I think my Veiled Chameleon is dying I NEED HELP!

[Syreptyon]

Hold up Kami, we need to be a little more specific about supplements. To be clear @Walstrom305 , you should be dusting his crickets with phosphorous-free calcium powder without vitamin D3 at every feeding, phosphorous-free calcium powder WITH vitamin D3 twice a month, and dust with a multivitamin twice a month as well. This is very important. Also, I would not recommend the Monsoon misting system. It has very bad reviews overall and the vast majority of people report it working poorly and breaking easily. If you want to go the automatic misting route, there is no better (and customizable) option than a Mistking system. This is a much better option than the Monsoon.

Regarding your UVB light, is it a compact spiral bulb or is it a long linear one? It should be the long linear type as the coiled bulbs are notorious for causing eye problems.

 

[Walstrom305]

It’s ok I’m still a little confused sorry. What I’m saying about Lindasgonebuggy.com is that I think they ship anywhere in the US. I always get their wax worms and their hornworms!! For really cheap to! I also don’t feed my cham crickets, I feed her Dubai roachs. From capecodroachs.com again for dirt cheap

Well I'm saying that I'm not gonna be able to get those things because it was hard enough to convince my mother to get me a cham let alone trying to convince her to buy worms and things like that. So I'm kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

 

[kami baby]

Hold up Kami, we need to be a little more specific about supplements. To be clear @Walstrom305 , you should be dusting his crickets with phosphorous-free calcium powder without vitamin D3 at every feeding, phosphorous-free calcium powder WITH vitamin D3 twice a month, and dust with a multivitamin twice a month as well. This is very important. Also, I would not recommend the Monsoon misting system. It has very bad reviews overall and the vast majority of people report it working poorly and breaking easily. If you want to go the automatic misting route, there is no better (and customizable) option than a Mistking system. This is a much better option than the Monsoon.

Yes I’m sorry I just have a lot to say my dusting plan is that I give my INDOOR Cham calcium WITH D3 every time I feed her And with the herbtivite which you can find at petco.com to I feed her 2 times a month. Now that I have a female so I give her liquid calcium everyday when she is producing eggs. And yes I have seen all of the reviews and you just have to be very careful with it.

 

[Walstrom305]

Hold up Kami, we need to be a little more specific about supplements. To be clear @Walstrom305 , you should be dusting his crickets with phosphorous-free calcium powder without vitamin D3 at every feeding, phosphorous-free calcium powder WITH vitamin D3 twice a month, and dust with a multivitamin twice a month as well. This is very important. Also, I would not recommend the Monsoon misting system. It has very bad reviews overall and the vast majority of people report it working poorly and breaking easily. If you want to go the automatic misting route, there is no better (and customizable) option than a Mistking system. This is a much better option than the Monsoon.

Regarding your UVB light, is it a compact spiral bulb or is it a long linear one? It should be the long linear type as the coiled bulbs are notorious for causing eye problems.

Hold up Kami, we need to be a little more specific about supplements. To be clear @Walstrom305 , you should be dusting his crickets with phosphorous-free calcium powder without vitamin D3 at every feeding, phosphorous-free calcium powder WITH vitamin D3 twice a month, and dust with a multivitamin twice a month as well. This is very important. Also, I would not recommend the Monsoon misting system. It has very bad reviews overall and the vast majority of people report it working poorly and breaking easily. If you want to go the automatic misting route, there is no better (and customizable) option than a Mistking system. This is a much better option than the Monsoon.

Regarding your UVB light, is it a compact spiral bulb or is it a long linear one? It should be the long linear type as the coiled bulbs are notorious for causing eye problems.

Also my UVB is the long type and also I probably won't go the automatic misting route. One question though is having a humidifier in the room okay because that's how I keep the humidity up. Secondly I'll have my mom pick up the extra vitamins and such Monday.

 

[kami baby]

Well I'm saying that I'm not gonna be able to get those things because it was hard enough to convince my mother to get me a cham let alone trying to convince her to buy worms and things like that. So I'm kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

Oooo I see Plus that is VERY important to have a mixed diet for your Cham

 

[kami baby]

Awesome!! Yes and if you aren’t going to auto mist I would also get a special reptile mister also at petco (they are cheap)

 

[kami baby]

OH I’m sorry I’m spamming but if your going to petco petco has worms!!! Just avoid super worms and mealworms

 

[kami baby]

Sorry again but I was looking at the pictures and zooming in at the bones they look very weak after you try to get him on the supplements for a while if his bones/legs look tiny.. please take him to a reptile vet near you he also could have a bone disease. Also do you keep a light on at night? If you do don’t he might be tired and trying to get some sleep but can’t with all the bright lights or they might be too bright and just doesn’t want to look at them

 

[Crashbandit05]

OH I’m sorry I’m spamming but if your going to petco petco has worms!!! Just avoid super worms and mealworms

I'm curious as to why you say to avoid superworms? Most of us use them as the occasional feeder (I feed about 3-4 a week, usually on the weekends to avoid my chameleon getting 'addicted'.)

 

[kami baby]

I'm curious as to why you say to avoid superworms? Most of us use them as the occasional feeder (I feed about 3-4 a week, usually on the weekends to avoid my chameleon getting 'addicted'.)

Because they are very fatty to chameleons and they can actually do some damage I fead Kami some when she was tinier and noticed she was not producing feces and clogging up her digestive track and I was also feeding a few a week that’s why i advoid them but if your Cham is not having a problem or gaining extra weight your in the clear

 

[Kristen99]

Well I'm saying that I'm not gonna be able to get those things because it was hard enough to convince my mother to get me a cham let alone trying to convince her to buy worms and things like that. So I'm kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place here.

I don't think you should have got a chameleon if you can't care for it properly I'm sorry but I did research for over a year before getting mine and I had everything he needed prior to purchasing him if you can't provide the necessary things for your Cham it will die so your asking for help is kind of hopeless I'm sorry if I sound rude but its sad and frustrating when people buy these animals withought the proper knowledge and equipment they need. I would figure out how to make changes quick or your Cham will suffer.

 

[Kristen99]

I think my chameleon may be either sick or dying. He has been acting very weird lately and has been eating and drinking very little if any at all. He has been spending quite a bit of time at the bottom of his cage and has been fairly dark. Last I think he might just be extremely frustrated from how much shedding he has been doing on his head.

You say he has been eating and drinking little but you won't get a mister a humidifier will not provide water for your Cham to drink he needs to be misted at least 4 times a day for minimum of 2 mins each misting session .. so how are you misting him currently... what your saying is confusing. The misting also helps with the shedding how long has he been in shed?

 

[kinyonga]

• You said..."I feed him at 3 everyday when i get home from school. I usually feed him 5 medium crickets a day and they are gut loaded"...I would be feeding him earlier in the day so he has time to digest the crickets before it's night time. What are they gutloaded with? Can you get any other insects because a little variety would be good for him. I would gutload/feed crickets, superworms, roaches, etc with dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, collards, carrots, sqaush, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, and a bit of apple, pear, melon, berries.
• You said.."I just started using a calcium and d3 supplement and I'm gonna do that 2 times a month"..you should be dusting the insects at almost every feeding with a phosphorus-free calcium powder and twice a month with a phosphorus-free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder.
• You said..." I spray his cage with a water bottle 2 times a day. Also I haven't seen him drink recently but I have before"..they need to be stimulated to drink by misting for quite a long time. I would also set up a dripper that runs for a good part of the day. It can be a tall deli cup with a tiny hole in the bottom so it drips at the rate of one or two drips a second..
• You said..."His poop is usually brown with a little pale yellow thing that comes out with it"...yellow indicates dehydration...so he needs to drink more water.
• You said.."The temperature range is 80 in his basking spot and 70 at the bottom of the cage"...I would bump up the basking temperature into the mid 80's F.

• You said.." I'm using fake plants"...I would replace them with nontoxic real ones that are well washed...both sides of the leaves.
• You said..." My cage is in a corner near an air vent and there are no windows in close proximity" I would try to not have the vent pointing towards the cage.

He should not be sleeping during the day. I'm not sure if it's just because of the shed but his eyes are bothering me.

Can you please post a few more photos?

 

[DarinD]

Yes, more photos please. Photos of everything. The enclosure, the animal, the supplements, the insects, the gutload. From what I’ve read in your descriptions, the chameleon needs much more water and a more varied feeder insect supply.

 

[kinyonga]

@kami baby said..." I give myINDOOR Cham calcium WITH D3 every time I feed her"....depending on the supplement you could be pushing your chameleon towards MBD. I assume you have a UVB light?? It's better for the chameleon to produce the D3 from its exposure to the UVB light because D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues.....especially if you overdo the calcium too.

@Walstrom305 although it's too bad you weren't more prepared for what you need for a chameleon now that you have it you need to do the best you can for it. I'm trying to buy you some time so you can get the things you need to give your chameleon a good life with you.

Can you gutload/feed the crickets with these things..., roaches, etc with dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, collards, carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper? If you can...for now the crickets will be enough but when you can you need to add more feeders.

For watering...if you set up the dripper (deli cup I described) so it hits a leaf he can see and get to easily and run it for a couple of hours a day and mist the cage several times a day for at least 5 minutes each time you can wait a bit before you buy a mister.

What are you using for a basking light....because you need to bump the temperature up a bit?? Brand of light and wattage please??!!

And please post a couple more photos of your chameleon so I can see all of him from the side.
We still need to figure out if he's sick or not.

 

[Syreptyon]

Because they are very fatty to chameleons and they can actually do some damage I fead Kami some when she was tinier and noticed she was not producing feces and clogging up her digestive track and I was also feeding a few a week that’s why i advoid them but if your Cham is not having a problem or gaining extra weight your in the clear

Kami, please... With all due respect, it does not sound like you truly know what you’re talking about. Please stop spamming and posting information that is not 100% true. It isn’t responsible - leave the advice to more senior members, please. A huge number of us feed super worms regularly with no problems. I think you’re mixing them up with a different worm. They are fine as a part of one’s chameleon’s diet.

 

[Mawtyplant]

Also my UVB is the long type and also I probably won't go the automatic misting route. One question though is having a humidifier in the room okay because that's how I keep the humidity up. Secondly I'll have my mom pick up the extra vitamins and such Monday.

what kind of humidifier and how close he is from your chameleon cage?

 

[kinyonga]

How's your chameleon today?

 

[Kristen99]

I hope you feel comfortable enough to keep on asking question and answering them. We would all like to see this little one healthy and happy as I'm sure you would as well. Please take the advice given and keep asking questions there are so many great people on here to help but you also have to put in effort to keep this little Cham healthy the misting is a big issue that I'm worried about from the information you have given I don't think he/she is getting enough water and or enough time to drink it and I'm not sure if you said you only feed when you get home from school but he/she should be fed in the morning for time to bask and digest the food.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Sorry again but I was looking at the pictures and zooming in at the bones they look very weak after you try to get him on the supplements for a while if his bones/legs look tiny.. please take him to a reptile vet near you he also could have a bone disease. Also do you keep a light on at night? If you do don’t he might be tired and trying to get some sleep but can’t with all the bright lights or they might be too bright and just doesn’t want to look at them

You can tell nothing about his bones by that picture @kami baby. Superworms are fine to feed. Although they look like mealworms, they have less chitin.