please help!!!

[jimmo]

I bought a veiled chameleon from a pet store 3 days ago
i bought the entire setup she was in a screen cage with large branch/vines exct blue heat lamp and a uv lamp
she has seemed ok but the last couple of time ive come home she has bin laying on the ground with little woodchips we use the reptibark stuff clasped in her hands laying on the ground .... i dont know what shes doing it seems she has gotten skinnyer since i got her 2

any help would be appriciated thanks

bought some live plants to put in also just today and she seems to like them got a baby tears plant pothos and a wandering jew plant from what ive read these are allright if anyone knows otherwise could let me know

thanks

 

[ChameleonsTree]

Ok laying on the bottom is bad. Did you wash the plant before you put it in the cage? Is she drinking?...Has she eaten?

 

[jimmo]

i've been adding crickets, sometimes they hide and it's hard to tell if they've been eating or not, misting the leave and have a drip set up. plants are clean, we only added live plants today. her cage is next to a window so she's getting fresh air, temperature is always kept at 80+ during the day and 75 at night. i also have no idea how old she may be, she's maybe 4 1/2-5 inches long.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

Did you wash the leaves with soap and water?

 

[jimmo]

yes it kinda seems that maybe when shes on the bottom she grabs the bark and falls over ???

 

[Heika]

Hi Jimmo,

Why don't you pop into the chat room?

Heika

 

[voxxom]

did he eat any of the woodchips?

that can be the problem

does he lay there on his side as if hes sick, or does he fall over and get back up?

if hes been laying on his side, and not getting up, how long has he been like this?

 

[voxxom]

Sorry, She

 

[pfal26]

I wouldn't use reptibark as Voxxom suggested your cham could have swallowed some. Here is a link about enclosures.... ( http://www.chameleonjournals.com/faq/index.php?show=2.Enclosures.html) it has what you should use as substrate. I recommend paper towels or newspaper which are easier to clean. however, i believe paper towels are best as if the ink of the newspaper washes off due to misting, it could be toxic to your cham.

 

[voxxom]

hm.

as for my substrate. i use about 2 inches of paper towls as a bottom layer, covered by about a half inch of sand, then lots of glass river rocks.

that way, when the water drips, it hits the rocks and then is absorbed by the sand and paper towels.

its also convenient because when the chams (lack of a better word) "poop"
it usually lands on the river rocks, so i just pick them out individually and wash them, makes it alot easier.

and with that bark, if its left in there a long time, it tends to attract mites, and with the continueous (grammar?) spraying that is needed, it will also create mold pretty fast

 

[pfal26]

I'd be interesting in seeing some pictures of your substrate set up voxxom, if you have any... I'd appreciate it.

 

[voxxom]

hmm ill get a camera sometime soon.

i just redid it today, but with peat moss instead of the sand. cause it became too muddy, ill retop it with river rocks and then get a pic sometime

 

[Jordan]

"The Chameleon Handbook" suggest with veileds to use a top soil layer of half sand and half peat moss. While the book is a little bit dated the information is good. Using it as the sole ground cover is kind of hard. With frequent misting it has a tendency to leave standing water even with drainage from below. I do still use it in my flower pots. After a good misting session the top layer of soil becomes like mushy soup but is quickly dried by the heat. When it dries it evaporates into the air and gives you a little boost to your humidity. I know alot of people are against substrate. I think your chameleon is more likely to fall and injure themselves on a flower pot then ingest a foriegn object. I know both happen I have read stories of both on this site. I do use bark on the bottom of my cages. Something like that is just the owners call and there are ups and downs no matter which way you go.

 

[jimmo]

Update

since yesterday, i got my chameleon, got her to open her mouth and got 3 crickets in. she chewed them up and swallowed them, so once she has the food in her mouth, she wants it. today i'll be going to look into new substrate, i like the idea of keeping her environment natural looking but safe at the same time. i don't know if finding that she will eat food put in her mouth and not spit it out but won't hunt for her own food may shed some new light on whatever problem she may have... i appreciate all the help i have already received.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

Maybe she was cup fed before

 

[Frank Castle]

Just some random thoughts:

What supliments are you using, Was she getting supliments before you got her?

Is She weak and not able to hold her self on the branch's? Maybe she is falling to the floor, and cant get up? How do her limbs look? It might be MBD?

Is your UV light, UVB Floresent?

Frank

 

[jimmo]

i'm using reptocal and reptivite, i didn't know what kind of light came with my set up so i went out for a new light today. also handfed her a couple more crickets, her belly got bigger too. she will eventually learn to eat on her own, right?

 

[lowendfrequency]

This thread is full of bad advice. You've basically been givng a perfect formula for growing bacteria in the bottom of your cage. The BEST substrate for a chameleon is NO substrate. I am astonished that no-one has mentioned the fact that your female may be gravid and ready to lay eggs, but I guess that's what you get when the blind lead the blind.

Now, let's get to the bottom of this. How old is your chameleon? Are you 100% positive it's a female? Are you providing a laying site and if not, do you know how to provide one? Are you fully aware of the complications involved with egg laying females including egg binding and calcium deficiencies? Are you financially prepared to take this animal to the vet?

If I were you I would place a large tub of moist soil (no perlite) in a deep tub and place it in your chameleons cage. Leave her alone for a day and check to see if she's started digging.

 

[ChameleonsTree]

This thread is full of bad advice. You've basically been givng a perfect formula for growing bacteria in the bottom of your cage. The BEST substrate for a chameleon is NO substrate. I am astonished that no-one has mentioned the fact that your female may be gravid and ready to lay eggs, but I guess that's what you get when the blind lead the blind.

wow such harsh words. Well we did explain to him in live chat that bark was bad. He also told us there that she is tipping over...which led us to believe she was sick and not gravid.

 

[jimmo]

Okay, um, something new happened. I saw her laying on the ground again, I picked her up to make sure she's still alive and she is, but I saw this freaky stuff going on in the cone shape around her eye. It looked like a little bubble pulsing up and down, I freaked out and called my boyfriend in tears, he wants me to take her back. I called the store I bought her from, the breeder is going to be there tomorrow. I told her I changed the substrate from reptibark to this vitesand because of all of you telling me reptibark is bad, and I'm sure we can all agree that is true... she said it's not, whatever. I mentioned the possibility of her laying eggs, she said she's too young still. So I guess I'm asking if anyone has any idea what was going on in her eye and if anyone has any advice for when I talk to the breeder, I know people out there BS just to make a quick buck, so I want to go there prepared.

This is either Jim or Jenn that come on, just so no one gets confused. =)