Urgent help needed with Lamp

[Yordan611]

Hello everyone,

This is my first post here so i hope im doing it correctly.

I desperately need your help.

I took my boy Rango to the vet because i tought he may have developed gout since he had swollen arms and legs. Fortunately its not gout, but what the vet could see on location is that there where quite a bit of inflammatory cells.
The blood has been sent to the labs so that they hopefully can figure out where the cells are coming from.

So i needed to change a couple things, how i supplement, and that i needed a new lamp.

Here is where the problem begins, i ordered a Arcadia T8 but i cant seem to find a fixture that this lamp can go in.
Im looking for the whole fixture, including the electricity part (like the T5 Pro kits you can order now). I have seen that Zoo Med made hoods for the T8 bulbs, but i cant buy them anywhere anymore.

Im located in the Netherlands so that makes things a bit more difficult i think.

I hope someone can help me with this, since im lost and i really need this quickly.

Thanks in advance!

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. Are you able to return the T8 bulb and get a ProT5? The T5 is the current uvb standard.
Also, can you post some pics of your chameleon and some of his enclosure?

 

[Yordan611]

Hi. Are you able to return the T8 bulb and get a ProT5? The T5 is the current uvb standard.
Also, can you post some pics of your chameleon and some of his enclosure?

Hello!

I had mainly gotten my information from reddit. Where a T5 is not recommended due to the eye and health issues. ( i do always get the T5 for my other animals) The vet also did recommend a T5 but due these issues iwas not comfortable getting a T5.
But if this is not the case i will get a T5 kit.

Added is a photo of the enclosure, also a picture from when i discovered Rango was sick, and a photo from a couple months ago.

 

[Beman]

Hello!

I had mainly gotten my information from reddit. Where a T5 is not recommended due to the eye and health issues. ( i do always get the T5 for my other animals) The vet also did recommend a T5 but due these issues iwas not comfortable getting a T5.
But if this is not the case i will get a T5 kit.

Added is a photo of the enclosure, also a picture from when i discovered Rango was sick, and a photo from a couple months ago.

Whatever you do avoid reddit for any chameleon husbandry. Many chams have died because of their very incorrect info they give out. And if anyone tries to post anything to the contrary of what they suggest they delete it and ban them.

You want a T5HO fixture with a 6% arcadia UVB bulb. You will place this directly on the top of the cage then you want to have 8-9 inches from where it sits on the top of the cage to branches directly below it. This will put the chameleon in the correct 3 UVI level.

Your boy is showing very clear signs of gout. Could very well be an infection causing the swelling though. Hopefully the bloodwork comes back and their is a path for a cure for him.

Let us know if you would like us to review supplements with you. The standard is plain phosphorus free calcium without D3 at all feedings and then 2 times a month you would use a multivitamin that includes D3 and vitamin A. I prefer repashy brand for this. So Repashy supercal NoD is your plain Calcium at all feedings and then Repashy calcium plus LoD version would be the multivitamin 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th.

 

[Yordan611]

Whatever you do avoid reddit for any chameleon husbandry. Many chams have died because of their very incorrect info they give out. And if anyone tries to post anything to the contrary of what they suggest they delete it and ban them.

You want a T5HO fixture with a 6% arcadia UVB bulb. You will place this directly on the top of the cage then you want to have 8-9 inches from where it sits on the top of the cage to branches directly below it. This will put the chameleon in the correct 3 UVI level.

Your boy is showing very clear signs of gout. Could very well be an infection causing the swelling though. Hopefully the bloodwork comes back and their is a path for a cure for him.

Let us know if you would like us to review supplements with you. The standard is plain phosphorus free calcium without D3 at all feedings and then 2 times a month you would use a multivitamin that includes D3 and vitamin A. I prefer repashy brand for this. So Repashy supercal NoD is your plain Calcium at all feedings and then Repashy calcium plus LoD version would be the multivitamin 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th.

Its frustrating because im hearing multiple things from multiple sources...

But the vet also recommended a T5, so i guess that would be fine then.

Could you please link the right lamp i would have to get, im way to paranoid right now so i want everything i get to be 100% right.

As stated in my post he does not have gout, at least that is what the vet said.
He does have an infection somewhere in his body since there where quite a bit of inflammatory cells from what she could see, but hopefully the bloodwork will make it clear where in his body this infection is. Im giving him antibiotics 1x a day for 10 days for now (as prescribed by the vet).

Im always open and looking for more advice and tips/tricks, so anything is welcome!

Due to his state now the vet said i needed to dust his food with calcium no d3 every day, and multivitamin 1x a week. Im using a d3 free calcium (forgot the brand but its white with blue packaging). Also i have sticky tongue indoor now, but is that really a multuvitamin? Someone in reddit said it was but now im doubting everything.

 

[MissSkittles]

Its frustrating because im hearing multiple things from multiple sources...

But the vet also recommended a T5, so i guess that would be fine then.

Could you please link the right lamp i would have to get, im way to paranoid right now so i want everything i get to be 100% right.

As stated in my post he does not have gout, at least that is what the vet said.
He does have an infection somewhere in his body since there where quite a bit of inflammatory cells from what she could see, but hopefully the bloodwork will make it clear where in his body this infection is. Im giving him antibiotics 1x a day for 10 days for now (as prescribed by the vet).

Im always open and looking for more advice and tips/tricks, so anything is welcome!

Due to his state now the vet said i needed to dust his food with calcium no d3 every day, and multivitamin 1x a week. Im using a d3 free calcium (forgot the brand but its white with blue packaging). Also i have sticky tongue indoor now, but is that really a multuvitamin? Someone in reddit said it was but now im doubting everything.

It is always frustrating because there are so very many sources out there that have incorrect info on keeping chameleons. We have seen many come here from Reddit and they stay here. I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you that I’ve been here for 5 years now passing on the knowledge and help that was given to me, much of it from @Beman among others. My oldest is my veiled girl Stella, who is just about 5 1/2 years old and thriving. We primarily follow the husbandry guidelines found here https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ as they are the most current, researched and kept updated. The gentleman who has that site has basically devoted his life to chameleons and their husbandry. He has and continues to get his information from leaders in their respective fields of every aspect of husbandry. This forum also is full of members from all stages of experience, from those who were at the beginning of keeping chameleons and figuring out their needs, to those who are preparing to set up for a chameleon and everyone in between. Take some time and look around the forum a bit if you need to help you feel secure and confident in whatever advice, suggestions or other we may give. I hope this helps you.

 

[Beman]

Its frustrating because im hearing multiple things from multiple sources...

But the vet also recommended a T5, so i guess that would be fine then.

Could you please link the right lamp i would have to get, im way to paranoid right now so i want everything i get to be 100% right.

As stated in my post he does not have gout, at least that is what the vet said.
He does have an infection somewhere in his body since there where quite a bit of inflammatory cells from what she could see, but hopefully the bloodwork will make it clear where in his body this infection is. Im giving him antibiotics 1x a day for 10 days for now (as prescribed by the vet).

Im always open and looking for more advice and tips/tricks, so anything is welcome!

Due to his state now the vet said i needed to dust his food with calcium no d3 every day, and multivitamin 1x a week. Im using a d3 free calcium (forgot the brand but its white with blue packaging). Also i have sticky tongue indoor now, but is that really a multuvitamin? Someone in reddit said it was but now im doubting everything.

So T5HO is the standard of care for UVB lighting. I know it is overwhelming to find out you received incorrect info. BUT you did. And now your going to question when people give you anything other than what you learned on reddit. However please trust me when I say we follow the most up to date standard for husbandry for chameleons here.

A very good resource for you would be chameleon academy. Then if you like Youtube channels Neptune the Chameleon. These two places and the experienced members in the forum all follow the same care info. Unlike other resources that seem to make it up as they go with nothing to back anything up. We see soooooo many sick chams here due to these places.

Perhaps I should reword my prior statement. He is presenting with very typical gout symptoms. The only way to actually determine this is with blood work to see what the uric acid levels are. It sounds like the bloodwork has not come back so I am not sure how the vet ruled out gout or pseudo gout without seeing uric acid levels from blood work. Now with that being said you can see swelling when there is an infection in the body as well. But again bloodwork to determine infection is needed to know if it is that. Then there could be issues of renal function due to an infection. You can then see gout from the renal system not functioning properly. Regardless of what it actually is all of these paths involve getting the full report on the blood work to know for sure.

I would buy the arcadia ProT5 with the 6% forest bulb. Looks like your running a standard 24x24x48tall cage so you would want the 24 inch fixture. Your links to purchase will be different from mine since I am in the states. But this is what you want. https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/prot5/

For supplements... Just make sure your calcium without D3 says phosphorus free. Now for the Sticky Tongue indoor it is not a true multivitamin. The only thing they put in it is Calcium, D3 and Magnesium. Also it has very low levels of D3 which is not the real issue if the correct UVB is provided but it does not have the main thing we are looking for which is vitamin A. Then they will also add Magnesium along with other water soluble vitamins that flush from the system.
Now if you were using any other of the main supplements for a multivitamin they have high levels of D3 and A. Both of which are fat soluble so they store in the chams body. None of the main ones would I recommend using in more often than 2 times a month due to this factor and how high the levels of D3 and A are in them. Too much and you risk D3/A poisoning.

Now yours only has low levels of D3 at 2k per IU/LB so it is not going to hurt a thing giving this weekly. Now let me give you something to compare to so you understand how low it is to other common multi vitamins with D3. So the one I was recommending you buy in the prior post Repashy Calcium Plus LoD version has 8k IU/LB. Another common one which is not a favorite of mine because it is not phosphorus free is Reptivite with D3 and it has 10k IU/LB.

 

[Yordan611]

So T5HO is the standard of care for UVB lighting. I know it is overwhelming to find out you received incorrect info. BUT you did. And now your going to question when people give you anything other than what you learned on reddit. However please trust me when I say we follow the most up to date standard for husbandry for chameleons here.

A very good resource for you would be chameleon academy. Then if you like Youtube channels Neptune the Chameleon. These two places and the experienced members in the forum all follow the same care info. Unlike other resources that seem to make it up as they go with nothing to back anything up. We see soooooo many sick chams here due to these places.

Perhaps I should reword my prior statement. He is presenting with very typical gout symptoms. The only way to actually determine this is with blood work to see what the uric acid levels are. It sounds like the bloodwork has not come back so I am not sure how the vet ruled out gout or pseudo gout without seeing uric acid levels from blood work. Now with that being said you can see swelling when there is an infection in the body as well. But again bloodwork to determine infection is needed to know if it is that. Then there could be issues of renal function due to an infection. You can then see gout from the renal system not functioning properly. Regardless of what it actually is all of these paths involve getting the full report on the blood work to know for sure.

I would buy the arcadia ProT5 with the 6% forest bulb. Looks like your running a standard 24x24x48tall cage so you would want the 24 inch fixture. Your links to purchase will be different from mine since I am in the states. But this is what you want. https://www.arcadiareptile.com/lighting/prot5/

For supplements... Just make sure your calcium without D3 says phosphorus free. Now for the Sticky Tongue indoor it is not a true multivitamin. The only thing they put in it is Calcium, D3 and Magnesium. Also it has very low levels of D3 which is not the real issue if the correct UVB is provided but it does not have the main thing we are looking for which is vitamin A. Then they will also add Magnesium along with other water soluble vitamins that flush from the system.
Now if you were using any other of the main supplements for a multivitamin they have high levels of D3 and A. Both of which are fat soluble so they store in the chams body. None of the main ones would I recommend using in more often than 2 times a month due to this factor and how high the levels of D3 and A are in them. Too much and you risk D3/A poisoning.

Now yours only has low levels of D3 at 2k per IU/LB so it is not going to hurt a thing giving this weekly. Now let me give you something to compare to so you understand how low it is to other common multi vitamins with D3. So the one I was recommending you buy in the prior post Repashy Calcium Plus LoD version has 8k IU/LB. Another common one which is not a favorite of mine because it is not phosphorus free is Reptivite with D3 and it has 10k IU/LB.

It is indeed overwhelming recieving incorrect information. But seeing how serious and in depth you and MissSkittles have commented to try and help me, i think im at the right place here. So thank you for that!

The vet said after making a CT scan that he does not have gout, so i believed it. But you are right, we can only know for sure when the bloodwork comes back.
I have ordered the T5 6% and the multivitamin you have recommended!

Do you also have any tips for me to get Rango to drink? I heard that not drinking can cause gout, and i have never seen Rango drink since i have gotten him.
I have a silver cat drinking like dish with a dripper above it to hopefully let him know that is where his water is. Or would you recommend me doing something different?

Again thank you SO much for your help, it is really appreciated!!

 

[Yordan611]

It is always frustrating because there are so very many sources out there that have incorrect info on keeping chameleons. We have seen many come here from Reddit and they stay here. I can’t tell you what to do, but I can tell you that I’ve been here for 5 years now passing on the knowledge and help that was given to me, much of it from @Beman among others. My oldest is my veiled girl Stella, who is just about 5 1/2 years old and thriving. We primarily follow the husbandry guidelines found here https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/ as they are the most current, researched and kept updated. The gentleman who has that site has basically devoted his life to chameleons and their husbandry. He has and continues to get his information from leaders in their respective fields of every aspect of husbandry. This forum also is full of members from all stages of experience, from those who were at the beginning of keeping chameleons and figuring out their needs, to those who are preparing to set up for a chameleon and everyone in between. Take some time and look around the forum a bit if you need to help you feel secure and confident in whatever advice, suggestions or other we may give. I hope this helps you.

Thank you for your reply! Seeing how in depth you and Beman have tried to help me, i think im at the right place here!
I have ordered a new UV lamp and multivatamins, i will continue to look for new information and hopefully my boy becomes healthy again!

Again, thank you so much!

 

[MissSkittles]

Do you also have any tips for me to get Rango to drink? I heard that not drinking can cause gout, and i have never seen Rango drink since i have gotten him.
I have a silver cat drinking like dish with a dripper above it to hopefully let him know that is where his water is. Or would you recommend me doing something different?

@Beman may not be online again for a while, so I’ll answer for her.
Many chameleons are secretive about drinking. It’s best to look at the color of their urate to determine their hydration. All white to a little bit of yellow or orange on one end is ok and means he is drinking enough. If it is all or mostly dark orange, he is dehydrated. However, the longer they go without pooping can also affect the urate color.
Using a dripper is ok, but the preferred way to hydrate is by spraying the leaves in his enclosure with water for at least 2 minutes twice a day - right before lights go on and then off for the day. You could continue to use the dripper, but maybe just for about 15-20 minutes per day. In nature they lap the water off leaves. Other ways to increase his hydration would be to feed insects with high moisture content, like silkworms and hornworms (I believe you probably can’t get hornworms though). Lightly spraying his food with water but be careful not to wash off the supplements. If your night time temperature is reliably below at least 20c, you could add a cool mist humidifier or fogger and boost humidity as high as it can go at night. That simulates the natural hydration cycle of fog in the wild. Adding a short video below which explains it.
Gout is related to kidney function and is usually caused by a diet which is exceptionally high in protein. Doing things like feeding your feeder insects high protein food, like cat or dog food can cause gout in chameleons. It’s said that feeding only or primarily roaches is also a big contributor to gout. I did have a chameleon who was in kidney failure and in his last days, he did develop gout.
While I’m not a vet, or even close to it, I can say that there could be another cause for your beautiful Rango to have his arm swollen like that. One could be an injury to bone, muscle or other structures and that would also cause pain and swelling. I do hope your vet figures it all out and is able to get Rango back to good health. If we can be of any more help, just let us know. Also, please keep us updated on how he is doing.

 

[Beman]

It is indeed overwhelming recieving incorrect information. But seeing how serious and in depth you and MissSkittles have commented to try and help me, i think im at the right place here. So thank you for that!

The vet said after making a CT scan that he does not have gout, so i believed it. But you are right, we can only know for sure when the bloodwork comes back.
I have ordered the T5 6% and the multivitamin you have recommended!

Do you also have any tips for me to get Rango to drink? I heard that not drinking can cause gout, and i have never seen Rango drink since i have gotten him.
I have a silver cat drinking like dish with a dripper above it to hopefully let him know that is where his water is. Or would you recommend me doing something different?

Again thank you SO much for your help, it is really appreciated!!

I am very happy you are open to our feedback. This is unfortunately not always the case for those that found reddit first. You got the correct info from @MissSkittles. Sorry I am not online as frequently as I used to be due to a family health issue but you are in very capable hands with her. Pull the dish out you want dripping water on the leaves. I use a plastic solo cup with tiny pin holes in the bottom and then add ice cubes to it. I set mine on top of the screen above the plant leaves. This way it slowly melts providing a consistent dripping onto the plants. This is what triggers the drinking response, the constant movement of the water. Most chams are shy drinkers and most it takes consistent movement of water to trigger a response. And welcome to the forum

 

[Gloriawood]

I just want to say hello and welcome. I want to chime in and let you know my experience here. I hope that it will ease your mind a bit.

When I first got my guy he was in a bad way. I had little knowledge, but I found my way here. I adopted my veiled from someone who no longer wanted him. Due to lack of vitamins and the wrong lighting, inadequate enclosure and some other issues, he was very sick and had MBD. @Beman and @MissSkittles (among others) welcomed me here and helped me get things straight. I truly believe without these two, Spaghetti would be dead. I would trust them and any advice they have to give. After he healed, they have continued to assist with any other issues that have arose. They helped catch an abscess on his nose at one point, helped advise me when he had something stuck in his eye, gave opinions on what to do when he had what seemed to be blood in his sperm plug. Every single time, there advice has been correct and gotten my lovely little noodle back in good health. He has been thriving ever since I came here. He has gained weight, gotten faster, does not drag himself on his branches like when I first got him. He patrols his huge enclosure and loves hunting flies. He was a year and a half when I got him and we just celebrated his third birthday.

In the past year and a half I’ve been here, I have witnessed these two wonderful women help countless people. On the rare occasion that they do not know the answer, they are able to tag in someone who does. They are brilliant, yet humble enough to step down when they feel they are not knowledgeable enough on the topic. I’ve witnessed them nurse many chameleons back into good health through this forum.

I hope that what I have said helps ease your mind a bit. I have never felt so welcomed and un-judged in a community. It truly is a wonderful thing to be a part of here.

 

[MissSkittles]

I just want to say hello and welcome. I want to chime in and let you know my experience here. I hope that it will ease your mind a bit.

When I first got my guy he was in a bad way. I had little knowledge, but I found my way here. I adopted my veiled from someone who no longer wanted him. Due to lack of vitamins and the wrong lighting, inadequate enclosure and some other issues, he was very sick and had MBD. @Beman and @MissSkittles (among others) welcomed me here and helped me get things straight. I truly believe without these two, Spaghetti would be dead. I would trust them and any advice they have to give. After he healed, they have continued to assist with any other issues that have arose. They helped catch an abscess on his nose at one point, helped advise me when he had something stuck in his eye, gave opinions on what to do when he had what seemed to be blood in his sperm plug. Every single time, there advice has been correct and gotten my lovely little noodle back in good health. He has been thriving ever since I came here. He has gained weight, gotten faster, does not drag himself on his branches like when I first got him. He patrols his huge enclosure and loves hunting flies. He was a year and a half when I got him and we just celebrated his third birthday.

In the past year and a half I’ve been here, I have witnessed these two wonderful women help countless people. On the rare occasion that they do not know the answer, they are able to tag in someone who does. They are brilliant, yet humble enough to step down when they feel they are not knowledgeable enough on the topic. I’ve witnessed them nurse many chameleons back into good health through this forum.

I hope that what I have said helps ease your mind a bit. I have never felt so welcomed and un-judged in a community. It truly is a wonderful thing to be a part of here.

That is so very sweet. I think I have something in my eyes.

 

[Tkrd69]

Your in the right place for cham information a lot of experienced owners on here

 

[Ghostbirb]

I second all of this! Welcome to the forum! I wish you luck with your guy! I’ll be following this thread to see how your boy is doing! I wish you luck and again, welcome!

 

[Beman]

I just want to say hello and welcome. I want to chime in and let you know my experience here. I hope that it will ease your mind a bit.

When I first got my guy he was in a bad way. I had little knowledge, but I found my way here. I adopted my veiled from someone who no longer wanted him. Due to lack of vitamins and the wrong lighting, inadequate enclosure and some other issues, he was very sick and had MBD. @Beman and @MissSkittles (among others) welcomed me here and helped me get things straight. I truly believe without these two, Spaghetti would be dead. I would trust them and any advice they have to give. After he healed, they have continued to assist with any other issues that have arose. They helped catch an abscess on his nose at one point, helped advise me when he had something stuck in his eye, gave opinions on what to do when he had what seemed to be blood in his sperm plug. Every single time, there advice has been correct and gotten my lovely little noodle back in good health. He has been thriving ever since I came here. He has gained weight, gotten faster, does not drag himself on his branches like when I first got him. He patrols his huge enclosure and loves hunting flies. He was a year and a half when I got him and we just celebrated his third birthday.

In the past year and a half I’ve been here, I have witnessed these two wonderful women help countless people. On the rare occasion that they do not know the answer, they are able to tag in someone who does. They are brilliant, yet humble enough to step down when they feel they are not knowledgeable enough on the topic. I’ve witnessed them nurse many chameleons back into good health through this forum.

I hope that what I have said helps ease your mind a bit. I have never felt so welcomed and un-judged in a community. It truly is a wonderful thing to be a part of here.

Thank you

 

[Yordan611]

@Beman may not be online again for a while, so I’ll answer for her.
Many chameleons are secretive about drinking. It’s best to look at the color of their urate to determine their hydration. All white to a little bit of yellow or orange on one end is ok and means he is drinking enough. If it is all or mostly dark orange, he is dehydrated. However, the longer they go without pooping can also affect the urate color.
Using a dripper is ok, but the preferred way to hydrate is by spraying the leaves in his enclosure with water for at least 2 minutes twice a day - right before lights go on and then off for the day. You could continue to use the dripper, but maybe just for about 15-20 minutes per day. In nature they lap the water off leaves. Other ways to increase his hydration would be to feed insects with high moisture content, like silkworms and hornworms (I believe you probably can’t get hornworms though). Lightly spraying his food with water but be careful not to wash off the supplements. If your night time temperature is reliably below at least 20c, you could add a cool mist humidifier or fogger and boost humidity as high as it can go at night. That simulates the natural hydration cycle of fog in the wild. Adding a short video below which explains it.
Gout is related to kidney function and is usually caused by a diet which is exceptionally high in protein. Doing things like feeding your feeder insects high protein food, like cat or dog food can cause gout in chameleons. It’s said that feeding only or primarily roaches is also a big contributor to gout. I did have a chameleon who was in kidney failure and in his last days, he did develop gout.
While I’m not a vet, or even close to it, I can say that there could be another cause for your beautiful Rango to have his arm swollen like that. One could be an injury to bone, muscle or other structures and that would also cause pain and swelling. I do hope your vet figures it all out and is able to get Rango back to good health. If we can be of any more help, just let us know. Also, please keep us updated on how he is doing.

Yesterday i cleaned up a small piece of dried up urine and from what i can recall like half of it was orange... so i will keep an eye out for his urine!

I always spray with a hand sprayer, but not for 2 minutes. So i will change that. There should be no difference between a misting system and using a hand sprayer right? xD

I am using Dubia's as the main feeder insect, and i feed the roaches different types of greens, but should i switch over to a different feeder completely or mix it up? May i ask what your feeding schedule/ feeder insects are?

The vet also did a CT scan where luckily no injuries to bone could be seen, she also said that his feet are still really strong ( and o boy did i feel them when he grabbed my fingers). He is walking and climbing around in his enclosure, which is a good sign hopefully, but i dont know if he is hurting himself while doing it...

One more question about the T5. Beman said the T5 should be 8-9 inches below the branch underneath it. But i just want to be 1000% sure that it is 8-9 inches from the branch or 8-9 inches from the top of his head.

The T5 is installed now! And the multivitamins should come in tommorow!

I will absolutely keep you all updated! I should recieve the blood results either today or tommorow so im hoping for good news!

Again, Thank you all SO MUCH!!

 

[Yordan611]

I am very happy you are open to our feedback. This is unfortunately not always the case for those that found reddit first. You got the correct info from @MissSkittles. Sorry I am not online as frequently as I used to be due to a family health issue but you are in very capable hands with her. Pull the dish out you want dripping water on the leaves. I use a plastic solo cup with tiny pin holes in the bottom and then add ice cubes to it. I set mine on top of the screen above the plant leaves. This way it slowly melts providing a consistent dripping onto the plants. This is what triggers the drinking response, the constant movement of the water. Most chams are shy drinkers and most it takes consistent movement of water to trigger a response. And welcome to the forum

Of course i am! I want the absolute best for my animals so i am always looking to improve!

There is no need to apologize, family always comes first! I hope everything will turn out well for your family member!<3

That is also a verry clever idea! I will definitely look into that!

 

[Yordan611]

I just want to say hello and welcome. I want to chime in and let you know my experience here. I hope that it will ease your mind a bit.

When I first got my guy he was in a bad way. I had little knowledge, but I found my way here. I adopted my veiled from someone who no longer wanted him. Due to lack of vitamins and the wrong lighting, inadequate enclosure and some other issues, he was very sick and had MBD. @Beman and @MissSkittles (among others) welcomed me here and helped me get things straight. I truly believe without these two, Spaghetti would be dead. I would trust them and any advice they have to give. After he healed, they have continued to assist with any other issues that have arose. They helped catch an abscess on his nose at one point, helped advise me when he had something stuck in his eye, gave opinions on what to do when he had what seemed to be blood in his sperm plug. Every single time, there advice has been correct and gotten my lovely little noodle back in good health. He has been thriving ever since I came here. He has gained weight, gotten faster, does not drag himself on his branches like when I first got him. He patrols his huge enclosure and loves hunting flies. He was a year and a half when I got him and we just celebrated his third birthday.

In the past year and a half I’ve been here, I have witnessed these two wonderful women help countless people. On the rare occasion that they do not know the answer, they are able to tag in someone who does. They are brilliant, yet humble enough to step down when they feel they are not knowledgeable enough on the topic. I’ve witnessed them nurse many chameleons back into good health through this forum.

I hope that what I have said helps ease your mind a bit. I have never felt so welcomed and un-judged in a community. It truly is a wonderful thing to be a part of here.

What a wonderfull story! And what a awesome name!
That does ease my mind and gives me more hope!

It is refreshing to hear such good things about people wanting to help others and their animals. I have only been here for a couple days, but i can already tell the reptile hobby needs more people like them!

 

[MissSkittles]

Yesterday i cleaned up a small piece of dried up urine and from what i can recall like half of it was orange... so i will keep an eye out for his urine!

I always spray with a hand sprayer, but not for 2 minutes. So i will change that. There should be no difference between a misting system and using a hand sprayer right? xD

I am using Dubia's as the main feeder insect, and i feed the roaches different types of greens, but should i switch over to a different feeder completely or mix it up? May i ask what your feeding schedule/ feeder insects are?

The vet also did a CT scan where luckily no injuries to bone could be seen, she also said that his feet are still really strong ( and o boy did i feel them when he grabbed my fingers). He is walking and climbing around in his enclosure, which is a good sign hopefully, but i dont know if he is hurting himself while doing it...

One more question about the T5. Beman said the T5 should be 8-9 inches below the branch underneath it. But i just want to be 1000% sure that it is 8-9 inches from the branch or 8-9 inches from the top of his head.

The T5 is installed now! And the multivitamins should come in tommorow!

I will absolutely keep you all updated! I should recieve the blood results either today or tommorow so im hoping for good news!

Again, Thank you all SO MUCH!!

Systems like Mist King have a very fine mist, and of course it’s automatic. Hand spraying is just fine though. Just don’t spray your animal, but instead the leaves. lol
I feed all of my chameleons the same - 3-4 feeders 3 days a week with small treats on the weekend. *Actually, I prefer to feed them smaller bugs, so I am giving more like 4-5. Staples range from just about everything, depending upon what I’m able to get, breed or hatch. Right now my staples are crickets, discoid roaches and bsfl. Last week grasshoppers were in the mix, but the few that are left aren’t yet big enough for the chams. Treats are waxworms and superworms this week and a few pupated black soldier flies. Usually I have silkworms often, but it’s looking like my stash of their eggs died.
For the uvb, it’s 8-9” from the branch to the light. I try to place the basking branch at a bit of an angle or have some adjacent branches at slightly lower levels, so my chameleon can kind of choose how much they get. At the 8-9” level is where the basking light is also.
Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m hoping the vet does find something but it’s minor and very easily remedied. Do keep us posted though.