PLEASE HELP!

WhoopeeTheCham

WhoopeeTheCham

Member
Please help you guys! I think my girl is sick. I just heard a cough. Ans she keeps looking up to the light. I was in the middle of posting this and thought I would try my last ditch effort. I fed her this morning with 2 silkworms, 1 wax worm, 6 medium-sized crickets, a horned worm, 3 dubia roches just to see if I could entice her to eat anything and we will figure it out form there.... and she didn't eat a thing all day.... So I figure maybe she isn't wanting to look for them because she isn't feeling well, with stress and a possibility of something else. I pulled out the tongs and grabbed a silk worm after dropping it a few times into the abyss. She tried to grab one from the tongs and I think I messed up and was holding it too tight. Then I figured I would lay it on a leaf near her and.... drum roll please.....SHE ATE IT and then she ate two more.(I know they are supposed to be like candy I just wanted something on her tummy she hasn't eaten in 4 days) I have never been so happy for this little girl. But now I have to figure this other part out. Please review my husbandry. I will post all the pictures you need. I dont want my little girl to suffer, because of my mistakes. I am getting in touch with an experienced exotics vet to see about getting her in however they can't see her until Saturday, do you think she will be fine until then?!?
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  • Your Chameleon - Carpet chameleon female, reptile breeder said juvenile how ever hatch date unknown, I brought her home on the 24th so 4 days ago.
  • Handling - I picked her up out of her box from transport, I inspected her quick 15 second look around and then off to her new abode, other than that I have not touched her.
  • Feeding - I have crickets, wax worms, horned worms, dubia roches, silk worms. I gut loading with super salad and bee pollen
  • Supplements - I have Repti Calcium with D3 and Without D3. Both feedings have been without D3. I was going to used the D3 on every other Sunday alternating with a multivitamin on Sundays.
  • Watering - I have a reptirain system it goes off for 1 minute every 6 hours. I also have a dripper and a fogger.. Whoopee does drink I have caught her multiple times.
  • Fecal Description - normal
  • History - She is very new to me. However she does change into her PJ'S for sleeping (changes light pink, tan, with white spots) . And she does let me know I'm too close or she is not happy, flattening out, karate hand, curly tail, hiding behind her branch.

Cage Info:

  • Cage Type - 24" x 24" x 48" screen enclosure, covered on 3 sides with clear shower curtain (top and front 2/3 exposed)
  • Lighting - basking lamp 150w, Reptisun T5 UVB HO 30 inch.
  • Temperature please refer to picture. I have a digital thermometer and also a IR temp gun.
    20210128_182316.jpg
  • Humidity - 40% to 80%(spike) it hovers closer to 48% to 60% consistently. I have inclosed her enclosure on three sides (looking for recommendations) this morning I added some plastic to the bottom 1/3 to bring up the humidity again. The snow storm took all the moisture out of the air... I use a digital hydrometer.
  • Plants I mostly have pothos, I do have a ficus, and a schefflera( not sure I spelt that right) and and orchid. There is also real moss to help with the humidity levels it is mostly at the base of the plants though.
  • Placement - Her cage is in the corner of my bedroom, she does sit next to a window but it has light blocking shades. And it is almost all the way to the ceiling. There are no vents blowing on her. I have a heater in my room as a back up(I feel like she gets too cold at night even though my room does not fall below 69. I have pretty much turned this off at nights.)
  • Location - I live in Colorado, not in the mountains though.
Now I think she is sleeping I feel bad for getting her food so late. I hope she is okay..... man I'm just messing up left and right. 🤦‍♀️😥
 

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So right off the bat, I would say that your carpet chameleon probably has a respiratory infection. When they have trouble breathing, they point their head up into the air (like you described how she is looking up at the light) to help breathe in air due to a respiratory infection. Plus, she is probably wild caught so I would make sure to get her checked out for parasites when you go to the vet. I am unfamiliar with carpet chameleon care.

Frank Payne is the leader when it comes to carpet chameleon care. Click on this link to find Frank Payne's caresheet. It is a downloadable pdf. Check your husbandry with his. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/carpet-chameleon-care-sheet.156403/

The reason I say it is wild-caught is because a shipment from Madagascar came in about a week ago. And also the very few people who do have them captive-bred would have given you all the knowledge you would need to succeed.

Frank Payne has a youtube channel as well. Here it is:
 
WhoopeeTheCham said:
I cant find one that has an exotic vet at the facility I have called 4 places. They are all out till Saturday or Monday 😬😤
Click to expand...
How far away are you looking, even if it’s a multi-hour drive, it’s better than nothing. I agree @Mendez for the RI and information, make sure to bring a fresh fecal sample with you wherever you go to test for parasites since she is wild caught! Does the place you bought her from have any health guarantees?
 
Who did you buy the chameleon from? 4 days is not enough time for any of these symptoms to be this severe. None of this is your fault (I am glad that you are asking for help!). Pretty despicable for anyone to sell a cham in poor condition, and then on top of that for them not to tell you that it is wild-caught is on a whole other level.
 
Mendez said:
Who did you buy the chameleon from? 4 days is not enough time for any of these symptoms to be this severe. None of this is your fault (I am glad that you are asking for help!). Pretty despicable for anyone to sell a cham in poor condition, and then on top of that for them not to tell you that it is wild-caught is on a whole other level.
Click to expand...
5280 Reptile Room- whose website is actually no longer available, Facebook only! Also @WhoopeeTheCham I completely agree with @Mendez on how this isn‘t your fault, you’re doing the best you can do! Shame on 5280 Reptile Room!
 
Mendez said:
So right off the bat, I would say that your carpet chameleon probably has a respiratory infection. When they have trouble breathing, they point their head up into the air (like you described how she is looking up at the light) to help breathe in air due to a respiratory infection. Plus, she is probably wild caught so I would make sure to get her checked out for parasites when you go to the vet. I am unfamiliar with carpet chameleon care.

Frank Payne is the leader when it comes to carpet chameleon care. Click on this link to find Frank Payne's caresheet. It is a downloadable pdf. Check your husbandry with his. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/carpet-chameleon-care-sheet.156403/

The reason I say it is wild-caught is because a shipment from Madagascar came in about a week ago. And also the very few people who do have them captive-bred would have given you all the knowledge you would need to succeed.

Frank Payne has a youtube channel as well. Here it is:
Click to expand...

You are correct she is wild caught I just found that out yesterday. I would have never bought her had I known that. But I already love her so it's too late. My heart is breaking. All of her conditions are in the right parameters. According to Frank's care sheet.
 
ERKleRose said:
How far away are you looking, even if it’s a multi-hour drive, it’s better than nothing. I agree @Mendez for the RI and information, make sure to bring a fresh fecal sample with you wherever you go to test for parasites since she is wild caught! Does the place you bought her from have any health guarantees?
Click to expand...
My health will not allow for that kind of a drive but I did look up to like an hour away! They had a 48 hour guarantee. And I went down there in person. To tell them she wasn't eatting at first. And they told me it just sounded like she was stressed.
 
WhoopeeTheCham said:
My health will not allow for that kind of a drive but I did look up to like an hour away! They had a 48 hour guarantee. And I went down there in person. To tell them she wasn't eatting at first. And they told me it just sounded like she was stressed.
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Is there anyone else who can take her and you talk to the vet over the phone or something?
 
I think if they didn't disclose that it was a wild-caught animal at purchase, then you might be able to do something. I feel like it is very similar to selling a car that has problems that were known but not disclosed. If those issues were known, the buyer would not have purchased the car. The buyer has legal standing. This is why rolling back the miles on a car is illegal. The price of a care at 100,000 miles is much different from 200,000. "The amount of miles a vehicle has driven throughout its life has a direct effect on the viability and efficiency of the car." Whether this applies to chameleons is another issue.
 
WhoopeeTheCham said:
My health will not allow for that kind of a drive but I did look up to like an hour away! They had a 48 hour guarantee. And I went down there in person. To tell them she wasn't eatting at first. And they told me it just sounded like she was stressed.
Click to expand...
Definitely don't listen to them. She is stressed but only because she was sick when you bought her and she just hid the symptoms for as long as she could.
 
Wow, that is just terrible! I’m sorry for what you’re going thru! Your little one will likely need antibiotics and it would help her to boost her hydration a bit. Maybe a little longer night fogging session and a dripper all day might help. I do pray your little one gets better 😢
 
Shanar808 said:
Wow, that is just terrible! I’m sorry for what you’re going thru! Your little one will likely need antibiotics and it would help her to boost her hydration a bit. Maybe a little longer night fogging session and a dripper all day might help. I do pray your little one gets better 😢
Click to expand...
I have been doing double mistings in the morninga and nights and all leafs are dry within about an hour to two or so. She dam near slept in her fogger last night. And I leave her dripper on top of her cage at all times.
 
WhoopeeTheCham said:
I have been doing double mistings in the morninga and nights and all leafs are dry within about an hour to two or so. She dam near slept in her fogger last night. And I leave her dripper on top of her cage at all times.
Click to expand...
Shanar808 said:
Your little one will likely need antibiotic
Click to expand...

Is there anything over the counter I can buy her to try and help with the infection or as a precautionary because she doesn't have an official diagnosis.
 
Respiratory infections are caused from high heat and high humidity (and inadequate airflow). so I would remove at least the taped plastic from her cage service door for better airflow. I’m no help beyond that because I have no experience with respiratory infections. @JacksJill
 
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