Urgent!!!

[scs]

My veiled female chameleon (Iggy) is about 2 1/2 - 3 years old, generally lays large clutches of eggs, and has had perfect health.

Around the 18th, she started shedding. The skin on her casque began to flake a bit.
Also on the 18th, Iggy stopped eating and was a dark color. This continued a few days, and then when I was spraying her plants, she got really excited and then for about an hour I was dripping water into her mouth. Her eyes had been sunken and she was dehydrated. Turns out, her automatic mister was malfunctioning. Over the next few days, her color returned and I kept spraying her leaves extra. This was probably over around the 25th.

Then a few times her temperature dropped over night and it took a while for her cage to warm up...

And she still wouldn't eat. I thought she was improving drastically, but today she took a turn for the worse. Her eyes returned to their previous sunken state, and though her color was decent, the moment I accidentally bumped the cage while misting, she became dark navy blue (a very unusual color for her). This faded after a few minutes. Her eyes are closed and her foot was hanging off of the branch that she is sort of laying on. She did move a little bit when I tried to feed her, and I also moved an extra dripper and some food closer to her. She hasn't progressed in her shedding at all.

The last time she laid eggs was March 7th, so I don't think she has any eggs left over. I know female chameleons have shorter lifespans than males because they lay eggs, and Iggy's clutches were of the following amounts: 63, 51, 40, 53. She has never been mated so all eggs were infertile.

I debated taking her to a vet when she was still dehydrated, but she hates being handled and that would have put so much stress on her. I am calling veterinarians now, and will call them back tomorrow if I can't reach anyone. Does anyone know of good vets in the Pittsburgh area?

Is she dehydrated again? Is she having a shedding problem? Is it old age? Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with her?

I love her so much and I've been trying my hardest, and I can't bear the thought of losing her.

 

[zlew]

It sounds like there's a bit of ruling out that needs to be done. Can you fill this out:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

Some possible issues could be--parasite, eggbinding, MBD, husbandry issues, etc. We need some more information to give more specific advice, but a vet visit is probably in order.
Also, a temperature drop at night is actually beneficial and can help appetite. As long as the temps aren't going below 40 at night, you should be fine. A drop of ten degrees is recommended at night, but some keepers go much lower.

 

[scs]

Thank you so much! Iggy changed positions on her branch...

Your Chameleon - female veiled chameleon, 2 1/2 years
Handling - a total of 2 times but only because she was receptive and overcame her shyness to climb on my arm for a few minutes
Feeding - crickets, mealworms, some outdoor moths, and waxworms as treats and generally I feed her 10 one day, 5 the next, then nothing, then 10, 5, 0, etc it is a 'diet' that was recommended on http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html; the moths come from outside, the waxworms and mealworms stay in the fridge, and the crickets get Fluckers orange cubes, (also from Fluckers) gel clumps for hydration, and some scraps/peels of fruits/veggies
Supplements - calcium 3 times per week, D3 and 'multivitamin' every 2-3 weeks
Watering - I have a HubbaMist that goes off every hour for 15 seconds. I usually don't see Iggy drinking, but a few weeks ago when she was dehydrated she wasn't shy at all with drinking in front of me
Fecal Description - I honestly haven't found any fecal matter that looks fresh... but her cage is ginormous (taller than I am and very wide too)
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No, Iggy hasn't been tested for anything.
History - Iggy lays large clutches of eggs. No previous health issues other than dehydration two weeks ago.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Colossal Corner Lizard Cage 5 Sided - 36" x 36" x 22" x 22" x 22" Height - 74" Bar Spacing: 1/2" (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Colossal-Corner-Lizard-Cage)
Lighting - Growth lamp 6am-9pm, ZooMed (ceramic) heat lamp 5:30am-9pm, UV light bulb ZooMed 6am-9pm. Over the seasons, the heat lamp is adjusted.
Temperature - The warmest part of her cage is the basking spot at an average of 84 degrees. At night the temperature can drop to 78ish. There is a sensor at her basking spot that has a display outside of the cage.
Humidity - I don't have a measure for humidity, but we have an indoor pond that keeps the general humidity throughout the house high, and her water sprayer/mister helps.
Plants - live pothos (about 8 plants)
Placement - the cage is in the corner of a not very often used room, but there are no doors or walls separating that room from the rest of the floor (it's all open) there is a window a several feet away, so sometimes she gets natural sunlight; there are a few feet from the top of the cage to the ceiling and the floor of the cage is about 5 inches off of the ground because it is on wheels. There is a fan at the bottom of her cage, but it only goes on twice a day for 30 minutes to dry off the sand at the bottom so mold doesn't grow
Location - Pittsburgh, PA

Current Problem - 18th through 25th-ish: she was dehydrated (not eating, dark color, sunken eyes) but she got better after she drank a lot
She still won't eat and today her eyes were sunken again and she is lethargic.

 

[zlew]

Thank you so much! Iggy changed positions on her branch...

Your Chameleon - female veiled chameleon, 2 1/2 years
Handling - a total of 2 times but only because she was receptive and overcame her shyness to climb on my arm for a few minutes
Feeding - crickets, mealworms, some outdoor moths, and waxworms as treats and generally I feed her 10 one day, 5 the next, then nothing, then 10, 5, 0, etc it is a 'diet' that was recommended on http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html; the moths come from outside, the waxworms and mealworms stay in the fridge, and the crickets get Fluckers orange cubes, (also from Fluckers) gel clumps for hydration, and some scraps/peels of fruits/veggies[COLOR=[COLOR="DarkRed"]The orange cubes are useless in regards to gutloading. Forum member sandrachameleon has a blog on here about gutloading. Also, make sure you're not feeding them tomatoes. Those are toxic to chameleons. The moths coming from outside could have parasites,so I wouldn't recommend feeding them to her unless she is getting checked regularly.[/COLOR]
Supplements - calcium 3 times per week, D3 and 'multivitamin' every 2-3 weeks do the plain calcium daily, d3 twice a month, and multivitamin twice a month.
Watering - I have a HubbaMist that goes off every hour for 15 seconds. I usually don't see Iggy drinking, but a few weeks ago when she was dehydrated she wasn't shy at all with drinking in front of meThis could be contributing to her dehydration. 15 seconds is not enough time for her to get a good long drink, and there needs to be a period of time for the cage to completely dry out. I have my misting system set up to go every 2.5 hours for four minutes.
Fecal Description - I honestly haven't found any fecal matter that looks fresh... but her cage is ginormous (taller than I am and very wide too)you may want to get a smaller cage, the temperatures are easier to keep, it is easier to clean, and she won't be less happy.
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No, Iggy hasn't been tested for anything. get her tested
History - Iggy lays large clutches of eggs. No previous health issues other than dehydration two weeks ago.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Colossal Corner Lizard Cage 5 Sided - 36" x 36" x 22" x 22" x 22" Height - 74" Bar Spacing: 1/2" (http://www.bigappleherp.com/Colossal-Corner-Lizard-Cage)
Lighting - Growth lamp 6am-9pm, ZooMed (ceramic) heat lamp 5:30am-9pm, UV light bulb ZooMed 6am-9pm. Over the seasons, the heat lamp is adjusted.
Temperature - The warmest part of her cage is the basking spot at an average of 84 degrees. At night the temperature can drop to 78ish. There is a sensor at her basking spot that has a display outside of the cage. 84 is good for a basking spot. What are the ambient temperatures during the day? Also, I would shorten the period of time the lights are on to about 12 hours on 12 hours off.
Humidity - I don't have a measure for humidity, but we have an indoor pond that keeps the general humidity throughout the house high, and her water sprayer/mister helps.
Plants - live pothos (about 8 plants)
Placement - the cage is in the corner of a not very often used room, but there are no doors or walls separating that room from the rest of the floor (it's all open) there is a window a several feet away, so sometimes she gets natural sunlight; there are a few feet from the top of the cage to the ceiling and the floor of the cage is about 5 inches off of the ground because it is on wheels. There is a fan at the bottom of her cage, but it only goes on twice a day for 30 minutes to dry off the sand at the bottom so mold doesn't growget rid of the fan, and the sand. substrate is not recommended for chameleons, and the fan could be causing stress.
Location - Pittsburgh, PA

Current Problem - 18th through 25th-ish: she was dehydrated (not eating, dark color, sunken eyes) but she got better after she drank a lot
She still won't eat and today her eyes were sunken again and she is lethargic.

see if what i suggested helps. I think it is related to the length and intervals of mistings

 

[OldChamKeeper]

Vet visit.

Check for parasites
Check for blockage
Check for anything else. I'd ask for a general anti biotic if the vet thinks it's needed.

 

[scs]

Thank you so much zlew and OldChamKeeper!

When I checked on Iggy she was in the middle of enjoying a shower from the HubbaMist. She started drinking from the leaves, but wasn't getting much water from the leaf she was 'licking'. I dripped some water into her mouth. She kept leaning back and tilting her head up with her mouth still open. At one point I had to get my sister to provide her finger as a branch for Iggy to hold onto. Then Iggy moved a bit down the branch and sat there for a while. Eventually she started squirming and waving her wide open mouth back and forth. When she closed her mouth a clear liquid came out that had the consistency of saliva. A few minutes later she did this again, but it was a bit foamy. Is she throwing up? It looks like a bit of food is missing from her food box, but the cricket or worm might have crawled out. There were no chunks in her 'puke' so I'm not sure if she ate. Or if she even threw up. The tip of her tongue was visible, but she did not put her entire tongue out of her mouth. As a reference, I checked YouTube, and she looked very similar to the chameleon throwing up on video, except for the tongue hanging out.

I'll check out sandrachameleon's blog, and I won't give her moths anymore. I usually only did calcium daily when she was gravid and after she laid eggs, but I will use that supplement more often now.
I'll change the misting settings immediately.
Throughout the day her cage is about 84 at the top (basking spot) and around 75 at the very bottom. I'll fix the timers on the light too.
The fan at the very bottom has been in place for a while, but I need the sand in the bottom pan so that it absorbs the drips of water and keeps the pan from rusting. Is there a different way to keep the bottom dry other than sand or something that could become moldy after time?

The vets in the area will open in the next hour or two, so I'll call back then and see if they can treat her.

Also, how do you suggest I bring Iggy to the vet? I saved the cardboard box from the pet store that we got her from, but I'm not sure how to move her to that from the branch. I don't want to stress her more than needed, but is there a better way to move her other than simply picking her up?

 

[kinyonga]

Can you please post a recent photo of her.

 

[cquest]

humidity to high how to lower it

My panther cham is 4 1/2 months and i have noticed that the humidity stays between 60-80 is this normal? I have seen a change in his behavior not normal. Can someone please help me?

 

[scs]

This was last night:

This was before one of the times I gave her water today so far:

This is her position when she drinks:

This is how she looks after she drinks:

This is a view from above... and she looks a little fat, although she hasn't eaten in ages. She might just be scrunched up a bit and not stretched out:

Could she be constipated?

 

[scs]

I managed to get an appointment with a vet at 1:30. Is there anything specific I should ask? Other than checking for parasites and maybe an IV if they think she is dehydrated? Would an X-ray be helpful?

Also, how should I best maneuver her into the box?

 

[scs]

The vet said that Iggy looked better than most chameleons that she had seen in the past. She examined Iggy and prescribed five days of two different medicines against parasites and a food powder that is like liquid calories when mixed with water. She said that Iggy should be better in a few days and didn't even expect the need for a checkup! I already gave Iggy a bit of the food in a syringe (the vet showed me how to put it in her mouth so it was past her respiratory opening) and her color is better already! Thank you all for your help!

 

[zlew]

I'm glad to hear she is doing better. I would still make the changes I mentioned as well. To catch falling water, I use a big plastic tub, so no rust. If you must use a substrate, use coconut husk/coir bedding and you probably won't need the fan after that. Also, did the vet run a fecal to check for parasites, or just prescribe the medicine? I would still run a check just to make sure, even if she is doing better.

 

[scs]

I made the changes you suggested and will try to find a plastic tub to catch the water, although there are bars over the substrate. I couldn't find any fecal matter (probably due to the lack of eating) but did bring some of Iggy's saliva that she had thrown up. The vet did not do any tests, and she prescribed 'Pancure Liquid' and 'Metronidazole Oral' as medicines, which she said would cover all types of parasites that Iggy might have. She also gave us a packet of 'Carnivore Care' to mix with water and give to her for calories and hydration.

We've been able to give Iggy the medicines, but I noticed that Iggy hasn't really been using her hind legs very well. She seems to hesitate more often when placing them on branches, and today her hind legs and tail were just a bit darker than the rest of her. Sometimes she'll lay on a branch with her hind legs dangling. Is this normal for a traumatized, probably exhausted, ill chameleon?
Here are some pictures (her body was sort of pressed against the branch, so she isn't actually that fat):


and also, there seems to be a tiny bit of fecal matter (?) hanging from her butt... it has been there for a day:


I was thinking of adding in this hammock-like thing for her to sit/lay on. When I place that in the cage, I will wrap a (fake and bendy) branch around it so that she can walk on the branch but still have the support of the hammock. Would that help her when her hind legs are sort of uncoordinated? Don't get me wrong, her grip is perfectly fine and very strong, but it is almost as if only her hind legs are weak....

 

[scs]

Does anyone have any ideas why her hind legs and tail are darker? And why she isn't using her hind legs? Is it a reaction to the medicine? Or is she just exhausted from being sick?

I'm worried that I'll have to take her back to the vet... because that stressed her out so much that I'm surprised she didn't go into shock.

 

[zlew]

I've never seen just the back legs go dark...and the fecal matter hanging is worrying. It is possible that she has impaction, or something large stuck up there that is painful, and that could be causing both the darkness of her hind legs and the disuse. I would definitely take her to the vet again, and even though you're still giving carnivore care, keep offering insects until she eat some. I would also soak her in warm water to loosen that up. What color is the thing hanging out of her exit? Are you sure it's fecal matter? It could be some kind of prolapse if not impaction.

 

[zlew]

Also, if the substrate isn't in the cage then it should be fine, although the fan is not ideal

 

[scs]

If anyone has any ideas, please post them on this thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/showthread.php?p=1202089#post1202089
Thank you!