New Chameleon Questions

[MistyBlue]

Are you certain the crickets are small enough? Are they active enough to attract her attention? Were you watching in a spot where she could see you? Since the pillow case didn’t work, you could try some dollar store fake greenery instead - just an idea. Do you still have the tiny roach nymphs? Have you tried those? They aren’t recommended staple feeders, but have you tried mealworms? Many pet stores feed those to chams and while unusual, she may be not liking the crickets. Have you double checked her basking temps? If too cool she may not want to eat. Since the pillow case had an eye like pattern, you could try some fake greenery from a dollar store to attach on the outside door to give her more privacy. Floral wire or thread are perfect for attaching lightweight things to the screen. Little girl needs to eat or things can go bad very quickly.

I have not tried any worms…..I got hornworms but they were all too big. I can order some other kinds….the roaches I got were the small ones, not nymphs. I am positive the crickets are small enough….I also put some of the BSFL too. Today I put two roaches, two of those and like 10 crickets in there but they are all going to the very top. So twice I opened the door to kind of nudge them back down but no luck. She has never eaten anything other than crickets and a gnat. She loved to chase them around before I put that shower curtain around the cage. She would always go to a feeder cup and grab like one but then walk away. Same thing she does with this…//but I think maybe it’s bc I always put some in there for her to hunt after she wouldn’t eat from the cup all day. I got an apt at 11 am tomorrow at another vet here that seems more knowledgeable than the other one I had. I will have to order some other worms but I will get whatever you think….just point me in the right direction. I have tried to think of everything…..how many inches should the basking spot be and should I try putting it away from the ubv light maybe? I’m only getting 75-77 basking temp right now. I just didn’t want to get it too
Close….I do have a stronger light bulb….I’ll attach pic and you let me know what you think. The two on the left don’t fit in my fixture….I have the 8.5 and a smaller one 5.5 I think. They are longer than the fixture and I wasn’t sure it was safe to have the bulb directly touching the screen. I will run to the dollar store right now and get some fake greenery. Btw, I don’t think the shower curtain is helping with humidity at all…..it is too low at night for sure. Don’t know if that matters. Attaching pics….gonna go clean this baby and add it towards the bottom and run the vines upward so she can hide more.

 

[MistyBlue]

Often the vets who haven’t a great deal of experience with chameleons will most commonly recommend giving them baths or showers, changing basking temps to the 90’s and other things like boosting humidity way too high. Most (very understandably) don’t like to be corrected on basic husbandry, so just smile and nod, but don’t do those things. Instead of a bath/shower, it’s better to give an extra long misting and/or add a dripper. Temps in the 90’s will overheat babies quickly. High humidity + high temps increase risks for respiratory infection. However, I do recall that if the chameleon already has and is being treated for a respiratory infection, increasing humidity a little will help them get better.

Yes, that’s what I was thinking lol just smile and nod. I just don’t know what to do to get her to eat…..this sucks so bad. I live in a small town so I can’t just go out and get the worms she needs either.

 

[MissSkittles]

Those do look like small crickets. It’s pretty normal for the bugs to climb up and can make it easier for your cham to see them. I have trouble getting my chams to see the feeders that are hiding in the bottom. I would say just put the bugs in and walk away where she can’t see you. When they eat and drink, they are more vulnerable as they are focusing both eyes on the food or water which is why some are secretive eaters/drinkers.
For heat, try the 75w bulb and if that is too hot, you can raise the light a little higher. Ideal distance between lights and basking spot is 8-9”. That’s because when using the T5HO with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb, that distance provides the ideal UV index of 3.0.
I wouldn’t order mealworms. I thought maybe you could pop out to the store and get a small container of them to try. Hornworms grow so fast and it can be a challenge to get them at just the right size. Superworms are probably going to be too big, plus they and hornworms both can and will at least try to bite as they are being eaten. Silkworms are my favorite - hydrating, nutritious, gentle and grow slow enough to stay at a good size. They are expensive, can be hard to find and they don’t move all that much. You could order a small amount of small sized ones and place on leaf in the enclosure where your girl will see it. Bsfl are good feeders and don’t really need to be dusted with calcium. If your girl wants to eat gnats, you could always get her ‘baby food’ of flightless fruit flies and see if she’ll eat those. Great places to order from are https://dubiaroaches.com/ https://www.thecritterdepot.com/ https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/ While they aren’t a forum sponsor, Josh’s frogs is also a good source for feeders and supplies.

 

[MistyBlue]

Those do look like small crickets. It’s pretty normal for the bugs to climb up and can make it easier for your cham to see them. I have trouble getting my chams to see the feeders that are hiding in the bottom. I would say just put the bugs in and walk away where she can’t see you. When they eat and drink, they are more vulnerable as they are focusing both eyes on the food or water which is why some are secretive eaters/drinkers.
For heat, try the 75w bulb and if that is too hot, you can raise the light a little higher. Ideal distance between lights and basking spot is 8-9”. That’s because when using the T5HO with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb, that distance provides the ideal UV index of 3.0.
I wouldn’t order mealworms. I thought maybe you could pop out to the store and get a small container of them to try. Hornworms grow so fast and it can be a challenge to get them at just the right size. Superworms are probably going to be too big, plus they and hornworms both can and will at least try to bite as they are being eaten. Silkworms are my favorite - hydrating, nutritious, gentle and grow slow enough to stay at a good size. They are expensive, can be hard to find and they don’t move all that much. You could order a small amount of small sized ones and place on leaf in the enclosure where your girl will see it. Bsfl are good feeders and don’t really need to be dusted with calcium. If your girl wants to eat gnats, you could always get her ‘baby food’ of flightless fruit flies and see if she’ll eat those. Great places to order from are https://dubiaroaches.com/ https://www.thecritterdepot.com/ https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/ While they aren’t a forum sponsor, Josh’s frogs is also a good source for feeders and supplies.

So I wanted to update you all. I paid like 50$ for the vet to bring me a bunch of printed out care sheets from 2013 about veiled chameleons. She said she looked beautiful and healthy and told me everything I already knew, some wrong info, and that everything she is doing is totally normal for a small chameleon. She said only eating 1 cricket a day was fine, sleeping was ok at this age, weight was great, and checked to make sure it was female under her tail. I just smiled and nodded like you suggested. She did know some info but those things she def got wrong. Also told me to feed it fruits and veggies….but the good thing that came out of it is after I finally got her out of the cage (and I figured she was a goner after that bc I had to literally chase her out of her pothos plant and all over the cage bc it was almost time to be there at the end) she was fine. Then we kind of bonded a bit when I got home. She was more active yesterday than ever. I let some crickets go out of the shooting gallery and she ate ate those up! She didn’t hiss at me or try to bite me even one time, which is really weird. Just saying, she seemed so so much happier after she got to come out. Then, after a while, I had to let my cat out of her room and her demeanor quickly changed. So, I’m thinking it may the cat that is stressing her out so much. Maybe? I would be stressed out too. I know that vet gave me a ton of bad info, which is what I kind of expected. They were all just so happy to see a chameleon, and that told me right there how it was going to go. I also left it pretty warm in my house yesterday, and her basking spot stayed at like 80. Maybe that contributed also. She hadn’t been that active in a long time and she did t hide from me anyMore either. It’s like maybe she had lots of human interaction before? Just trying to figure it out. We will see how the rest of the day unfolds. She has always been most activ in the mornings btw. Is that how most of them are?

 

[MistyBlue]

Those do look like small crickets. It’s pretty normal for the bugs to climb up and can make it easier for your cham to see them. I have trouble getting my chams to see the feeders that are hiding in the bottom. I would say just put the bugs in and walk away where she can’t see you. When they eat and drink, they are more vulnerable as they are focusing both eyes on the food or water which is why some are secretive eaters/drinkers.
For heat, try the 75w bulb and if that is too hot, you can raise the light a little higher. Ideal distance between lights and basking spot is 8-9”. That’s because when using the T5HO with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb, that distance provides the ideal UV index of 3.0.
I wouldn’t order mealworms. I thought maybe you could pop out to the store and get a small container of them to try. Hornworms grow so fast and it can be a challenge to get them at just the right size. Superworms are probably going to be too big, plus they and hornworms both can and will at least try to bite as they are being eaten. Silkworms are my favorite - hydrating, nutritious, gentle and grow slow enough to stay at a good size. They are expensive, can be hard to find and they don’t move all that much. You could order a small amount of small sized ones and place on leaf in the enclosure where your girl will see it. Bsfl are good feeders and don’t really need to be dusted with calcium. If your girl wants to eat gnats, you could always get her ‘baby food’ of flightless fruit flies and see if she’ll eat those. Great places to order from are https://dubiaroaches.com/ https://www.thecritterdepot.com/ https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/ While they aren’t a forum sponsor, Josh’s frogs is also a good source for feeders and supplies

Those do look like small crickets. It’s pretty normal for the bugs to climb up and can make it easier for your cham to see them. I have trouble getting my chams to see the feeders that are hiding in the bottom. I would say just put the bugs in and walk away where she can’t see you. When they eat and drink, they are more vulnerable as they are focusing both eyes on the food or water which is why some are secretive eaters/drinkers.
For heat, try the 75w bulb and if that is too hot, you can raise the light a little higher. Ideal distance between lights and basking spot is 8-9”. That’s because when using the T5HO with a 5.0 or 6% uvb bulb, that distance provides the ideal UV index of 3.0.
I wouldn’t order mealworms. I thought maybe you could pop out to the store and get a small container of them to try. Hornworms grow so fast and it can be a challenge to get them at just the right size. Superworms are probably going to be too big, plus they and hornworms both can and will at least try to bite as they are being eaten. Silkworms are my favorite - hydrating, nutritious, gentle and grow slow enough to stay at a good size. They are expensive, can be hard to find and they don’t move all that much. You could order a small amount of small sized ones and place on leaf in the enclosure where your girl will see it. Bsfl are good feeders and don’t really need to be dusted with calcium. If your girl wants to eat gnats, you could always get her ‘baby food’ of flightless fruit flies and see if she’ll eat those. Great places to order from are https://dubiaroaches.com/ https://www.thecritterdepot.com/ https://www.rainbowmealworms.net/ While they aren’t a forum sponsor, Josh’s frogs is also a good source for feeders and supplies.

Here’s some pics I got

 

[MissSkittles]

So I wanted to update you all. I paid like 50$ for the vet to bring me a bunch of printed out care sheets from 2013 about veiled chameleons. She said she looked beautiful and healthy and told me everything I already knew, some wrong info, and that everything she is doing is totally normal for a small chameleon. She said only eating 1 cricket a day was fine, sleeping was ok at this age, weight was great, and checked to make sure it was female under her tail. I just smiled and nodded like you suggested. She did know some info but those things she def got wrong. Also told me to feed it fruits and veggies….but the good thing that came out of it is after I finally got her out of the cage (and I figured she was a goner after that bc I had to literally chase her out of her pothos plant and all over the cage bc it was almost time to be there at the end) she was fine. Then we kind of bonded a bit when I got home. She was more active yesterday than ever. I let some crickets go out of the shooting gallery and she ate ate those up! She didn’t hiss at me or try to bite me even one time, which is really weird. Just saying, she seemed so so much happier after she got to come out. Then, after a while, I had to let my cat out of her room and her demeanor quickly changed. So, I’m thinking it may the cat that is stressing her out so much. Maybe? I would be stressed out too. I know that vet gave me a ton of bad info, which is what I kind of expected. They were all just so happy to see a chameleon, and that told me right there how it was going to go. I also left it pretty warm in my house yesterday, and her basking spot stayed at like 80. Maybe that contributed also. She hadn’t been that active in a long time and she did t hide from me anyMore either. It’s like maybe she had lots of human interaction before? Just trying to figure it out. We will see how the rest of the day unfolds. She has always been most activ in the mornings btw. Is that how most of them are?

Yeah…sounds like that vet doesn’t see many chameleons or know much about them. Many vets advise as if they are beardies. Maybe your little cutie will inspire her to take a deeper interest in chams and learn more about them.
At this point, whatever way your little one will eat is fine. Whatever she wants to eat is fine. She just needs to eat and keep eating. If she isn’t eating anything at all, as a last resort you may need to give her liquid nutrition, but I hope it doesn’t come to that. If it does, you can take the disgusting step of mashing up some feeders with a few drops of water to make a slurry, make ’bug juice’ https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html or buy something like this https://www.amazon.com/Fluker-Labs-...d=1682534208&sprefix=Repti+boo,aps,240&sr=8-2

 

[MistyBlue]

Yeah…sounds like that vet doesn’t see many chameleons or know much about them. Many vets advise as if they are beardies. Maybe your little cutie will inspire her to take a deeper interest in chams and learn more about them.
At this point, whatever way your little one will eat is fine. Whatever she wants to eat is fine. She just needs to eat and keep eating. If she isn’t eating anything at all, as a last resort you may need to give her liquid nutrition, but I hope it doesn’t come to that. If it does, you can take the disgusting step of mashing up some feeders with a few drops of water to make a slurry, make ’bug juice’ https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html or buy something like this https://www.amazon.com/Fluker-Labs-Insectivore-Carnivore-Supplement/dp/B000634CL4/ref=sr_1_2?crid=X1L5Q5XK2FTG&keywords=reptile+boost&qid=1682534208&sprefix=Repti+boo,aps,240&sr=8-2

How can I send you a video? I just saw some alarming things she is doing. Sitting up like this, picture attached and kind of raising up and gulping at the heat lamp.

 

[Gloriawood]

How can I send you a video? I just saw some alarming things she is doing. Sitting up like this, picture attached and kind of raising up and gulping at the heat lamp.

I’ve never uploaded a video but I think you have to upload it to another platform first like YouTube

 

[MissSkittles]

I’ve never uploaded a video but I think you have to upload it to another platform first like YouTube

Yes, that is how.

 

[MistyBlue]

How can I send you a video? I just saw some alarming things she is doing. Sitting up like this, picture attached and kind of raising up and gulping at the heat lamp.

I have no idea how to do that.

 

[MistyBlue]

Yes, that is how.

I am really starting to think she has a respiratory infection. I wish I could show you this video. @MissSkittles is there another way I can send a video directly to you? Facebook? Or give me some details to get it uploaded to another platform and I can do that?

 

[MissSkittles]

Upload the video to YouTube, Instagram or similar platform. Then post the share link here and it will appear.

 

[MistyBlue]

Upload the video to YouTube, Instagram or similar platform. Then post the share link here and it will appear.

 

[MissSkittles]

That for sure looks like a respiratory infection. Poor baby is gasping and trying to get air. She’ll need some antibiotics. Call that vet back and hopefully you won’t need to pay for another visit. You can send her the video if she wants to see what she’s doing. I’m so sorry that you and your baby are going thru all of this.

 

[MistyBlue]

That for sure looks like a respiratory infection. Poor baby is gasping and trying to get air. She’ll need some antibiotics. Call that vet back and hopefully you won’t need to pay for another visit. You can send her the video if she wants to see what she’s doing. I’m so sorry that you and your baby are going thru all of this.

That’s what I was afraid of. And even more afraid of her not knowing what kind of antibiotics to give her, how much, etc. This is like a nightmare I just don’t know what to do. Is Baytril usually what is recommended? I have had a feeling this whole time, since I saw her star gazing while sleeping one night that she had one but I just kept trying to tell myself I was being paranoid. I feel so horrible for her right now. They are closed now but I can try in the morning. Should I tell her that she is having signs of a respiratory infection and has been very lethargic today….since she just gave me an awesome bill of health, will she even do anything to help me, im wondering. It’s probably going to go from bad to worse pretty quickly, unfortunately.

 

[MissSkittles]

That’s what I was afraid of. And even more afraid of her not knowing what kind of antibiotics to give her, how much, etc. This is like a nightmare I just don’t know what to do. Is Baytril usually what is recommended? I have had a feeling this whole time, since I saw her star gazing while sleeping one night that she had one but I just kept trying to tell myself I was being paranoid. I feel so horrible for her right now. They are closed now but I can try in the morning. Should I tell her that she is having signs of a respiratory infection and has been very lethargic today….since she just gave me an awesome bill of health, will she even do anything to help me, im wondering. It’s probably going to go from bad to worse pretty quickly, unfortunately.

Baytril is a commonly used antibiotic. Since she’s so tiny I imagine her dose would be minuscule. One of mine is currently on Baytril and he gets 0.3 ml daily for his weight of 100Gms. I would expect a dose of something like less than 0.1 ml daily - maybe something around 0.05ml which would literally be like one tiny drop. If she prescribes any dose higher than 0.1 ml, I’d question her to double check the dose. Baytril is metabolized by the kidneys, so ensuring good hydration is important. While I’ve really no idea about veterinary medicine, I think whether the dose is for a bearded dragon or a chameleon, the dose per weight is the same. That is probably one of the few ways that chameleons are ok to be treated as generic lizards.

 

[MissSkittles]

Btw, I haven’t had to deal with a respiratory infection in my chams so I haven’t any firsthand experience with that. My chams have had various problems and I’ve had to give them antibiotics at different times.

 

[MistyBlue]

Btw, I haven’t had to deal with a respiratory infection in my chams so I haven’t any firsthand experience with that. My chams have had various problems and I’ve had to give them antibiotics at different times.

She weighed her yesterday and I believe it was 2 grams…..she is doing the same thing again. I just can’t believe she has one…and I blame myself. Do you really think she already had it? I swear the first night we got her I noticed her looking up and doing this with her neck but very mild. I really hope she will believe me and prescribe her something and not make me stress her out by bringing her back. I just feel so so bad for her. This is why people don’t get them from pet stores….but I got her the first day they got her in so k was hoping she would be ok. Thanks for everything you have done for me. I will call them in the morning and see what I can do for her.

 

[MissSkittles]

She’s got to be more than 2 Gms…that’s like newly hatched size. Maybe they said 22 Gm. You can’t blame yourself. Most likely it was the stress of shipping and all that. You did question her stargazing, but it seemed very transient. The important thing is you’re catching it now and going to get treatment for her. If you do have to give her liquid antibiotic, the key is to aim for the back of the throat. The airway is in the front. I also try to make sure that they have their nose pointed up for good gravity.

 

[MissSkittles]

Just wondering how it went with the vet and how your little girl is today.