sick baby chameleon.

[yoshimoto0]

hello, i’m newer here. i haven’t posted in over a year. my two year old chamelon passed, and it’s been about a year since. i have recently gotten a new baby male veiled chameleon. i’m very worried about him because i constantly want the very best for him.

he has not shed in the four weeks i have had him. so that is why i’m very concerned that he is not growing.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - pascal is male, veiled chameleon. he is four months old, and i’ve added him for 4-5 weeks.
• Handling - I try not to handle my chameleon very often, and if I do I make sure that he walks onto my hand so that I am not forcing anything upon him.
• Feeding - he will only eat about 5-8 small crickets every other day. he also tends to struggle swallowing after eating. sucks his throat and stomach in kinda to swallow.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly. I alternate between D3 calcium and multi vitamin every other week. I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium Without D3” “Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin and Mineral Powder Reptile/Amphibian Supplement” and I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3”
• Watering - I mist my chams tank, and I use a dripper aswell. i mist 2-3 times a day. i do see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - white, sometimes slightly yellow

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Reptile Habitat Screen Cage - Open Air Screen Cage Reptile Terrarium Aluminium Scren Habitat, 17.7 x 17.7 x 31.5
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for about 12 hours a day.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 80°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night.
• Humidity - i spray 2-3 times a day. i use a dripper as well.
• Plants - i have “devils ivy” or pothos, and a very large umbrella plant.

i’m attaching pics of him today, and his enclosure.

i also want to add, i’m unable to take him to a vet. and i’m very sorry about this. life hit very hard the past week or so, and i just don’t have the money for it at the moment. i want to be able to give my chameleon the best life possible, and for him to be okay.

what am i able to do to help him as of now?

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. I’m more than happy to offer whatever help I can.

• Your Chameleon - pascal is male, veiled chameleon. he is four months old, and i’ve added him for 4-5 weeks. Are you certain he’s a boy? Can you post pics of the back of the back feet so I can see his tarsal spurs? At 4 months old I’d expect to see his boy markings more. He’s either younger than that or is a girl.
• Handling - I try not to handle my chameleon very often, and if I do I make sure that he walks onto my hand so that I am not forcing anything upon him. It’s always best to build trust with your chameleon. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/building-trust-with-your-chameleon.2396/ Do be prepared that he may not be so friendly as he gets older.
• Feeding - he will only eat about 5-8 small crickets every other day. That’s not enough. He should be eating at least around 15-20 at 4 months old. he also tends to struggle swallowing after eating. Are you sure the feeders are small enough for him? Anything larger than the space between his eyes is too big. It’s better to give feeders that are too small than too big. Try something like bsfl (those should be small enough) and see how he does. sucks his throat and stomach in kinda to swallow. Crickets are a good staple feeder, but variety of different feeders is best. Also, you need to feed your insects fresh produce and keep them healthy so that they are more nutritious. Graphics below.
• Supplements - I use calcium weekly. You should be lightly dusting with phosphorus free calcium without D3 at every feeding. I alternate between D3 calcium and multi vitamin every other week. Do you mean you use each one once every other week? Each should be given twice a month. I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium Without D3” “Rep-Cal Herptivite Multivitamin and Mineral Powder Reptile/Amphibian Supplement” and I use “Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3”
• Watering - I mist my chams tank, and I use a dripper aswell. i mist 2-3 times a day. i do see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - white, sometimes slightly yellow Since you mention he isn’t growing well, a vet visit with a fecal check for parasites is definitely a good idea.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Reptile Habitat Screen Cage - Open Air Screen Cage Reptile Terrarium Aluminium Scren Habitat, 17.7 x 17.7 x 31.5 You do know that as he becomes an adult in a few short months, he’ll be needing much larger - minimum of 2x2x4’. If you can go even larger than that it would be perfect.
• Lighting - I use a Reptisun T5 Ho Terrarium Hood 24 Inch, I keep it on for about 12 hours a day. What is the strength of your uvb bulb? Is it a new bulb or the same you used for your prior chameleon? With young chameleons you should always elevate the lights at least a couple of inches above the screen. Babies enjoy walking upside down on the top and can easily get burned.
• Temperature - The temperature on the upper part (basking area) is usually 80°F and the lower parts are 70°F. It drops cooler at night. Perfect! When he becomes an adult, you can increase basking temp a little to no higher than 85.
• Humidity - i spray 2-3 times a day. i use a dripper as well. But what are your humidity levels? It’s important to know this and hygrometers aren’t terribly costly. Ideal range is between 30-50% during the day.
• Plants - i have “devils ivy” or pothos, and a very large umbrella plant. Looks great! You should remove that artificial plant in the back though. Not only is it not at all needed, but if he nibbles a leaf, it can cause a bowel obstruction. If you want a nice pop of color, tradescantia are great and grow just as easily as pothos.

i’m attaching pics of him today, and his enclosure.

i also want to add, i’m unable to take him to a vet. and i’m very sorry about this. life hit very hard the past week or so, and i just don’t have the money for it at the moment. Understand all too well! However, having that fecal check for parasites is warranted since he isn’t growing well. Do have that done as soon as you are able. Just fyi - it is the law that the vet has to see the animal and can’t just do a fecal. However, some just want to treat without running the test and that is never a good idea. Different parasites need different treatments. i want to be able to give my chameleon the best life possible, and for him to be okay.

what am i able to do to help him as of now? The priority would be making sure the feeders are small enough. He needs much more nutrition than he’s getting. Making sure your insects are well cared for and well fed is also important.

 

[yoshimoto0]

hello! thank you for your response.

i’m attaching pics of the feet. in person they are even more noticeable, so i am certain.

tye crickets may be a little too big then, i will definitely go get some smaller ones today. they are the length between his eyes, but cutting it close.

i alternate between both, so yes. they’re only used twice a month.


i can definitely see elevate the light
i have no clue what the strength is.

yes i’m aware of the tank size, i have a friend who is offering to give me their tank once he gets a bit bigger.

my humidity range is between 30%-60%.

 

[MissSkittles]

I’m not so sure about your little one being a boy. The 3rd pic is ok, but the first 2 are questionable. Even though there is a little nub, it’s not as pronounced as I think it should be and I have to go back to coloring. It’s not terribly common, but some girls do have tiny spurs. Pics below of my guy when he was 3 months and 4 months so you can see the colors and patterns, plus the spur. I guess time will prove it out on gender.
Do get smaller feeders asap and hopefully that is the only reason that baby hasn’t been growing/thriving.
On the end of the uvb bulb it should say what the strength is. If it’s a ReptiSun it should be a 5.0 and for Arcadia, a 6%. It’s absolutely essential to have the correct uvb. If it’s an old bulb (older than 6 months - 1 year), it really will need to be replaced as they lose strength over time. That could be another reason for baby not thriving. Do please keep us posted on how little one does with smaller feeders and all.

 

[yoshimoto0]

we are getting smaller feeders today. i will let you know.
this is him today. i personally feel like he is a male because the spur has grown since i’ve gotten him.

i have not been home lately, i’m traveling a lot for an activity i’m in. so i’m having a family member take care of him, so i’m just really concerned because i want to make sure he’s okay, but i just feel like there’s nothing i can do.

 

[MissSkittles]

Little one really needs nutrition. The eyes and casque are starting to become drawn in. If smaller feeders isn’t the solution, you’ll really need a vet.

 

[kinyonga]

Little one really needs nutrition. The eyes and casque are starting to become drawn in. If smaller feeders isn’t the solution, you’ll really need a vet.

Sadly I agree with this.

 

[kata]

i’m worried abt my baby chameleon too i recently got him frm a neighbor who didn’t want him anymore and im not sure if he’s sick. i do t hve the money to take him to the vet at the moment but i did fix his cage and got him the right supplies. He has like a brown yellowing stomach and spots that im not sure are normal? can someone tell me if he’s okay please?

 

[Gloriawood]

i’m worried abt my baby chameleon too i recently got him frm a neighbor who didn’t want him anymore and im not sure if he’s sick. i do t hve the money to take him to the vet at the moment but i did fix his cage and got him the right supplies. He has like a brown yellowing stomach and spots that im not sure are normal? can someone tell me if he’s okay please?

Hi there! I suggest creating a new thread for your little guy. A husbandry review would be a good idea just to make sure everything is perfect for baby.

 

[MissSkittles]

i’m worried abt my baby chameleon too i recently got him frm a neighbor who didn’t want him anymore and im not sure if he’s sick. i do t hve the money to take him to the vet at the moment but i did fix his cage and got him the right supplies. He has like a brown yellowing stomach and spots that im not sure are normal? can someone tell me if he’s okay please?

Hi and welcome. I agree that it would be best for you to create your own post. Go to ‘forums’, pick the topic that is best suited to you, (probably the health section) and over on the right, ‘post thread’ and that gets you a new blank post to make. Easy peasy! I can tell you that your little cutie looks very young and doing a husbandry review would be ideal to make sure everything is as correct as possible. Young babies have zero resources to fall back upon and can fail quickly if something isn’t correct. There’s tons of bad or old info out there on care, so it’s too easy to make errors. I do see one already and that is something that does not look like an insect and it is far too large in your cuties mouth. What is that? Baby should only be getting live bugs that are smaller than the space between the eyes. Anyhow, looking forward to helping you and your cutie pie.