Laying on bottom of enclosure.

[Rhansel]

I am worried that something is wrong with my female chameleon. She has been laying on the bottom her her enclosure for a full day now. She has not been moving much, mostly sleeping and hasn't moved from the spot she was in when I found her this morning. Has anyone experienced this? Any ideas what could be wrong? Help please!

 

[rlschwer]

Oh gosh, do you have a laying bin? I couldn't see one in there. I'm not familiar with veileds, but she looks very gravid and is likely egg bound. At this point she may need a vet to induce laying or even surgery to remove the eggs if she has been gravid for too long. @kinyonga?

 

[rlschwer]

I'm sure others will chime in, but it looks as though you may have inadequate lighting (coil uvb bulbs only produce useful uvb for a few inches), so there is a good chance she has other calcium deficiency/MBD problems going on. You should try to fill out the info form at some point, but for now I'd recommend contacting a vet because being egg bound is likely to be fatal very quickly

 

[Rhansel]

Thank you for the responses. I will contact a vet first thing in thw morning. In the meantime any suggestions to make her comfortable? What should I use for a laying bin?

 

[rlschwer]

There's good (probably better) info elsewhere in the forum, but for now if you have a bucket at least 12 inches deep and either potting soil or a 50/50 mix of sand/coco coir available, that will do. You'll want to make sure the medium (dirt) is moist enough to hold a tunnel without collapsing. Put your girl in there until you bring her to a vet (don't worry about food/light if it's only for a day or so), and try not to disturb her. She will likely refuse.to lay if she sees you watching her, so try not to peek. It is likely she is too far gone to lay at this point, but this has a very, very small chance of helping. It is imperative to get her to a vet ASAP. Good luck!

 

[Rhansel]

Thank you so much! I am going to get all of that together and i am going to get her to the vet ASAP!

 

[ashdavisa]

Here's the form to fill out so that others have a better idea of what's going on:

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.

From the pictures alone, I can tell that at the very least you need linear UVB, more horizontal branches/vines, and a less ingestible substrate (either no substrate, or bioactive soil that will also serve as a lay bin).
Lay bins are a must for females, whether it's in-cage or a separate setup (some people use large trash cans with a deep layer of sandy media to temporarily house their chameleon until she lays). Make a lay bin for her as soon as you can- as round as she is, I'd be surprised if she wasn't full of eggs.

 

[MissSkittles]

Sorry your beautiful lady isn’t doing well. While your priority is getting her to a good vet ASAP, after her immediate needs have been resolved, you have many husbandry issues to correct. Using the help form provided will help us to help you to fix them. Please do keep us informed of what the vet says and your lady’s condition.

 

[Rhansel]

Update! I Just went to check on her (neeko) before heading to bed. She has started to lay her eggs! I am giving her some privacy. I will update tomorrow. I am also open to any and all suggestions for what i can do to fix her enclosure, proper lighting, ect.

 

[ashdavisa]

Update! I Just went to check on her (neeko) before heading to bed. She has started to lay her eggs! I am giving her some privacy. I will update tomorrow. I am also open to any and all suggestions for what i can do to fix her enclosure, proper lighting, ect.

Good!! It's great that she is able to lay. Be sure she's off the ground before messing with her or anything inside. Laying eggs is tough on their bodies, so be observant- offer extra calcium and if she seems to be struggling after a few days, it's worth a vet visit to make sure there weren't any complications.

As for your setup, this is a good sheet for the fundamentals (and here is the webpage that breaks down the information on it). Everything on that website is worth taking a look at and learning!

 

[MissSkittles]

Update! I Just went to check on her (neeko) before heading to bed. She has started to lay her eggs! I am giving her some privacy. I will update tomorrow. I am also open to any and all suggestions for what i can do to fix her enclosure, proper lighting, ect.

If you could fill out the help form provided (copy & paste) someone can better review all the details of your husbandry. Do give Neeko privacy or she will stop laying, but also discretely monitor her progress. Laying eggs from start to finish can take a day or two. You’ll know she’s done when she’s covered the hole and sitting back up on her basking branch looking much thinner and a bit dirty.

 

[NashansCamos]

It looks like she has MBD too... but its a very good sign that she's laying. give her privacy and once she's done we can help with your husbandry to help the MBD

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

Be sure she's off the ground before messing with her or anything inside.

Is that to ensure she's finished laying, or is there some other reason?

 

[ashdavisa]

Is that to ensure she's finished laying, or is there some other reason?

Yep, just to not interrupt her!

 

[rlschwer]

How's your girl?