Chameleon Info:
Current Problem – So here is the thing, I work at a Petco (In inventory and customer service so very little contact with the animals. my specialities are Bettas, Ferrets, Small Parrots and now Axolotls) and had an eye on this Chameleon hoping she would get a good home as I have found I adore Chameleons. Then the whole lock down thing happened. I was worried about the size of habitat she was in and waivered for about two weeks on getting her. I finally had the money to “Rescue” her from my work and on the day I did she had fallen off of a vine and broke my heart with Her sad Help Me face. So…. Bought a chameleon kit, some house plants, wax worms, Mealworms, just about anything that she could need and set her up in her new home. She is named Ptah Willis because Chameleons do not need to conform to our silly gender notions. ?
And it was readily apparent she wasn’t eating. Okay, stress from moving. Then she started falling off of her vines and Dowels I had strung up for her. So I set about finding the type of fake vine she had in her habitat at work thinking that maybe there is something wrong with what I had, the dowels being to smooth or something. No. She is still falling off and spending all of her time at the bottom of her cage being miserable. Research leads me to think it is calcium deficiency, SO 20 mins outside a day and because still not eating, force feeding calcium (no D3) and smooshed worms. First time managed to get 3 ML into her and second time 5ML. This morning we watched her attempting to eat a mealworm and she couldn’t.
While in my care at home she has eaten two crickets.
Yesterday I talked to our Pet Care Specialist. She was surprised at the idea of Calcium Deficiency but then went wide eyed and mentioned we had 3 bearded dragons die from Adenovirus and maybe it transferred to Ptah Willis. I can’t take her to the Vet because of lockdown and we only have one exotic vet in the city that sees reptiles who is booked for months. ☹ I asked my coworker about bring her back in and having them take her to the vet but my coworker said there was no point. Either the Calcium would fix it or she wouldn’t make it.
Right now the plan is continue force feeding Calcium and bug juice/maybe baby food until can eat on her own, and taking her outside for 20 mins of sunlight a day (Why I am over holding her; that and the catching her when she falls). We have also changed out the bottom of her cage to towels so if she does fall it hurts less.
4/27: while I was waiting to get approved to post I moved her lights closer to her so they are about half way down the cage. She got 4 ML in her this morning and almost all of it went in. I forgot to mention she is flailing at things, has trouble standing and keeping balance. I have watcher her try to grab for a branch and fail her arm around not getting anywhere near it. After today’s feeding she couldn’t get her tongue back in her mouth and right now she still has her mouth open a little bit. Her colouring is pale. I am going to get chicken and veggy babyfood and pedalite tonight on my way home from work. I still have calcium without d3 and if we run out of that before I can get more from work, we have cuttle bones for our cockatiel I can grind up.
I guess right now I am just hoping there is a CHANCE of her pulling thru though it is looking more and more dire. I called the small animal hospital in town and they only deal with fuzzies and occasionally feathered animals.
ANY advice is welcome!!! This is my first chameleon though I have had Snakes in the past and currently have a happy and thriving Axolotl (Named Lizard Man).
can't seem to attach images, will respond with them when I can.
- Your Chameleon – Veiled, Female, Age is at least 4 months, and had for a week or so at home, in the store for 3 months.
- Handling – Once every other day when at store, now twice to three times a day for reasons that will be explained
- Feeding – Crickets, Mealworms, Waxworms, tried kale. She isn’t eating now at all. gut loading crickets with flukers but planning on finding better alternative once she starts eating.
- Supplements – 1 time calcium with d3, now just straight Calcium, once mixed in Repitle vitamin into her calcium/bug slurry
- Watering – three times a day I heavily mist the plants in her cage, have a drip set up onto umbrella tree for her to drink from and I have yet to see her drink
- Fecal Description – Haven’t found any since brought home
- History – was at Petco up until a week ago, was feed 10-15 crickets a day and access to meal worms and water constantly. Fecal description was perfectly normal. Note: brought home 4/19
- Cage Info:
Cage Type – Mesh 15x15 bottom and 2.5 feet tall - Lighting – ZooMed, came with kit, Currently taking out into sun 20 mins a day. She has 12 hrs of light from the ZooMed plus is in the room that gets the most direct sunlight.
- Temperature – 80 to 75 from top to bottom have a therm in middle and one that I use to measure top and bottom temp
- Humidity – 40-70 depending on time of day. Mist three times a day and honestly live in swamp so allot of humidity about
- Plants – an Umbrella Tree, Spider Plant, English Ivy
- Placement – In Kitchen with little traffic during day and can get sunshine, is on table next to window.
- Location – New Orleans
Current Problem – So here is the thing, I work at a Petco (In inventory and customer service so very little contact with the animals. my specialities are Bettas, Ferrets, Small Parrots and now Axolotls) and had an eye on this Chameleon hoping she would get a good home as I have found I adore Chameleons. Then the whole lock down thing happened. I was worried about the size of habitat she was in and waivered for about two weeks on getting her. I finally had the money to “Rescue” her from my work and on the day I did she had fallen off of a vine and broke my heart with Her sad Help Me face. So…. Bought a chameleon kit, some house plants, wax worms, Mealworms, just about anything that she could need and set her up in her new home. She is named Ptah Willis because Chameleons do not need to conform to our silly gender notions. ?
And it was readily apparent she wasn’t eating. Okay, stress from moving. Then she started falling off of her vines and Dowels I had strung up for her. So I set about finding the type of fake vine she had in her habitat at work thinking that maybe there is something wrong with what I had, the dowels being to smooth or something. No. She is still falling off and spending all of her time at the bottom of her cage being miserable. Research leads me to think it is calcium deficiency, SO 20 mins outside a day and because still not eating, force feeding calcium (no D3) and smooshed worms. First time managed to get 3 ML into her and second time 5ML. This morning we watched her attempting to eat a mealworm and she couldn’t.
While in my care at home she has eaten two crickets.
Yesterday I talked to our Pet Care Specialist. She was surprised at the idea of Calcium Deficiency but then went wide eyed and mentioned we had 3 bearded dragons die from Adenovirus and maybe it transferred to Ptah Willis. I can’t take her to the Vet because of lockdown and we only have one exotic vet in the city that sees reptiles who is booked for months. ☹ I asked my coworker about bring her back in and having them take her to the vet but my coworker said there was no point. Either the Calcium would fix it or she wouldn’t make it.
Right now the plan is continue force feeding Calcium and bug juice/maybe baby food until can eat on her own, and taking her outside for 20 mins of sunlight a day (Why I am over holding her; that and the catching her when she falls). We have also changed out the bottom of her cage to towels so if she does fall it hurts less.
4/27: while I was waiting to get approved to post I moved her lights closer to her so they are about half way down the cage. She got 4 ML in her this morning and almost all of it went in. I forgot to mention she is flailing at things, has trouble standing and keeping balance. I have watcher her try to grab for a branch and fail her arm around not getting anywhere near it. After today’s feeding she couldn’t get her tongue back in her mouth and right now she still has her mouth open a little bit. Her colouring is pale. I am going to get chicken and veggy babyfood and pedalite tonight on my way home from work. I still have calcium without d3 and if we run out of that before I can get more from work, we have cuttle bones for our cockatiel I can grind up.
I guess right now I am just hoping there is a CHANCE of her pulling thru though it is looking more and more dire. I called the small animal hospital in town and they only deal with fuzzies and occasionally feathered animals.
ANY advice is welcome!!! This is my first chameleon though I have had Snakes in the past and currently have a happy and thriving Axolotl (Named Lizard Man).
can't seem to attach images, will respond with them when I can.
