New chameleon owner I rescued him in bad shape HELP ME!

[baldarthecham]

This is gonna be kind of long bare with me.... Please be kind I am trying to save this guy this is a RESCUE and I know only what I have googled for the last 24hrs. I understand how difficult these reptiles are and aren't good for first time owners but he was absolutely going to die where he was. With me he has a chance. Yes he is going to a vet the soonest for a chameleon was next Thursday. So I need any and all advice I can get. I walked into this situation. The damage was done before I got him but I am trying to save him. Any and all help is greatly appreciated. I just want to do all I can till he sees the vet Thursday. So I'm going to dump a lot of info the background of him before I got him and what Ive done since getting him. Im going to post the pics in order from what she sent me to when I got him. Today makes day 2 with me

Before me-So I was cruising FB marketplace as I always do. I came across a post about a free chameleon. I thought this cant be real. Sure enough it was. He is 6 or 8 months old. She got him for her nephew and he lost intertest didn't tell anyone and was basically letting him die. So she took over. But she knows nothing about him. Did no research. Worst part she is scared of him. So I also did not know anything but suggested her to please post him on a page for rehoming reptiles. She said she would. I kept my eye on the page and she never did. I left it alone. Came back around and he popped on my fb market again. In her description she added he had a bump on his tail (its right where his anus is in the area under the tail) trying to help I googled stuff and sent her stuff to try and even called a reptile store for suggestions. She said she soaked him for 45mins in warm water and also discovered that wasn't true or plausible once i saw the state of him. She then offered me him for free she was originally asking money. She then dropped the bomb he couldn't see and was having trouble eating. His eyes wont open she said and one looks to have something cover his eyeball on the inside.
I got him from her Wednesday 10/9/24. She said that was his feed day(which was weird sounding to me. she told me later last he ate was lasts Sunday)she would give me the crickets and cricket holder so I had food.(she did not. she clearly had no food for him)She gave me his enclosure. With the lights and supplements. The enclosure I was given is the Reptibreeze chameleon kit. she did not have a heat lamp or uv light it was a regular light bulb. She also put him in a waffle box with a plastic plant. basically handed it to me and ran. I was in tears when I saw him and how bad he was. He was very cold and so skinny. Dehydrated. Eyes sunk in a little. both eyes closed he clearly cant see. One eye wont even open the other will but had something inside I think its skin from a poor shed due to his condition.(told yall I been googling) I went to get him out the waffle box to better choice of transportation and he puffed and opened his mouth to hiss so he had some fight in him left. I brought a bigger box that I set a branch up in for him to hold on to and lined it with cloth and had it strapped down in my car ready for him. I rushed to the pet store got food, supplements heat lamp, uv lamp, and turned the heat up and rush him home.

With me- So I've had him since 10/9/24 6pm. I knew he was under stress already. I knew anything following was going to be stressful but he wasn't in the position to set up the enclosure and ignore him unfortunately. So I set up the enclosure with a running water source a leaf fountain thing called a water dripping tree. Let him just chill in the box. I added a real plant since everything in there was fake I plan on changing that if he lives. Its a very large lucky bamboo plant which I was told by google it was okay and not toxic to him if that's wrong please lmk. i cleaned it before it went in there. Got the heat lamp and UV up and on. I then placed him in the shower on a stick i put up in there not directly in the water with the curtains drawn with the water on to get steam going to gradually raise his temp and moist him up. He has a very strong grip still and moves good. His color got better in the shower and he actually moved one eye around. I turned the water down and started dripping the warm water all over his body. I did leave his heat lamp and uv light on the first night to help warm him up. He is now on a 10 on and 10 off schedule. I put 3 crickets in his feeder thing that were dusted with supplements Thursday morning to see if hed while there was no one home for 10hrs. He did not. I dont think he can see to eat. He did poop though. From what i saw online looks like some regular poop with a lot of urine. So last night after discovering from the previous owner that he hadn't eaten since last sunday and the eye issue has been a thing for 2 weeks. I decided to "help him eat" yes I know it stresses him out but I figured getting something in him with some stress vs nothing at all was more helpful then harmful at this point. So I made him mad by touching him and when he puffed and opened his mouth a popped a wax worm in there I read they are full of fat and good for rescues but in the future should be more treats. I dusted it in "Rep Ashy Super Food-Grub Pie" verse the straight calcium in hopes it helps where he is lacking in his vitamins and nutrients. I made sure it stuck out some so he wouldn't choke. When I went in this morning to turn on his lights and mist the cage it was no longer in his mouth and i didnt see it anywhere in the cage. I was very close to making a bug mush for him. I found bug juice recipes. So i might try that if I feel he really needs nutrients asap. Please thoughts on this. I also read a 1/2 and 1/2 pedilyte soak would very helpful. Only enough water to reach his anus as he can absorb it that way. Again any thoughts on that?

So here we are today. I am on here messaging you guys begging for all any advice! I want him to make it and most importantly make it till he sees the vet Thursday. They have one chameleon vet he comes on Thursdays. So any and all help is welcome! I never owned a reptile. Like I said he has better chance with me then he did with her. So please help! I am posting the pics in order from when she had him(first pic of him very grey and the bump on his butt) to the 2 i took when i got him warmed up in shower and in his new home. And of course the poop if anyone can gage that. THANKS IN ADVANCE

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. Oh dear. Poor guy. I’m not sure which issue to address first. He needs a good vet asap. What is your general location? We have a list of good vets with chameleon experience, but you may need to travel a little.
The butt bump I suspect is probably built up shed and hemipenes plugs. It would need to be removed carefully in order not to cause a prolapse. I’ll see if I can find a video on that later.
For the eyes, it is probably a mixture of things - lack of supplements. they close them when they don’t feel well/are waiting to be eaten by a predator, could also be infection not necessarily of the eyes, but sinuses maybe, and who knows what else.
You did correct in popping a feeder into his mouth, If you can continue to do that, great! If not, you may need to go to making some bug juice or get some ReptiBoost from any pet store. The vet will likely give or advise Carnivore Care. Or you can mash some insects into a slurry if you aren’t squeamish. However you do it, aim for the back of the throat. Airway is in the front. Adding a pic to demonstrate - avoid red & aim for blue. Be careful if needing to handle him as I expect he has metabolic bone disease and is fragile.
More important than food is water. He needs to be kept hydrated. The water dripping plant is not a recommended thing. Better is to get some nice full pothos that are clean and mist/spray them until they are thoroughly dripping (usually 2 minutes). Many chameleons are secretive about drinking, so spray and leave.
For heat, he needs a basking temp of 85. UVB needs to be a linear T5 with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%. Then place at a distance of about 8-9” above basking area.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum! I wish it was under better circumstances that you were joining…but you’ve done very well so far for someone who has never kept a chameleon before.

Back in a few minutes with some more information, etc.
I see @MissSkittles is already helping! Good timing!

 

[kinyonga]

The swelling in the vent area could be shed but if there was substrate in the cage it could also have been pulled inside that area. It definitely needs attention.

As @MissSkittles said…”You did correct in popping a feeder into his mouth”…that’s less stressful though if you can get him drinking and then pop the insect in while his mouth is opening and shutting.
This might also help you with the feeding…
https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html

You said…” I also read a 1/2 and 1/2 pedilyte soak would very helpful. Only enough water to reach his anus as he can absorb it that way. Again any thoughts on that?”…they don’t absorb water through the vent or skin. I’m not sure it would even sooth the swollen area in this case or not…I’m not a vet. I’ve just kept chameleons and other reptiles for many years.

You said he did produce some poop…that means he must have eaten something recently…so that’s hopeful.

 

[MissSkittles]

Here is the video on checking hemipenes. I would advise having someone help you and not do as much as is done in the video. In your guy’s case, it is best done to be done by a vet.

 

[baldarthecham]

Hi. Oh dear. Poor guy. I’m not sure which issue to address first. He needs a good vet asap. What is your general location? We have a list of good vets with chameleon experience, but you may need to travel a little.
The butt bump I suspect is probably built up shed and hemipenes plugs. It would need to be removed carefully in order not to cause a prolapse. I’ll see if I can find a video on that later.
For the eyes, it is probably a mixture of things - lack of supplements. they close them when they don’t feel well/are waiting to be eaten by a predator, could also be infection not necessarily of the eyes, but sinuses maybe, and who knows what else.
You did correct in popping a feeder into his mouth, If you can continue to do that, great! If not, you may need to go to making some bug juice or get some ReptiBoost from any pet store. The vet will likely give or advise Carnivore Care. Or you can mash some insects into a slurry if you aren’t squeamish. However you do it, aim for the back of the throat. Airway is in the front. Adding a pic to demonstrate - avoid red & aim for blue. Be careful if needing to handle him as I expect he has metabolic bone disease and is fragile.
More important than food is water. He needs to be kept hydrated. The water dripping plant is not a recommended thing. Better is to get some nice full pothos that are clean and mist/spray them until they are thoroughly dripping (usually 2 minutes). Many chameleons are secretive about drinking, so spray and leave.
For heat, he needs a basking temp of 85. UVB needs to be a linear T5 with either a ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6%. Then place at a distance of about 8-9” above basking area.

Hello thank you for all of this. I will remove the drip water fall thing its crazy big anyways. I do spray his cage till it is dripping wet twice a day and i have some pothos that i was going to be adding to his enclosure and wandering jew once its rooted to add. The soonest vet i could find in Columbus Ohio for chameleons was Thursday at 4. They said he should be fine but do offer emergency visits if he was to take a turn for the worst. I did see the carnivore care also ordered that from amazon. I will gladly smoosh the bugs for him. as far as handling i just tap him to make annoyed and when he started to walk off i place my hand for him to find and thats how ive been holding him. i read they are fragile. He has a UV light that is a 5.0 bulb not a long one that had a chameleon on it and a basking bulb. The pet store said they should be fine for how they sit on the enclosure. they were familiar with the set up since they offered it in the store. They said the mesh blocks some of it and it should be fine. un sure how right that statement was.

 

[baldarthecham]

The swelling in the vent area could be shed but if there was substrate in the cage it could also have been pulled inside that area. It definitely needs attention.

As @MissSkittles said…”You did correct in popping a feeder into his mouth”…that’s less stressful though if you can get him drinking and then pop the insect in while his mouth is opening and shutting.
This might also help you with the feeding…
https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html

You said…” I also read a 1/2 and 1/2 pedilyte soak would very helpful. Only enough water to reach his anus as he can absorb it that way. Again any thoughts on that?”…they don’t absorb water through the vent or skin. I’m not sure it would even sooth the swollen area in this case or not…I’m not a vet. I’ve just kept chameleons and other reptiles for many years.

You said he did produce some poop…that means he must have eaten something recently…so that’s hopeful.

okay i will skip the soak thank you. theres so much info out there and ive been on this site and found it the most helpful so thank you for all the info i will take all the help i can

 

[baldarthecham]

Welcome to the forum! I wish it was under better circumstances that you were joining…but you’ve done very well so far for someone who has never kept a chameleon before.

Back in a few minutes with some more information, etc.
I see @MissSkittles is already helping! Good timing!

Thank you so much! its been a lot of researching and videos and tiktoks lol

 

[MissSkittles]

Hello thank you for all of this. I will remove the drip water fall thing its crazy big anyways. I do spray his cage till it is dripping wet twice a day and i have some pothos that i was going to be adding to his enclosure and wandering jew once its rooted to add. The soonest vet i could find in Columbus Ohio for chameleons was Thursday at 4. They said he should be fine but do offer emergency visits if he was to take a turn for the worst. I did see the carnivore care also ordered that from amazon. I will gladly smoosh the bugs for him. as far as handling i just tap him to make annoyed and when he started to walk off i place my hand for him to find and thats how ive been holding him. i read they are fragile. He has a UV light that is a 5.0 bulb not a long one that had a chameleon on it and a basking bulb. The pet store said they should be fine for how they sit on the enclosure. they were familiar with the set up since they offered it in the store. They said the mesh blocks some of it and it should be fine. un sure how right that statement was.

I have no idea how far away it is, but one of our members has been to Dr Dahlhausen and only had great things to say. https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Dahlhausen/ I definitely recommend making the drive there - calling and seeing how soon they can get you in. If you put your cham in a closed/dark box, he will sleep thru the drive.
I’m afraid the pet store told you wrong. The screw in uvb lights basically have no range beyond 2-3”. If you want, later once the dust has settled and all, I’ll pull out all the stuff on uvb bulbs so you know all about it and different sources. If it is still warm at all there, you could take him outside for a few minutes to get some natural sun. Never leave him unattended though, not even for a split second. Predatory birds are fast.
You will be needing to buy many things for him and it gets a bit expensive and can make your head spin with the details of it all at once. The easiest and best deal is to get the kit from Neptune the Chameleon thru Pangea Reptile. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon
Neptune the Chameleon is on YouTube and has tons of videos on husbandry and so much more. Then there is https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ (if you prefer reading) to teach everything about husbandry basics. There’s so much more to Chameleon Academy too - podcasts, videos (check YouTube), the husbandry program, e zine, etc. Of course, we are here and can guide you thru everything, answer whatever questions you have, etc.

 

[baldarthecham]

I have no idea how far away it is, but one of our members has been to Dr Dahlhausen and only had great things to say. https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Dahlhausen/ I definitely recommend making the drive there - calling and seeing how soon they can get you in. If you put your cham in a closed/dark box, he will sleep thru the drive.
I’m afraid the pet store told you wrong. The screw in uvb lights basically have no range beyond 2-3”. If you want, later once the dust has settled and all, I’ll pull out all the stuff on uvb bulbs so you know all about it and different sources. If it is still warm at all there, you could take him outside for a few minutes to get some natural sun. Never leave him unattended though, not even for a split second. Predatory birds are fast.
You will be needing to buy many things for him and it gets a bit expensive and can make your head spin with the details of it all at once. The easiest and best deal is to get the kit from Neptune the Chameleon thru Pangea Reptile. https://www.pangeareptile.com/colle...tarter-chameleon-kit-by-neptune-the-chameleon
Neptune the Chameleon is on YouTube and has tons of videos on husbandry and so much more. Then there is https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ (if you prefer reading) to teach everything about husbandry basics. There’s so much more to Chameleon Academy too - podcasts, videos (check YouTube), the husbandry program, e zine, etc. Of course, we are here and can guide you thru everything, answer whatever questions you have, etc.

His enclosure was at 78 yesterday i did get a therm that helps me keep an eye on the temp. I will get him the better light. its to cold to take him outside but i plan on rearranging the room to get him near a window but not in direct sunlight. thank you for all of this!!!

 

[MissSkittles]

Uvb doesn’t pass thru glass, I’m afraid. I do hope you’re able to take him to Dr Dahlhausen and can get him in there asap. When you do go to the vet, if you can get a fresh poo (less than 24 hrs old) to test for parasites, that is always best.

 

[MissSkittles]

Also, whether or not you get the Neptune chameleon kit, I do advise to look at the products included in it to know what you’ll need. I can make you a shopping list of items too, but have a couple of things to tend to right now. So check back a bit later.

 

[baldarthecham]

Uvb doesn’t pass thru glass, I’m afraid. I do hope you’re able to take him to Dr Dahlhausen and can get him in there asap. When you do go to the vet, if you can get a fresh poo (less than 24 hrs old) to test for parasites, that is always best.

vet is 10/17/24 at 4pm and i thought about taking the one i got now today but i wasnt sure if they would take it since hes a new pt

 

[baldarthecham]

Also, whether or not you get the Neptune chameleon kit, I do advise to look at the products included in it to know what you’ll need. I can make you a shopping list of items too, but have a couple of things to tend to right now. So check back a bit later.

i will take any and all help

 

[MissSkittles]

The vet will run a fecal on first visit. If you aren’t able to get one that is fresh, ask if you can drop it off without another visit when you do get one. That shouldn’t be a problem. I’m going to do a lot of ‘talking’ you thru everything, if that’s the help that you are wanting. I tend to talk a lot anyhow. lol Ok, get a beverage and get comfy.

The very first thing that you need is the correct uvb. I can recommend only Arcadia and ReptiSun. There are off brands, but I do not trust that the bulbs have the output they are supposed to. I tested one of the better known/quality brands of them and was greatly disappointed. The fixture seems to be ok, but if you then get a decent bulb, you’ll be spending the same or even more than if you got a quality brand to start with. These are the two that are good. https://www.lightyourreptiles.com/arcadia-pro-t5-fixture-6-bulb-22-5-sale-now-only-69-99/ or https://www.amazon.com/Reptisun-T5-...-supplies&sprefix=ReptiSun+T5+,aps,169&sr=1-1 Then the uvb needs to be 8-9” above the basking area.
I believe you already have a basking fixture and bulb. Ideal temp for an adult male veiled is no higher than 85. Avoid colored bulbs as they can harm sensitive reptile eyes. No lights and no added heat at night unless your temps are going below 60. You want a nice cool night for him and preferably below 68. A 12 hour schedule works very well for lights.
If you can achieve night temps below 68, you could and should run a cool mist humidifier/fogger. This simulates the hydration wild chameleons get thru fog. It may help loosen up whatever is trapped in his vent and the hydration is always good. If night temps are not so cool, do not fog. Keep in mind that heat plus humidity greatly increases risks for respiratory infection and no one needs that. Fogger/humidifiers do not need to be reptile specific. You can pick up a cheap one anywhere. https://www.amazon.com/Humidifier-B...4&psc=1&mcid=30036d60f0bd3ca68e0d852ec72cfb93 The reptile specific ones are nice in that they have hoses which direct the fog and some are top filling, which is convenient. Of course they are more expensive. https://www.amazon.com/Coospider-Te...eywords=Reptile+fogger&qid=1728669916&sr=8-10 One of the forum members (now referred to as ‘the fog-father’) has created a fogger that is effective. I’ll have to find the info on that.
Hydration is essential. Chameleons can go a good while without food, but not water. I already told you how to do this - spray or mist for at least 2 minutes, twice a day - right before lights go on and then off. If urates (light part of poo) is all dark/orange, he needs more hydration and you can either add another misting in the afternoon or run a dripper for 15-20 minutes. A dripper is as easy as a solo cup with a pinhole in the bottom. Probably works better than the drippers you can buy too. You can use a regular spray bottle, a pressurized one or invest in an automated misting system (Mist King is best). https://junglehobbies.com/Starter-M...1728670020&sprefix=Pressurized,aps,166&sr=8-5
You want the enclosure to have time to dry out during the day. Desired daytime humidity is between 30-50%. If you have trouble attaining/maintaining it, live plants are wonderful and provide pockets of higher humidity that your cham can move into. You can also enclose the back and/or sides of the enclosure with anything from a shower curtain, shrink to fit window film, acrylic panels, etc.
To measure temps and humidity the best are digital with wired probe ends. https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Rept...le+thermoter+hygrometer,industrial,152&sr=1-6 Some opt for the ‘smart’ gadgets like Govee. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R586J3...4O8XB1H2&psc=1&ref_=list_c_wl_lv_ov_lig_dp_it
For enclosure, I assume he’s in the chameleon kit sized one. That will be too small. The minimum standard size is at least a 2x2x4’. I’m a cheerleader for going bigger if you can. It’s very easy to combine 2 of the XL screen enclosures. Unfortunately the screen enclosures I prefer are currently sold out and based on the past, it will be a long time until there’s more. Anyhow, there’s ReptiBreeze for a decent enough budget enclosure. I have several and when I reached out to Zoo Med about spare parts to fix some broken areas, they were really great about it. There’s also DragonStrand https://dragonstrand.com/dragon-ledges/ (link is to ledges which are awesome to hang branches and plants - main page is enclosures). If you have a great budget, Tamura designs are beautiful. https://tamura-designs.com/
This is very long so I’m ending this here. But, more to come.

 

[MissSkittles]

Here is the fogger diy. Definitely check out Chameleon Academy on YouTube and the DIY Guys playlist for some fantastic ideas.

 

[MissSkittles]

Let’s talk about food now. Here are the two commercial liquid diets and you can read the label on the carnivore care for what my vet prescribed for my veiled who wasn’t eating and was in rough shape (parasites & poor care). There’s also a pic of ReptAid, which a forum member told me about to give to rescued reptiles. Don’t know if it helped, but it didn’t hurt. If you need to know for whatever reason, adult male veileds usually weigh somewhere around 125-150 Gm.




Hopefully he’ll be off the liquid nutrition and eating live bugs quickly. I’m attaching some graphics below to help guide you. I recommend getting your feeders from on line vendors, like any of these. https://www.chameleonforums.com/sponsors/?tag=food Most sell variety packs that are specific to species, which are great for those with just one or two insectivores. For grasshoppers https://feedmychameleon.com/ I’m not quite sure of the amount to tell you to give. I’ll say to start with maybe 4 feeders and see how he does in terms of ability and tolerance. If he does ok, I’d be giving him maybe 10-12 daily for about a week or until he’s looking and feeling better - active, basking, eyes open, etc. Once he’s doing well, you can start cutting back on his food so that by the time he’ around 10-12 months old, he’s getting 3-4 feeders every other day or even three times a week (plus treats of course). Veileds can get obese easily, so you’ll have to keep an eye on his cheeks and casque. If they start looking puffed out, he’s getting fat. It’s a good idea to get a kitchen scale that measures grams and weigh him regularly. It’s usually best to use a feeding station to contain his bugs. There are several different styles available commercially or you can make your own. The whole idea is for the bugs to not be able to escape easily and for your cham to always know where to find his food. Here’s just a few. https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/ https://tkchameleons.com/products/shooting-gallery?variant=30018608595032 https://sunsetchameleons.com/product-category/chameleons/chameleon-feeders/ While veileds will eat vegetables and fruit, they have zero need for it and instead, give it to your feeders.
It’s very important to keep your insect feeders as healthy as possible so that they are nutritious. Many of us don’t gut load per the definition, but instead just keep our bugs well fed all the time. Avoid the orange cubes, jelly pots, high calcium diets and most of the stuff you’ll find at chain pet stores. Fresh and preferably organic produce is best and there are some commercial diets that are ok - listed in the graphic.
Supplements are next. You need a phosphorus free calcium without vitamin D3. This you’ll lightly dust at every feeding except when using the other supplement. For D3 and multivitamins, Repashy Calcium Plus LoD (has a Jackson’s chameleon on the label) is suggested and you’ll use that at one feeding every other week (or twice a month). Your vet may prescribe a special liquid calcium or give vitamin injections. Ask when you’ll be able to safely start the ‘regular’ calcium or supplements.

 

[MissSkittles]

Here’s some videos to explain uvb lighting types. The Chameleon Academy podcasts are awesome for learning why we use and do certain things. Even though I’ve given you many of the basics, you should still either go thru all the modules of the husbandry program I linked above or watch Neptune the Chameleon husbandry videos.

 

[baldarthecham]

Here’s some videos to explain uvb lighting types. The Chameleon Academy podcasts are awesome for learning why we use and do certain things. Even though I’ve given you many of the basics, you should still either go thru all the modules of the husbandry program I linked above or watch Neptune the Chameleon husbandry videos.

Hello, thank you for all this information. Seriously thank you for helping instead of telling me to find him a new home. I do know someone that will take him if I feel like I can’t handle him. But this makes me feel so much better having all this information I felt like my head was spinning running from different sites and everything telling me something different. Not sure what was right watching different videos and just praying I don’t mess anything up. I have a confirmed feed today. I made him angry with a spray and he opened his mouth and I popped in another wax worm covered in the vitamins I had mentioned above and watched him actually swallow and eat it. There was three crickets and I only see one when I do some deep searching without disturbing him. I’ll know for sure but so far I only see one. So maybe he ate. And as my goal was not to agitate him, he did hiss and lunge at me a couple times when I was moving things around in his thing making sure he had lots of sticks to grab. I noticed he kept trying to grab leaves and they weren’t strong enough to hold him so I added a couple branches in what seems to be his favorite spot in there for him and he got mad which is good. It means he’s strong I think. Here is an updated pic. I got about 40 minutes ago when I came home to check on him. I know he’s not 100% but he definitely looks a lot better. The collage pic is two day difference from the lady that had him to be having him now.

 

[MissSkittles]

Yay! Big victory of him eating on his own! Yay! He does looks a bit better already. But he is showing some signs of mbd. The little bumps along his ribs, his back leg looks swollen around the ankle and the front arm has a bend to it that shouldn’t be there. Mbd is from incorrect or no uvb and incorrect or no supplements. Any effects from it can’t be undone, but he can recover and won’t have any further progression. It’s not a severe case. Just be careful when handling him. I will warn that some chameleons when very frightened will make a suicide leap as a last ditch effort to escape the threat. Give him something to hold onto, like a branch or towel.
Why would I tell you to give him away? No no no! You are showing not only compassion for this fella, but that you truly care about him. I think you need to keep him if you are able. Many of us started with a chameleon and either crappy info or no info and we learned, made needed changes, made improvements, grew and here we all are, passing on the help. There’s a tremendous amount of bad info out there and it is so hard to know what is right or wrong. You’re here now thankfully and I want to assure you that this is the right place and the right info. You can bring this guy back to health and have him hiss at you for many years to come. You’ve got this and can handle him and his care just fine. Whatever help or support we can give, we will.
Is his name Baldar? Is that from the game or Nordic mythology?