New to Owning a Veiled Chameleon

[Juniper9x]

New to Owning a Veiled Chameleon

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Hello Everyone, My name is Juniper and I have just "inherited" a Veiled Chameleon. I am new to the reptile world. I do however have many other animals. Dogs, cats, fresh & saltwater tanks & I breed & hatch Praying Mantis' & all sorts of Butterflies & Moths. I've owned and ran a chicken & turkey farm & a rabbitry for breeding and showing rabbits. I have loved all of my animals and I become a little over obsessive with making sure all their habitats are perfect.

With finding out I was gonna be picking up a Veiled Chameleon I right away got on top of all the research. I was told he had everything he needed. He is a 6-7month male. Well, when I went to pick him up he was in everything that was quit different from what I read and researched. He was in a tiny 3g nano tank. He had a vine and a fake ivy to climb on. He actually seemed very smushed. He had 1 UVB lamp/bulb that was used as both basking & UVB. The past owner fed him 24 crickets once a week. So, this is how I picked him up. After returning home with him I got in the internet and ordered a new screen cage, new vines, a live ficus tree, double lamp to hold the right bulbs, thermometers,cricket keeper and cricket food. My boyfriend and I put the new set up together and added all the new live plants (just waiting for the ficus tree to be delivered), new vines, lamps on timers for day/night. We put him in and he seemed to LOVE it. He was scooting all around it and seemed soooo very happy.

Two days ago he started to shed on the day we put him in the new habitat. When I woke up this morning he seems very stressed and weak. He is VERY brown and didn't climb up to his basking bulb. He usually crawls down at night into the plants to sleep but once the lights turn on he scoots up to the lights. He fell 3 inches off the plant and just seems very unhappy which is making me incredibly nervous and unhappy. I do not know what to do. PLEASE HELP. I have been in contact with wonderful people from Kammerflage Kreations out in CA who gave me the link to Chameleon Forums. I absolutly love this little guy and will be heartbroken if I lose him. What should I do?? Sincerly, Juniper & Avocado Roy

 

[camimom]

can you fill this out?

https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

post photos, of your cham and the cage.


we will try to help from there

 

[Juniper9x]

New owner of a Veiled Chameleon, help

1. 6-7month Male Veiled Chameleon

2. I have had him for a little over a week now.

3. I have handled him a few times. He hisses at first then crawls up on me snuggles up and goes to sleep.

4.When I got him the previous owner was giving him feeder crickets from the store with NO supplements. She was giving 24 crickets at a time every Weds once a week.

5. I have bought a cricket tank along with Flukers Orange Cubes to feed the crickets. I have also bought meal worms. I have fed him a couple crickets every other day since the day I got him.

6. I have not bought a drip system yet. Will be picking one up tomorrow. He was only ever misted. So I mist the whole cage multiple times a day. I also have a bowl of water under the plants with holes poked in it for more moisture.

7. I do not have a hydrometer yet, that is on the list for tomorrow with the drip system.

8. HISTORY This chameleon came to me in a 3g nano glass tank with 1 vine and fake ivy on substrate with 1 uvb bulb on him that was kept on 24/7. He seemed pretty smushed in there. He was only fed once a week and was givin 2 dozen feeder crickets from the store with no supplements. He was misted a few times a day. He was handled quit a bit and lots of animals were around him, cats, dogs, children. He hisses when you go to take him out of pen but then will crawl right up on me and snuggle up and go to sleep.

9. Cage is brand new. Zoo Med Repti Breeze 18x18x36

10. Lighting is a Zoo Med Mini Combo Deep Dome with 1 Zoo Med 50watt basking bulb and on the other side is a Repti Glo 5.0 UVB. They are on a timer to turn on at 7am in the morning and to go off at 8pm at night. Once those go off I have another lamp that has a Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp that is 75watts. I was told to put that on at night since he has been use to having lights on 24/7

11. I have 2 thermometers top and bottom. During day his basking area is around 90 degrees and botton of cage is 80 degrees. At night it drops down to about 75 degrees maybe a bit cooler.

12. I do not have a hydrometer yet so I do not know the humidity levels. Will be getting one tomorrow with the dripper.

13. Plants, I have a live pothos in there on the bottom and its crawling up the vines that we placed in there. I have ordered a live weeping ficus to put in it. Just waiting for it to be delivered. He also has a fake Ivy that I have wrapped around part of the vines.

14. My cage is on a dresser and highest point is 5' 6". There is a ceiling fan but not being used as it is winter. There is a high traffic area due to the fact I live in a small apt connected to my parents house and people and dogs are always coming in and out BUT the home he lived in before had a lot more going on.

These are only 2 photos I have on my comp right now. I will send more soon. He was nice and green here but in the pics I'll be sending will show him brown and wrinkly.

15. We live in Woodbury, CT

MY PROBLEM- We put him in his new cage a few days ago and he seemed to LOVE it. He was scooting along everything checking stuff out. He was bright green and basking in the lights then would crawl in his plants to cool off. He began shedding and was having some trouble getting skin off his eyes. When I woke up this am he is VERY brown and VERY cranky. He seems very weak also. He was crawling on the plant and fell 3" to the bottom and I thought he was dying. He has since crawled up to his basking spots but is still very brown and wrinkly. I have misted many times which he does NOT like being misted. I always use warm water to. Now, also like I said he was only fed once a week. He ate the first few times I fed him but doesn't seem to want to eat now. I haven't seen him drink either but I am not at the cage all the time. I am just looking for help, suggestions and anything to keep Avocado Roy happy. Ohhhh and I haven't seen poop yet so I can't describe it for you. I am trying to figure out how to post photos for you. And as I am typing the live ficus tree just got delivered Thank you so much for your time.

 

[Juniper9x]

More pics of Avocado Roy- New Veiled Chameleon

Some more pics of him looking sick

 

[ReptileLove18]

welcome to the forum! im glad you did a lot of research before bringing this fella home.
ok so this is what i think: they can be pretty cranky when shedding and may not eat for a day or two because of it. the humidity needs to be kept up nicely to help ease the shed. one thing you can do to help him with his is if you have a branch that you can set in the shower, put him on it, set it in the shower, turn the water on to lukewarm and angle it at the wall so its hitting the wall and then the gentler spray is hitting him on the branch. do that for 5 mins if he seems like hell deal with it and that should help with the shed.
next, how do you know its male?
you said he snuggles and falls asleep on you, does that mean h's sleeping during the day?

 

[RandJreptiles]

Its great to hear you rescued this poor little guy.

It looks like he has MBD. (From the shape of his front arms.) I think your best plan of action would be to take him to a reptile vet.

MBD is a degenerative disease caused by poor ratio of Calcium and Phosphorus in the chameleon’s body. The chameleon’s bone structure is destroyed progressively, until the bone no longer able to support the chameleon’s body. Many numbers of causes can lead to MBD. But, the most common thing comes from poor nutrition, poor or lack of supplementing, and the absence of UVB light in the husbandry.

Info collected from: http://chamworld.blogspot.ca/2008/01/health-section-b-metabolic-bone.html

 

[Juniper9x]

I was told he is a male by the person who had him before. And I have only taken him out a couple of times where he curled up on me and slept and it was around 5-6pm in the evening those few times. I was told not to handle him to much if he's shedding cause it stresses them. I am getting the dripper tomorrow with a hydrometer to.

 

[Kate]

Hi there . Welcome to the forum. You will hopefully get all the answers you need here. Firstly, ditch the infra red. He will do better in darkness overnight. As long as your home temp doesn't drop below 55 f he will benefit from a temp drop overnight. You don't say what your basking temp is. Around 90f will be fine . What supplements are you using. He should have plain calcium without d3 daily . Calcium with d3 and a multivit twice a month. Gutloading with fluckers is not good. Sandrachameleon has some good blogs on here. You also have to add fruit and veg to your feeders. What goes into your feeders goes into the Cham. The lack of supplements could cause him to loose his grip. If you don't see him drink you could dribble warm water over his nose. This may stimulate drinking.
I'm so glad you rescued this little guy and are giving him a chance of a happier life.
Can you check his back heels. Males have a little spur there.

 

[RandJreptiles]

He is a male...you can tell by a "heel spur" or bump at the back of his heel. Also the colors (vertical yellow bars) clearly show he is a male.

Sleeping during the day is a sign of illness. Chameleons do not cuddle. This guy should see a vet ASAP.

 

[camimom]

It is a male, unfortunatly the casque didnt develop as tall as it should have, most likely due to improper care.

I dont see any extreme signs of MBD, though the falling is a symptom of it.

He doenst look super skinny, but He could do with some more food.

ALso, those orange cubes are crap for gutloading.

Read blogs by sandrachamleon, fresh fruits and veggies are the way to go.

What is the current basking temperature?

I would mist him at least 5-6 times per day.

What color are his urates?

Is he sleeping during the day?

 

[szpond]

1. 6-7month Male Veiled Chameleon

5. I have bought a cricket tank along with Flukers Orange Cubes to feed the crickets. I have also bought meal worms. I have fed him a couple crickets every other day since the day I got him.

6. I have not bought a drip system yet. Will be picking one up tomorrow. He was only ever misted. So I mist the whole cage multiple times a day. I also have a bowl of water under the plants with holes poked in it for more moisture.

10. Lighting is a Zoo Med Mini Combo Deep Dome with 1 Zoo Med 50watt basking bulb and on the other side is a Repti Glo 5.0 UVB. They are on a timer to turn on at 7am in the morning and to go off at 8pm at night. Once those go off I have another lamp that has a Zoo Med Nocturnal Infrared Heat Lamp that is 75watts. I was told to put that on at night since he has been use to having lights on 24/7

14. My cage is on a dresser and highest point is 5' 6". There is a ceiling fan but not being used as it is winter. There is a high traffic area due to the fact I live in a small apt connected to my parents house and people and dogs are always coming in and out BUT the home he lived in before had a lot more going on.

Welcome to the forum!

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html

Here is a really great care sheet for these little guys. Glad to hear you brought in a rescue -- that care beforehand really needed to change.

5. Definitely look up some good gutloading techniques for your crickets -- unfortunately, the orange cubes don't add much nutrition for the chameleon's diet.

Here's a blog:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/ferretinmyshoes/446-basics-gutloading.html

6. Has there been any flooding issue with the bowl of water? I would probably ditch the extra water and continue on a misting schedule with the new dripper. Once you get the hygrometer, you'll see exactly what you need to do. Sitting water in a chameleon's habitat is a breeding ground for bacteria, and can unfortunately cause some issues with the cham's health. Sometimes chameleons need a good 5-15 minutes of straight misting to actually start drinking -- mine needs about 10 -- so maybe try to extend the length of the sessions to be sure your cham is getting the water that it needs.

10. They don't need any extra lighting or heat at night -- Chams actually need the degree dropping at night. So refrain from putting on the infrared bulb.

14. I know it will be hard for now, but try to give him his privacy while he's settling in. I'm sure with everything going on (changes in temp, humidity, and all general care) extra eyes on him won't make him feel very good. Just a quick peek every now and again to make sure he is doing okay should be fine.

Remember we are always here to help out, don't hesitate to ask anything!

 

[szpond]

Do you know of a herp vet in the area that could check him out?

 

[Decadancin]

I would also say to get to a vet! The previous conditions of care (lack of) could have caused some unseen issues as well. When you go, try to bring a fecal sample (both parts, the dark and white) so you can check for parasites. Also, as stated, get rid of the night light. Chameleons need darkness to get proper rest. This could lead to other health issues as well. Normally during shedding your chameleon may be a bit irritable, but this doesn't sound right to me. The fact that your cham has gone to sleep while your holding him is cause for alarm.

If you haven't seen this already, here is a great resource for chameleon keepers https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/.

Thanks for trying to give this little guy a great new home after a rough start. I hope you are as successful with chameleons as you have been with all your other endeavors. Oh, and welcome to the forums!!!

 

[Juniper9x]

First off I want to thank everyone for their help & kindness. This is all sooo new to me. I am excited because I just love him but also very nervous. His basking temp during day is 90degrees, he crawls around during day and seems to love the cage. I just got the live ficus tree and put it in. I misted everything. He seems to get REALLY REALLY mad if any water touches him. So what should I do about that? TOMORROW, I am going to the pet store to pick up a dripper & hydrometer. Please tell me what supplements I should get. I will put fresh fruit & veggies into the crickets today. I wasn't aware Flukers Orange Cubes were so bad. I am doing my best trying to get back to everyones questions. That's why I put up the care sheet responses as asked. I'll remove water dish along with the night light to. Hopefully with the other changes and all your help we'll get this little guy happy & bright green again.

 

[Juniper9x]

It wasn't a water bowl for him. It was just a plastic bowl with small holes in it to just add some more humidity. My apt can be pretty dry.

 

[Decadancin]

The deal with the Flukers is the old "you are what you eat" saying. You want the best gutload possible for your baby so he can have the best chance for success! Unfortunately, lots of pet stores do not carry quality products and they want to sell stuff! Check out some of our site sponsors for some ideas! I use Repashy's Bug Burger, but many make their own gutloads.

 

[szpond]

First off I want to thank everyone for their help & kindness. This is all sooo new to me. I am excited because I just love him but also very nervous. His basking temp during day is 90degrees, he crawls around during day and seems to love the cage. I just got the live ficus tree and put it in. I misted everything. He seems to get REALLY REALLY mad if any water touches him. So what should I do about that? TOMORROW, I am going to the pet store to pick up a dripper & hydrometer. Please tell me what supplements I should get. I will put fresh fruit & veggies into the crickets today. I wasn't aware Flukers Orange Cubes were so bad. I am doing my best trying to get back to everyones questions. That's why I put up the care sheet responses as asked. I'll remove water dish along with the night light to. Hopefully with the other changes and all your help we'll get this little guy happy & bright green again.

Great to hear this fella has a great home now!

As for supplements, the care sheet link I provided a bit earlier will outline exactly what to do with the age of the chameleon.

Here is part two with the supplements:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...e/396-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet-part-2.html

What you will need is two kinds of calcium and a reptile multivitamin. First kind of calcium is Calcium W/O vitamin D3. It will say clearly on the front. This is the kind of calcium we are talking about as forum members when we say "plain calcium." The other kind of calcium is calcium with D3 which is given more rarely than without D3.

 

[Juniper9x]

Well after takin everyone's advice I took the water bowl out, put in the live ficus tree I just got delivered today, I gave a LONG warm water misting which for the first time he seemed to love. He actually stuck his tongue out and licked around his face. We keep a lot of different fruits & veggies so I had plenty of good things to gut load the crickets with. Well the crickets loved the little buffet I gave them. And munched away the rest of the day. I put 5 in his cage just now and he crawled around and has eaten 3 now. He seems to be relaxing a bit more. Tomorrow I will get all the proper supplements, dripper & mister. Looks like with all your help we on our way to making him happy & much healthier. Thank you everyone.