MBD not doing well

Calcium with d3 once or twice a month. Usually once. And I put calcium without d3 in his bowl with the worms so they roll in it. And the repashy I was told not to give often at all. So only once
 
My feedback will be in red.
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Male. Veiled. A little over One. One year
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Not often unless I feel he needs more water
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? -mealworms usually a few everyday. Mealworms aren’t a good staple feeder at all. Actually they aren’t recommended at all. Attaching feeder and gutloading sheets. I feed them often with fruits and veggies.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Repticalcium. You need to dust your feeders at every feeding with phosphorus free calcium without D3. One feeding every other week you’ll use a calcium with D3. On alternating weeks, you’ll give one feeding dusted with a multivitamin that doesn’t contain D3. I always keep some in his bowl so the meal worms roll in it. Sometimes they don’t. Repticalcim EITH d3 once or twice a month. Recently was told to try repashy vitamin a. Done once.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? - I spray him a few times a day . I also take him in shower with me if I feel he needs more. Showers are too stressful and can be too hot and humid for chams. As long as urates are white or mostly white (is ok to have some yellow and orange in it), your cham is hydrated. Many chams are secret about drinking.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? I don’t believe he’s been tested and prior his poops were fine Next time you go to the vet, make sure to take a fresh fecal for testing.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. -other than the eye issue previously he had a sperm plug stuck so I soaked him until it came out months and months ago


Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen. Not sure of dimensions but the starter size you can buy as a kit. It’s plenty big The minimum size is 2x2x4’. The starter size is something like 16x16x30”. Is a huge difference. Will attach a pic to demonstrate.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Reptilian 10 and it’s on an auto timer for 12 hours. And I don’t recall the other but I’ve always used it and got it at pet store. You need a linear T5 ho fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. The screw in bulbs aren’t able to provide adequate ranges of uvb except for a very tiny area just 2-3” away from it. This is perhaps your biggest problem, along with supplementation.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot. • 70-80 80-82 is perfect for basking for a male.
  • Lowest overnight temp? 70 ish Good
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Between sixty and 80. Humidifier. And spraying Too high. Should be between 30-50% during the day.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? No. Using fake. You need to get rid of all the fake and get some real plants. Veileds eat at their plants and have been known to eat a fake leaf and get impacted. Pothos is perfect for chameleons. Get a few of them. Here’s a safe plant list. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? He’s in our room. We’re only in there to sleep and read.
  • Location - North Carolina
So your biggest problems are your choice of feeders, supplements being off and inadequate uvb. These are the most important things to correct ASAP. Then you’ll need to get him an appropriate sized enclosure. Eye problems usually are caused by a vitamin A deficiency, but I’m not sure if that’s the case for your guy. It almost looks like he has a little plug that needs to be flushed out by a vet. Btw, regardless of what your vet has said, chams don’t need to eat anything other than bugs. While they will eat fruits & veggies, they have no need for them and lack the anatomy/physiology to process them.
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jayraye2 said:
Calcium with d3 once or twice a month. Usually once. And I put calcium without d3 in his bowl with the worms so they roll in it. And the repashy I was told not to give often at all. So only once
Click to expand...
They literally just sent me off so I could “get him back into the heat”. They’re the closest reptile vet I have
 
MissSkittles said:
My feedback will be in red.
  • Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Male. Veiled. A little over One. One year
  • Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Not often unless I feel he needs more water
  • Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? -mealworms usually a few everyday. Mealworms aren’t a good staple feeder at all. Actually they aren’t recommended at all. Attaching feeder and gutloading sheets. I feed them often with fruits and veggies.
  • Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Repticalcium. You need to dust your feeders at every feeding with phosphorus free calcium without D3. One feeding every other week you’ll use a calcium with D3. On alternating weeks, you’ll give one feeding dusted with a multivitamin that doesn’t contain D3. I always keep some in his bowl so the meal worms roll in it. Sometimes they don’t. Repticalcim EITH d3 once or twice a month. Recently was told to try repashy vitamin a. Done once.
  • Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? - I spray him a few times a day . I also take him in shower with me if I feel he needs more. Showers are too stressful and can be too hot and humid for chams. As long as urates are white or mostly white (is ok to have some yellow and orange in it), your cham is hydrated. Many chams are secret about drinking.
  • Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? I don’t believe he’s been tested and prior his poops were fine Next time you go to the vet, make sure to take a fresh fecal for testing.
  • History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. -other than the eye issue previously he had a sperm plug stuck so I soaked him until it came out months and months ago


Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Screen. Not sure of dimensions but the starter size you can buy as a kit. It’s plenty big The minimum size is 2x2x4’. The starter size is something like 16x16x30”. Is a huge difference. Will attach a pic to demonstrate.
  • Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Reptilian 10 and it’s on an auto timer for 12 hours. And I don’t recall the other but I’ve always used it and got it at pet store. You need a linear T5 ho fixture with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. The screw in bulbs aren’t able to provide adequate ranges of uvb except for a very tiny area just 2-3” away from it. This is perhaps your biggest problem, along with supplementation.
  • Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot. • 70-80 80-82 is perfect for basking for a male.
  • Lowest overnight temp? 70 ish Good
  • Humidity - What are your humidity levels? Between sixty and 80. Humidifier. And spraying Too high. Should be between 30-50% during the day.
  • Plants - Are you using live plants? No. Using fake. You need to get rid of all the fake and get some real plants. Veileds eat at their plants and have been known to eat a fake leaf and get impacted. Pothos is perfect for chameleons. Get a few of them. Here’s a safe plant list. https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/
  • Placement - Where is your cage located? He’s in our room. We’re only in there to sleep and read.
  • Location - North Carolina
So your biggest problems are your choice of feeders, supplements being off and inadequate uvb. These are the most important things to correct ASAP. Then you’ll need to get him an appropriate sized enclosure. Eye problems usually are caused by a vitamin A deficiency, but I’m not sure if that’s the case for your guy. It almost looks like he has a little plug that needs to be flushed out by a vet. Btw, regardless of what your vet has said, chams don’t need to eat anything other than bugs. While they will eat fruits & veggies, they have no need for them and lack the anatomy/physiology to process them.
Click to expand...
I do have the smaller mesh one. We plan on making a bigger one. And I do feed him more than mealworms but I guess not like I should. In general, I guess I shouldn’t have just gone on the vets word and should have reached out on here sooner. Thank you so much. I just hope he can pull through. I don’t know why they didn’t take a look or try to do anything with his vent or eye or .. anything. He just sent him back to me and told me I was doing every thing wrong. I will go to the pet store tomorrow and look for better. I’m just so nervous he won’t make it
 
jayraye2 said:
I do have the smaller mesh one. We plan on making a bigger one. And I do feed him more than mealworms but I guess not like I should. In general, I guess I shouldn’t have just gone on the vets word and should have reached out on here sooner. Thank you so much. I just hope he can pull through. I don’t know why they didn’t take a look or try to do anything with his vent or eye or .. anything. He just sent him back to me and told me I was doing every thing wrong. I will go to the pet store tomorrow and look for better. I’m just so nervous he won’t make it
Click to expand...
I got the whole cage as a set and assumed the lights would be enough as they are
 
jayraye2 said:
I got the whole cage as a set and assumed the lights would be enough as they are
Click to expand...
Unfortunately, Zoo Med does a poor job informing buyers of their chameleon kits that they will be needing to make serious upgrades to everything within just a month or two. There are ways to make it work but only for tiny baby chameleons...not any larger than 3”. Have you checked out https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Tons of great and up to date info on chameleon keeping there.
 
MissSkittles said:
Unfortunately, Zoo Med does a poor job informing buyers of their chameleon kits that they will be needing to make serious upgrades to everything within just a month or two. There are ways to make it work but only for tiny baby chameleons...not any larger than 3”. Have you checked out https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ Tons of great and up to date info on chameleon keeping there.
Click to expand...
I’ve read a book but apparently not the right one! Ugh you guys, I can’t thank you enough. I just feel like a jackass for not coming HERE first. And blindly trusting the vet
 
jayraye2 said:
I just worry it’ll be too much for him if that makes sense but maybe I have too. I’m just so worried he won’t make it till then
Click to expand...
Not to sound harsh, but not getting him to a good and experienced chameleon vet won’t help his outcome.
 
ERKleRose said:
Not to be harsh, but not getting him to a good and experienced chameleon vet is out of the question.
Click to expand...
I agree. I just thought my reptile vet was good enough. I really did. I appreciate your honesty and trying to be kind. I mean that wholeheartedly. Thank you. So much.
 
jayraye2 said:
I agree. I just thought my reptile vet was good enough. I really did. I appreciate your honesty and trying to be kind. I mean that wholeheartedly. Thank you. So much.
Click to expand...
I edited my post because I felt it was worded too harshly, and I didn’t want to come off like that. While you’ve made mistakes, taking him to the vet (even though he needs a new one), coming on here, and being receptive to our change requests is a great start to try to turn it around!
 
jayraye2 said:
I’ve read a book but apparently not the right one! Ugh you guys, I can’t thank you enough. I just feel like a jackass for not coming HERE first. And blindly trusting the vet
Click to expand...
Don’t be so harsh on yourself. There is so much misinformation on chameleon care out there and it’s not easy to sort thru and know what is right. Plus, as we are always expanding our knowledge of chameleons, the recommendations change. Important thing is you are here now, are receptive and want to make your guy better. Here is a list of vets...might take a bit of scrolling/reading to find who’s recommended in your area. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/area-by-area-country-vet-list.32880/
 
ERKleRose said:
I edited my post because I felt it was worded too harshly, and I didn’t want to come off like that. While you’ve made mistakes, taking him to the vet (even though he needs a new one), coming on here, and being receptive to our change requests is a great start to try to turn it around!
Click to expand...
Ah please don’t worry about it! I know there’s a lot of ignorant and even negligent pet owners and I’m sure you see posts like this all day. I just appreciate your help. I tried so hard not to be a bad Cham mom, but I guess I was looking in all the wrong places for help. But I hope it’s a good chance. If the vet in Raleigh can take us in we are going to try to go ASAP
 
MissSkittles said:
Don’t be so harsh on yourself. There is so much misinformation on chameleon care out there and it’s not easy to sort thru and know what is right. Plus, as we are always expanding our knowledge of chameleons, the recommendations change. Important thing is you are here now, are receptive and want to make your guy better. Here is a list of vets...might take a bit of scrolling/reading to find who’s recommended in your area. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/area-by-area-country-vet-list.32880/
Click to expand...
There definitely is WAY too much misinformation which is so hard. Even my vet wasn’t as helpful as you guys! But I’m sure not all exotic places are equal. I’m just super grateful you took the time to help me, KINDLY too. Thank you for steering me in the right directions! Will call Raleigh tomorrow and hopefully set up a time! Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!
 
jayraye2 said:
There definitely is WAY too much misinformation which is so hard. Even my vet wasn’t as helpful as you guys! But I’m sure not all exotic places are equal. I’m just super grateful you took the time to help me, KINDLY too. Thank you for steering me in the right directions! Will call Raleigh tomorrow and hopefully set up a time! Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!!
Click to expand...
It may really help with the vet if you provide in writing all of your husbandry, making sure to include those areas that are incorrect and the measures you are planning to correct them. I use the help form whenever I have to take one of my reptiles to the vet...saves a lot of time!
 
Hi! All of the active threads are going when I am sleeping! I just wanted to suggest listening to Bill Strands podcasts as well. Sometimes it helps to listen to a person's voice.
 
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