Jackson’s Not moving around!

[Cutthbertt]

I have a female Jackson’s chameleon around the age of an adolescent and she has been on the same branch for the past 3 days barely moving. I keep the humidity at 50 during the day and up to 90 at night. I keep the temperature at about 80 during the day and 65-70 at night time. She’s been drinking water and her feces appear normal. She hasn’t been eating much and just lays on a branch under the heat lamp all day. Any suggestions on what might be wrong???

 

[CBee7726]

Can you please post some photos?
Also, please fill out the husbandry form, this will give us valuable insight regarding what could be wrong.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful

 

[MissSkittles]

If you can answer the husbandry questions and post some pics of your chameleon and enclosure, one of our experienced Jackson’s keepers will be able to help.

 

[Cutthbertt]

My chameleon: Jackson’s Chameleon, female, wasn’t told the age but my guess is an adolescent. It’s been in my care for a little over 2 weeks
Handling: I only handle 1-2x a week for 15 ish minutes each
Feeding: I’m feeding her crickets, I tried mealworms but she refused to eat them. I give her about 3-4 every day around noon. She won’t eat anymore than 4 a day so I try to avoid putting more in her cage than necessary. I am gutloadinf my feeders everyday. They have a calcium cube in their container that they eat off.
Supplements: I use repti calcium with and without D3 and reptivite vitamins with d3. So far I have only dusted my feeders with all of the supplements I have twice because she won’t eat the feeders that are dusted.
Watering: I have a dripping system that drips all day, I spray the cage for about 30 seconds twice a day, and I have a misting system. I see my chameleon drinking from the dripping system but she doesn’t like to drink directly from the water droplets off the plants.
Fecal description: urine is white and kinda liquidy and stool is brown and seems compacted. I’m not sure if she has been tested for parasites at the pet store but hasn’t been tested under my care.
History: there is not much of a history seeing as I just got her two weeks ago and the pet store did not share any information with me reguarding her.
Cage info:
Cage type: mesh/screen. And is 3ftx18inx18in
Lighting: I use a 5.0 UVB Riptisun light by zoo med and a 60w daylight blue reptile bulb by zoo med. I have both lights turned on during the day and then turn them off at dark.
Temperature: at the bottom of the cage it is 70-75 degrees and at the top of the cage it (basking) it is 75-80 degrees. The lowest overnight temperature is 65 degrees. I use a digital thermometer to measure these temperatures.
Humidity: my humidity during the day is between 35-50% and during the night is 70-90%. I use a cool misting machine to maintain humidity. I use a hygrometer to measure humidity.
Plants: I have some fake vines but I have real tree branches in the cage and a dracaena plant as well
Placement: my cage is located in my room on top of a desk by the window. It is not near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas I live in the country and we don’t use fans. The top of my cage is about 5.5 feet from the floor.
Location: I am in Southwest Michigan
Current problem: she has been not moving as much and laying on one branch near the top of the cage for the past 3 days. I’ve seen her drink water, she just recently poop/peed and it looked normal but she isn’t eating as much. Maybe 1-2 crickets at the most. I’m concerned there might be something wrong with her like a sickness or dehydration. I will post some pictures tomorrow because she is sleeping now.

 

[kinyonga]

We really need some recent photos of her.

Is she shutting her eyes during the day?
I'm wondering if she could be gravid.

@JacksJill and @Kaizen have given you information about supplements but there is still more to correct about the husbandry so I tagged them in this post.

 

[Cutthbertt]

She was closing her eyes during the day about a week ago but she hasn’t been doing that in the past couple days. These are pictures of where she sits all day

 

[kinyonga]

We recommend using a long linear Reptisun 5.0 or Arcadia 12 tube light for UVB....so I'd recommend you get one.

Can you post a photo of her where she not in shadow/shade and on your hand or something so we can see the size as well please?

 

[Cutthbertt]

Here are some more photos

 

[salty dog]

Extreme mbd from no uv light

 

[Cutthbertt]

Extreme mbd from no uv light

I have a UVB light. Are you sure it’s mbd?

 

[ariez189]

Those circular UVB bulbs in the dual dome don't offer sufficient enough UVB for them, so they can still develop MBD from that.

 

[Cutthbertt]

Would you guys recommend taking her to the vet?

 

[Beman]

@JacksJill @Kaizen

 

[JacksJill]

Extreme mbd from no uv light

I'm not seeing any outward signs of MBD. Her limbs look clean and straight. Is there a picture I'm not looking at closely enough?
I do agree that she needs better lighting asap but this is as much to make her more active as to prevent or correct any underlying MBD that she might have come with.
Are plans in place to upgrade her lights? If they are coming in the next few days I would see if that perks her up. Also make sure her UVB light is on a soild 12 hours.
If she shows any more sighs of illness a vet check is in order. Take a fresh fecal sample with you. Start looking for a vet with chameleon experience now just in case.
I wouldn't handle her at this point unless it's to go outside (when winter is long over) , to go to the vets or medicate if necessary. They really need a lot of time to feel safe in their cage.

 

[Kaizen]

My chameleon: Jackson’s Chameleon, female, wasn’t told the age but my guess is an adolescent. It’s been in my care for a little over 2 weeks
Handling: I only handle 1-2x a week for 15 ish minutes each
Feeding: I’m feeding her crickets, I tried mealworms but she refused to eat them. I give her about 3-4 every day around noon. She won’t eat anymore than 4 a day so I try to avoid putting more in her cage than necessary. I am gutloadinf my feeders everyday. They have a calcium cube in their container that they eat off. This is not enough information. Calcium cubes, if they are store-bought, are not good gutload ingredients. High calcium greens such as collards, dandelion greens; high calcium/carotenoid veggies such as butternut squash, bell peppers, carrots; high calcium/high nutrition fruits such as papaya, apples, etc. should make up the majority of your gutload.
Supplements: I use repti calcium with and without D3 and reptivite vitamins with d3. So far I have only dusted my feeders with all of the supplements I have twice because she won’t eat the feeders that are dusted.
Watering: I have a dripping system that drips all day, I spray the cage for about 30 seconds twice a day, and I have a misting system. I see my chameleon drinking from the dripping system but she doesn’t like to drink directly from the water droplets off the plants. nightime humidity should approach 100%, daytime can drop into the 40’s no prob. Keep the dripper during the day, and most o lay during lights off to maintain proper humidity.
Fecal description: urine is white and kinda liquidy and stool is brown and seems compacted. I’m not sure if she has been tested for parasites at the pet store but hasn’t been tested under my care.
History: there is not much of a history seeing as I just got her two weeks ago and the pet store did not share any information with me reguarding her.
Cage info:
Cage type: mesh/screen. And is 3ftx18inx18in
Lighting: I use a 5.0 UVB Riptisun light by zoo med and a 60w daylight blue reptile bulb by zoo med. I have both lights turned on during the day and then turn them off at dark. On a timer?
Temperature: at the bottom of the cage it is 70-75 degrees and at the top of the cage it (basking) it is 75-80 degrees. The lowest overnight temperature is 65 degrees. I use a digital thermometer to measure these temperatures. Your daytime temps seem ok, but please don’t exceed 80. Nightime temps could be a lot lower: like less than 59.
Humidity: my humidity during the day is between 35-50% and during the night is 70-90%. I use a cool misting machine to maintain humidity. I use a hygrometer to measure humidity.
Plants: I have some fake vines but I have real tree branches in the cage and a dracaena plant as well. Live plants only would be very helpful. Some theories suggest that the co2 released by live plants at night help sleep.
Placement: my cage is located in my room on top of a desk by the window. It is not near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas I live in the country and we don’t use fans. The top of my cage is about 5.5 feet from the floor.
Location: I am in Southwest Michigan
Current problem: she has been not moving as much and laying on one branch near the top of the cage for the past 3 days. In my experience, female jax do this when they are gravid, but I’d need to know a lot more. How old is she, has she every beeen around a male? I’ve seen her drink water, she just recently poop/peed and it looked normal but she isn’t eating as much. where did you get her; is she wc or cb; has she been around a male; how much does she weigh?Maybe 1-2 crickets at the most. I’m concerned there might be something wrong with her like a sickness or dehydration. I will post some pictures tomorrow because she is sleeping now.

 

[Kaizen]

Further to my last, are you using compact fluorescents for uvb? I keep all my jax —even neonates—under UVIs of 5-8 with plenty of coverage. You can’t do this with compact fluorescents! Please upgrade the game uvb at your earliest convenience.

 

[kinyonga]

You said "60w daylight blue reptile bulb"....please don't use colored lights for a chameleon. A regular white incandescent household bulb will do fine for basking.

 

[Cutthbertt]

You said "60w daylight blue reptile bulb"....please don't use colored lights for a chameleon. A regular white incandescent household bulb will do fine for basking.

Ok! I will get a new UVB and basking light. Thank you guys for the insight! Hopefully that will help.

 

[Ridick]

You need new light and also keep dusting your feeders, even if the chams don't like them they will get used to it, they won't die hungry trust me. Long time ago, I wanted to do everything eco, as I keep my chams outside year round and their cages are way bigger then 2 x 2 x 4, but with the feeders you cannot mimic the variety they get in nature, so long story short I was giving only calcium to pregnant and post-pregnant females. Big mistake as my boy started to miss his foot, and later didn't shoot tongue in distance. Took me 4 weeks to get it corrected with calcium and multivitamins. They really need them, so dust all feeders, and change the light.

 

[Cutthbertt]

How often should I dust? I still haven’t developed a schedule.