Veiled Chameleon Dying

[AnonymousChameleon]

For the past 2 weeks he hasn’t really ate anything and barely drinking water, and he’s been losing weight and his eyes are sunken in more and more. Vet says he has a vitamin a deficiency and gave us medicine for him, but it doesn’t seem to be working as its been 5 days now. He’s been sleeping on bottom of cage and moving very slow. Any suggestions how to revive him before he passes away? Vet says he’s too tiny to really do anything.



Veiled Chameleon

Born: March, 2021

6 months old as of September

Bought from: Petco

Mesh tank

Male

Feed him crickets and meal worms, (not gut loaded), currently on medication with vitamin A

Has dripper

Has a humidifier when needed

Has food bowl for worms and crickets (crickets jump out of it, but we place crickets in bowl because he can never catch crickets)

Humidity ranges between 40 - 70 (tries to keep it between 50 - 60)

Temp ranges between 70 - 90 (mainly at 80)

Basking temp ranges between 90 - 95

UVB Light: 10%

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. I’m so sorry that your little guy is failing. Have you had him checked for parasites? What supplements have you been using?

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

Vet says to get poop sample to get tested for parasites but he hasn’t even been doing that for the past week or 2 now.

Supplements: Herptivite with Beta Carotene Multivitamin. And Calcium with Vitamin D3, ultrafine powder

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

For the past 2 weeks he hasn’t really ate anything and barely drinking water, and he’s been losing weight and his eyes are sunken in more and more. Vet says he has a vitamin a deficiency and gave us medicine for him, but it doesn’t seem to be working as its been 5 days now. He’s been sleeping on bottom of cage and moving very slow. Any suggestions how to revive him before he passes away? Vet says he’s too tiny to really do anything.



Veiled Chameleon

Born: March, 2021

6 months old as of September

Bought from: Petco

Mesh tank

Male

Feed him crickets and meal worms, (not gut loaded), currently on medication with vitamin A

Has dripper

Has a humidifier when needed

Has food bowl for worms and crickets (crickets jump out of it, but we place crickets in bowl because he can never catch crickets)

Humidity ranges between 40 - 70 (tries to keep it between 50 - 60)

Temp ranges between 70 - 90 (mainly at 80)

Basking temp ranges between 90 - 95

UVB Light: 10%

Should also add that this is also my first chameleon

 

[MissSkittles]

What schedule have you been using with your supplements? Have you been using any calcium without D3?

 

[MissSkittles]

Honestly, regardless of whatever may have brought him to this point, from his appearance I fear it may be too late.

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

What schedule have you been using with your supplements? Have you been using any calcium without D3?

Twice a day, once in morning then once at night before he goes to sleep. Not sure if Herptivite Multivitamin has D3 or not. If not then that’s the only one

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

Honestly, regardless of whatever may have brought him to this point, from his appearance I fear it may be too late.

That’s what I was afraid of

Honestly, regardless of whatever may have brought him to this point, from his appearance I fear it may be too late.

That’s what I was afraid of

 

[MissSkittles]

Right now, I think it’s best to not use any of those supplements if he will even still eat anything. Hydration is most important to focus on. You can try dripping a few drops of water on his head and see if he’ll drink. I hesitate to tell you to put any water in his mouth as their airway is in the front and the risk of accidental aspiration is too high. Also, the stress of that would be too much at this point. Do your best to keep him comfortable. He may go to the bottom and stay there. If he does, you can place something soft under him.
I suspect the problem is with the supplements. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A are both fat soluble and can build up to toxic levels. Both are used usually only one feeding every other week on an alternating schedule, (the vitamin A usually being in a multivitamin) and plain phosphorus free calcium without D3 is used for every feeding. I’m really not sure if there’s any way to help get the fat soluble vitamins out of his system. Perhaps @kinyonga or another member can better advise you on this.

 

[MissSkittles]

@ERKleRose if you are on line, can you offer better help than I?

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

Right now, I think it’s best to not use any of those supplements if he will even still eat anything. Hydration is most important to focus on. You can try dripping a few drops of water on his head and see if he’ll drink. I hesitate to tell you to put any water in his mouth as their airway is in the front and the risk of accidental aspiration is too high. Also, the stress of that would be too much at this point. Do your best to keep him comfortable. He may go to the bottom and stay there. If he does, you can place something soft under him.
I suspect the problem is with the supplements. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin A are both fat soluble and can build up to toxic levels. Both are used usually only one feeding every other week on an alternating schedule, (the vitamin A usually being in a multivitamin) and plain phosphorus free calcium without D3 is used for every feeding. I’m really not sure if there’s any way to help get the fat soluble vitamins out of his system. Perhaps @kinyonga or another member can better advise you on this.

Thank you, I will try these and hope it works.

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

How often should I be misting him, and with hot, warm or cold water? I tend to use a spray bottle with warm water for a few seconds on him 2 - 3 times a day, sometimes every other day

 

[MissSkittles]

How often should I be misting him, and with hot, warm or cold water? I tend to use a spray bottle with warm water for a few seconds on him 2 - 3 times a day, sometimes every other day

Just use room temp water. What we perceive as warm can be scalding to a chameleon. You want to spray the plants around him for at least 2 minutes, or until all are dripping. You could also add a dripper for about 15 minutes at a time once or twice a day. You can make one by poking a tiny home in the bottom of a Solo party cup and set it on top of the enclosure where it can drip onto plants.

 

[MissSkittles]

If you have a cool mist humidifier, you can run that at night when temperatures are cool and lights are off. The fog provides a natural way to help hydrate like what occurs in the wild.

 

[ERKleRose]

Also getting some worms, like silkworms, hornworms, and even waxworms, will help hydrate him, give some fat, and some nutrition, too. Hydration is the most important right now, like @MissSkittles said.

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

Just use room temp water. What we perceive as warm can be scalding to a chameleon. You want to spray the plants around him for at least 2 minutes, or until all are dripping. You could also add a dripper for about 15 minutes at a time once or twice a day. You can make one by poking a tiny home in the bottom of a Solo party cup and set it on top of the enclosure where it can drip onto plants.

I have fake plants, are the plants supposed to be real or can they be fake?

 

[AnonymousChameleon]

Also getting some worms, like silkworms, hornworms, and even waxworms, will help hydrate him, give some fat, and some nutrition, too. Hydration is the most important right now, like @MissSkittles said.

Thank you!

 

[ERKleRose]

Could you post a pic of your entire enclosure, lights to bottom, please, as well? Also, this a great website that goes through everything in chameleon husbandry and is the most accurate and up-to-date, so reading through this will help explain a lot, too! https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/

 

[ERKleRose]

I have fake plants, are the plants supposed to be real or can they be fake?

With veileds, you want veiled-tested live plants only, that need to be properly washed, repotted in organic soil without chemical fertilizers or perlite, and add rocks too big for him to eat over the soil in the pots. Here's a list to choose from (veiled-tested ones only): https://chameleonacademy.com/plants/

 

[MissSkittles]

I have fake plants, are the plants supposed to be real or can they be fake?

Real plants are best, but right now that is one of the lowest priorities. If your little guy pulls thru (and I’m praying that he does), it would be best to go thru all of your husbandry.
I seem to recall something about natural unfiltered sunlight helping to push supplemented Vitamin D out of the body. I’ll have to try searching for that. @ERKleRose do you know about this?