Is my cham gravid?

Kristen Wilkins said:
I know it’s stress on her but she can’t tell you if she needs help . You have to do your best to know what she needs . It’s not uncommon for a female to open her mouth when getting ready to lay there can be many reasons . With out an X-ray you don’t know what the eggs look like or how big her clutch is , if there’s any infection how her lunges look ext . She could be just hot even though her temps are normal she has lots going on with her body . It’s a tremendous stress on her to produce the eggs correctly . You know her best go with your gut . If your gut says she needs help don’t Ignore that :love: .
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Well, she is still perched up high under her basking light and so seems to have adequate strength. That's why I wanted to get a sense from others at what point the gaping is something I should act on asap. If it's not a problem for a gravid cham to gape intermittently for up to 20 minutes, then perhaps I should leave her be and see if she is able to lay the eggs, and not disrupt her by taking her out of the comfort and familiarity of her cage. But if what she is doing could signal that she is at high risk for being egg bound, then I would want to bring her in right away. I have had a bag packed since last week so that I am ready to go asap if she doesn't lay the eggs and her condition appears to worsen to the extent that it seems likely that she requires medical attention.
 
Acham had good info that resonates with my experience. It sounds like you have received some great advice from others too, and that you are a good cham-mommy doing the very best for your girl. Go see a vet and put your mind at ease.

  1. She knows its there, I bet, and shell use it if she needs/wants. Make sure it's moist enough to hold a tunnel, but not too soggy.
  2. I had my cage covered for almost w months
  3. Cover the sides, not the top. All the lights, etc. should do their normal thing. Mine are on a timer.
  4. I did.
  5. Not sure
  6. Mine did.
  7. I looked in once every day when I fed, cleaned up poop, etc.
  8. Keep the normal routine.
  9. Ophelia dug several test holes over a week until she finally decided in one.
  10. She will be very dirty.
  11. O did a great job covering and I had to dig the whole thing out looking for them.
 
I am researching lodging options right now. I called vet hospital last week to tell them about the situation and they said they would likely need to keep her for a number of days - day 1 to do xray and other diagnostics, day 2 to get results and develop plan of action, days 3+ to do any needed procedures or treatments and then observe her recovery. So, whenever I decide to go, I will bring all of her equipment and food along, and pack for 3-4 days.
 
Julia777 said:
I am researching lodging options right now. I called vet hospital last week to tell them about the situation and they said they would likely need to keep her for a number of days - day 1 to do xray and other diagnostics, day 2 to get results and develop plan of action, days 3+ to do any needed procedures or treatments and then observe her recovery. So, whenever I decide to go, I will bring all of her equipment and food along, and pack for 3-4 days.
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Just keep an eye on her , you know the things to look for closing eyes through out the day sitting low panting or gasping Ext . Not eating right now is normal but she has to stay hydrated so watching for that is a must . Try to give her as much privacy as possible . Did you get timers ? Frances took a very long time as well . The vet and everyone here really helped put my mind to Ease . She dug for days ripped up all her pots plants Ext . When she finely laid it took a bit to find them . She dug all the way to the bottom. She packed them very tightly together . She did do some gaping the days before laying . Frances never stopped eating in fact she ate the day she laid but not eating is more normal then eating . I do believe @opheliaeatsbugs O as well was eating right up to laying .
 
To take a chameleon to the vets I would use a container such as this...
http://www.arcatapet.com/plastic-small-animal-pen-carrier-small/item/cat/ap00001751.cfm

Put a hand towel on the floor for her to stand on or a branch that is wedged in there close to the floor.
You can wrap it in a towel and even place a hot water bottle outside the cage one one side of it if you live in a cool area. Don't put any heat source UNDER the cage ...it might burn the chameleon's feet.

You asked...
  1. Should I try to set her in the laying bin, or just hope she goes there herself? She has walked in it before, but I’ve not seen her in it the few times I have checked on her yesterday and today (but I am gone a lot). You can put her in the bin and even dig a hole partly for her.
  2. Do I need to cover her cage to encourage egg laying if she is alone most of the day? It's up to you. You just don't want her to see anyone when she's digging.
  3. If I cover it, do I still leave the basking light and UVB lights on and, if so, how do I keep the sheet held up around the sides of the cage? I leave the lights on the regular schedule. She won't care if it gets dark.
  4. Should I also leave it covered at night? Up to you.
  5. Is there a different optimal ambient temperature for when a cham is about to lay eggs? Not really.
  6. Will she still want to use the basking light during this time? She may use it she will likely drink and may even eat. Don't leave any uneaten insects in the cage...they might bite her or the eggs.
  7. How often should I peak in to see if she is okay, and how do I do so without disturbing her and possibly compromising her egg laying? Not often. You have to do it in a way that she doesn't see you.
  8. How often should I attempt to give her food or water? I only feed and water them when they are back up in the branches taking a break.
  9. How much time does it typically take them to finish laying eggs after they have started laying some? It can take an hour or two or all night/day. They usually lay them in the evening or over night..
  10. How will I know if she has laid eggs? Will she look different? She will be thin and she should have filled the hole in and tamped it down.
  11. If she laid them in the sand in the pot and then covered up the hole, will there be any recognizable signs in the pot that she laid some? It's hard to figure it out.
 
Kristen Wilkins said:
Just keep an eye on her , you know the things to look for closing eyes through out the day sitting low panting or gasping Ext . Not eating right now is normal but she has to stay hydrated so watching for that is a must . Try to give her as much privacy as possible . Did you get timers ? Frances took a very long time as well . The vet and everyone here really helped put my mind to Ease . She dug for days ripped up all her pots plants Ext . When she finely laid it took a bit to find them . She dug all the way to the bottom. She packed them very tightly together . She did do some gaping the days before laying . Frances never stopped eating in fact she ate the day she laid but not eating is more normal then eating . I do believe @opheliaeatsbugs O as well was eating right up to laying .
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She has not been closing her eyes during the day and I have never observed heavy breathing. She sometimes is on the ground, but is usually walking around or trying to get out of the cage. She gets privacy nearly every M-F day for 8+ hours straight between 8am and about 4pm. And, yes, there is a timer. I am glad to know yours did some gaping in the days prior to laying. It sounds like I don't need to rush her in if this is the only symptom. But if it gets more pronounced or there are other symptoms, I am all packed up and ready to leave at a moment's notice.
 
Julia777 said:
She has not been closing her eyes during the day and I have never observed heavy breathing. She sometimes is on the ground, but is usually walking around or trying to get out of the cage. She gets privacy nearly every M-F day for 8+ hours straight between 8am and about 4pm. And, yes, there is a timer. I am glad to know yours did some gaping in the days prior to laying. It sounds like I don't need to rush her in if this is the only symptom. But if it gets more pronounced or there are other symptoms, I am all packed up and ready to leave at a moment's notice.
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Sounds good . This process sometimes takes a bit of time . Some go right down and lay and some take there time . She sounds like she’s doing good and taking her time . Keep a eye out for changes . Frances gapes always at shedding time . She does some funny things the day before she sheds .
 
Greetings, Vertigo still has not laid eggs and she still looks very rounded and gravid. How long can this go on prior to her laying eggs? Can she put off the task as long as she wants? She still gapes a little, but I think it is only after she eats. I saw a cricket on her last week and heard that they can start eating the chams, so I put fewer in and now I have seen Vertigo eat a few them. She also ate a worm one day when I didn't feed her until 1pm. It was a relief to see her eat is a relief since I had not witnessed her eat in 3 weeks or so. I am guessing that I should be permitting her to eat as much as she wants while gravid, but not have so many crickets in there that there are extras at the end of the day. I am giving her calcium every other day and sprinkle of multivitamin weekly.
 
Julia777 said:
Greetings, Vertigo still has not laid eggs and she still looks very rounded and gravid. How long can this go on prior to her laying eggs? Can she put off the task as long as she wants? She still gapes a little, but I think it is only after she eats. I saw a cricket on her last week and heard that they can start eating the chams, so I put fewer in and now I have seen Vertigo eat a few them. She also ate a worm one day when I didn't feed her until 1pm. It was a relief to see her eat is a relief since I had not witnessed her eat in 3 weeks or so. I am guessing that I should be permitting her to eat as much as she wants while gravid, but not have so many crickets in there that there are extras at the end of the day. I am giving her calcium every other day and sprinkle of multivitamin weekly.
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Pictures please?
 
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CJ's Exotics said:
Pictures please?
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She is sitting in strange way with lighting that's not ideal, so I will try to take another pic tomorrow.
 
@Julia777 said..." I called vet hospital last week to tell them about the situation and they said they would likely need to keep her for a number of days - day 1 to do xray and other diagnostics, day 2 to get results and develop plan of action, days 3+ to do any needed procedures or treatments and then observe her recovery. So, whenever I decide to go, I will bring all of her equipment and food along, and pack for 3-4 days" that sound like a long time to keep her unless they plan to do surgery.

You said..."Can she put off the task as long as she wants?"... If they don't like the egglaying site it seems like they can hold onto them for a while however they also get past the point of being able to lay them....eggbound.

You said... "She still gapes a little". ….if her basking temperature is in the right range and she doesn't have excess mucus and doesn't wheez then I figure the gaping can be from the eggs taking up her abdominal cavity. It would be better if she wasn't gaping but there's not much you can do about it now.

You said..." I saw a cricket on her last week and heard that they can start eating the chams, so I put fewer in and now I have seen Vertigo eat a few them"...they can chew on her while she's laying her eggs because she will be in a sort of stupor. They can chew on the eggs too.

You said..."I am guessing that I should be permitting her to eat as much as she wants while gravid, but not have so many crickets in there that there are extras at the end of the day. I am giving her calcium every other day and sprinkle of multivitamin weekly"...make sure she gets enough calcium. Don't overfeed her...but feed her well.
 
Hi Kinyonga, and thanks for your reply. It hadn't occurred to me that she may not like the egg laying bin. I have play sand in there right now and check the moisture to be sure she can dig tunnels. Do you think I ought to try a different substance than sand, like soil of some kind?
 
They generally have no problem with the sand as long as it's washed playsand not the kind you make cement with, etc.
What demensions is the container?
 
I was just reading about calcium supplementation for chams and came across this article stating that it's dangerous to use Reptivite and to use the calcium made by Zoo Med: https://www.reddit.com/r/Chameleons/comments/21y3n6/which_supplements_are_right_for_chameleons/

I am giving Vertigo this calcium daily since she's gravid and so wanted to find out from all of you if I should be using a different brand of calcium without D3. I certainly wouldn't want to make things more difficult for her by giving her a type that could be dangerous.
 
What I have been giving Vertigo is:
Zoo Med Calcium w/o D3 daily, while she is gravid, but normally every other day.
Zoo Med Calcium with D3 twice per month
Herptivite once per month
Reptivite once per month (opposite of Herptivite, so one or the other is given every 2 weeks)

Please let me know if I should be using different brands or administering any of these at a different frequency. Thanks so much.
 
Oh, and I am not giving the crickets any powder mixture that contains vitamins like repashy etc. They only get greens, veggies, and a tiny bit of fruit.
 
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