Starting to be actually worried about my guy

[Ceycham]

I've been in and out of concern about Norman lately. Appetite is alway good, but little things have been nagging me and then he does something to make me feel better, then something nags again. He seems somehow less...stable...I guess, on his branches than he used to. More wobbly or unsure of himself. But then other times, like while hunting, he seems quite sure footed and robust and I chalk it off to my own nerves. he never lets me hold him so I cannot evaluate grip change or anything.

Then there's the fact that he's been eating like a pig, and I've not seen a poop in days. That said, its a busy planted cage bottom and i can imagine just not being able to see wherever it dropped. Usually it lands on a leaf, but I don't see any. After he eats you can see a bulge in his belly near his vent, but then i look hours later and he looks quite normal in that region, so, hopefully he's pooping.

Now, earlier today I offered him a waxworm on my fingertips and he took it readily. When I offered s second on my palm, he immediately went for it but aimed and shot for my fingertips... twice. like inches form the target...

I left him be for a while and offered him another worm this evening, and he gazed again toward my fingertips all ready to aim there, then last minute seem to realize that that was not right and made the correct shot for the worm on my palm.

I'm right to be concerned here, right?

 

[absolutbill]

Yes, you are. You can try a warm shower for him, if you really think he's constipated. However, you should really take him to the vet with his grip and aim issues. I ignored that little voice once, and my female panther died from being eggbound. I'll never make that mistake again.

 

[Ceycham]

So now, 20 minutes after my post, He's hunting low in his cage and hanging by his tail. He's actively moving around and seems anything but weak. Theres 2 fresh poops, no urates to be found so far... several BSFlies have emerged and he seems to be nailing those no problem. I think this guy exists to stress me out. I am still concerned. Perhaps only the waxworms are giving him trouble because contrast wise, they are close to the color of my hand. Is this still an early sign of vision problems? OMG. I literally feel like I'm becoming one of those crazies that are just looking for a problem.

 

[Andee]

Can you give me your supplement schedule and the supplement types you use? And what is your UVB and how old?

Any recent pics?

 

[Ceycham]

Can you give me your supplement schedule and the supplement types you use? And what is your UVB and how old?

Any recent pics?

Hi,

I dust all crickets every day with rep-cal calcium powder no d3. On sunday they get dusted with herptivite vitamins. Maybe once per month I dust on sunday with rep-cal calcium d3. Other insects I have not been dusting. I feed about 15-20 crickets daily, and flies or BSF as they emerge, which might be none or might be 4 or 5 a day of either or both.I'm out of fly and bfs larvae at the moment so those have not fed for the last 2 weeks. I handfeed a small waxworm or 2, sometimes 3 daily. I dust nothing but the crickets, but those are pretty heavily dusted. I've actually been concerned I've been overdusting as I read another post where "Ghost" crickets were on the what not to do list. I definitely have ghost crickets.

My UVB is T5 and new as of August. it lies directly on the top of the screen and I'm wondering now if that's too close? He basks about 4-5 inches below it, but his own height makes his eyes at about 3 inches away...I've worried about the heat from the basking lamp without considering UVB as damaging until now.

 

[Ceycham]

Another update, its clear he is only having issues with my fingertips. He is definitely not missing crickets, flies, or waxworms placed on leaves. But when I offer a waxworm on my palm, he goes for my fingertips.

 

[Ceycham]

Here's a screenshot of a video I took of him shooting at my fingers. Too bad you can't upload videos

 

[Andee]

So you don't have any forms of preformed Vit-A?

Thinking that's what he may need.

 

[Ceycham]

Is there a lone vitamin A? I thought all his vitamin needs were taken care of in the herptivite. Also I've been gut loading with carrots and greens in addition to dry cricket feed. Still, maybe not enough, so please let me know how to supplement vitamin A properly!

 

[Andee]

Heptivite is made with betacarotene and some chameleons have shown to be unable to absorb it or at least get deficiencies when on it. I think it's cause out captive colony of insects provide such poor vitamin A sources. If you still want to you herptivite you could probably stop his deficiency pretty quickly by getting a low level liquid vitamin A gel cap for people. I try to stay below 10k IU, definitely don't go above. Depending on what you get you can give him an entire pill in a week at individual feedings right now. I mean I don't see any signs of a calcium deficiency or something like that... What's his misting schedule? Idk if it was posted?

 

[Ceycham]

Heptivite is made with betacarotene and some chameleons have shown to be unable to absorb it or at least get deficiencies when on it. I think it's cause out captive colony of insects provide such poor vitamin A sources. If you still want to you herptivite you could probably stop his deficiency pretty quickly by getting a low level liquid vitamin A gel cap for people. I try to stay below 10k IU, definitely don't go above. Depending on what you get you can give him an entire pill in a week at individual feedings right now. I mean I don't see any signs of a calcium deficiency or something like that... What's his misting schedule? Idk if it was posted?

I mist 3 times a day. Used to be 45 seconds long (its more a wide spray than a mist, so it drenches the place in that time) but since he seems to drink more with the dripper I've cut back to 30 seconds with hand spraying extra while shedding. Humidity is usually around 55 but drops to 45 before misting starts up again.

 

[Andee]

I would increase mistings if not also misting time. In my opinion he could start having gout issues and joint issues in general, and secondary MBD.

 

[kinyonga]

How long were your fingernails? Can he see white tips on them?

 

[Ceycham]

How long were your fingernails? Can he see white tips on them?

My fingernails are pretty short, it really did not seem he was after those. He was aiming to the middle of my fingertips. He hardly even really seemed to take time to aim. Almost like he just expected the worm to be there and went for it. Sometimes he rethinks it and looks for the worm, others he just immediately shoots for the fingertips. The meaty part, more than the actual tips.

 

[Ceycham]

Heptivite is made with betacarotene and some chameleons have shown to be unable to absorb it or at least get deficiencies when on it. I think it's cause out captive colony of insects provide such poor vitamin A sources. If you still want to you herptivite you could probably stop his deficiency pretty quickly by getting a low level liquid vitamin A gel cap for people. I try to stay below 10k IU, definitely don't go above. Depending on what you get you can give him an entire pill in a week at individual feedings right now. I mean I don't see any signs of a calcium deficiency or something like that... What's his misting schedule? Idk if it was posted?

Ok, will look into the vitamin A. Thanks so much for taking the time to brainstorm Norman's issue. In what way do you think the misting might be affecting him?

 

[Andee]

MbD can be causes by two things I think, calcium deficiency and chronic dehydration. Any sort of mbd will cause issues with tongue

 

[Andee]

Btw I apologize of the above answer seems short just trying to get an answer out on my phone quickly

 

[Ceycham]

MbD can be causes by two things I think, calcium deficiency and chronic dehydration. Any sort of mbd will cause issues with tongue

Thank you. I appreciate the support and the education both.