New cham mommy...total wreck! Correct diet? Heat bulb at night? Wide awake? Help!!!!

Specksmom

Specksmom

New Member
Good evening, everyone! I am a first time lizard owner. My husband purchased a chameleon for me at Petco about a month ago...I saw him there and positively fell in love! I'm a science teacher, and had done a bit of research, so I'm aware of how delicate these creatures are. HOWEVER, I did NOT realize that excluding a choice few, that Petco truly has no idea what the hell they're talking about when it comes to these remarkable lizards. They sold us a glass enclosure suitable for desert lizards, just changed it to trop conditions (i know now that this is not healthy and i changed him into a mesh enclosure that i used to raise mantis in...They THINK he was close to two months old, which now would make him app. 3 months old, and everyone has a conflicting view on what to feed them! Also how much calcium to give, heat lighting, etc!!!!! FRUSTRATING!!! I've been feeding him app 10 crickets a day and several mealworms. One guy told me feed him as much as he ll eat. but he scoops those worms up like candy. They also tell me that the insects and worms are gut loaded, but god knows with what, so I'm switching to mail order bulk from a reputable source. The BIGGEST issue I'm having is the red heat bulb. Everyone has a different opinion!!!! Yes at night, no at night???? Petco INSISTS YES. I have his coil UVB on about 12-13 hours a day and shut it off at night...and I leave on the heat bulb. HE WAS DOING GREAT! Now the last two nights? WIDE AWAKE!!!! I'm so worried! I want to help him thrive and do everything right!
 
And by the way, Speck is a veiled male...actually, they didn't tell me he was a male, but he appears to have tarsal spurs.
 
No matter what anyone tells you it is never healthy to have a light on at night they need darkness to sleep and when it comes to how much cal powder make sure you just get the crickets dusted with it try not to over coat them lol also meal worms should be used as a treat a good other feeder to use are roaches or horn worms if you have more questions please post them on the site or pm me someone should be able to get you all set up also as a common rule of thumb around here never listen to petco or petstores like that 99% of the time they have no clue what they are talking about.
 
I am definitely learning that now, Juju...thank you! Should I shut his heat lamp right now? He's just hanging out. AWAKE!!! He napped earlier in the evening, so idk if that's why he's up! Yikes. I have three children and I haven't been so worried since their infancy, lol!
 
Haha yes they tend to make us worry lol chams don't nap so that is a sign that something is wrong yes please shut off his light you have to keep him on a 12 hour cycle secduale I normally try to have my guys lights on at 8 and off by 8 so try to keep him on something like that
 
The thing im about to post under this is how we ask for help it helps the people that look at your post better understand your situation.







Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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
 
no problem what so ever please try to fill out that help form I put up so that I can see if there are any issues with your care for your little dude.
 
I definitely will do it in the AM...I suppose I should try to sleep, since I've been watching Speck stay awake!! Lol! Thanks again! And I will post that info in the morning!
 
Can you post a pic of little Speck (I love that name :D)?

It's best to leave a new cham alone for a few days so they can adjust
to their new surroundings slowly. Stuff like seeing you walk the cage every day and put your hand in for feeding really helps.
Dont try to touch him unless he actually comes to you.
Always let him make the first move.

Try to chill and not worry or be too protective, chams have their own ways
of making their human caregivers pull their hair out with frustration.
They even seem to enjoy it!!! :p

Your right about Petco, if you find a sales person who actually knows the
correct husbandry, it's an accedent :eek:
 
hello and welcome to chameleon ownership. Thank god you found us! Another petco victim!! A healthy chameleon will never sleep during the day just so you know that. Many people think they are like other animals and sleep during the day which is not true. Sleeping is usually an idication of illness or sometimes incorrect lighting can cause irritation that will hurt their eyes. NO lights at night. My one chameleon would stay up all night if a light was on. You can cover your cage if their is light on somewhere in the room. That is fine. They really like darkness to sleep. Now there is a possibility if your chameleon has been kept wide awake during the night that he might sleep during the day. This could be a rare instance. Anyways, you have come to the right place to raise your little guy into a healthy adult. Please feel free to ask away with any questions and don't be shy!!!
 
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Hello Specksmom! You have come to the right place. I think most of us have a very similar story about our first chameleon and there is a community of knowledgable folks here to guide you with definitive answers to any question you may have.

Also, the search tool on the site (second link in the green bar at the top of the page) can get you quick answers to almost any question you have. There are also excellent care sheets and blogs.

Good luck and we are here to help reduce the stress and worry (although it never goes away).

Ditch the red light. Chameleons need a night time temperature drop to help slow down their metabolism. They can tolerate nighttime temps as low as mid-50's.
 
Hi there sorry you are having problems with your little one. Petco as a rule haven't a clue. There are some exceptions. No infrared light. Chams have a third eye on the top of their head that can detect light. A drop in night temps is good as it lowers there metabolism among other things and allows them to sleep. It can go as low as 50-55. During the day he will need uv light and a basking light. Supplements. As a rule dust all feeders every day with calcium without d3 and dust every two weeks with calcium with d3 and a multivit. It would be a good idea to fill in the form given, that way we can help sort things out.:)
 
Welcome! You found the right place for info and questions. I suggest reading this: https://www.chameleonforums.com/complete-veiled-care-sheet-52325/ if you have not yet stumbled upon it. It is a great basic care sheet.

I have a 5 1/2 month old veiled and a 5 year old rescue. They are wonderful creatures. I'm sure once you correct the light issue, your guy will be fine. I'm glad he found a caring and concerned owner who took the time to learn the correct way to keep him and did not rely on the info from the nasty pet store! It's amazing how little some of them know about the cratures in their care! Good luck!
 
Thank you so much everyone!!!! You have been so helpful, I could cry!! I want Speck happy!! I definitely fill out the form in the next day or two, so you know where I'm at...so ditch the red bulb completely? Is there such a thing as a basking bulb? I have two dome fixtures, one with a UVB coil and the other with the red bulb...
 
You can just use a standard 60w house bulb for a basking bulb you don't need anything fancy
 
When you click reply to the left of the smiley face is a paper clip just click that and u can post a pic
 
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