Mbd??

B

blue300zx

New Member
Well ive had my male veiled for about 3 1/2 months and today when I misted his cage he seemed to have a shakey walk... (no not the "im a leaf" walk) doesnt seem to move much at all... scared it may be MBD... I havnt dusted my crickets in a while because they always die so fast, but i know thats not a excuse. Im gonna start doing it regularly again, but being shakey and almost falling off branches I dont think is good at all... can anyone help me :confused:
 
MIne did that once but he was cold and soon after went to sleep and was fine the next day.....mine also happened after i sprayed..i think he just inhaled a little water.
 
Does your chameleon have a UVB light or is it able to be put outside in the sunlight every day? UVB allows the chameleon to make D3 which allows it to use the calcium.

The calcium powder I use is phosphorous-free. I dust at almost every feeding with it. Insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous so this helps to make up for it.

Because my chameleons get no direct sunlight (BTW the UVB from either the sun or the florescent tube light should not pass through glass or plastic) I dust with a D3/calcium powder twice a month too. Don't overdo it because D3 from supplements can build up in the system.

Vitamin A also plays a part in MBD...so if you overdo the preformed vitamin A it can be a problem. Check your vitamins and anything you use for gutloading to see what sources the vitamin A comes from.

There was a good article on the Chameleon Journals about this, but the site is down for now.

Also, temperature plays a part in digestion, so the basking temperature needs to be appropriate.

If your chameleon is shaky enough that he might fall, I would try to make the cage safer for him so that you don't end up with an injured chameleon or with broken bones (if he does in deed have MBD).

Re: the crickets dying....perhaps you are dusting too heavily? If you are not dusting too heavily, try feeding less crickets more often so that the dust won't kill them so fast. (You aren't wetting the crickets to get the dust to stick, are you?)
 
Im currently using a 75w basking spot neodymium daylight lamp, does not say UVB but says UVA. Kinda upset considering I was told I needed this light... GRR! Should I go buy a UVB immediately?
 
I agree with Kinyonga you have to have uvb light. Also make sure the light is changed every 6 months. I made a mistake with my first chameleon and did not change the light after 6 months. My female veiled laid a clutch of eggs and looked terrible after she came out of the tunnell. I took her to the vet and was told she had mbd. I said I dust her crickets and use uvb 12 hours a day. The vet told me you have to change the light every 6 months. She did not drop all her eggs and became eggbound and died . I felt so guilty. I did not let that stop me. I have some more veiled chameleons and the mothers have each laid 3 clutches of eggs successfully and are still looking healthy. I also gut load my crickets with a special recipe of powered milk baby rice cereal and olther useful nutrients.
 
blue300zx said:
Im currently using a 75w basking spot neodymium daylight lamp, does not say UVB but says UVA. Kinda upset considering I was told I needed this light... GRR! Should I go buy a UVB immediately?
Click to expand...

Ya, get a reptisun 5.0 uv light tommorow. My old UV light didnt work well and noticed a major difference in bone strength once I got a good UVB light.
 
The light is a must have, but...

Although it is extremely important for you to correct the causes of mbd (lack of supplementation and proper uvb lighting), you should see a vet. If your guy does have mbd, then his recovery will require more than calcium powder and lights. He may need an injection and or liquid calcium. A good reptile vet can diagnose mbd and treat it correctly. If the disease has not progressed, he may get by with just correcting the husbandry issues, but you don't want to gamble with your treasured pets life. I hope he recovers and has a long life zapping bugs for your enjoyment and his. Oh yeah, I miss my 300zx, I assume you have one?
 
Well he seems a little better off moving around today than yesterday, and is still eating alot, so I guess thats good. Bought a 8.0 UVB tube, some more dust, along with his basking lamp.

The cage is 3 ft tall 2 ft wide but I dont think he can fall off any of the plants I have in there. Man I just got these waxworms and he really loves them.. just want the poor guy to get better hate to seem him struggle sometimes :(

flpanther: Yeah I got a 95 n/a
 
Also wanted to ask if missing all the uvb would effect growth rate because lack of calcium? At almost 4 months my veiled is still kinda small.
 
It could very well be why he's small...although there can be other reasons too.

Take it easy with the waxworms....they are fatty and its better not to feed too many of them to your chameleon.
 
Alright well I wont overfeed on the waxworms.

It's been over 3 weeks since his last shed and he gets misted 2-3 times a day, what does this mean?
 
Growth rate

UVB definitely affects growth rate. Breeders who keep chams outdoors or in special greenhouses offer animals 5-6 months old that are near adult size and display adult coloration. Chams raised indoors under proper UVB lamps grow a little slower, so a cham who didn't get any UVB would definitely grow even less. Of course, diet and supplementation also affect growth rate.
 
When they are young they shed when the are growing and as adults they will still shed but only a couple of times a year.
 
$$beni€€ said..."Feeding too much fruit and vegetables to you Veiled cham. can cause MBD"...please explain. What is it about feeding them veggies and fruit that can cause MBD?
 
Well my veiled is moving around alot better now, no more shakey hands. He is starting to hiss and get a bit more aggressive.. I guess thats normal for a veiled at 4 months?
 
Hissing good...

Gaping or hissing at you is a natural reaction for a cham. There are a lot of posts by new owners who are concerned that thier cham doesn't seem to like them. It is actually more of a concern if your cham doesn't react to your presence. That is not to say that a cham won't grow to learn you are not a threat, but you are correct when you said it is normal for a cham 4 months old. It is also a good sign that his condition may be improving. Keep up the research and good husbandry.
PS- I had a '90 NA 300zx before my kids were born. Miss it.
 
kinyonga said:
$$beni€€ said..."Feeding too much fruit and vegetables to you Veiled cham. can cause MBD"...please explain. What is it about feeding them veggies and fruit that can cause MBD?
Click to expand...

Similar as in Iguana diet, some vegetables and fruit "wash away" or restrict the absorbtion of calcuim in the digestive sistem of the chameleon.
Mostly vegetables as; salat, cabage, brocoli, couliflower, tomato
 
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