Male veiled acting weird last few nights

[gabeb3]

my 6 mo old veiled is acting strange. Not eating as much or pooping as much. still drinking a lot. finding him hanging at night asleep with his head buried in the dirt. please write me with some solutions. I really don't want to lose this guy.

he is a 6 mo old veiled, male, i am only owner and he has never had any traumatic experiences.
his enclosure is a glass aquarium. I understand they need vcentilation so i plan on making him a permanent home in the next few weeks something mesh with real plants.

Temps in his basking and chill spots are both perfect. please write me w any suggestions. thanks, Gabe

 

[Julirs]

Buried in the dirt? You should not have dirt or substrate for the most part. Are you turning the lights off at night?

 

[VeiledChams]

shouldn't be in a glass terrarium either.. ever

 

[donnak0125]

That is "very strange", I'm pretty sure (from what little you mentioned) you need to make a LOT of changes to his husbandy, feeding etc... You came to the right place to find out what you need to do! You cham's already acting unhealthy/strange so you need to make the changes ASAP (now) or it will soon be very ill or worse.

 

[EvilLost]

I would fill out the "help" form for better advice but from the short bit and as others have said, it sounds like your husbandry is off on multiple respects...

start by removing the dirt, putting him in a ventilated cage asap, and fill out the help form. (do you have uvb? supplementation? etc etc)

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

Hang tight, the troops will help you out. Listen to them and know their advice and intentions come from experience and the heart

 

[gabeb3]

thank you everybody for your help. I understand that they should not be in a glass enclosure i plan on building him something this week. Is there anything else (solutions) other then changing his husbandry, that I can try? I have uploaded some photos so that may answer many Q's!
I am very grateful for this site and all them members and admins that make this work. I am very open minded to all suggestions and will effect the necessary changes to my chams needs per your recommendations. Thank you.

 

[VeiledChams]

The first thing is definitely change him into a screened enclosure without substrate. If you look around the forum, you'll see many excellent examples of proper enclosures.

You should fill out the form in to better explain your husbandry routines so other people can help you see what else is wrong with your buddy.
I would also suggest to get him checked out by a vet (herpetologist)

 

[donnak0125]

thank you everybody for your help. I understand that they should not be in a glass enclosure i plan on building him something this week. Is there anything else (solutions) other then changing his husbandry, that I can try? I have uploaded some photos so that may answer many Q's!
I am very grateful for this site and all them members and admins that make this work. I am very open minded to all suggestions and will effect the necessary changes to my chams needs per your recommendations. Thank you.

Here are all the questions that you need to answer so to get the appropriate help. I know there's a lot, but it's all important. I've cut and pasted it here for you from the "how to ask for help" thread in the "Health Clinic" area.

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.
Pictures are helpful

 

[gabeb3]

yep that's what I must do. I feel pretty bad and will deff make the ness changes.

 

[carol5208]

please fill out the help form. You say your temps are perfect? Do you know what perfect temps should be for a 6 month old Veild? What about your humidity? What kind of lights are you using? Supplements for your feeders etc. All very important!!!

 

[donnak0125]

yep that's what I must do. I feel pretty bad and will deff make the ness changes.

Well, don't feel bad because you can't do better till you know better. I made same/similar mistakes when I bought my first veiled, hope you can save yours in time.

 

[VeiledChams]

Well, don't feel bad because you can't do better till you know better. I made same/similar mistakes when I bought my first veiled, hope you can save yours in time.

We've all made mistakes with our first chameleon. The key is catching the mistake quickly and making corrections, quickly. The best way to keep a chameleon healthy is having a large arsenal of knowledge. You're doing good seeking for help, but once a chameleon starts showing signs of problems, you should correct anything going wrong immediately, not wait. A chameleons health is very delicate, and if exposed to improper husbandry for extended periods of time will eventually lead to illness, and even the passing of the lizard.