Rescuing a cham, want to do it right

[reptilegirl777]

Hello,
I'm taking in a chameleon from someone who impulse bought a baby from Petco a month before leaving for college. I briefly kept one as a teenager, but it died and I don't want to go through that again. Please tell me what I need to do to be successful!
I plan on:

• Keeping it in my 18x18x36 Reptibreeze enclosure
• Use paper towels as substrate
• Feed mainly dubias and crickets
• Mist frequently
• Use Reptivite and calcium powder (but not D3?)
• Take to the vet as soon as it unstresses from the move

I would love all the info I can get from people who keep them!

 

[reptilegirl777]

Forgot to mention I have a Reptisun bulb and heat bulb!

 

[Xan Panther chameleon2003]

I'm not very experienced, but don't put substrate because your chameleon will eat it. Also look on the chameleon care sheets on its sight, there full off info. Good luck with the new Cham.

 

[Xan Panther chameleon2003]

Sorry I meant this sight*

 

[Virgil1972]

What kind of cham?

 

[Haileybug]

What's the calcium sced?

 

[reptilegirl777]

I'm not sure what kind it is because I haven't seen it yet, but I'm assuming a veiled because it came from Petco. It is being kept in an old aquarium so I'm worried it may have a respiratory problem but I won't know until I see it

What does calcium sced mean?

 

[Carlton]

Hello,
I'm taking in a chameleon from someone who impulse bought a baby from Petco a month before leaving for college. I briefly kept one as a teenager, but it died and I don't want to go through that again. Please tell me what I need to do to be successful!
I plan on:

• Keeping it in my 18x18x36 Reptibreeze enclosure
• Use paper towels as substrate
• Feed mainly dubias and crickets
• Mist frequently
• Use Reptivite and calcium powder (but not D3?)
• Take to the vet as soon as it unstresses from the move

I would love all the info I can get from people who keep them!

So much depends on what species it is. Most likely a veiled if its from a big box store. How often you will need to mist will depend on a lot of things including how much foliage you have in the cage (to hold water droplets and keep the humidity at the correct level), how dry your house and climate are. You will need a good digital humidity gauge, not the cheap analog dial types from pet shops. You will need an accurate thermometer...many of us swear by those non-contact "temp guns" available from herp suppliers. They are fantastic! Assuming its a veiled, you will want to dust his feeders lightly each day with plain calcium...no added vitamin D3. Every 2 weeks dust with calcium that does have added vit. D3. Every 2 weeks dust with a herp multivitamin. Gutload your feeders well...that's most important. Our forum sponsors have good options.

Once you know what species you have, send us a picture so we can see if there are treatable health problems going on. There often are from pet shop chams. Read the husbandry articles located under the Resources tab. They can answer a lot of your questions.

 

[Carlton]

I'm not very experienced, but don't put substrate because your chameleon will eat it. Also look on the chameleon care sheets on its sight, there full off info. Good luck with the new Cham.

Paper towel substrate is a safe option...just replace them when they get soiled. You must have been thinking of soil or bark.

 

[reptilegirl777]

Thank you all so much! I will let you know when I get it. Classes start next week so I think it'll get dropped off some time then

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hello,
I'm taking in a chameleon from someone who impulse bought a baby from Petco a month before leaving for college. I briefly kept one as a teenager, but it died and I don't want to go through that again. Please tell me what I need to do to be successful!
I plan on:

• Keeping it in my 18x18x36 Reptibreeze enclosure
• Use paper towels as substrate
• Feed mainly dubias and crickets
• Mist frequently
• Use Reptivite and calcium powder (but not D3?)
• Take to the vet as soon as it unstresses from the move

I would love all the info I can get from people who keep them!

I wouldn't bother taking it to the vet unless it needs to go to the vet. It's a good idea to have one picked out before you need them. A vet isn't likely to be able to find illness unless it is something really obvious like rales when breathing or broken limbs from MBD. Vets count on the owner to tell them what is wrong and they go from there. A chameleon, even if ill, will come to life from the stress of the visit, even an animal that lies on a branch all day with its eyes closed won't present that way to a vet.

It doesn't sound like you are "rescuing" this animal, more like rehoming him. Good luck. You'll get lots of advice. Read the care sheets in the resource section.