I have so many questions !

[brittanymeyyyers]

Got my first chameleon 3 weeks ago.. and just very recently joined this site.

Please help me I have so many questions only cause when I ask the people at the pet stores they give me several different answers and I don't know what is best for my chameleon.

He is a veiled chameleon... his name is Dave.
I do not know how old he is... or even how old the pet stores sell him.. so I was wondering if someone would have a general idea of how old he might be.
He has already shedded once since I got him.

I was told that he shouldn't have like mesh ground and should have indoor outdoor carpet but then I was old by someone else other wise...

He has lots to climb on and I spray his cage down twice a day, and he has a real plant inside....

I just need to know what is best for him, cause I am new to this experience and I just want everything to be good for him ! Please help

 

[xraygirl]

Welcome!! If you post a picture, folks here can give you a good guess at how old the little dude is.

Fill this form out.. Be very detailed! It'll help us get you fine tuned with your husbandry, because you are right, pet stores generally give terrible information.

Your Chameleon -
The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
How long has it been in your care?

Handling -
How often do you handle your chameleon?

Feeding -
What are you feeding your cham?
What amount?
What is the schedule?
How are you gut-loading your feeders?

Supplements -
What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? (*note* very important to know details here)

Watering -
What kind of watering technique do you use?
How often and how long to you mist?
Do you see your chameleon drinking?

Fecal Description -
Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?

History -
Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type -
Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?)
What are the dimensions?

Lighting -
What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using?
What is your daily lighting schedule?

Temperature -
What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)?
Lowest overnight temp?
How do you measure these temps?

Humidity -
What are your humidity levels?
How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
What do you use to measure humidity?

Plants -
Are you using live plants?
If so, what kind?

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?

Location -
Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[brittanymeyyyers]

Thank you and I will!!

species: veiled
sex: Male
age: (not sure they didn't tell me!!)

Handling: 2 to 3 times a day, I want him to get used to me handling him, but most of the time I only take him out when I am misting his cage.

What is he being fed: brown small crickets, mealworms (occasionally, he's picky)
Amount: around a dozen a day (that was what I was advised)
Schedule: Morning before school, and around 5 in the evening (6 crickets each time)
How am I gut loading feeders: So far i sprinkle them with superfood and calcium every day, and cut up cucumber and celery for hydration

Suppliments: its the store brand it doesn't say its only a small container :S

Type of water: distilled
Misting: twice a day
Do I see Dave drink water: Yes occasionally I will see him drink droplets

Feces: dark brown and white.
Has he been tested for parasites: No. (where do I go to do that a vet?)

I have no background on him all I know is he is from Big Al's

The cage is both screen and glass.. it has glass door and a screen top, it is 24" tall

Lighting: Brand is exoterrium (same with light bulbs)
Basking spot is 100 watt bulb
I turn the lights on around 7am (because I go to school so I do it before I leave)
and they go off around 8pm
He seems to know when he is too cold or too hot cause he sits in different places so I think thats okay.

The temp is around 90 degrees
and humidity is around 80%
I have a thermometer in the tank.

Humidity: All I am doing is misting twice a day ( the cage not dave)
I was told that is what will keep the humidity at the right spot.

Yes there is a real plant in the cage, I was given a list of what is okay for him unfortunately I don't remember the type. But its growing good and he nibbles every now and then.

The cage is on my dresser near nothing just chilling basically... I will post a pic

I live in Canada.

The problem I am having is just making sure I am doing everything right, I want to give him a better variety for his food but he seems to only like crickets, and I don't know how many times I am supposed to give the crickets calcium.

 

[xraygirl]

Thank you and I will!!

species: veiled
sex: Male
age: (not sure they didn't tell me!!) im not experienced with veilds, but I'd say he's maybe 4-5 months old? (Very cute, btw)

Handling: 2 to 3 times a day, I want him to get used to me handling him, but most of the time I only take him out when I am misting his cage. cut back some. He's a youngin, you don't want to stress him out too much.

What is he being fed: brown small crickets, mealworms (occasionally, he's picky) try to find some hornworms or silkworms, chams usually love them and they're very nutritious.
Amount: around a dozen a day (that was what I was advised) correct, if he's a baby, he should eat what he wants.
Schedule: Morning before school, and around 5 in the evening (6 crickets each time) if his lights click off at 8 pm, feeding him at 5 isn't too terrible, but I wouldn't go any later. They need to digest what they have in their bellies well before lights go out.
How am I gut loading feeders: So far i sprinkle them with superfood and calcium every day, and cut up cucumber and celery for hydration try using some other veggies and fruits. Red bell pepper, oranges, carrots, squash, sweet potato, a little bit of mustard greens, apples, etc. if you look on the left side of the page, click on 'blogs'. And look for 'sandrachameleon', she has wonderful info on what is safe to gut load with and whatnot.

Suppliments: its the store brand it doesn't say its only a small container :S
this is very important... You'll need a powdered calcium without D3, powdered calcium WITH D3, and a multivitamin (without D3). You want to use the plain no D3 calcium nearly everyday. Use the calcium WITH D3 twice a month (every other week), and between those weeks use the multivitamin (ends up being twice a month too).

Type of water: distilled
Misting: twice a day twice a day may be ok, but if his urates (white part of poop) are white he is fine. But I would mist more often. If you can't, invest in a quality automated mister to do it for you throughout the day.
Do I see Dave drink water: Yes occasionally I will see him drink droplets

Feces: dark brown and white.
Has he been tested for parasites: No. (where do I go to do that a vet?) go to http://www.arav.org/find-a-vet/#Canada

I have no background on him all I know is he is from Big Al's

The cage is both screen and glass.. it has glass door and a screen top, it is 24" tall start to save your money up, cause he'll need a bigger cage. 24x24x48 inch is a good sized for when he's maybe 8 months old.

Lighting: Brand is exoterrium (same with light bulbs)
Basking spot is 100 watt bulb do you also have a UVB bulb?
I turn the lights on around 7am (because I go to school so I do it before I leave)
and they go off around 8pm
He seems to know when he is too cold or too hot cause he sits in different places so I think thats okay.

The temp is around 90 degrees too hot, he doesn't need to go any higher than about 85 degrees.
and humidity is around 80% is this constant humidity? If so, you don't want it to stay high like that all the time. It can cause a 'RI', respiratory infection. Let his humidity drop between mistings. Some folks let it go as low as 30%, and when misting let it spike up to about 75%. His cage needs to dry out between mistings and definitely needs to dry out before lights out.
I have a thermometer in the tank.

Humidity: All I am doing is misting twice a day ( the cage not dave)
I was told that is what will keep the humidity at the right spot.

Yes there is a real plant in the cage, I was given a list of what is okay for him unfortunately I don't remember the type. But its growing good and he nibbles every now and then. awesome!

The cage is on my dresser near nothing just chilling basically... I will post a pic

I live in Canada.

The problem I am having is just making sure I am doing everything right, I want to give him a better variety for his food but he seems to only like crickets, and I don't know how many times I am supposed to give the crickets calcium. dont give the crickets calcium, worry about feeding them good nutritious fruits and veggies. Only sprinkle then with your calcium powder before you put them in with your cham

Very important, but remove the substrate in the bottom of the cage. Although it looks pretty, it can pose a potentially major problem if your little guy shoots for a cricket that happens to be sitting on that substrate. Their tongues are sticky and if he ingests a piece of that substrate, it could impact him. Plus, with the constant water and humidity, it can mold and harbor bacteria. My advice would to be use puppy training pads, paper towels, etc and just change them out. When he gets to be a big boy, and you invest in a bigger cage, you can create a drainage system to help with the water.

Of course, I kept calling your cham a 'he' out of habit. It could be female. If you look on his/her 'heels', you'll see a bump or a small tarsal spur. If you see that, then he is a he.

I hope this helps

 

[Jupiter]

Do you have a UVB bulb?

 

[xraygirl]

I hate replying on an ipad cause I always miss something....

 

[Devokid]

The humidity is really high for a veiled. If it is that high immediately after misting, then that is OK, but if it stays that high it can lead to respiratory infections. The cage needs to dry out after each misting. I would try to increase the ventilation if that is not happening. Also, I would recommend that you get a full screen cage for him when he moves to his adult cage, and I would move him sooner rather than later. The humidity in Ontario is higher than it is in Yemen, so you don't need to try and increase it.

What is that little dish for? If it is for worms, then disregard, but if it is for water, you should remove it. He won't drink water from a bowl. I would use a dripper to get him the water he needs. You can get a little dripper, or I use Tom's aqua lifter set on a timer to auto water my chams. If you do use a dripper, I would set up the container that catches the water underneath the cage so that your guy doesn't accidentally fall in.

 

[Loadout]

You've been given some excellent advice. Just to reinforce, if the dusting powder doesn't tell you what is in it I would suggest throwing it out and buying more. You need calcium without D3 at every feeding, calcium with D3 on one feeder every two weeks and a multivitamin on one feeder every two weeks. It is very common for stores to give new owners the wrong powders and it can lead to some rather nasty problems if left uncorrected. If you don't have a dripper it is highly recommended to get one. I also noticed from your picture that the branches go right up to the screen with the lamp sitting on top. Raise the lamp up with something to make sure he cannot burn himself, if you haven't already. I use terracotta plant pot stands, just make sure it isn't flammable! The general rule is that you should be able to hold your hand under it for a minute without feeling the need to move. He can and will get up there and will burn himself. It's also difficult to tell if you have a UV bulb or not. If you have any further questions just ask

 

[brittanymeyyyers]

Thank you all for your advice ! and yes I do have a UVB bulb

 

[brittanymeyyyers]

The humidity is really high for a veiled. If it is that high immediately after misting, then that is OK, but if it stays that high it can lead to respiratory infections. The cage needs to dry out after each misting. I would try to increase the ventilation if that is not happening. Also, I would recommend that you get a full screen cage for him when he moves to his adult cage, and I would move him sooner rather than later. The humidity in Ontario is higher than it is in Yemen, so you don't need to try and increase it.

What is that little dish for? If it is for worms, then disregard, but if it is for water, you should remove it. He won't drink water from a bowl. I would use a dripper to get him the water he needs. You can get a little dripper, or I use Tom's aqua lifter set on a timer to auto water my chams. If you do use a dripper, I would set up the container that catches the water underneath the cage so that your guy doesn't accidentally fall in.

I was using it for water, but I saw him drinking droplets off the class so I started just to put mealworms inside hoping he would eat those instead, but he doesn't seem to be interested in them

 

[Carlton]

I was using it for water, but I saw him drinking droplets off the class so I started just to put mealworms inside hoping he would eat those instead, but he doesn't seem to be interested in them

Mealworms are not a great feeder and often they don't move around enough to catch their attention.