Husbandry review

[Jpmoel01]

Hello everyone, I’m relatively new to taking care of my chameleon and I just wanted to know how to improve her husbandry. I know my enclosure and practices aren’t perfect so I just wanted some solid advice from people that know the specifics (the rest of the internet isn’t always reliable).

• Your Chameleon - veiled, female, Named chameo, about 8 months old, I’ve had her for a little over 6 months
• Handling - I handle her very seldom, only when I feed her waxworms (because those are her favorite) and I like having her live as naturally as a pet can live
• Feeding - crickets (usually gutloaded with carrots and apples) and mealworms mostly- 6 crickets or around 8 mealworms every other day, waxworms- maybe 2 or 3 a week
• super worms- 2 a week, Dubia roaches-maybe 3 a week with other insects, a hornworm maybe once a month,
  my dad helps sometimes but he only wants to give crickets on the days that I’m not home, maybe once a week, I feed her around 12:00 on the days that I do feed her
• Repti calcium without D3, the schedules honestly random, sometimes I dust her food every time and sometimes I go without it for a week
• Watering - I mist her cage with a spray bottle twice a day with a dripper going a for a third of the day, She seems to enjoy being misted herself, she lays under the dropping water, tilting her head upwards while she drinks, I’ve only seen her drink off of the leaves twice
• Fecal Description - from what I can tell the feces and urate looks good, perfectly brown and milky white respectively, I have not taken her to a vet
• History - nothing that I can think of

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - 2’x2’x4’ mesh cage
• Lighting - 60 W bulb, not sure about brand

• Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO Reptile Terrarium Lamp, 24-watt​

• Temperature - basking spot-85 degrees F, floor- 70 degrees F, I have one thermometer that I move between the bottom and top to measure but the temps have always been within a good range
• Humidity - No gauges, I definitely need advice
• Plants - golden pothos in the middle, with a net in the corner and vine running around the enclosure
• 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?in my dining room, next to a window, the air vents have been shut, my dog may run through the are but I wouldn’t say it gets a lot of traffic, empty most of the time, the cage is 6.5 from top to floor, sitting on a table
• Location - northern Kentucky

 

[kinyonga]

Hello everyone, I’m relatively new to taking care of my chameleon and I just wanted to know how to improve her husbandry. I know my enclosure and practices aren’t perfect so I just wanted some solid advice from people that know the specifics (the rest of the internet isn’t always reliable).

Your Chameleon - veiled, female, Named chameo, about 8 months old, I’ve had her for a little over 6 months

Handling - I handle her very seldom, only when I feed her waxworms (because those are her favorite) and I like having her live as naturally as a pet can live. DONT OVERDO THE WAX WORMS. THEY HAVE A LOT OF FAT IN THEM.

Feeding - crickets (usually gutloaded with carrots and apples) and mealworms mostly- 6 crickets or around 8 mealworms every other day, waxworms- maybe 2 or 3 a week
super worms- 2 a week, Dubia roaches-maybe 3 a week with other insects, a hornworm maybe once a month,
my dad helps sometimes but he only wants to give crickets on the days that I’m not home, maybe once a week, I feed her around 12:00 on the days that I do feed her
YOU NEED TO IMPROVE WHAT YOURE FEEDING/GUTLOADING THE INSECTS WITH. DANDELION GREENS, KALE, COLLARDS, ENDIVE, SWEET POTATO, SWEET RED PEPPER, SQUASH, ZUCCHINI, AND A SMALL SMALL BIT OF APPLES, PEARS, BERRIES, MELON, ETC. WOULD BE BETTER. YOU WILL WANT TO CUT BACK THE AMOUNT YOUNFEED HER SO SHE WONT PRODUCE LARGE CLUTCHES IF EGGS. BUT WHEN SHES ALREADY GRAVID, ITS NOT THE TIME TO CUT HER BACK HARD. SHE SHOULD ONLY BE FED EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS AT THIS AGE.

Repti calcium without D3, the schedules honestly random, sometimes I dust her food every time and sometimes I go without it for a week. IT SHOULDN'T BE RANDOM. ITS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU DUST ALL THE INSECTS AT ALL THE FEEDINGS BUT ONE A WEEK WITH A PHOS FREE CALCIUM POWDER LIGHTLY, ON THE ONE FEEDING THAT YOU DONT USE IT YOU SHOULD ALTERNATE BETWEEN A PHOS FREE CALCIUM/D3 POWDER LIGHTLY AND A VITAMIN POWDER WITH A PREFORMED SOURCE OF VITAMIN A.
THIS IS IMPORTANT SO THEY WONT DEVELOP MBD AND OTHER ISSUES.

Watering - I mist her cage with a spray bottle twice a day with a dripper going a for a third of the day, She seems to enjoy being misted herself, she lays under the dropping water, tilting her head upwards while she drinks, I’ve only seen her drink off of the leaves twice

Fecal Description - from what I can tell the feces and urate looks good, perfectly brown and milky white respectively, I have not taken her to a vet

History - nothing that I can think of


Cage Info:

Cage Type - 2’x2’x4’ mesh cage

Lighting - 60 W bulb, not sure about brand WHITE LIGHT?
Zoo Med ReptiSun 10.0 UVB T5 HO Reptile Terrarium Lamp, 24-watt RECOMMEND A 5.0 REPTISUN LONG LINESR TUBE LIGHT UVB.

Temperature - basking spot-85 degrees F, floor- 70 degrees F, I have one thermometer that I move between the bottom and top to measure but the temps have always been within a good range

Humidity - No gauges, I definitely need advice

Plants - golden pothos in the middle, with a net in the corner and vine running around the enclosure REAL OR FAKE?

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?in my dining room, next to a window, the air vents have been shut, my dog may run through the are but I wouldn’t say it gets a lot of traffic, empty most of the time, the cage is 6.5 from top to floor, sitting on a table I WOULD MOVE IT AWAY FROM THE WINDOW SO IT WON'T GET A DRAFT IN THE WINTER OR DIRECT SUN THROUGH THE WINDOW.

Location - northern Kentucky

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[kinyonga]

You need a proper egg laying bin in the cage ASAP...I recommend using washed play sand produced by Kings....just moist enough to hold a tunnel. ASAP!!!!!

 

[Shanar808]

Your uvb is the stronger one and so it needs to be above your chameleon by 12-14” if it’s in a single bulb fixture. Kinyonga is a very kind and helpful resource and has given you great advice. A photo of your entire cage and lighting setup would be very helpful. Good luck and welcome to the fam!

 

[Jpmoel01]

You need a proper egg laying bin in the cage ASAP...I recommend using washed play sand produced by Kings....just moist enough to hold a tunnel. ASAP!!!!!

I bought her everything I need for a laybin. I was always so confused about if I should set it up now and wait(because the soil needs to be moist) or if I should wait until she shows signs of being gravid. Thank you!

 

[kinyonga]

The main reason we tell everyone with an egglaying female to set up the bin and leave it in the cage is so they won't miss the sometimes very subtle indications that the female is ready to lay eggs. You can add water while its in the cage if it dries out.

 

[nightanole]

Is it just me, or does she have edema from too much UVB? I find it hard to believe because op is not supplementing with D3. But i wouldnt be running a 12%/10.0 without a meter. If its just sitting on the cage, there is a good chance that you are getting well above terrestrial levels of uVB within 8" of the top of the cage.

 

[Beman]

She has a very bad case of edema going on. Can you take pics of the entire enclosure including the lighting on top and of the supplements your using?

 

[kinyonga]

@Beman the OP said... " Repti calcium without D3, the schedules honestly random, sometimes I dust her food every time and sometimes I go without it for a week" regarding supplements.

 

[Beman]

@Beman the OP said... " Repti calcium without D3, the schedules honestly random, sometimes I dust her food every time and sometimes I go without it for a week" regarding supplements.

I am just wondering exactly what supplement it is. I have seen the with D3 and without D3 get confused. I normally find this out when they post pics... But with the edema UVB and supplements need to be double checked to try to narrow down the cause.

 

[Jpmoel01]

She has a very bad case of edema going on. Can you take pics of the entire enclosure including the lighting on top and of the supplements your using?

I will when I go home. I wasn’t aware of edema, is is serious? I’m sorry I’m at work and I am now in freak out mode

 

[Beman]

I will when I go home. I wasn’t aware of edema, is is serious? I’m sorry I’m at work and I am now in freak out mode

breathe it can be corrected. But I would like to really double check the supplements your using and your set up via pictures. When you get home is fine.

 

[Jpmoel01]

breathe it can be corrected. But I would like to really double check the supplements your using and your set up via pictures. When you get home is fine.

I am so sorry, I’ve just been working and going through it the past few days, I’ve redone her enclosure and moved her to a spot away from the window and Am now feeding her much more strictly and gut load her feeders with kale, oranges, apples, carrots, her temperatures are good and I switched out the uvb bulbs to the one you guys recomended, but she is doing so poorly now, she is weak and has a lot more dark spots on her than normal, she is eating and drinking just fine, this all happened in the span of a week, I don’t know what is going on with her but I can’t afford a vet visit right now

 

[Beman]

I am so sorry, I’ve just been working and going through it the past few days, I’ve redone her enclosure and moved her to a spot away from the window and Am now feeding her much more strictly and gut load her feeders with kale, oranges, apples, carrots, her temperatures are good and I switched out the uvb bulbs to the one you guys recomended, but she is doing so poorly now, she is weak and has a lot more dark spots on her than normal, she is eating and drinking just fine, this all happened in the span of a week, I don’t know what is going on with her but I can’t afford a vet visit right now

Ok so your going to have to be really on top of dusting her food correctly. Get rid of the repto cal in the small bottle. Get Reptivite with D3. Here is the link for it on Amazon. You want the with D3 2 oz bottle. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002AQB6A/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
You will use this 2 times a month only so pick your approximate days and stick to it say the 1st and the 15th. Then at all other feedings you have to use the repti calcium without D3 that you have. Remember your lightly dusting feeders not making them look like powdered donuts.

One issue I see is placement of the UVB fixture on top. There is literally no where for her to bask below it. Which one did you get T8 or T5 and what bulb strength did you end up buying? Your distance to branches below look really far away and too far for her to get the UVB she needs.

Weakness could be from lack of UVB lighting.. Could be from erratic supplementation or could be due to her getting closer to laying eggs.

Did you put in the lay bin with the moist playsand?