Is my chameleon about to lay eggs or die?!?!

[epro123]

• Your Chameleon - Veiled female 8ish months old.
How long has it been in your care?- around 8 months
• Handling - Rarely she puffs up whenever i try to. is that normal?
• Feeding - Crickets, meleworms, carrots everyday around 3-5 and i put veggies in the containers
• Supplements - calcium and water supplements repti calcium and repti safe water conditions
• Watering - Dripper and i most often. I used to see her drinking a lot but not recently.
• Fecal Description - Brown and white. Sometimes yellowish orange. She has never been tested
• History - she has never had problems

Cage Info

• Cage Type - screen. I BELIEVE 16x16x20 or something like that
• Lighting - I use ExoTerra daytime heat lamp and a led for light. on at 10:30 off at 10:30
• Temperature - 69-80’s
• Humidity - unsure.... i mist and have plants
• Plants -Yes. I forget what it’s called but on safe plant list.
• Placement - My bedroom ne’er nothing but about three feet off the ground.
• Location - Michigan

Current Problem
- my Chamaeleon has not been eating for days /eating very little. I noticed she had some new coloring (yellow lines/dots) so I did some research. Everything I read said that she may have to lay her eggs. today she fell to the bottom of the cage. Now I am scared she has a calcium deficient disease. I feel like a terrible owner and I am so scared she is dying. Anyone have this same problem?!?!?! I attached some very recent pictures of her.

 

[epro123]

Oopsie! Veiled***

 

[Gingero]

First priority is helping her lay those eggs she has and then we can address the husbandry changes that need to be made.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/

 

[epro123]

First priority is helping her lay those eggs she has and then we can address the husbandry changes that need to be made.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/egg-laying-and-the-laying-bin.345/

Yes thank you! I already made a laying bin with 8+inch of soil and put it in the cage ?

 

[Ruthless]

Dose she have any privacy? You need to cover the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the cage so she can’t see out and you can’t see her. Also she’s not going to eat at this time if she’s a few days away from laying so I would take out the crickets as they will bite on her giving a you problem to deal with.

 

[AmandaS]

Yes thank you! I already made a laying bin with 8+inch of soil and put it in the cage ?

Is the soil moist enough to hold a tunnel? You need to make sure her tunnels won't collapse on her.

 

[epro123]

Dose she have any privacy? You need to cover the bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of the cage so she can’t see out and you can’t see her. Also she’s not going to eat at this time if she’s a few days away from laying so I would take out the crickets as they will bite on her giving a you problem to deal with.

Thank you so much. Yes I covered the two visible sides in sheets. should i cover the two facing the wall? And the crickets are all gone now. Do you think she is laying for sure?,

 

[epro123]

Is the soil moist enough to hold a tunnel? You need to make sure her tunnels won't collapse on her.

I believe so. I will probably need to add more water in the next few days if she doesn’t lay. Should the consistency be like mud? that i was unsure of.

 

[Ruthless]

Thank you so much. Yes I covered the two visible sides in sheets. should i cover the two facing the wall? And the crickets are all gone now. Do you think she is laying for sure?,

The ones facing the wall should be fine. You just need to give her time and privacy and in time she will lay if all is good including your lay bin. I noticed you just asked about the soul be a muddy consistency. That is not what you want. What did you use for soil?

 

[epro123]

The ones facing the wall should be fine. You just need to give her time and privacy and in time she will lay if all is good including your lay bin. I noticed you just asked about the soul be a muddy consistency. That is not what you want. What did you use for soil?

I used organic soil. i did not make it muddy i only added a little bit and built a fake tunnel to test if it would hold, but it had been in the cage for two days. I should probably add more water

 

[Ruthless]

I used organic soil. i did not make it muddy i only added a little bit and built a fake tunnel to test if it would hold, but it had been in the cage for two days. I should probably add more water

Organic soil is good but I also add play sand to my lay bins. 1 part sand to 3 parts soil. In 2 days the soil shouldn’t dry out unless it wasn’t moist enough in the first place.

 

[jannb]

I also recommend a deeper laying bin. The girls can be picky. I often offer a laying bin with moist play sand, one with organic soil and one with soil and sand mixed.

At the first sign of illness, weakness or closing her eyes in the daytime she might be egg bound and you will need to get her to a experienced vet that’s able to do surgery to remove the eggs or she will die. Do you have a chameleon vet? If not where do you live? I might be able to recommend a good vet.

 

[epro123]

Organic soil is good but I also add play sand to my lay bins. 1 part sand to 3 parts soil. In 2 days the soil shouldn’t dry out unless it wasn’t moist enough in the first place.

Okay thank you!! I will try and get some sand tomorrow. I have kinetic sand but I am guessing that is not good to be in a laying bin.

 

[epro123]

I also recommend a deeper laying bin. The girls can be picky. I often offer a laying bin with moist play sand, one with organic soil and one with soil and sand mixed.

At the first sign of illness, weakness or closing her eyes in the daytime she might be egg bound and you will need to get her to a experienced vet that’s able to do surgery to remove the eggs or she will die. Do you have a chameleon vet? If not where do you live? I might be able to recommend a good vet.

Thank you for this good advice! I do not have a vet. I live in south east Michigan. Also She looks healthy keeping eyes open I am just scared and thinking worst case. What do you think?

 

[Ruthless]

Okay thank you!! I will try and get some sand tomorrow. I have kinetic sand but I am guessing that is not good to be in a laying bin.

No kinetic sand just some plain play sand.

 

[jannb]

Thank you for this good advice! I do not have a vet. I live in south east Michigan.

Are you closer to Vernon Hill, IL or Toledo, OH? Both have a vet that can do this surgery successful if it comes to that.

 

[epro123]

Are you closer to Vernon Hill, IL or Toledo, OH? Both have a vet that can do this surgery successful if it comes to that.

Toledo. Thank you. Hopefully it does not come down to that m, but I appreciate it.

 

[jannb]

Toledo. Thank you. Hopefully it does not come down to that m, but I appreciate it.

I’ll get with my chameleon friend in the Toledo area in the morning and get you the name of her vet.

 

[jannb]

I’ll get with my chameleon friend in the Toledo area in the morning and get you the name of her vet.

Toledo birds and exotics

They are more expensive and not quite as good as Dr. Barten in Vernon Hills.

 

[epro123]

Toledo birds and exotics

They are more expensive and not quite as good as Dr. Barten in Vernon Hills.

Thank you I appreciate it!