New Cham tail

[tbird]

Hello,

I just got a new new veiled chameleon on Friday. He is approx. 3-5 months old (the pet store didn’t say so I’m just guessing by his size). I got him from a local pet smart. I’m starting to be concerned with his tail. His tip of his tail doesn’t move and when he curls his tail up it sticks out. Is it tail rot? This is my first Cham so I’m def stressing out lol.

 

[Beman]

Hi there welcome to the forum. Could you try to get a few more clearer pics of the cham and the tail?

Does it look like there is a piece of shed wrapped around the tail end constricting it?

 

[tbird]

Hi there welcome to the forum. Could you try to get a few more clearer pics of the cham and the tail?

Does it look like there is a piece of shed wrapped around the tail end constricting it?

this was the best I could get. Idk if it is shed but it looks deformed, it’s been like that since I’ve had him.

 

[Beman]

this was the best I could get. Idk if it is shed but it looks deformed, it’s been like that since I’ve had him.

Ok so good news... The end of the tail is not black from being necrotic and dying off. If you run your finger into the groves do you feel any stuck shed? it almost feels like a very thin paper coating. There may not be any and it may not be a current constriction. There could have been one and it just was on so long that while baby was growing it has miss shaped the end. However I do see another injury further up the tail as well. Baby could have also been nipped at by its cage mates causing injury.
Is it just the tip that does not roll in properly or is it not rolling in from that higher injury spot?

 

[tbird]

Ok so good news... The end of the tail is not black from being necrotic and dying off. If you run your finger into the groves do you feel any stuck shed? it almost feels like a very thin paper coating. There may not be any and it may not be a current constriction. There could have been one and it just was on so long that while baby was growing it has miss shaped the end. However I do see another injury further up the tail as well. Baby could have also been nipped at by its cage mates causing injury.
Is it just the tip that does not roll in properly or is it not rolling in from that higher injury spot?

it is just the tip that doesn’t curl well. I think it must have been an old constriction as I can’t feel any stuck shed.

 

[Beman]

it is just the tip that doesn’t curl well. I think it must have been an old constriction as I can’t feel any stuck shed.

Just keep a really close eye on it. If you see it becoming discolored and going black then this means it is necrotic and dying off. If it does not then it is just an old injury so that may be the permanent tail function.

 

[tbird]

Just keep a really close eye on it. If you see it becoming discolored and going black then this means it is necrotic and dying off. If it does not then it is just an old injury so that may be the permanent tail function.

Okay I will. thanks!

 

[Beman]

Okay I will. thanks!

And in case you have not found it yet this site will walk you through correct husbandry and then you can ask questions here https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/