Time to go to the vet?

[ChameLIonLover]

Hello fellow chameleon forumers, my guy has shown some beginning signs of MBD and I believe it may be time to do something about it. I've tried following advice and made sure i have a standard supplementing schedule. He has started to become less active overall. He'll move to his sleepy-time spot well before lights out. Last night he fell asleep up top near the basking lamp with a couple of his legs in odd contorted positions. I've noticed he's been going to his sleepy spot earlier and earlier as well. Is it time to take him to the vet? I've been meaning to do it, but wanted to wait until there were for-sure risks.

Something to note:
-I have not seen him fall yet.
-He is still very quick up and down the branches to stalk various prey items.
-Seems to climb fine on the mesh of his enclosure still (even on the top, upside down occasionally.)
-Posture is not ALWAYS erect and prominent.


Chameleon Info:
• Your Chameleon - Male Nosy Be Panther Chameleon, 11 mo. 12 days old. Have had him since August 2015.
• Handling - minimal to allow him to bask on a stick outside 2x/wk. Able to coax onto branch or hand with mealworm
Feeding - Gets equivalent~7 large crickets, BB flies as well as dubia roaches with an occasional superworm, likes mealworms as snacks.
• Supplements - Repticalcium w/ D3 every other week (2x/ month), Herptivite multivitamin every other week (2x/ month), REP- CAL calcium w/o D3 every day (too often?) Take note that he will typically eats ~7 bugs daily.
Watering - Use a little dripper when I can. Will occasionally hand mist.
• Mistking goes off 3 times a day, for 5 minute intervals. Use a cheap dial thermometer/ hygrometer from petco, not sure if the hygrometer on humidifier is accurate
• Fecal Description - Poops every other day or two.. used to be every day. Urate is mostly white.

Cage Info:
• Cage Type - 2'x2'x48 dragon strand screen cage, basking spot above eye level (~6 ft).
• Lighting - 2 Flukers lamp fixtures for household basking bulb (75w) and reptisun 5.0 and HO T5 arcadia 6%
• Temperature - Basking spot temp: 84, ambient / bottom: 70
• Humidity - Ambient: 20 but during day with mister and humidifier: 50-85
⁃ Mistking mists (4) 5-minute intervals
⁃ IDYLIS humidifier from Lowes (not sure what type? Black $75 model?)
• Plants - Pothos, bromeliad
Placement - Cage in bedroom, which is located within the basement
• Location - Midwest

Problems: MBD? Is it time for a trip to the vet?

-What credentials am I looking for in a good vet? How do I know if my vet has adequate knowledge of chameleons?
-Any suggestions for me?

Thanks guys!
-Li

 

[kplatvoet]

I don't think it sounds like MBD- and he's getting to the age where he's going to eat less and poop less - I would check your basic husbandry and do some tweaking - with the change of seasons he may need his basking area a little hotter or cooler or something might be keeping him up at night - you might want to change up your cricket gut load - get him outside for some fresh air if it's warm enough (watch out for birds-escapes ect. ) a fecal would probably be a good idea.

I would check this thread
https://www.chameleonforums.com/area-area-country-vet-list-32880/
to find a vet in your area- It much better to find one when it's not an emergency -I would ask other members who live near you.

 

[rf9661]

I would take him in to the vet if you think it's necessary and you see it's getting worse just to get it checked out. Some times local reptile stores maybe where you buy your feeders can help you out. In my case they're not a vet but they take care of them often when their owners don't know what to do. It doesn't sound like MBD either so its kind of difficult. I hope it all turns out great!

 

[Sanababit]

August 2015 it hasnt been born yet, , jk, maybe some photos might help us id the problem

Sana

 

[ChameLIonLover]

August 2015 it hasnt been born yet, , jk, maybe some photos might help us id the problem

Sana

haha wups! August 2014*.

Anyways, yeah, I can post some photos later of his enclosure and him. The main thing is that he seems to be too inactive most of the time. He'll sit on the same branch for hours before lights out, towards the bottom 1/3rd of the enclosure. I'm thinking about adding some branches for sure. And perhaps a temp gun to better monitor the temps at basking spots. Thanks for the replies everyone!

 

[jajeanpierre]

haha wups! August 2014*.

Anyways, yeah, I can post some photos later of his enclosure and him. The main thing is that he seems to be too inactive most of the time. He'll sit on the same branch for hours before lights out, towards the bottom 1/3rd of the enclosure. I'm thinking about adding some branches for sure. And perhaps a temp gun to better monitor the temps at basking spots. Thanks for the replies everyone!

Some of mine settle low in the cage an hour or two before lights are turned off. I turn my lights off around 7:00 when the sun is still up.

You are concerned about MBD, but I'm unclear about what your concerns are.

Have you changed your UVB light since he came? Reptisuns don't last longer than 6 months, and they start dropping their UVB output from the first day you turn them on. Have you checked the output with a light meter? I was more than a little shocked to find a Reptisun tube fixture was producing zero UVB after only a couple of months use. I just didn't notice the bulb was no good with all the other lighting over the cage.

 

[ChameLIonLover]

Some of mine settle low in the cage an hour or two before lights are turned off. I turn my lights off around 7:00 when the sun is still up.
You are concerned about MBD, but I'm unclear about what your concerns are.
my guy just hasn't been very active is all. After the 2 pm misting he goes to his sleepy spot and stays there unless if I am able to coax him onto a stick to take outside for some sun. More notably, I just saw him in a VERY awkward sleeping position. could be nothing, but in the past i have seem him grabbing his own legs occasionally as well.
Have you changed your UVB light since he came? Reptisuns don't last longer than 6 months, and they start dropping their UVB output from the first day you turn them on. Have you checked the output with a light meter? I was more than a little shocked to find a Reptisun tube fixture was producing zero UVB after only a couple of months use. I just didn't notice the bulb was no good with all the other lighting over the cage.

I got an arcadia 6% light fixture fairly recently within the past couple months.