PLEASE HELP ME WITH MY CHAMELEON

21_Boris_21

21_Boris_21

New Member
Hey everyone,
I am new to this site but I need help with my chameleon. His name is boris and I got him about a year ago. He is a veiled chameleon and he is having a few problems. When I first got him he was healthy and the cage i had him in was all glass except the top. Just recently I bought a new cage which is all screen and its more then twice the size of the old one. I moved him to a new cage because he was not doing too well. After i moved him over to the new cage he got worse. Since the past week he has become really really skinny, his eyes are sinking into his head and his color is really weird. When he is in the hot baking spot he turns really bright green and just sits there and when he is more towards the bottom of his cage he turns really dark green and sorta black. Idk what to do anymore and I am so worried about him. He also just recently started doing this thing where he closes his eyes and does not move and just sits there. I call his name but he does not do anything until i touch him. He finialy opens his eyes and then closes them after a little bit. I am really worried about everything that is going on and especially about his diet considering he wont eat like anything unless i put him down where the live crickets are and make sure he eats. He is going to the bathroom and everything and i am trying to spray him. At this point i have no idea what to do and need help. PLEASE HELP ME!!!!
 
It helps to fill this out before hand so experienced users can help you out. It gives them a better understanding of what's going on. Hope this helps!

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?
 
Welcome to the forum!

We need some recent photos of your chameleon and the answers to the questions nachdre has posted so we can help you better. Please be specific about out the supplements and how often you use each and about what you feed gutload the insects with.
 
Definitely fill out the form, and the reason he likely doesn't respond when you call his name is he can't hear it, their hearing is no where near normal and they only hear really really deep tones.
 
Chameleon Info:

  • Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon/Male/around 1/ about a year

  • Handling - He does not like to be held that much so I do it as little as possible

  • Feeding - Crickets,Grasshoppers, mealworms (the crickets and mealworms are alive and freeze dried) i have a bucket full of them at the bottom of my cage for him so he eats as he pleases

  • Supplements - I got it at Petco but idk what it is called. It is a multivitamin

  • Watering - I spray his whole cage down to keep the humidity up and i usually do it 3 times a day and a few sprays. I rarely see him drink but I think he does

  • Fecal Description - They are white and sometimes a little watery and no

  • History -No other than I got him from Petco

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - Screen, 16" L X 16" W X 30" H

  • Lighting - I use the zoo meds lighting kit that they sell in stores and online. I leave the heat lamp on all day and also the UVB light on all day and they both go off at night

  • Temperature - I try to keep it 70 and above and at the basking spot i think it is more like 80-100. The lowest i have seen it is like 70 something at night. I use a thermometer

  • Humidity - The humidity is usually between 60-80 most of the day but at night it goes way down. Lately it has been near 60% out of 100%. I spray all over the cage and I have a bucket of dirt at the bottom of the cage that lets off some humidity. I use a combo temperature and humidity reader.

  • Plants - I have all fake plants

  • Placement - The cage is sitting on my dresser across from my window. It is near my supply duct and he sits near my door.

  • Location - I am located in Pennsylvania
 
I'm concerned that your chameleon is impacted because you are giving it some dried insects and he produces no feces (brown part) only urates (white part) and don't have a dripper set up so it can drink for quite a while. I'm also concerned about your supplements...or lack of the right ones.

If he's impacted it's not easy to solve the problem.
He should be having the insects dusted with a phosphorous-free calcium powder at most feedings, twice a month with your phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A.

Please post a recent photo of two.

It's also possible your veiled will try to eat the artificial plants...somi would get some real ones that are non-toxic.
 
Last edited:
Don't let his basking temps go up to 100, they should go no higher than 92 and I prefer keeping them at 88. Your cage is really small but I don't think that's the problem. I would also worry about the supplements. And agree he may be impacted.
 
Well on this pant flit i got from the pet store it says the he should have a basking spot around 90-100. The cage is actually huge compared to my other one. I will need to send photos of everything so it is easier to explain.
 
It may be huge compared to your old one, but a minimum cage for an adult veiled, which yours is, is 2ftx2ftx4ft and that is minimum. If you do something similar but with more horizontal measurements but it all adds up in the same way that works too. But they need space. In reality chameleons have far more territory and roam more than most keepers give them in captivity. And petstores are wrong over half the time. Check the caresheets provided by the forum. Above 90 is asking for a burn or serious eye injuries to happen. Especially with how short your cage is. Chameleons do not thermoregulate as well as most other reptiles. The high temps and bright lights in a short cage (especially if you do not have enough cover) can cause eye problem just as easily. But you definitely need to fix his supplements to. And I still recommend uploading pictures, especially of his entire body. It may show deficiencies.
 
Hey so I cant see to get pictures onto my computer from my phone so I am going to copy and past some from the internet of what he looks like. When I woke up I looked at him and his eyes were shut and he was sitting in the water bowl i have at the bottom of his cage. When i went to pick him up or at least see if he wanted to move it seemed he was so weak he could not stand up so he fell over. Idk what to do and I do not want to loose him. Please help me
8008049774_b41ea13ca0.jpg
His eyes look like this

20120924_211939-jpg.64897

He is always sleeping like this and is very weak

upsideDownChameleon.png
His color is more like this
 
I wouldn't say he's passed saving. Especially since these aren't actual pictures of him. He could be dehydrated, I wouldn't be surprised if he was. But the fact that his eyes sunken and they are closed does not automatically mean he's dehydrated. My panther does this under bright artificial lights because the pain it causes him. But when just in natural sun or under his basking lamp he has full rounded eyes.

But I do agree 100% he needs a vet. Even if you personally change your husbandry, he likely has a bit of a deficiency if not a severe one that he needs correcting by a vet.
 
Thanks for all your help guys but Boris passed away today. He was very sick and just needed to rest so thanks for all you help and time but that is the last chameleon I will get to keep Boris in my heart
 
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