Looking for info.....my cham is dark grey on the tip of his head and all the way down his back. We figured he was burnt and after researching online, I believe our instincts are correct. She's approx. 9 months old and has been really healthy up until now. We haven't changed anything in her cage so I'm not sure why she is now burning from the lamps. I've looked through the forum and am going tonight to get new bulbs and such. My boyfriend is the one that set it up so I'm not sure what bulbs we have at the moment. If you have any suggestions on what I should do, that would be great. I hope it is not too painful for her. I read online that it should start healing but if it's really bad, that the burnt parts will fall off. Is this correct??
My poor burnt cham!! Please help!
- Thread starter jesscropp
- Start date
ChromaChameleons
New Member
What is the temp at the basking spot?
If nothing in your setup has changed, is there any chance this is just a shed?
If nothing in your setup has changed, is there any chance this is just a shed?
ChameleonsTree
New Member
Thats unusual for a chameleon that old...babies are notorius for doing it
Ummm.....I don't think she's shedding. It's been like this for a little while now. We noticed it a week or so ago and thought maybe it was her changing colors but now it's not going away so we're worried. Now that you mention it, she hasn't shedded in a while either. I really have to do some adjustments in his cage. I hope she'll be fine. I'll try to take a picture tonight to show you so you can get a better idea of what it looks like.
Put the basking light the same distance away from the back of your hand as it is from the chameleon...if you can't keep your hand there, then its too hot for the chameleon. Changing the lights, unless you are talking about using a lower wattage, is not likely going to change the possibility that the chameleon can get burned....all you may need to do is suspend the light higher away from the place it is now.
I'm sure a burn hurts a chameleon somewhat like it hurts us. If there is an open wound or sore you need to do something with it...it could get infected. It would be a good idea to take it to a vet if that's the case. It might be okay if its not open...but a vet could tell you for sure.
Can you post a picture?
I'm sure a burn hurts a chameleon somewhat like it hurts us. If there is an open wound or sore you need to do something with it...it could get infected. It would be a good idea to take it to a vet if that's the case. It might be okay if its not open...but a vet could tell you for sure.
Can you post a picture?
boothy
New Member
any chameleon on this beautiful earth is cold blooded so there bodies tell them there over all body Temp basking in the sun , forsome strange reason they cant determine if a leg or arm or there backs are geting to hot and burning , its just over all body temp theyy just think OH jeese its hot im gona move and next thing you know there burnt so badly they have to be put down or they just die from there injuries and infection burns are the worst for infection , so apply polysupourn every other day to let it dry out abit and cortizone cream i used on my female and almost barely any scaring on her back leg , as i did not burn her the fella in Europe did it when she was there , but knows shes in my care for almost 2 yrs now and shes doing wicked awsome , so just apply those creams so no infection starts Burns are dirty hope this helps you out
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy,
Silvadene (or its generic) is commonly used for burns on reptiles.
As was mentioned - post photos. Might be burns, might not be.
What part of the world are you located?
Silvadene (or its generic) is commonly used for burns on reptiles.
As was mentioned - post photos. Might be burns, might not be.
What part of the world are you located?
TRI0N
New Member
Lights Don't Sound Like Cause
I heard that once they get older the longer it takes and less that they do peel. The burn sounds weird if nothing has changed with your setup to all of a sudden be burnt. May not even be your setup. Did you change anything in her diet? Perhaps even a change in gutload food for her live feed? Anything chemical that might have got into her system that is making her skin light sensitive? Perhaps even spaying her with untreated water or a new spray bottle that wasn’t washed out first before use? Change in Vitamins? Something had to promote the burn. If she has always been able to reach the high point in her enclosure without burning then there has to be another cause for this to have happened. (example) Even just the slightest amount of Baby Oil on ones hands transferred to your cham or anything else for that matter can burn it wickedly.
I heard that once they get older the longer it takes and less that they do peel. The burn sounds weird if nothing has changed with your setup to all of a sudden be burnt. May not even be your setup. Did you change anything in her diet? Perhaps even a change in gutload food for her live feed? Anything chemical that might have got into her system that is making her skin light sensitive? Perhaps even spaying her with untreated water or a new spray bottle that wasn’t washed out first before use? Change in Vitamins? Something had to promote the burn. If she has always been able to reach the high point in her enclosure without burning then there has to be another cause for this to have happened. (example) Even just the slightest amount of Baby Oil on ones hands transferred to your cham or anything else for that matter can burn it wickedly.
Thanks for all the replies....I wasn't home much last night so I'll take a pic tonight for sure and post it. I googled chameleon skin problems and i can up with a bunch of pics and I'm 95% that it is a burn. I'll try testing the heat on the back of my hand. And like someone mentioned, it could be baby oil or something that was transfered and made her burn. I haven't changed her diet or anything so it couldn't be that or at least I don't think so. One question I had was that I researched through this forum about certain lighting and such and I'm wondering if most of you keep a night time heat lamp on?? I have been but I haven't seen much written about it here so maybe that's the problem. Last night we moved the lighting and heat lamp farther away from her cage. I've read that it should be 10-12" away from the highest spot. Like I said, I'll post pics tonight and maybe that will give you guys a better idea. Thanks so much!!
P.S. It doesn't look infected yet, hopefully it's not too bad....I'll purchase some of the cream you guys have suggested and put on her to make sure it doesn't get worse.
P.S. It doesn't look infected yet, hopefully it's not too bad....I'll purchase some of the cream you guys have suggested and put on her to make sure it doesn't get worse.
TRI0N
New Member
I used baby oil as an example to show transfer of chemicals that can cause harm.
Yes alot of those "Night Light" labeled bulbs do emit heat and if too close can cause serious harm. If you are using a night light inside a fixture that lays on top of the enclosure it should not need to be any more then 25w. Even 40 is too much. After all the idea of a night light should do no more then what it is intended to do.
Since Chameleons do see colors like humans and science has proven that Red is a color that is found to be not cause problems in the dark, they are not effected by the color and companies that make these "Night Light"/"Day Light (Blue)" bulbs without clear warning of their ability to emit heat. There are Red IR Head bulbs that emit IR Heat and those are to be kept at a safe distance like the spot lamp and only used if tempature drop below 60 degrees at night for a Veiled. (In fact by law you can legally drive your car at night with red lights eluminated in you car at all times while you would get a ticket for having your Dome Light on if any other color. True fact.)
I think you might have just found the cause and would either raise your night light or get a 25 watt ZooMed Night Light where it won't burn her.
Prism Chameleons
Established Member
Depending on how severe the burn is, you may need veterinary assistance. Burns can be very serious, lead to infection, and sepsis if not treated properly and you may need antibiotics to heal any infections that may be induced by the burns. Burns in chameleons heal VERY slowly as their skin is very tough. You will need anti-biotic ointment such as Dave mentioned and possibly antibiotics.
I hope things go well
I hope things go well
