Juvenile Veiled Chameleon - Worried about health, please help!

[ScottyPs]

 

[ScottyPs]

Hello, I am seeking help for a chameleon I recently purchased.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, I believe male, probably under a month old. I have had the chameleon for one week now.
  
• Handling - I try to avoid handling the chameleon, but I have been nervous about his level of hydration, so I put him in the shower on an artificial plant for a few. I did not see any attempt for him to drink.
  
• Feeding - I am feeding him crickets, gut loaded, and dusted with repti-calcium without D3. I have given him a multivitamin once now.
  
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Repti-Calcium, Multivitamin, dusting 10 crickets daily. I have only seen him eat crickets a few times. He refuses to eat anything I offer him, he has to find the food himself.
  
• Watering - I am using dechlorinated water in a sprayer. I mist at least twice a day. Maintaining humidity from 70 to 90%. I have not seen the chameleon drink.
  
• Fecal Description - I have not seen too many droppings. Dark brown oval fecal matter, and white yellow urine.
  
• History - No prior history on chameleon.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen cage, 16x16x30
  
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Zilla reflective dome with spot for basking lamp and UVB lamp. 100w basking lamp (swapped from a 60w that seemed to be offering too low of a temp), and a 5.0 UVB light.
  
• Temperature - Temperature at the bottom is mid 70's, and the top of the cage is 90 degrees. I have a temperature gauge at the bottom with a hygrometer, and another thermometer elevated near the highest basking spot I have seen the chameleon climb to. Overnight temperature is around 72 to 74 degrees. Room temperature.
  
• Humidity - Humidity ranges from 60 to 90 percent. I mist the cage at least twice a day with slightly warmer than room temperature water.
  
• Plants - Artificial vines, driftwood, moss.
  
• 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? The cage is in my living room, nearby my TV. There is a fan in the living room, and it is relatively high traffic. I see now that this could be stressful for the little guy.
  
• Location - Dallas/FW, Texas

Current Problem - He looks dehydrated. He molted all of his skin today. In an attempt to get the chameleon to drink, I placed a plant in the shower and had the water at slightly above room temperature. I stopped this process because of how stress he became. Dark brown stripes, he would not open his eyes, and kept climbing with his eyes closed. If he had been on a ledge, he would have blindly walked off. He was moving extremely fast. I have noticed deep breaths, and a squeak when he exhales. I believe that is due to stress. While I was writing this post, my shipment with a dripper system came in. I have that setup to drip onto leaves below. He is currently asleep and has returned to his normal color. I want to do my best to provide for my chameleon, and make sure that he has a long and as stress-free of a life as possible.

 

[ScottyPs]

Here is a picture of the dripper I have included to his screen cage.

 

[kinyonga]

I would get rid of the moss since some of them can lead to impaction.
If the squeaking happens more or there is extra saliva in its mouth it could have an RI.

 

[ScottyPs]

Thank you for your reply. I have removed the moss and cleaned the entire cage today. I think he was just stressed out yesterday, he looks great today. Color is bright green, eyes are full, and he has been eating like crazy.