PLEASE HELP! Very sick Veiled

sidthekid

New Member
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I've had my veiled chameleon for just over a year, he is about 2 years old.
Handling - Usually runs to my hand during feeding- didn't seem to be bothered by any handling.
Feeding - He was eating crickets, mealworms and superworms (occasionally waxworms)
Supplements - I dusted the crickets/worms a couple times per week using a calcium supplement.
Watering - My chameleon loved drinking from his leaves, i would mist him 3x per day.
Fecal Description - Black (sometimes with some white)
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen, 5 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet
Lighting - I change my UVB every six months, I have a daytime and nightime heat lamp
Temperature - basking area is 80-90 degrees, cool area is around 75
Humidity - I recently bought a fogger humidifer system when I noticed he started to get sick
Plants - I have one large plant
Placement - He is in a low-traffic area, close to a wood burning fireplace for extra heat during the winter.
Location - Toronto, Canada

Current Problem - My chameleon stopped eating around a week ago. I noticed he was spending a lot of his time near the bottom of his cage and in the pot of the live plant. His refusal to eat was very peculiar- he usually ate everything put in front of him. I moved him into a smaller cage and he continued to get worse. He still won't eat and then stopped drinking from the leaves. The fogger system is always on. I went to a local pet store and when I showed a picture, he said that my chameleon was female. I placed a 12x12x12 bin full of wet play sand and put it at the bottom of his cage but he has yet to burrow or make any kind of gesture that he is female. Now he is laying on the bottom of his cage. He wont open his eyes and his head rests on the ground. His colours seem to continually change but it is almost like he is too weak to move.
 
No light at night. If it gets cold you can yes a ceramic heat emitter or a space heater.
Could you post a pic? Especially of the back feet to see if there's a spur or not.
Probably need a vet at this point, esp if female as she could be egg bound.
Kath.
 
Welcome to the forum. Your Cham sounds very sick and if he were mine I would take him to a reptile vet ASAP. There are a few things you need to change in your husbandry but right now he needs proper help.
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - I've had my veiled chameleon for just over a year, he is about 2 years old.
Handling - Usually runs to my hand during feeding- didn't seem to be bothered by any handling.
Feeding - He was eating crickets, mealworms and superworms (occasionally waxworms)
Supplements - I dusted the crickets/worms a couple times per week using a calcium supplement. do you use calcium with D3 and a multivitamin?
Watering - My chameleon loved drinking from his leaves, i would mist him 3x per day.
Fecal Description - Black (sometimes with some white)
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen, 5 feet x 4 feet x 4 feet
Lighting - I change my UVB every six months, I have a daytime and nightime heat lamp no night time bulbs at all. They need complete darkness to sleep. If it gets cold use a ceramic heat emitter or a space heater
Temperature - basking area is 80-90 degrees, cool area is around 75
Humidity - I recently bought a fogger humidifer system when I noticed he started to get sick
Plants - I have one large plant
Placement - He is in a low-traffic area, close to a wood burning fireplace for extra heat during the winter.
Location - Toronto, Canada

Current Problem - My chameleon stopped eating around a week ago. I noticed he was spending a lot of his time near the bottom of his cage and in the pot of the live plant. His refusal to eat was very peculiar- he usually ate everything put in front of him. I moved him into a smaller cage and he continued to get worse. He still won't eat and then stopped drinking from the leaves. The fogger system is always on. I went to a local pet store and when I showed a picture, he said that my chameleon was female. I placed a 12x12x12 bin full of wet play sand and put it at the bottom of his cage but he has yet to burrow or make any kind of gesture that he is female. Now he is laying on the bottom of his cage. He wont open his eyes and his head rests on the ground. His colours seem to continually change but it is almost like he is too weak to move.

If the chameleon is a female, she probably has eggs. But it possibly could be a egg binding issue, which requires a vet trip immediately.

Can you post a picture?
 
What the other have all said. It is very critical to get her to a vet to either get her a shot to induce the laying of the eggs or have them surgically removed. If not, she will become eggbound and die. First, post a pic and lets determine you indeed have a female.
 
I bought him from a reputatable breeder who claimed it was male. I can see spurs on the back of his two feet. Someone recommended using repta aid, but I don't want to stress him out.

2z897c4.jpg

2hzpyu0.jpg
 
As said before, this is a very sick Cham. I would advise you to seek help from a vet before it's too late. It may already be too late. Sorry.
 
Can't tell from the back feet, but if you see spurs it's a male. Looking at colouring, I'd say male. Looks very dehydrated, try a good long misting to see if he'll drink some.
I'd get him to a vet as soon as you're able. Kath.
 
Here are some pictures of his (/her?) feet
I'm planning on taking her to a reptile vet tomorrow, or hopefully getting someone to make a house visit. Any ideas to help get him hydrated?
bg6wpd.jpg

fzbztd.jpg
 
I'd say male.
If you can, place him on a plant or something he can lay/perch on and put him in the shower. Water not hot, but warm and aim shower head against the wall so the water bounces off onto him and plant. Hopefully he will start drinking.
Kath.
 
I agree, that the cham is a male, but he looks extremely ill. Definately dehydrated, if he will not drink on his own you may want to try to carefully drip some water into his mouth. But I think he is beyond that and needs a vet immediately for a check up and parenteral fluids.:(
 
The spurs are not as large as some of the Veilds, but they are present and the bars are markings of a male. So I don't think you have to worry about the eggs. Your chameleon looks very skinny. The eyes could be from dehydration, but they also start to sink in when they are going down hill. Have you changed out your UVB light as you should? What about supplementing and all that?
 
I recently changed the UVB- I don't think that was a problem. I've tried dripping water over his nose, putting food next to his mouth, putting him in a bath of warm water.... nothing seems to be working. He hasn't really moved from the position he's in all day. I'm taking him to the vet tomorrow, or hopefully getting someone to come in.
 
dang how sad, I've never seen eyes like that before, very sunk in. I hope all goes well at the vet tommarow. good luck
 
Back
Top Bottom