my chameleon is sick
- Thread starter Panther16
- Start date
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Can you fill this out please?
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.
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.
Panther16
New Member
Well I know I made a big mistake. I haven't gave him any multivitamins,just the vitamin with d3. I don't have the dripper on all the time. I don't mist him as much, cause i think its roo cold for my CHAMELEON. He seems to be hanging out more on the lower branches. Also when he walks he body moves from side to side ,kinda like a snake,
jessica
Avid Member
Sorry your little guy isn't 100 % Filling out the provided form will help give the information needed to help you properly.
The rocking could be the normal leaf walk or it could be the begining of Metabolic bone disease here are so links to check out
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/232-tongue-troubles.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-mbd-33052/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/supplementation-mbd-1-a-2451/
The rocking could be the normal leaf walk or it could be the begining of Metabolic bone disease here are so links to check out
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/232-tongue-troubles.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-mbd-33052/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/supplementation-mbd-1-a-2451/
I hope you don't mean vitamin with D3 but rather calcium (a mineral, BTW) with D3...and even if that's what you mean IMHO you may be overdoing the D3 depending on the supplement you're using.
Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
A wide variety of insects (crickets, locusts, silkworms, superworms, tomato worms, phoenix worms, butter worms, once in a while waxworms, etc.) that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it.
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.
Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Here's some information I hope will help you with things like supplements, gutloading, etc....
Appropriate cage temperatures aid in digestion and thus play a part indirectly in nutrient absorption.
Exposure to UVB from either direct sunlight or a proper UVB light allows the chameleon to produce D3 so that it can use the calcium in its system to make/keep the bones strong and be used in other systems in the chameleon as well. The UVB should not pass through glass or plastic no matter whether its from the sun or the UVB light. The most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0 tube light. Some of the compacts, spirals and tube lights have caused health issues, but so far there have been no bad reports against this one.
A wide variety of insects (crickets, locusts, silkworms, superworms, tomato worms, phoenix worms, butter worms, once in a while waxworms, etc.) that have been well fed and gutloaded should be fed to it.
Since many of the feeder insects we use in captivity have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus in them, its important to dust the insects just before you feed them to the chameleon at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to help make up for it. (I use Rep-cal phosphorus-free calcium).
If you also dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder it will ensure that your chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it. It leaves the chameleon to produce the rest of what it needs through its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system but D3 produced from exposure to UVB shouldn't as long as the chameleon can move in and out of it. (I use Rep-cal phos.-free calcium/D3).
Dusting twice a month as well with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A will ensure that the chameleon gets some vitamins without the danger of overdosing the vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job and push the chameleon towards MBD. However, there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert the beta carotene and so some people give some prEformed vitamin A once in a while. (I use herptivite which has beta carotene.)
Gutloading/feeding the insects well helps to provide what the chameleon needs. I gutload crickets, roaches, locusts, superworms, etc. with an assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, etc.)
Calcium, phos., D3 and vitamin A are important players in bone health and other systems in the chameleon (muscles, etc.) and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them, you need to look at the supplements, what you feed the insects and what you feed the chameleon.
Please note that various supplements have various amounts of D3 and vitamin A and so some can be given more often than others. The idea still is not to overdo the fat soluble vitamins like D3 and prEformed vitamin A.
Here are some good sites for you to read too...
http://chameleonnews.com/07FebWheelock.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200605020...Vitamin.A.html
http://web.archive.org/web/200406080...d.Calcium.html
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/
http://web.archive.org/web/200601140...ww.adcham.com/
If you can't access the sites above that have the word "archive" in you can do it through the WayBackMachine.
Panthergirl11
New Member
No offense but I don't think people should get chameleons or any other pet until they've really researched everything that goes into caring for them! That's why i'm taking my time and getting all the info before I get mine.
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Panthergirl11 and wontbme. She does have a say, though what she said wasn't really called for because the OP didn't say anything about not researching.
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Can you post it to the thread instead? Avatars are tiny.
lindawaz
New Member
I believe the most important issue is the Cham itself. It is a panther. It is not a healthy panther at the moment. There is a form that needs to be filled out so that Cham can get the help it needs not What kind it is.
I don't think its health outcome should be decided on whether or not you were ripped off. The Cham at this moment is being ripped off on quality of life since the form has not been filled out and steps to make him/her healthy are not being taken.
Please fill out the form. Thank you
I don't think its health outcome should be decided on whether or not you were ripped off. The Cham at this moment is being ripped off on quality of life since the form has not been filled out and steps to make him/her healthy are not being taken.
Please fill out the form. Thank you
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
Can you please just fill out the health form I posted? This is about your chameleons HEALTH. Not to find out if you got ripped off.
KarmaChameleon1337
Avid Member
You don't know what it is yet. You didn't even fill out the form, how are you supposed to fix it if you don't know the problem? I wouldn't recommend breeding him until he's healthy.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
how much experience do you have to even consider breeding? Do you have a clue what you are getting into? So when did you figure out it was the vitamins? Is there any reason why you WON'T fill out the health form?
Panther16
New Member
CHAMELEON- hoping its a bb ambilobe.
Misting- I mist once a day ,also had a dripper
Lighting- uses 5.0uv and daylight heat during.the day ,and red heat bulb at night.
He is placed on top of dresser en extern living room in 2 1/2 foot high terrium.
He has a focus benjima with some outdoor sticks
Also note that he started looking sick when I got a.new 3 month vield They are right next to eachother in seperate cages
I use the reptile calcium d3 2/twice a week.
Looks lazy ,his ribs expand outwards, when he lays on the sticks.
Its usually around 91 in his cage,basking area
Misting- I mist once a day ,also had a dripper
Lighting- uses 5.0uv and daylight heat during.the day ,and red heat bulb at night.
He is placed on top of dresser en extern living room in 2 1/2 foot high terrium.
He has a focus benjima with some outdoor sticks
Also note that he started looking sick when I got a.new 3 month vield They are right next to eachother in seperate cages
I use the reptile calcium d3 2/twice a week.
Looks lazy ,his ribs expand outwards, when he lays on the sticks.
Its usually around 91 in his cage,basking area
