New baby panther

[cooney2340]

Hello all,
I just got my baby female panther on the 1st of november.. she has finally stopped pacing her terrarium but she still hasn't eaten but she has pooped twice. She also did start a shed yesterday. I bought her from petco though and I wanna take her into a vet as soon as I can to get her checked out but I don't want to put her under anymore stress. When can I take her to a vet? Should I be concerned that she hasn't eaten but has pooped twice?

 

[Beman]

Hey there welcome to the forum. Can you post some pics of your baby and of the cage including the lighting on top? Depending on her size you may not be feeding small enough insects or the right type. Or it could have to do with something in the enclosure set up. She is now at the point where she has to start eating. Depending on age they eat anywhere from 2-3 dozen insects a day very easily when they are young.

Per taking her to a vet. Depending on size I would hold off on this if she is very young. It can be extremely stressful but also if she is too small it can be very hard to treat them. If you go to a vet that does not know what they are doing then it can be very dangerous with a baby that is too small.

 

[cooney2340]

So I'm an idiot and bought the kit that literally everyone does not recommend... also we were having a hard time with humidity control... we live in Northern Illinois and we're about to be in the super dry months. We bought acrylic pieces from home depot to set up so we can have a bit more control... any help with her enclosure would be greatly appreciated!! Also I keep getting conflicting information about whether mesh or glass is better... I know they need ventilation but I keep reading that if you have a hard time controlling the environment then a combo of mesh and glass is preferred. When I swap out her terrarium should I get a glass/mesh combo?

I am lucky enough to live somewhat close to an exotic animal vet... they are about 40 minutes away from me.

 

[GrannyK]

Hi and welcome to the forum! You are not an idiot!!! Many fall into the chameleon kit trap. So glad you landed here though everyone is great and knowledgeable!! I would recommend a full husbandry review, I’ll attach the form below you can copy and paste with your answers.
As for some of your questions: I would take the chameleon kit box off the enclosure it may be scaring your little one. The y are solitary and territorial so looking at another chameleon is a big stress. You can wrap it with a shower curtain and tape for now. I recommend a hybrid or screen cage, no glass. I live in Ny so our winters are brutal as well.
Remove the bottom layer of gravel, bare bottom is best unless fully bioactive. Remove the water glass and use a water bottle with a pin hole on bottom place on top of the cage to make a dripper. They don’t recognize standing water usually and lick off the leaves. Lastly are you confirmed that’s a female? Her tail base will be deciding if you have a photo. Sorry I ramble sometimes. The husbandry form will make it much easier for the experienced to keep it nice and neat. Lol

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?

 

[MzLaurie]

Hello and welcome! Chameleon's tongues are so strong that even rocks can be picked up. The retraction is so fast that down the gullet it goes. So keeping rocks, gravels, pearlite, etc out of the cage is safest! i actually sift all of my top soil always. Females usually are awesome hunters too. At least mine were. You should keep the screen cage and tape down the vinyl you have hanging on all sides to the frame. The back and one side should be covered. Then hang the cords from the lights on the side that is sealed. It will help with humidity and prevent fires from over spray hitting electrical from either hand spraying or misting. You should remove the fake plants. They have sharp edges and chams especially females willnibble or eat plants. Even fake moss can cause impact and lead to death. Live plants on the other hand keeps humidity up and the water tends to lie on the leaves so they can drink it off of them. You need to fill out the form and post pics for a complete review. There is so much bad inaccurate info out there usually from manufactured trying to sell their wares that its criminal. We have all been there and done that in our journey to learn what these special creatures need. This is a community of cham owners that want to help you avoid those pitfalls to provide the best life for your new chameleon that is possible. her age is very important as all females are egg layers. So if you don't know, call the store and ask them to check there records. You should buy it sell a chameleon that is younger then three months, but we have seen this is rarely done with these big chain stores. At some point your little girl will need a lay bin because like chickens, she will lay even if she isn't fertilized. So best if luck to you I will keep an eye on this post to offer any other info. The chameleonacademy.com has excellent info on cage set up and lights temps humidity etc based on species. Its not a one size fits all kind of thing.