Sick Chameleon???

[SZissou]

Hey all, so I'm a bit worried about my cham, Zissou, right now as he's doing some things I've never seen before...

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male Blue Bar Ambilobe Panther Cham, ~5months old, I've had him for 2 months (since Aug 11th) and when I bought him the breeder said just turned 3 months
Handling - Didn't handle much for the first month, maybe once every week-2 weeks. Been trying to handle more often, once a day for around 5min for the past 8 days.
Feeding - Feed him 10-12 crickets everyday, plus a silkworm or 2 every few days.
Supplements - Dust crickets with ZooMed Repti Calcium (without D3) everyday, and alternate between RepCal Herptivite and RepCal Calcium with D3 every sunday.
Watering - I have a ZooMed Reptirain set up to mist for 30sec every 3hrs during the day. I've seen him lick water off the leaves in his cage fairly often.
Fecal Description - Until today his droppings have been solid, dark brown with white urate. See description of problem for details on todays droppings.
History - Can't think of anything off hand, he's seemed fairly healthy until today...

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Medium Reptibreeze, 16"x16"x30"
Lighting - Reptisun 5.0 sitting on top of enclosure with a 60w blue basking bulb suspended 2-3 inches over top of the enclosure.
Temperature - Basking spot sits at 82F, temps at bottom of enclosure sit around 70-72F. Have an Exo Terra digital thermometer with the probe attached to the basking spot.
Humidity - Humidity hits 80-90% after misting, and falls to around 45-50% between. Measured with an Exo Terra digital hygrometer with the probe in the back top of the cage.
Plants - I have a single pothos plant in the bottom of the cage, everything else is fake vines and plants.
Placement - Cage is in a very low traffic area in the basement of my house. It sits on a table about 2.5ft off the ground with the cage top being 5ft off the ground.
Location - Canada, near Toronto

Current Problem - So I noticed that this morning before I fed him he had his mouth open a touch while he was sitting under the UVB light, which I've never seen him do, it was slightly concerning, but I figured he was just hot. I fed him 5 med sized silkworms dusted with calcium, which he seemed to eat without any issues as well as 5 1/2" crickets which he seemed to eat as well. About an hour after I fed him, I walked in on with his chin puffed out and red and his mouth was WIDE open and he looked like was heaving like he was about to throw up, then he just stopped, his chin went in and the red disappeared and he seemed to calm down. About 20min ago, I noticed him taking a pee/poop but it was different then I've seen before, it looked like the consistency and colour of egg whites, with a bit of stringy yellow stuff in it...

Here is 2 photos I snapped, the first one was trying to get him with his mouth wide open, but I wasn't quick enough. Second shows the bowel movement I described.

http://imgur.com/a/JSexz

Any and all help or input is appreciated, thanks!!

 

[GReyMAtter]

About an hour after I fed him, I walked in on with his chin puffed out and red and his mouth was WIDE open and he looked like was heaving like he was about to throw up, then he just stopped, his chin went in and the red disappeared and he seemed to calm down. About 20min ago, I noticed him taking a pee/poop but it was different then I've seen before, it looked like the consistency and colour of egg whites, with a bit of stringy yellow stuff in it...

This is actually the reason I'm on here right now I'm having the same issue and it's actually starting to worry me. He seems just down in the dumps on top of things and is just with his mouth open more and more it seems. He doesn't have raspy breathing or stringy spit just very.very runny poop for the first time today and his mouth open in this manner. Please VERY interested in this topic!

 

[jannb]

I'm sorry to hear of the problem you are having with your little man. If his basking spot is only 82, then he shouldn't be to hot. At 5 months old it wouldn't hurt to bump it up a degree or two. Your husbandry actually looks pretty good. The only thing I can think of is maybe the five silkworms had something to do with it. I don't recommend giving 5 silkworms at the time but instead a variety of feeders. For example, 3 roaches, 3 crickets, 2 silks and a butter worm and a super worm.....all well gut loaded and the appropriate size. What are you gut loading with? I don't think you mentioned that above.

 

[jannb]

This is actually the reason I'm on here right now I'm having the same issue and it's actually starting to worry me. He seems just down in the dumps on top of things and is just with his mouth open more and more it seems. He doesn't have raspy breathing or stringy spit just very.very runny poop for the first time today and his mouth open in this manner. Please VERY interested in this topic!

I recommend a fecal. Runny poop can be a sign of parasites

 

[SZissou]

Thanks for the reply Jann, I'll make sure not to feed him 5 silks at once again.

I try to vary the gutloading a little bit, so I have carrot in the cricket enclosure at the moment, in addition to the dryfood and water gel they always have. I rotate through gutloading with strawberry, dandelion greens, collard greens, carrot and apple.

The dryfood mix is a homemade one I get my local reptile specialty shop made with spirulina, bee pollen, birdmash, and some other ingredients I can't remember off the top of my head...

Also, their water gel is the Zilla Cricket Drink with calcium.

 

[Sanababit]

I recommend a fecal. Runny poop can be a sign of parasites

Runny poop can also be from juicy feeders, like hornworws, so if you change your feeders and still see the problem then it needs a vet visit

Sana

 

[GReyMAtter]

Runny poop can also be from juicy feeders, like hornworws, so if you change your feeders and still see the problem then a it needs a vet visit

Sana

Thanks for the heads up I ordered a cup of Goliath horn worms from mulberry and maybe him eating to many of those could have lead to it. I'll try to bump up my variety with some "dryer" meals lol. If that doesn't help in a week or two vet check is next on my list.

 

[Trace]

If this random open mouth was accompanied by a twist of the body and a shudder/spasm then it’s nothing to worry about. I'm not sure if there is a technical term for it but I call it the morning stretch; they seem do it shortly after waking and warming up. I don't know if there is a physiological reason for it but it's something chameleons do.

 

[jannb]

Thanks for the heads up I ordered a cup of Goliath horn worms from mulberry and maybe him eating to many of those could have lead to it. I'll try to bump up my variety with some "dryer" meals lol. If that doesn't help in a week or two vet check is next on my list.

Too many hornworms could also cause runny poop but a routine fecal never hurts.

 

[Rodcham]

My little man has been doing this for about two weeks now. Been to the vet and reckons it may be a change of season thing. Aggression moving into spring etc. Have got baytril in case, seems to be drinking alot and still eating but his behaviour is different. Has done it before but was fine. Whilst I am concerned he is being watched closely.