New Cage for young Veiled; acting strange and falling

[Maddieremington]

Hi, *SORRY this is so long*, Dexter is about 7 months old and I've had him for almost 4 months now. When I first got him I had to get a pretty small cage due to costs and finally last night I got him a bigger one. (New cage is 18x18x24) Just a few weeks prior to this upgrade I've noticed he wasn't moving around as much, and figured it was due to him growing too big for his space. So last night I set up his new cage with a new larger branch in addition to the smaller one I already had, and the same fake plant from before but I also added this vine they had at PetSmart that I wrapped around the larger branch for him to climb on. But whenever I put him in his new cage he seemed very confused and stayed at the bottom for a long time before I set him on a higher branch to sleep. And today when I got home he was sleeping at the bottom of the cage on the paper towels. So I took him and held him for a while, and he just sat in my hand with his eyes closed and tail curled. This worries me because typically whenever I hold him he is alert and climbs all over me and usually up my hair onto my head. So I set him back in his cage and have been watching him, so far he has fallen while trying to climb the vine. He wasn't very high up but when he fell he backed up behind the plant and sat there on the floor. So I put him up on the branch without the vine where he is still sitting with his eyes closed.
Is he simply adjusting to his new environment or could something be wrong with him? Also please let me know if there are changes I should make to his new cage or anything to do to help him adjust. Thanks so much!

 

[kinyonga]

How cool is it lower down in the cage?

 

[Maddieremington]

I couldn't tell you the exact temp but it really doesn't feel that much cooler down there.

 

[repdog]

Can you post a photo or two of him? Also I think someone is going to ask you to fill out the ask for help form. I don't know where to find that though as I'm new to posting still but have been watching what others post.

 

[Maddieremington]

I'm not sure where to find the ask for help thing either.. But here are two pictures both from today

Also, he just fell again

 

[carol5208]

Dexter is a girl! And appears to be full of eggs from what I can tell!

 

[carol5208]

Here is a video for you to watch on how to set up a laying bin. If she cannot lay eggs she will become eggbound and die. I would get her to a vet and have her xrayed for eggs, but she looks fat to me and would explain why she is at the bottom. She is looking for a place to lay.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/laying-bin-set-up-educational-video-77225/
.

 

[Maddieremington]

Dexter is a girl! And appears to be full of eggs from what I can tell!

That would explain alot.. thanks so much. Now that I'm looking i don't see the "spurs" some people claimed they saw a few months ago on this forum that had convinced me he was a he..

 

[carol5208]

Yes, I was gonna ask about the spurs next. If there are none, then he is a she 100%. JannB is running a thread right now about her 7 month old that is eggbound also. It is very serious and if you don't get her to lay she is gonna die I hate to say. Seeing she is closing her eyes and falling, I think you need to get her to a vet. Xrays and then if it is eggs, they can give you something to induce her to lay if she refused to bin. Good luck with everything.

 

[carol5208]

I looked at your other thread asking help for the sex and I can see why it might be mistaken for a male as there did seem like there was a slight spur. By 7 months, the males will really start to get their markings and colors and the spurs will become more prominent, something you probably were not aware of. You can post the back feet again if you wish, but I am 99.9% sure you have a female there.

 

[Maddieremington]

Thanks you, you're being very helpful. Does the bin have to be as large as those in the video, like a trashcan? My cage isn't large enough for that. Can I make a smaller one and set it inside, or does it have to be a large separate thing?

 

[carol5208]

I am only telling you what I know from looking on here and I do not keep females for this very reason. You can use a container that is about 12 X 12. Make sure if she starts digging that she does not see you as they are weird about that and will abandon laying. Some people cover the cage up and then put a stick in the bin so they can climb out. If she will not open her eyes I hate to say but things are going downhill for her.

 

[Maddieremington]

I agree with you. I looked again now and there are definitely no spurs there. I put a laying bin I made out of a flower pot in the cage and set her in it, and put a sheet over the cage. Hope it's not too late. Again thank you so much

 

[Maddieremington]

oops i posted the same thing twice

 

[kinyonga]

Any news concerning laying activity?

 

[Maddieremington]

She has been sitting in the top of the dirt in the bin I made her all last night and today. I took her out earlier to give her a warm bath as my vet ree quested and when I was putting her back in I found what looked like a tiny egg. It was very small and cloudy and hard but we broke it open and it appeared to be an egg. So I think she may end up okay if she lays all the rest! What size should the eggs be? The one I found was smaller than a blue berry.

 

[carol5208]

No they are larger than that. But you said it was hard? I know if they are soft that is not a good sign and they are harder for them to lay from what I understand. There was just a thread on here yesterday with someone's chameleon who had to have surgery because the eggs were not calcified. I don't know if you saw it or not.

 

[Maddieremington]

No I didn't see it. But this thing looked just like an egg, and when we opened and it felt like an eggshell and liquid came out of it. Are you sure it's not possible they could just be little? It seemed like there was more in the dirt around it but I didn't pick them up.

 

[carol5208]

Yes, they could be, but I am just saying they are not usually smaller than a blueberry from what I have seen on here. I will find you a few pics.

 

[Maddieremington]

That would be great, thanks! I tried to find some earlier but I couldn't. She hasn't dug any tunnels though, she's only been sitting with his butt inside the partial hole I dug for her. But my bet said she is probably too weak to dig her own..