Need help finding a vet for veiled chameleon

[Duck]

Veiled Chameleon, 5 years old, had him since he was 4 inches long in 2019.
I'm around Robertsdale, Alabama and can't travel more than 2 hours away.
I believe he has a respiratory infection.
I need help finding a vet that will look at my veiled chameleon on Monday, also, is there anything I can do to make sure he makes it until then?

Problem:
He's still moving and climbing (weakly, and also reaching out to nothing alot), but stopped drinking water willingly about a week ago. His eyes are closed most of the time, but when they are open they are able to follow my finger. I think it's RI because he's now only extending his front two legs, tilting his head all the way back, and opening his mouth to make a weird, short crackling sound.

Behavior, Looks:
His eyes, cheeks, and horn are sunken in and his skin is loose like he's dehydrated, which I'm certain he is despite my efforts, and I'm also worried he's starving. I can't make him eat anything solid anymore. And if this makes any sense to anyone, he's acting like a dementia patient in the ways he would move and follow things.

He last ate a solid Friday, but it was only one dubia roach and then refused to eat anything else. Prior to that, he showed no interest in eating anything else for almost 5 days. I've been giving him water and flukers amp repta boost through a syringe, a tiny bit at a time at the bottom of his mouth. He'd swallow it on his own most of the time, but when he doesn't I'd stop because I don't want to choke him or anything. (A vet online showed me how to do that years ago that way, so I promise I'm being careful with it to the best of my ability) I can't go anywhere until Monday, and the vets nearby seem to only be dealing with dogs and cats. I haven't really asked them, but I've been to just about each one before for my dogs and cats and never saw any hint that they can help with reptiles. I just mostly want to find a vet that has a lot of experience with reptiles.

Situation At the Moment:
I'm taking care of an old woman this weekend and staying at her house for money and will be home Monday, but I took him with me. His cage is screen on all sides except the bottom. I haven't fed him anything new or out of the ordinary lately, but temps did drop in my house this past month, it's been difficult keeping his enclosure above 75 when it's usually around 80 at the top of it. He usually stays outside of his cage in our room, but now he refuses to leave it.

Rambling:
I need help finding a vet that will look at my veiled chameleon on Monday, until then, is there anything I can do to make sure he makes it until then?
I've checked out some websites that were able to help me find a vet, but those are 3 to 5 hours away and I don't know if he will be alright in a car ride that long in his condition.
I would have done something sooner, but last year when it was winter he had the same appetite and flukers repta boost thing helped him out of it in a few days. He usually eats to his hearts content about every two to three days (dubia roaches, crickets, mealworms and waxworms), he won't eat anything that won't move and hasn't since he was younger. I don't know what else to add to help.
The photo attached is him now, he looked a lot better a month ago. The sunken in horn (I think that's what it's called) and cheeks were slowly becoming a thing over a while (2-3 months maybe? Though it only became this hollow when he got sick this week) Ive seen alot of photos of veileds with similar sunken in cheeks, so I assumed it was just something to do with age, but not the breathing and behavior. That started the past few days.

 

[Duck]

How do I edit this?
I think I just found a vet nearby, but I'm waiting for them to get back to me. I thought they only treated dogs and cats, but my friend told me they have exotic animal care on their website. They also open Monday and are closed on weekends.
Sorry, I made a whole account just to get help for him, I have no idea how this website works yet

 

[Gloriawood]

Hi there!! I’m going to try and attach the vet list we have. Hopefully this works.

 

[Duck]

Hi there!! I’m going to try and attach the vet list we have. Hopefully this works.

It works, thank you! It really means alot

 

[Gloriawood]

If you are willing, I’m also going to attach a husbandry review form. If you fill this out with as much detail as you can, it might help narrow things down a bit. The sunken eyes can be a sign of dehydration and stress. I don’t want to scare you, but your little guy doesn’t look well at all. Everyone here is super nice and non judge mental and will do all we can to help. Does your guy have a name?



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.



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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Duck]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Veiled Chameleon, male, ~5 years old. Had him since 2019 when he was 4 inches long, including tail length.

Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
I let him climb up my arm and onto my head about once a week or whenever he wants, other than that we just hold hands unless he wants to climb on that too. (These past few days, he just weakly grabs onto me, nothing more)

Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Dubia roaches, crickets, mealworms, waxworms. I stick a whole bunch in a small cup, shake it around and he just goes at it, so im not sure how much of which insect he eats. I'd say he stops at around 15 to 20 total. The roaches have this dubia roach diet thing I bought at the store, I'll throw cooked peas in there. The crickets have this orange jelly thing I bought for them. My chameleon himself won't eat anything that won't move, but I occasionally try to trick him into eating omnivore mix stuff (I'll add a picture of a little bag I brought with me). He eats every 2-3 days. (Or used to, he hasn't eaten in several days and shows no interest in doing so. I've been using flukers repta boost AMP to try to get him to eat again)

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
ZooMed Repticalcium (half of the little spoon in it is thrown into the cup of insects about every other feeding), Flukers Liquid Vitamin (I put 2 drops on the top of the insect cup he eats, and I do that once a week)

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
I don't know if this is normal, but he drinks straight from the mist bottle thing I have, I just lightly press on the lever and he goes straight for it. He never drank off the dripper I bought for him or anything. I let him drink until he gets bored of it and leaves twice a day, (but he hasn't been drinking the past few days unless I give it to him through the syringe)

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
Brown and white-ish yellow, but the last time he used the bathroom was the other day and it was more liquid with yellow. I don't really know what it used to look like before he got sick. And no he hasn't been tested for parasites before.

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
He's been sick once before, about a year go with almost similar problems but without the sunken in cheek bones and breathing weird. The hollow face/head area slowly became more apparent about 2-3 months ago.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
For the weekend, he is with me away from home, so he's in a screen cage that could fit in the car. At home, it's a bedroom, but also there's an old 20 gallon glass fish tank I reused and combine two of the screen cages together for the top, it coves 2/3rds of the tank itself though. It's not pretty looking, but I DIYed it together and it's pretty spacious. When I get home Monday, I'll take a picture of it. I'll take a picture of the part I brought with me. It's pretty bare because I couldn't take a lot with me since I'd have to carry it and him.

Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Double dome light fixture, Aqua Culture Daylight Bulb Incandescent Reptile Lighting, and Red Heat Bulb Reptile Incandescent Lighting, both 75 watts. After dark, I turn the red light on, during the day the day light is on. I don't know if there's any difference to those two bulbs besides color.

Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
The cage ranges from 60-80 (80 during the day, falls to 60 if its cold, 60 is also the lowest its been).

Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
I mist the cage in the middle of the day for 2 minutes or more, I will show the bottle. I don't do it in mornings or nights because I worry it gets too cold, but I do try to do it a couple times throughout the day when Im home. The humidity levels never hit 90, but is usually around 70-80. There's a circular thing in it to measure both temp and humidity.

Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Not live plants in the cage, but soft fake plants, they're fabric. Fake vines, some kind of mulch at the bottom that said it was supposed to help with humidity but I forgot what it's called. I also have sticks in there I bought from hobby lobby a while back. There is one live plant by the window I put him on (inside plant, not a live plant outside a window). I don't know what kind of plant it is, but it's medium height.

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?
His cage at home hits near the ceiling to about half way down the wall. It's not super tall, but it's wide in its weird way. There's 1 air vent near it, but it barely works. There's alot of windows in the room, and a ceiling fan in the middle of the room. There's also a small heater on the floor I turn on during the night, but it's not directly on him. It does heat the room up a little bit though.

Location - Where are you geographically located?
USA, Alabama

Current Problem:
Not eating or drinking on his own, opening his mouth as if to yawn, but creacking sounds come out- happens multiple times during the day yesterday, happened once today so far but still opening mouth alot. Last night, stayed on bottom of cage, two arms extended and head reeled far back. Also, sunken in cheeks and horn(?), much worse as of late, but started becoming prevalent about 2 or 3 months ago, this week they seem worse. Eyes closed about 50 or 60 percent of the day. Most vets opens Monday, need ideas to make him last to then. I'm not sure what the main cause could be other than the temps in my house dropping so low this season since I think that's the only thing that's changed about his habitat and our home lately.

I'm going to add a picture of some of the items and the cage he's in while he's here with me at this lady's house for the weekend. So it's that cage, plus a second just like it ontop of a 20 gallon glass tank (its not too impressive, but its spacious), I'll have to send that photo of the one of it at home on Monday in another comment. Though, he's usually just out in my room on a plant by the window more than he is in the cage during the day (only when I'm home though)


*Sorry it took so long, I had to help the woman I'm watching for a bit. If there's anything I missed, it wasn't on purpose.

 

[Duck]

And here's an updated photo of him today compared to yesterday. I think he looks about the same. I had to move the stick up further and squeeze it into that area so it wouldn't fall while he was on it. Also he is 4½ inches from the top, not exactly the light.

 

[Gloriawood]

I’m going to tag a couple more experienced keepers to do a full review of everything. I will mention a couple things though. It definitly sounds like and RI, though I’m not a vet. Your humidity sounds pretty high for a veiled. During the day, it should really be 30%-50%. At night if the temp drops to the 60s you can boost the humidity up to 100%. The other thing I will point out is your calcium has D3. He likely has too much D3 in his system. Veiled should get calcium without D3 every feeding and a multivitamin with D3 twice a month.

There are some other things that need some changing. However, like I said I’m not as experienced as others. And I want to promise you that anything we say or recommend is not a stab at you. There is so much outdated information out there. You obviously care greatly for this guy. And 5 years old is amazing for a veiled. Many don’t live that long.

@MissSkittles @Beman is there anything that can be done for this guy in the meantime till he gets to the vet Monday?

 

[Duck]

I’m going to tag a couple more experienced keepers to do a full review of everything. I will mention a couple things though. It definitly sounds like and RI, though I’m not a vet. Your humidity sounds pretty high for a veiled. During the day, it should really be 30%-50%. At night if the temp drops to the 60s you can boost the humidity up to 100%. The other thing I will point out is your calcium has D3. He likely has too much D3 in his system. Veiled should get calcium without D3 every feeding and a multivitamin with D3 twice a month.

There are some other things that need some changing. However, like I said I’m not as experienced as others. And I want to promise you that anything we say or recommend is not a stab at you. There is so much outdated information out there. You obviously care greatly for this guy. And 5 years old is amazing for a veiled. Many don’t live that long.

@MissSkittles @Beman is there anything that can be done for this guy in the meantime till he gets to the vet Monday?

Thanks for answering, I appreciate the help either way. I have no idea why I was so sure that humidity had to stay above 60 for so long, I must have confused it for something else back in the day or maybe I heard it from someone and just stuck with it.
I had no idea about the d3 thing, I just thought it worked like normal calcium. Is there something I can do about that?
As for the things you think should change, can you share them? Experience or not, it's always good for me to learn something.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your kindness. I checked up on websites like these several times a year and on social media and I was always worried if I asked a question on one or said something I'd get a response like "Maybe you're first question should've been why you have a chameleon " , I know it's not like that on this website though (Or probably any and I'm just overthinking) .It's just on so many some people come off as a little bit negative through text out of nowhere, it's like whiplash haha. Thus is the first time I ever posted on any kind of forum so its nice that it's like this, despite the circumstances my guy is in.

 

[Duck]

I found two older photos of him on my snapchat so I decided to screenshot those and share for comparison pictures. I think they're from last year during the summer

 

[Gloriawood]

Thanks for answering, I appreciate the help either way. I have no idea why I was so sure that humidity had to stay above 60 for so long, I must have confused it for something else back in the day or maybe I heard it from someone and just stuck with it.
I had no idea about the d3 thing, I just thought it worked like normal calcium. Is there something I can do about that?
As for the things you think should change, can you share them? Experience or not, it's always good for me to learn something.

Thanks again, I really appreciate your kindness. I checked up on websites like these several times a year and on social media and I was always worried if I asked a question on one or said something I'd get a response like "Maybe you're first question should've been why you have a chameleon " , I know it's not like that on this website though (Or probably any and I'm just overthinking) .It's just on so many some people come off as a little bit negative through text out of nowhere, it's like whiplash haha. Thus is the first time I ever posted on any kind of forum so its nice that it's like this, despite the circumstances my guy is in.

Oh there are plenty of negative site out there. I’ve not hear fantastic things about Reddit forums for chams. This is definitly the most understanding community out there. Most of us have started with outdated info found online or from pet stores. A lot of places will apply husbandry for other reptiles and it just doesn’t work for these guys. Do not ever be afraid to ask questions here. That’s how we learn.

So for the other things I noticed. No lights at night, they actually benefit from a temp drop. As long as you’re in the 60s at night, you’re fine. No colored bulbs either. These can hurt their sensitive eyes. During the day, use a plain non colored light for heat. If you can find them, regular incandescent bulbs work great. For UVB, you need a linear T5 high output fixture with either a 6% or 05 bulb. The coil UVB bulbs just do not penetrate far enough in the enclosure to give them proper UVB levels. I would also replace the fake plants with live ones. Veiled chams especially are known to munch on their plants and fake ones impose and impaction risk. I’ll attach a list of chameleon safe plants.

For the D3: from what I understand, this is something that will just have to work its way out of his system. Hydration will be important for this. Hold off on giving him any more with D3 for now. Get plain calcium as soon as you can. I have 0 experience with this, so others may have better advice here.

The two keepers I tagged are AMAZING. My Cham was on his was out when I got him last year. He had MBD and basically everything was wrong with his husbandry. They helped me get him back into good health and thriving. They check this forum nearly everyday so I’m sure by tomorrow they will chime in.

 

[Gloriawood]

I found two older photos of him on my snapchat so I decided to screenshot those and share for comparison pictures. I think they're from last year during the summer

He’s so pretty! And I bet he just LOVES outdoor time!

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and welcome! @Gloriawood has given you some great information and advice. I just wanted to say that 5 years for your beautiful darling boy is absolutely incredible. You have done an amazing job with him and I can tell how much you love him from your posts. Sending you a virtual hug . It’s so hard to see your beloved babies get sick.

 

[Duck]

He’s so pretty! And I bet he just LOVES outdoor time!

He does! He has fun out there
Thank you so much for the plant list!!! And thank you for the light situation information as well, I appreciate it lots

 

[elizaann2]

Among other great resources you could also check out the chameleon academy website. There is extensive info on veiled care there.

 

[Duck]

Hello and welcome! @Gloriawood has given you some great information and advice. I just wanted to say that 5 years for your beautiful darling boy is absolutely incredible. You have done an amazing job with him and I can tell how much you love him from your posts. Sending you a virtual hug . It’s so hard to see your beloved babies get sick.

Thanks for the warm welcome! Gloriawood has been very helpful in such a short amount of time.

Among other great resources you could also check out the chameleon academy website. There is extensive info on veiled care there.

Thank you for this, I'll go find it

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome. I'm sorry that your handsome guy isn't doing so well. I have no personal experience with RI's and other than getting the chameleon to the vet asap, I'm honestly not sure what you can do for him at home until then. I do recall that maintaining humidity is important to help keep any respiratory secretions thin. @SteveH or @elizaann2 may be of more help than I can be with this.
If I can, I'll go over your husbandry, but it will need to wait a bit or longer, depending on if I get called away to work.

 

[elizaann2]

I don’t have experience with an RI personally but humidity you want 30-40% during the day and if you can get temps as low as 68 degrees or lower at night then you want to try and get to 80-100% humidity if you can.

 

[MissSkittles]

Work is kicking my butt tonight, so I'm afraid I'm not able to go over your husbandry and too exhausted to stay awake after to do it. Very sorry. Hopefully another member will step up.

 

[Gloriawood]

Work is kicking my butt tonight, so I'm afraid I'm not able to go over your husbandry and too exhausted to stay awake after to do it. Very sorry. Hopefully another member will step up.

I can go ahead and do it, hopefully someone can just correct anything I miss. Get some rest!