looks when my family asks what our pets name is when we first get it and we tell them, "wait a month and we will tell you." No, I don't care how weird it is. It works for us.
 
Hey Matt, I’ve wanted to revisit this thread for a few days now but I’ve been busy at work and mired in some upcoming Chameleon Forums and announcements; my apologies for that.

Like the Panther Chameleons the broader tail base (hemipenal bulge) is a reliable way in recognizing a male Senegal Chameleon. Yours does not have this.

Here is a photo of a receptive female Senegal Chameleon. Notice the thin tail base after the vent. Unfortunately I can seem to put my fingers on my pics of male Senegals but that circled area is much, much thicker on them.

DSCF0031-1026-1.jpg


I’m pretty sure you’ve been linked this before but here is an article on Senegal Chameleons: http://chameleonnews.com/08FebFrancis.html

I’m glad she is eating for you now. Wild caught chameleons go through so much before ending up in the trade that in most instances it ends up killing them. Eating, drinking and pooping are all good and positive signs. Give her an extra bug from me.

And as always, don’t be shy about asking questions.

Cheers,
Trace
 
Very helpful! BTW, it may be the picture, but yours looks like a monster! It seems huge!

Also, no worries about not getting to it. I just get really antsy sometimes and still have no name for my little lady.

It's a girl, it's a girl, it's a girl...I think that will help me get used to saying it. No more IT, now it's a SHE.
 
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