I think my chameleon may be dying.

B

Bellageorge

New Member
I have a veiled chameleon about a year old. I've had him for 6 months, I've never really had any problems until recently. He stopped eating, and became very lethargic all the time. Just today he was hanging on his cage and just fell. I didn't want to move him in case of broken bones, so I watched to see what he would do. He instantly turned completely brown and didn't move. I picked him up, just holding him and color started to come back to his face and started walking on my hand. So I put him back in his cage after a while and let him rest. When I came back, he was on his back almost like shivering, and now I'm holding him and he just doesn't seem right. I am very concerned and need some help. Thank you.
 
If you see anything weird like that, where he is just laying there not doing anything, always take him to the vet.

never hesitate.

Take him now
 
From the symptoms you describe, it is a possibility that he may have MBD. Unti we have more info we cannot be sure. Please fill out the ask for help form at the top of the health forum in the stickies. You can cut and paste your answers.
 
Bellageorge said:
I have a veiled chameleon about a year old. I've had him for 6 months, I've never really had any problems until recently. He stopped eating, and became very lethargic all the time. Just today he was hanging on his cage and just fell. I didn't want to move him in case of broken bones, so I watched to see what he would do. He instantly turned completely brown and didn't move. I picked him up, just holding him and color started to come back to his face and started walking on my hand. So I put him back in his cage after a while and let him rest. When I came back, he was on his back almost like shivering, and now I'm holding him and he just doesn't seem right. I am very concerned and need some help. Thank you.
Click to expand...

The only way we'll be able to even guess what's wrong is for you to give us a lot more information about how he's been kept...your lighting, supplements, temps and humidity, what you feed your insects, etc. At the top of this forum there is a sticky message "How to Ask for Help" with a list of questions. Please answer the questions in as much detail (brands of products and lights, etc) and post them here. We can help tease apart what it could be.
 
Ask for Help.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 11 1/2 months old, I've had him for 5 1/2
Handling - I usually get him out in the afternoons, during weekdays, and sundays.
Feeding - I give him 10 mealworms per day, he hasn't been eating them at all so I reduced it to 5-7 per day.
Supplements - I use Flukers calcium and vitamin D3 I dust the mealworms with them 3-5 times per week. And Reptivite vitamins on opposite days.
Watering - I use a water dish and a waterfall to water him. When he was eating before I would see him drinking. I mist him up to 4 times per day.
Fecal Description - His droppings recently, have been some solid brown, other drippy and white.
History - I bought him at pet smart, He was 6 months old when I bought him. I was informed in the store that he was very stubborn so it would take some time for him to adjust to the new environment.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, about 18 inches across and 40 inches up.
Lighting - I have a special uv lightbulb that I have in a plant lamp, I leave it on from 7am to 9pm, I have a blue heat bulb in a heat lamp on top of the cage.
Temperature - The basking spot ranges from 70 to 80 degress. The lowest spot ranges from 60 to 70 degrees. The lowest overnight temperature is 63. I have to thermometers, one near the basking spot and one at the base of the cage.
Humidity - Humidity levels usually range from 50 when my waterfall is running out to 70. I have a waterfall that pumps water into the air creating a more humid environment. I also spray the entire cage up to down daily.
Plants - I have a piece of driftwood leading him to his basking spot decorated with fake leaves, along with a Dracaena plant in the corner of the cage, which he enjoys sitting in.
Placement - My cage is located in my room, which is in the basement of my house (not underground) It is completely away from any high traffic areas. the closest air vent to the cage is probably 10 feet away. The top of the cage is about 3 feet from the floor.
Location - I live in Iowa.
 
I also think it might be MBD.Take it to a vet.Can you post a pic of the cage?By the description of the fecal matter I would say he might be dehydrated.When my chameleon doesn't drink enough I can syringe some water into a superworm or something like that.Its gross but it works.
 
I am new to this

I am not entirely sure on how to post pictures, I would be happy to send pictures. If you can please inform me on how, that would be greatly appreciated. thank you.
 
Bellageorge said:
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 11 1/2 months old, I've had him for 5 1/2
Handling - I usually get him out in the afternoons, during weekdays, and sundays.
Feeding - I give him 10 mealworms per day, he hasn't been eating them at all so I reduced it to 5-7 per day.
Supplements - I use Flukers calcium and vitamin D3 I dust the mealworms with them 3-5 times per week. And Reptivite vitamins on opposite days.
Watering - I use a water dish and a waterfall to water him. When he was eating before I would see him drinking. I mist him up to 4 times per day.
Fecal Description - His droppings recently, have been some solid brown, other drippy and white.
History - I bought him at pet smart, He was 6 months old when I bought him. I was informed in the store that he was very stubborn so it would take some time for him to adjust to the new environment.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, about 18 inches across and 40 inches up.
Lighting - I have a special uv lightbulb that I have in a plant lamp, I leave it on from 7am to 9pm, I have a blue heat bulb in a heat lamp on top of the cage.
Temperature - The basking spot ranges from 70 to 80 degress. The lowest spot ranges from 60 to 70 degrees. The lowest overnight temperature is 63. I have to thermometers, one near the basking spot and one at the base of the cage.
Humidity - Humidity levels usually range from 50 when my waterfall is running out to 70. I have a waterfall that pumps water into the air creating a more humid environment. I also spray the entire cage up to down daily.
Plants - I have a piece of driftwood leading him to his basking spot decorated with fake leaves, along with a Dracaena plant in the corner of the cage, which he enjoys sitting in.
Placement - My cage is located in my room, which is in the basement of my house (not underground) It is completely away from any high traffic areas. the closest air vent to the cage is probably 10 feet away. The top of the cage is about 3 feet from the floor.
Location - I live in Iowa.
Click to expand...

Before we make assumptions about MBD, let's take a look at this.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 11 1/2 months old, I've had him for 5 1/2
Handling - I usually get him out in the afternoons, during weekdays, and sundays.
Feeding - I give him 10 mealworms per day, he hasn't been eating them at all so I reduced it to 5-7 per day.
Supplements - I use Flukers calcium and vitamin D3 I dust the mealworms with them 3-5 times per week. And Reptivite vitamins on opposite days.
Watering - I use a water dish and a waterfall to water him. When he was eating before I would see him drinking. I mist him up to 4 times per day.
Fecal Description - His droppings recently, have been some solid brown, other drippy and white.
History - I bought him at pet smart, He was 6 months old when I bought him. I was informed in the store that he was very stubborn so it would take some time for him to adjust to the new environment.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage, about 18 inches across and 40 inches up.
Lighting - I have a special uv lightbulb that I have in a plant lamp, I leave it on from 7am to 9pm, I have a blue heat bulb in a heat lamp on top of the cage.
Temperature - The basking spot ranges from 70 to 80 degress. The lowest spot ranges from 60 to 70 degrees. The lowest overnight temperature is 63. I have to thermometers, one near the basking spot and one at the base of the cage.
Humidity - Humidity levels usually range from 50 when my waterfall is running out to 70. I have a waterfall that pumps water into the air creating a more humid environment. I also spray the entire cage up to down daily.
Plants - I have a piece of driftwood leading him to his basking spot decorated with fake leaves, along with a Dracaena plant in the corner of the cage, which he enjoys sitting in.
Placement - My cage is located in my room, which is in the basement of my house (not underground) It is completely away from any high traffic areas. the closest air vent to the cage is probably 10 feet away. The top of the cage is about 3 feet from the floor.
Location - I live in Iowa.

-----------------------------------------------------

You need to change the things in red. The things I have highlighted in red have probably contributed to your chameleon's ill symptoms.

You have been feeding him mealworms, and ONLY mealworms from what I see here. You need to get him some different feeders. Mealworms are only good for treats. They have a lot of hard chitin which can cause impaction. Try and get him dubia roaches, superworms, silkworms, hornworms, isopods, mantises, anything except mealworms. They are the worst thing you can regularly feed your cham. Even crickets are fine.

Water dish and water fountain need to go. They more often poop in there than drink. Feeders could fall in there, die, and cause mold. They could drink that, leading them to become sick. IF the water fountain or bowl is not diligently cleaned every day and replaced with clean water, there is no doubt that it would be very easy for mold, bacteria growth, and other nasty things to take place that can cause a chameleon to become ill.

Blue heat bulb? Who told you to get that? I am not trying to be rude, but I would get rid of it. You can use a halogen, or incandescent bulb to heat your reptile. They are much better than colored lights. Chameleons can see color, so I wouldn't doubt if your chameleon was lacking in basking due to him not recognizing it as a basking spot. Try a 60-70 watt regular household bulb next time, they are much better.

Your basking spot needs to be a little higher. If he is already 1 year old, you would probably need to have a basking spot of 90 degrees rather than only 80. This can cause improper digestion of food if they don't have enough heat!

Again, the waterfall can cause issues. In this case, constantly adding humidity to the cage isn't good. You need periods of dry time too. Try and mist frequently, but allow the cage to dry in between. Ditch the waterfall unless you can keep it very very very very clean consistently.

They usually would rather use branches than waddling up a flat piece of ground or wood, so I suggest removing the driftwood and placing some bendy branches or plants there instead. This gives them more moving space.

Fake leaves are also a concern, because they don't hold moisture as well as real leaves.

------------------------------------

My concern here is maybe that your chameleon is impacted from the mealworms, thus reducing his ability to digest or pass his feces. Maybe this is why he is refusing food or not eating as often? Just a thought.

Or maybe he is not hot enough and isn't digesting well?

Maybe he has an infection from the waterfall or dish.

---------------------------------------

What I am saying here is that there are so many things that SEEM minor that are wrong with this husbandry, but when added up, all together, cause big issues. There are many places where your cham could have gotten this ill symptom. There is no telling just from this thread..

I highly suggest taking him to a vet asap! With all that is going on in your cage, there is no telling what the culprit is.
 
Bellageorge said:
I appreciate your feedback. I am most definitely going to look into these things. Thank you.
Click to expand...

I am sorry for being so harsh or frank, but I really want the best for you and your cham. I hope everything goes well. Please do take my advice and try to fix some of the things I mentioned, that will definitely prevent issues in the future.

As for now you need to get him to a vet if you can.
 
When you go to make your post, there is a paper clip at the top of the posting screen, click on that to post a picture! Next you have to choose the source where you want your picture to come from, galery, documents, photo bucket, ect,, make your choice and pick out your picture! Click upload and wait until you see its uploaded! Next you must make a comment in the comment box and then preview your post to make sure the pictures and comments are correct! Then submit your post!
If your picture resolution is to big, you can not use it then you have to go to your settings and adjust your picture size on your camera settings then retake pictures and repete the steps!
Hope this is helpful!
 
posting a picture

​
When you go to make your post, there is a paper clip at the top of the posting screen, click on that to post a picture! Next you have to choose the source where you want your picture to come from, galery, documents, photo bucket, ect,, make your choice and pick out your picture! Click upload and wait until you see its uploaded! Next you must make a comment in the comment box and then preview your post to make sure the pictures and comments are correct! Then submit your post!
If your picture resolution is to big, you can not use it then you have to go to your settings and adjust your picture size on your camera settings then retake pictures and repete the steps!
Hope this is helpful!
 
I agree with Emily, the same things seemed to be the issues as well. And if you could post pictures, that would be great help! Ate you entirely sure he is a male?
 
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