Trouble with my Mellers

[KrazyG]

Hey guys, Im having a serious problem my with my Mellers in that he has suddenly become really weak and has his eyes closed and can barely hang on to his perch. I've only had him for about a week now and he did'nt look too good to begin with, but i was hoping tht he would get healthier. Hoping you guys can help!

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Mellers, Male, b/w 1-2 yrs i believe, had him for abt a week
Handling - Only once since i got him
Feeding - Feeding him crickets every other day, had'nt given him any gutloaded ones yet
Supplements - none yet
Watering - misting him twice a day, for a few minutes at a time, also using a dripper to feed him water, which he was drinking out of until today
Fecal Description - slimy and runny
History - had his nose tip rubbed off along with a few missing nails on his toes when i got him

Cage Info:2fx2fx3ft cage
Cage Type - Wooden with glass doors and 3 ventilation holes in the back
Lighting - reptisun 5, with ambient temp of about 22-24 c, i leave the light on for abt 12 hrs
Temperature -average temp ranges from abt 19-24, lower cage is cooler as bulb is at the top. the viv came with a thermometer and a hygrometer.
Humidity - humidity abt 50-70, misitng by hand twice daily
Plants - viv came with 2 live potted plants, not sure of type
Placement - the viv is on a table, abt 3 feet off the floor with the top at abt 6 feet
Location - england

Current Problem -was eating/drinking fine since i got him about a week ago but appeared weak and slow..refused food today and over the past few hrs has been hanging loosely on his perch and has his eyes closed despite being touched and moved.

 

[ChamMan7]

He needs to be in a screened cage with lots more ventilation with as much access to water as you can give him. He sounds as if he could have some severe dehydration which can be causing the weakness. Sleeping during the day is never a good thing and could be because temperatures get too high. I would suggest rechecking temps (just to be sure). Mellers are a montane species so a cooler basking spot is better, but if he is in a completely closed in glass setup he is probably much too hot (which leads to the dehydration.) Also, for the long term (not saying this is the immediate issue, but still needs addressing) he needs to get on a supplementation schedule. Calcium without d3 every feeding, and calcium with d3 once or twice a month.

 

[torquasprings]

Get a hold of ThePhotoPrincess! They have 10 Melleri, and have done a marvelous job with theirs. If you have a Facebook page, look up their page: The Chameleon Farm.

 

[KrazyG]

He needs to be in a screened cage with lots more ventilation with as much access to water as you can give him. He sounds as if he could have some severe dehydration which can be causing the weakness. Sleeping during the day is never a good thing and could be because temperatures get too high. I would suggest rechecking temps (just to be sure). Mellers are a montane species so a cooler basking spot is better, but if he is in a completely closed in glass setup he is probably much too hot (which leads to the dehydration.) Also, for the long term (not saying this is the immediate issue, but still needs addressing) he needs to get on a supplementation schedule. Calcium without d3 every feeding, and calcium with d3 once or twice a month.

Exactly what I was thinking as i had read about it, i'm in the process ofacquiring a suitable screened cage for him. The guy I bought him from said tht he had had him for about4 months in the viv he is in now. Thanks for the headsup abt the temperature. I was under the impression that he might be too cold and i dont have a basking lamp for him, just a reptisun 5.0 I have left the glass doors slighly ajar now so ther should b more air circulation. Will get him on a supplemented diet asap as well. I just misted his enclosure and him with a luke warm spray as he seems to enjoy it. Seems to have recovered for now..whew! also can u give me sum advice about hydrating him with electrolytes as i read about it but was unsure if it was an emergency procedure or a regular part of his husbandry..thank you so much for ur help Chamman.

 

[KrazyG]

Get a hold of ThePhotoPrincess! They have 10 Melleri, and have done a marvelous job with theirs. If you have a Facebook page, look up their page: The Chameleon Farm.

I did read a post by thephotoprincess and checked out the facebook page as well! its only ater i looked at their melleri tht i realised how much healthier and happier my tito could be.Will get in touch ASAP..thanks torquasprings.

 

[ChamMan7]

No problem I am happy to help! If he is responding to the extra mistings then keep it up! I am sure he will be ok with those couple husbandry fixes. Electrolyte mistings or soaks can be used in emergency situations and are not a necessary part of everyday husbandry. Electrolyte soaks can be done in pretty severe cases by adding a very small amount of table salt to warm water and allowing the animal to soak in it for a few minutes. It isnt something that seems to be necessary with your little man. Just keep up with the extra mistings, make those little husbandry tweeks and I am sure he will do great for you!

 

[KrazyG]

Finally got the supplies i need for a new setup delivered! flexarium 100 (did try finding sumthn bigger but in vain).. and i should be moving him in there soon..he's been drinkin twice a day now with his misting, but has'nt eaten anything for about a week and does'nt seem interested when i try to feed him? is this part of him acclimating? should i b worried?

 

[Olimpia]

Meller's need a cage that is more like 4' x 4' x 6', at least, as they need a lot of height and horizontal space. They also require close to 30-40 minutes of misting a day, they need looooots of water daily.

 

[kinyonga]

Sounds like he needs a vet...asap.

 

[Lovereps]

Kinyonga is right. He needs vet care promptly.
Unfortunately, there isn't any "good enough" when it comes to meeting a cham's specific physical and mental requirements.
It's basically more along the lines of being right or wrong because chams are rather lacking in adaptability.
Judging by what you've said, your Meller's has been getting way too little water, according to Melleri Discovery.
See this website for more detail under the Husbandry tab:
http://www.melleridiscovery.com/
Hoping he can bounce back once he gets treatment and the other necessary things are attended to. Best of luck to you.

 

[mcbdz]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Their are a few Meller's keepers on the forums and should chime in soon. If you could I'm sure he would love to get shower's. This would help with hydration greatly. Find a strong enough plant or some type of perch for him to feel safe on. Turn on the shower and face the (WARM) spray to the wall. Place the cham on his perch(plant) in the shower so the water bounces off the wall onto the cham(perch) you can do this every day as a routine. Leave him in for around 10-20 minutes.