Veiled Chameleon Trouble

[UniquelyCrazy]

I purchased an adult male veiled chameleon, Gus, about 3 months ago from the H.E.R.P.S. Reptile Exhibit. I handle him atleast once a day for 5-10 minutes. Gus eats mostly crickets (4-5 a day). I dust every other day with Repti Calcium. For his water supply, I constructed a slow dripping faucet from scrap PVC pipe and an old water pump that I had. Gus's cage is a screened 17"x18"x30" wooden cage that sits about 62" off the floor. There are 2 lights-One is an Exoterra brand Basking light and the other is 100 UVb Exoterra brand. I usually keep them on for 12hrs at a time. I have a mister that is set to come on for 15 seconds every 3 hours. I recently placed a travel size humidifier in the cage cause I cant seem to keep the humidy high enough. I chose live plants (Ficus and Hibiscus) as well as artificial plants. I use a ACU-RITE thermometor/Hydrometer. So far the humidity stays around 40%. The tempeture during the day has been on average 80 degrees and at night 65 degrees. Yesterday I noticed him with his mouth open but didnt think to much about it. Today he had his mouth wide open like he was gulping for air or trying to swallow something that was stuck. He even made a coughing sound a couple of times. There has been no change is appetite, activity level, or coloring. Gus doesn't seem sick but the gulping has me worried. I couldn't upload the video so here are a couple pictures.

 

[martyfrost]

does he drink water at all have you seen him drink any water he is probably dehydrated

 

[UniquelyCrazy]

Occasionally I will see him drink. A few weeks ago I was worried he was dehydrated so I actually held him a few times a day and dripped water into his mouth.

 

[martyfrost]

and did he sip any drops

 

[UniquelyCrazy]

and did he sip any drops

Not really

 

[martyfrost]

how many times do you spray her enclosure because if you just leave the dripping system you made that wouldn't be a good idea because you dont have a high level of humidity in there and that may be the problem also

 

[UniquelyCrazy]

how many times do you spray her enclosure because if you just leave the dripping system you made that wouldn't be a good idea because you dont have a high level of humidity in there and that may be the problem also

I have an automatic mister that sprays for 15secs every 3 hours

 

[martyfrost]

I think you should put the mister for a longer time because the fake plants tend to dry fast and not how enough humidity what can help if you don't got real plants you should totally consider in getting real plants and also 15 seconds wouldn't be a right amount for the whole enclosure to hold humidity due to the air flow of the mesh cage

 

[JapSolum]

I would fill out the how to ask for help form so we can get better idea of husbandry. https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ if he is dehydrated you will see it in his urates white is good, the more yellow or orange you see the more dehydrated. opening mouth can be a sign he is too hot and hes doing it to cool off just like a dog panting. but if you're hearing "coughs" it may be a respiratory infection. are the coughs like a wheezing with a popping noise? generally you dont want to put a humidifier in the tank with him, especially during the day. as that can lead to bacterial growth. if youre having problems with humidity levels I'd suggest keeping up with the mistings, move humidifier outside the tank, and closing off one or two sides of enclosure which should bring it up. but if you're hearing wheezing and popping it might be time to see a vet

 

[chameleonneeds]

Add live plants for humidity.

You have a mister in there going off quite often so he should be drinking just fine. But he does not look good. You can see he has dentations in his face and legs. He is underweight.

I suggest you take him to the vet. You mentioned a coughing noise and keeping his mouth open. This is most likely a respiratory infection. Also take a few of his freshest poops to the vet in a zip lock bag and ask for a fecal parasite test to be done. A heavy parasite load may be responsible for his poor weight.

 

[Alexander1]

I don’t think there is enough details in the issue he is having for anyone to try and help, chams can gape to vent out heat, is he having his mouth open constantly? Is there any signs of excess saliva or discolored discharge from his mouth? Please add more details on how often and how long he’s been opening his mouth, anything from a respiratory infection, he may of aspirated water into his lungs accidentally, all depends on the details. If you notice this has been going on for some time take him to a exotic vet with chameleon experience ASAP.
Another note make are he has temperature gradients in that enclosure of his

 

[chameleonneeds]

I don’t think there is enough details in the issue he is having for anyone to try and help, chams can gape to vent out heat, is he having his mouth open constantly? Is there any signs of excess saliva or discolored discharge from his mouth? Please add more details on how often and how long he’s been opening his mouth, anything from a respiratory infection, he may of aspirated water into his lungs accidentally, all depends on the details. If you notice this has been going on for some time take him to a exotic vet with chameleon experience ASAP.
Another note make are he has temperature gradients in that enclosure of his

But the OP mentioned a coughing noise and that it has happened multiple times. Also a chameleon that is opening it's mouth because of overheating is generally very light in colouration, and that is not the case here. So I think there is definitely sufficient information here, with pictures, to say that the chameleon is infact sick and not just overheating ......

 

[JapSolum]

But the OP mentioned a coughing noise and that it has happened multiple times. Also a chameleon that is opening it's mouth because of overheating is generally very light in colouration, and that is not the case here. So I think there is definitely sufficient information here, with pictures, to say that the chameleon is infact sick and not just overheating ......

agreed, more info could help diagnose the specific issue better. but even just with pics of depressed casque while diet is normal would point towards a parasite to me. and if you need to see a vet for that might as well have them diagnose the other issues properly themselves.

 

[Syreptyon]

There are a lot of serious changes you need to make, I'm sorry to say, and I'm surprised this hasn't been pointed out yet. Your husbandry is not well-suited to keeping a chameleon alive and healthy. I don't mean to be overly critical, but this is the truth and it is important to communicate these suggestions openly and honestly.

Handling: You are handling him way too much. Daily handling is a big source of stress, especially to ailing chameleons, and this can dramatically reduce life expectancy and quality of his immune system.

Feeding: You aren't feeding him enough, either. He ought to be eating about 8 or more crickets a day, I reckon. He looks quite thin to me.

Supplements: This needs serious adjusting, too. You need to be dusting all his feeders with a phosphorous-free calcium powder without vitamin 3 every day, dusting with phosphorous-free calcium powder WITH vitamin D3 twice a month, and dusting with a multivitamin twice a month as well. This is really critical, as you are not currently providing him with D3, without which he will develop metabolic bone disease.

Cage size: Your cage is substantially too small for a male veiled. You have a large species of chameleon and need to provide much more room for him. The minimum cage size for a veiled is 24" x 24" x 48". Your enclosure has only 33% of the required volume for a male veiled and, most importantly, lacks a very important 18" of height. Chameleons are (or should) be active animals and need way more space to thrive.

Lights: What is your basking temperature? Is your UVB light a linear style bulb or a compact one? If it is not linear, you ought to change it out for a linear model ASAP.

Misting: I am very, very surprised someone said you are misting a lot.... The truth is, you aren't misting even close to enough. 15 seconds is such a short misting duration, that he does not have time to be stimulated to drink. It is recommended, in screen enclosures, to mist for no less than 2 minutes per session. It takes about 2 minutes on average to stimulate a chameleon to drink. Increasing the frequency and duration of misting sessions will increase his hydration as well as help you keep humidity up.

As for his gaping, there are two main things that could be going on: (1) he may be too hot and be releasing heat through his mouth similar to a dog panting, or (2) he has a respiratory infection. Unfortunately, I am leaning toward option #2 because of the coughing sound you have been hearing. This is not a normal sound for a chameleon to make and is characteristic of a respiratory infection. I also think that a vet visit is in order. You ay he doesn't seem ill, but imo he does not look very healthy.

 

[Graves923]

Syreptyon hit the nail on the head in all areas of husbandry. I would ditch the humidifier in favor of longer misting.

Feed him more insects each feeding since he looks very thin. You shouldnt be able to see his arm bones like you currently can.

I also feel a vet visit is in order to have the RI properly diagnosed and treated. In the mean time, make the changes mentioned by Syreptyon.

 

[chameleonneeds]

I hope when you say misting 15 seconds for 3 hours that you are not also misting during the hours the lights are off. I do feel like this could lead to excess water collecting and stagnating in certain parts of the cage while the enclosure is cold (because its night time) which actually leads to respiratory infections. But I do still think that 15 seconds every 3 hours would be providing him ample opportunity to get a drink. Unless there is not that much water actually coming from the misters. But I would rather mist 3 times a day. Once in the morning a little while after lights have been on, once around noonish when the day is hottest and again around 5 o clock before lights are out so that the cage can dry up a bit before the chameleon sleeps. When misting you should aim to wet all of the inside of the cage. I would mist with that schedule for about 2 minutes each time. I really don't see the point in misting much longer if the cage is already drenched - this is a veiled, not a parsonii. The OP did also mention they use a dripper so there is added stimulation to drink there. So really I don't see how hydration is the focal point for the problems here. You also said the cage is wood. I'm guessing it is all wood with a glass front? Mixed with lots of water it sounds like the perfect ingredients for respiratory infections. Change to an all screen cage (which should also be larger than his current cage as Syrepton advised you) for a happier healthier chameleon. You might get away with using a real exo terra glass vivarium but I would really just go with an all screened cage.

Also in terms of the food. 4 crickets a day might be on the low side. But this is an adult male veiled and generally people feed about 8 to 12 feeders EVERY 2 DAYS. So I wouldn't say you're starving him. Nutritional variety is however lacking. So I don't think a lack of food is the cause for his poor health either. I would think a chameleon that hasn't eaten anything at all for a few weeks might have an appearance like your cham.

You get lower and upper respiratory infections and as I recall, lower respiratory infections (lower in the lungs) generally don't show symptoms of excessive mucous in the mouth - as is more common for upper respiratory infections. Unless perhaps the infection has advanced. Judging from your chameleons posture in the picture it looks to me that he is putting pressure on his chest to squeeze a breath in. Also a common sign of an RI I have witnessed. An overheating chameleon will not be doing this. They look otherwise comfortable except for the extremely bright colours and open mouth. The infections are caused by poor husbandry which are ultimately due to incorrect temperature (too cold) and when the cage is either too wet or even too dry. Your first concern should be the infection and secondly parasites. You must be careful managing both problems if both problems do exist. I hope that you find a chameleon experienced vet to help you through this.

Here is an article on RIs written by a forum member which i followed the first time i experienced a lower respiratory infection with a young panther chameleon http://chamworld.blogspot.co.za/2008/01/upper-respiratory-infection-warning.html?m=1
Once you keep chameleons long enough it becomes second nature realising almost exactly what might be wrong. In the mean time you must do what is necessary with your husbandry to stop an infection from happening and progressing. And get him to the vet!

Good luck.