Keep current enclosure or upgrade?

[natzberg]

Hi all! Wanting some opinions on my situation. I think I know what I want to do already, but want to make sure it's not the worst option.

So I brought my panther cham, Becky, to the vet today and they recommended changing her from a glass cage to a mesh one. I'm in Northern Virginia, so humidity isn't a big deal and we probably should have gotten a mesh cage to begin with. Whatever, we already have the glass one, just giving context. However, we are closing on a house soon, like before Thanksgiving soon. Would it be better to get her in to a mesh cage sooner than later so she's accustomed, or wait until after we move to (in theory) reduce it to one 'major stress event' i.e. just the move, not cage change AND a move later.

There's some sales on ReptiBreeze XL's right now so I'll honestly probably buy one sooner than later, just wondering whether to go through the effort of setting it up when I'll have to move it again in a month or two and her other one is already set up.... I'm also going to finagle a way to make the door have a mesh covering so I can leave it open for ventilation but she can't get out.

In case you don't want to go to the other thread, here's the photo:

I believe it's the ZooMed SkyScraper Terrarium. It was what they had in stock at the reptile expo we got our cham from. I'd rather not repost ALL the information. but do know her temp/humidity levels are fine right now here as far as I can measure.

Believe it or not, we did not plan to get a house this quickly after getting a chameleon! Definitely would have waited on the chameleon if I had known how fast things would go

Thanks in advance for your opinions!

 

[nightanole]

I dont think it will be stressed out moving from one cage to the other. I mean it happens whenever you clean anyway.

You could just setup the cage right next to the original cage and use the mesh as a free range for a bit. Depending on the escape proofing, some just have the glass cage against the mesh cage for a super cage.

 

[Beman]

Hi there... Isn't this the little girl that needed a lay bin? Did she lay already?

What were the reasons the vet gave for moving her to screen?

Personally I prefer the dragon strand enclosures. They are more expensive but the quality is amazing. https://dragonstrand.com/

 

[Kaizen]

My 2 cents worth: if you have the chance, always upgrade!

 

[natzberg]

Hi there... Isn't this the little girl that needed a lay bin? Did she lay already?

What were the reasons the vet gave for moving her to screen?

Personally I prefer the dragon strand enclosures. They are more expensive but the quality is amazing. https://dragonstrand.com/

She did not lay yet. The vet said she felt follicles but couldn't tell whether they were fully formed without an ultrasound. She still has her lay bin and I'm leaving her alone the rest of the day except for the obvious misting + lights before bed. Fecal test didn't indicate any issues aside from mild dehydration which I'm already working to remedy.

She said that they tend to do better with more ventilation. I'm not sure if she brought this up because we're new keepers, but I have also seen mesh enclosures be favored generally speaking? The particularly vet that saw us sounded like she had only personally owned veileds, if that is relevant at all.

I saw the dragon strand ones, they're sooo nice but we will probably hold off until all our moving costs are handled ?

 

[Beman]

She did not lay yet. The vet said she felt follicles but couldn't tell whether they were fully formed without an ultrasound. She still has her lay bin and I'm leaving her alone the rest of the day except for the obvious misting + lights before bed. Fecal test didn't indicate any issues aside from mild dehydration which I'm already working to remedy.

She said that they tend to do better with more ventilation. I'm not sure if she brought this up because we're new keepers, but I have also seen mesh enclosures be favored generally speaking? The particularly vet that saw us sounded like she had only personally owned veileds, if that is relevant at all.

I saw the dragon strand ones, they're sooo nice but we will probably hold off until all our moving costs are handled ?

Did she do an xray?

I run full hybrid enclosures. Top panel and bottom service door are screen. I do have all Veileds. It is all in how you set up an enclosure. I adore the hybrid. I get the airflow I need but very stable temp and humidity levels. Bigger is always better.

If she is restless you might try covering the side panels and back of her enclosure with paper just to make her feel like she is not exposed. That way the only way to see in is the front.

I just went through your help form as well in the other thread.

 

[Kaizen]

As to the whole screen vs. Glass vs. Hybrid, I don’t think there is a one size fits all answer here. If you know the parameters you need to satisfy for your Cham—ie temp, humidity, air flow, etc.—then the best enclosure to get is the one that will help you hit those parameters, given your ambient conditions. For instance, if your house is super dry most of the year, then screen may make hitting the humidity numbers challenging. If your house is typically hotter than usual, than glass will be a hindrance.

 

[natzberg]

She did not do an xray as it didn't seem necessary, should she have? I think she just felt her and didn't think an x-ray was warranted yet. I'm going to give Becky a little more time to try and lay on her own and bring her back to the vet if she's still having issues. They have a lot of availability surprisingly.

Ok, I think I'll see if I can pop out the bottom door for this enclosure and make it screen, or at least continue monitoring and adjusting temps/humidity. I put cardboard boxes on both side of the cage and even on the bottom of the front (below the door) to hopefully give her more privacy.

I'll also g respond to your post in my other thread!! Thanks!

 

[Beman]

She did not do an xray as it didn't seem necessary, should she have? I think she just felt her and didn't think an x-ray was warranted yet. I'm going to give Becky a little more time to try and lay on her own and bring her back to the vet if she's still having issues. They have a lot of availability surprisingly.

Ok, I think I'll see if I can pop out the bottom door for this enclosure and make it screen, or at least continue monitoring and adjusting temps/humidity. I put cardboard boxes on both side of the cage and even on the bottom of the front (below the door) to hopefully give her more privacy.

I'll also g respond to your post in my other thread!! Thanks!

Not necessarily. Most vets know when an xray is warranted in chams. If she did not feel eggs yet then that may very well be why she didn't.

This little girl is new to you and this enclosure. It is not uncommon for them to become more stressed with this type of change.

Personally if your going to be moving in a month or so I would start getting together what you would need for the next set up. That way when you move her she can go directly into the new one. Right now with all the changes and potential of being gravid personally I would not move her. Just make sure the enclosure she is in is fully set up properly for her with the correct temps.

I will say... If you have the ability to go with the hybrid dragon strand it is the most amazing enclosure. lol
Here are mine https://www.chameleonforums.com/media/albums/my-enclosures.6672/

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

If the current enclosure risks the animals health, then the decision is obvious—or rather—there is no decision to make. What good will it be to transfer an animal that is sick or worse a month from now?

JMO.