Is this a respiratory infection?

[Khayward014]

I've noticed that my chameleon is sitting under her heat lamp with her mouth gaping. I've read that this happens when they are too warm and usually I would turn her heat lamp off for 10-15 mins to let her cool down. However she seemed to go back to opening her mouth as soon as I put it back on. I put her to bed last night and when I turned her lights back on this morning she was gaping again so there is no way she is too warm. She only seems to do this when she is under her basking light and doesn't stay there very long before moving. She hasn't ate or drank for me today yet and she seems to keep putting her head up as well. I just find it weird that this only happens when she is under her light. Its as if the light is the problem... I feel like there could be some kind of infection in her mouth as well as her teeth are black and I'm not sure if this is normal...

 

[MissSkittles]

What are your basking temps? For a veiled female ideal basking temp should be around 80F. Since she’s gaping and holding her head up, yes that does sound as though it could be a respiratory infection. You’ll need to get her to a vet promptly for diagnosis and treatment. My girls have black on their teeth and that is just staining…nothing to worry about.

 

[Khayward014]

All I know is that I was recommended to use a 70watt bulb but I found that it was too hot for. A 50watt bulb is what I am using now and it has always worked perfectly for her.

 

[Beman]

Can you post pics of your enclosure and her sitting in her basking spot so we can see how it is set up?

 

[Khayward014]

At the minute she isn't sitting under her basking light and you can see that she isn't gaping here. I'll post a basking picture when she moves.

 

[Beman]

At the minute she isn't sitting under her basking light and you can see that she isn't gaping here. I'll post a basking picture when she moves.

This girl is very very full of eggs. When was the last time she laid a clutch of eggs? The substrait in the bottom will not hold a tunnel so she will not be able to dig without it collapsing. You want either 100% playsand moistened or a mix of 50% playsand and 50% soil moistened.

Unfortunately there are quite a few things that are not correct with her enclosure. It is much too small for her. The lighting for UVB is incorrect. I can not tell if she is showing signs of MBD due to having the incorrect lighting. But this can happen. You want a T5Ho fixture and a 5.0 linear UVB bulb for it. It should run the width of the cage and should sit 8-9 inches from her branches below it. With how small the cage is it would not surprise me if it is hotter than you think it is. The coconut thing in the corner should come out. Fake plants are a risk for impaction with Veileds because they will try to eat them.

Take a look at this info for fixing the soil to make it ok for her to lay in.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video.77225/





This would be a priority to correct. My bet is it is too warm for her but she is actually having issues breathing due to all the eggs she is holding. There is a possibility of a respiratory infection as well. But I am leaning towards eggs causing it.

Then you have to correct the UVB lighting. Once she lays the eggs you need to overhaul the cage and get a larger one for her.
This link will teach you proper husbandry. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/


@MissSkittles @kinyonga can give you more feedback

 

[Khayward014]

She has been showing signs of laying but the last time she layed she didn't have breathing problems...
I've been looking for new tanks but I'm not sure what kind of one to buy as I'm seeing mech wooden and glass ones and I live in the UK and thought the mesh would be too open for her. I used sand and substrate last time she layed but I though that the full substrate would still do the trick. She has only layed once before but I'm not too sure when it was.

 

[Beman]

She has been showing signs of laying but the last time she layed she didn't have breathing problems...
I've been looking for new tanks but I'm not sure what kind of one to buy as I'm seeing mech wooden and glass ones and I live in the UK and thought the mesh would be too open for her. I used sand and substrate last time she layed but I though that the full substrate would still do the trick. She has only layed once before but I'm not too sure when it was.

So depending on the temps and amount of food they get they can then have a larger clutch... The bigger the clutch the more the eggs push up on her organs which in turn push up on her lungs. So they gape to compensate.

How many eggs did she lay last time?

You will have to change the substrait. What you have will not hold a tunnel and she may hold in the eggs because she does not have a suitable place to dig and lay them. Then this would lead to egg binding.

You could stay with glass. but you would want to upgrade to the largest exo terra they make. Which is this one

Natural Terrarium Large/X-Tall​

90 x 45 x 90 cm / 36” x 18” x 36” (WxDxH)

http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/natural_terrarium_large.php

 

[Khayward014]

She layed 47 last time and thank you! I'll look into that tank.

 

[Beman]

She layed 47 last time and thank you! I'll look into that tank.

Ok so then I would expect this to be a huge clutch as well. We try to keep their clutch size down to about 20. We do this with temps and food intake. So with females we ensure basking is never hotter than 78-80. temp probe at the basking branch to make sure temps at the branch are sitting about 76 will give it a basking spot she needs where she rises up into the heat. Then we reduce food intake to 3 feeders 3 days a week.

I would not reduce her food until about a week or so after she gets through laying this clutch though. If she is carrying that many eggs or more she will need the nourishment. And then feed her well the week after she lays. Then take her to the reduced food intake schedule.

 

[Khayward014]

When you say three feeders a week, would they be large, medium or small feeders. She typically eats Locusts, they are her favourite.

 

[kinyonga]

When you say three feeders a week, would they be large, medium or small feeders. She typically eats Locusts, they are her favourite.

@Beman said...."we reduce food intake to 3 feeders 3 days a week"....not 3 feeders a week.

 

[Khayward014]

@Beman said...."we reduce food intake to 3 feeders 3 days a week"....not 3 feeders a week.

Yeah, that's what I meant, sorry.

 

[kinyonga]

47 eggs is too many IMHO and depending on how much you've been feeding her since she laid them, she may be carrying even more. Do you have any idea of when she laid the last clutch? It gives us an idea of when she should have laid the next clutch.

 

[Khayward014]

I honestly can't tell you. All I know is she is definitely layed between last July & last November. I used to feed her around 5-6 medium locusts every two-three days, but recently I've been feeding her three large ones every 2-3 days.

 

[kinyonga]

I'm not a vet...what I say comes from over 30 years of experience with chameleons and what I've learned along the way from others as well.

Although it could be a respiratory infection, I'm betting it's related to egg production. I'm hoping she's not eggbound or has developed follicular stasis.

 

[Beman]

When you say three feeders a week, would they be large, medium or small feeders. She typically eats Locusts, they are her favourite.

So this would be nothing larger than a medium sized feeder. 3 days a week she will get 3 each feeding.

 

[Khayward014]

She has been showing signs of laying for around a week now and I feel that it might be due to eggs as well but I'll get her checked just in case.

 

[Khayward014]

So this would be nothing larger than a medium sized feeder. 3 days a week she will get 3 each feeding.

Okay, I'll remember that.

 

[kinyonga]

So if it was near the end of November, she should have already laid the next clutch...likely sometime in April. It's possible she's eggbound. You need a good chameleon vet to help you determine that.