Veiled eating less than normal
- Thread starter Orangejuiceman
- Start date
MzLaurie11
Avid Member
Hi! I am so glad you reached out here right away. Beman is one of the best husbandry evaluaters here. so you goT spot on advice. the fact that you followed it promptly makes you OJ's hero. Chameleons are masters at hiding ailments. By the time they are showing signs, what may have started as a simple fix has progressed to disaster. you should set up a wellness check with a vet who knows how to treat chameleons right away. I say right away because it may take a bit to get in. Then you can take a fecal sample and have that checked at the same time. There is a good vet list on this site which we all add to if we find a good ex perienced vet. Florida has a lot of experienced vets but if you have to take drive to go to one that is cham vetted its worth it. then if an emergency ever occurrs, you are in with a vet. One thing i wNted to mention about your setup is your boy is getting heavier and soon plants wont be able to support his weight and he will stop screen climbing. Fluker's bend-a,-branch (inexpensive on amaxon) would work great for your setup. I would go with the medium thickness. Also you mentioned your boy is eating the pathos. You might want to offer a salad of collard greens, romaine, etc a few times a week to see if he goes for it. He might not since he is now getting the right size feeders. Its good to offer though. A!so you might want to put a heavy drape on the jelousy window behind the cage and close it at bedtime to keep out drafts. Also no AC vents should hit his cage directly. chams do need the cool down period at night when they sleep. As long as the room temp (and draft temp) doesnt drop below 55, he is good. Being a floridian, i know it does get cold there . if you have to heat up anything, heat the room, not the cage. Thanks for the update.
Orangejuiceman
Member
Hello, so a few days later and this is what im left with. His appetite is definitely back, he is moving around and being lively, but i am still seeing him close his eyes during the day and often. What else could be the issue here, is he just on the way up and healing but still dealing with the issue from a few days ago? The internet makes it seem its either respiratory or intestinal based...i dont even know what to do anymore the eyes closed is really getting to me.
Do i need to take him to a vet to get this all sorted out? im not sure there is much i can do anymore if his husbandry and lighting and diet is back on point.
Ok lets start with a full husbandry review. Please copy and paste the form below into your reply then fill it out with detail. Post multiple pics of the entire cage for me and of baby. Let me see if anything stands out husbandry wise.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
Orangejuiceman
Member
- Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 5 months old, has been in my care for 2 months.
- Handling - 1-3 times per week depending if he crawls towards me on his own will, sometimes for morning sun outdoors
- Feeding - small crickets, 6-12 a day depending on his appetite (which has slowed) he typically eats in the afternoon but seems to be eating less, have not gut loaded past what the store is gutloading before me.
- Supplements - reptivite or fllukers with calcium and without d3, i just started this a week ago, i was unaware before this. havent used the one with d3 yet, only the one without.
- Watering - i hand spray once maybe twice a day, i am in miami so the humidity is almost always 50% or higher at all times, when i mist sometimes he drinks like a crazy person, sometimes he runs and hides, all water is filtered from my berkey.
- Fecal Description - recent droppings have seemed normal color and consistency, maybe once it was a little wetter than the others.
- History - when i first got him he was eating so much all the time and since then his appetite has slowed considerably.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? currently in a reptizoo, 16" 16" 30", but i have an even larger one that i am preparing to move him to.
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Arcadia "forrest" 6% uvb t5. lights go on at 7am and lights go off at 7-730pm
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? digital thermomeer and hygrometer, basking spot is 85-90 with an incandescant 75w light, lower levels of the cage vary to about 75 degrees at the bottom. lowest overnight temp is never below 73 in our house. i have closed the air vents in my room to keep from cool air hitting him.
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? humidity levels are 50% during the day to 70% at night when i mist
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? live plants, pothos with palm leaves that i cut and replace weekly to give extra cover
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? cage is located by an east facing window that opens completely to let in the morning sun. no fans, but i did recently close the air vent that was facing him (i feel this couldve been a problem early on that i made leaving the vent open semi towards him). the cage is 3 feet off the ground.
- Location - Where are you geographically located? miami florida.
i feel like i am doing everything properly, i will admit i was late to the supplement gain and maybe my crickets are not properly gut loaded....the lights seem proper, the humidity, the temperatures, he even get real morning sunlight. he just seems more tired than he used to, less lively, more of a yellowish green than his previous deep lime green that he started out with. i catch him with his eyes closed during the days while he is in his basking area only, other than that he crawls around all the other areas alert, eyes only closed while he is basking...maybe the light is too bright? but the temp seems fine, i dont think the bulb is frosted (is this a problem)
if anyone could help i would really appreciate it, some days he seems as though he is getting better but when i see him with his eyes closed i go into a slight panic for the entire rest of the day and cant seem to divert my thoughts anywhere else aside from holy smokes my chameleon is not happy. i have other animals, i love animals, i do all i can to give them what they need but i feel i am doing something wrong here. i thought i was giving him a better life than the one he had at petsmart but it seems i am not. the photos show him screen climbing, which is something he just started doing yesterday.
note: i only open the window in the morning when the air is warm, it isnt windy it just allows a fresh air flow through
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Flick boy
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi personally I would drop the temp to 80f , also has he been tested for parasites ( poop test) you could also add a dripper to give him longer opportunities to drink , do you have pictures of your supplements, what is your routine in giving them , what gutload are you using
I am going to red bold my feedback. Let me know what questions you have.
Get a fecal test done. See if you can take one in to be tested before having to take him in. You would then need to take him in if the fecal comes back positive for parasites.
- Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 5 months old, has been in my care for 2 months.
- Handling - 1-3 times per week depending if he crawls towards me on his own will, sometimes for morning sun outdoors
- Feeding - small crickets, 6-12 a day depending on his appetite (which has slowed) he typically eats in the afternoon but seems to be eating less, have not gut loaded past what the store is gutloading before me. Typically it is recommended to feed in the morning. Using a feeder run is helpful. Just make sure the branch gets close to it so he can get close enough. At this age they can easily take down 12 in one sitting.
- Supplements - reptivite or fllukers with calcium and without d3, i just started this a week ago, i was unaware before this. havent used the one with d3 yet, only the one without. I need to know what you bought. Please take a picture of the front labels.
- Watering - i hand spray once maybe twice a day, i am in miami so the humidity is almost always 50% or higher at all times, when i mist sometimes he drinks like a crazy person, sometimes he runs and hides, all water is filtered from my berkey. Due to your high humidity you want to add a dripper during the day. You could get a little dripper to sit on the shelf and have it drip in on the plants.
- Fecal Description - recent droppings have seemed normal color and consistency, maybe once it was a little wetter than the others. You need to get a fresh fecal sample tested for parasites. This needs to be ruled out and is a common reason for what your seeing with reduced eating and even the eye closing.
- History - when i first got him he was eating so much all the time and since then his appetite has slowed considerably.
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? currently in a reptizoo, 16" 16" 30", but i have an even larger one that i am preparing to move him to. Wait to move him until you get the fecal sample results. If he has a parasite load you do not want to cross contaminate to the new cage.
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? Arcadia "forrest" 6% uvb t5. lights go on at 7am and lights go off at 7-730pm This is correct. Make sure the distance to the branches below the light is 8-9 inches. So measure from bottom of fixture to the branches. Make sure one of the branches runs parallel to the UVB light.
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? digital thermomeer and hygrometer, basking spot is 85-90 with an incandescant 75w light, lower levels of the cage vary to about 75 degrees at the bottom. lowest overnight temp is never below 73 in our house. i have closed the air vents in my room to keep from cool air hitting him. Basking is far too hot... Your looking for 80-85 max.
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? humidity levels are 50% during the day to 70% at night when i mist
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? live plants, pothos with palm leaves that i cut and replace weekly to give extra cover... Where are you getting the Palm leaves from?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? cage is located by an east facing window that opens completely to let in the morning sun. no fans, but i did recently close the air vent that was facing him (i feel this couldve been a problem early on that i made leaving the vent open semi towards him). the cage is 3 feet off the ground.
- Location - Where are you geographically located? miami florida.
i feel like i am doing everything properly, i will admit i was late to the supplement gain and maybe my crickets are not properly gut loaded....the lights seem proper, the humidity, the temperatures, he even get real morning sunlight. he just seems more tired than he used to, less lively, more of a yellowish green than his previous deep lime green that he started out with. i catch him with his eyes closed during the days while he is in his basking area only, other than that he crawls around all the other areas alert, eyes only closed while he is basking...maybe the light is too bright? but the temp seems fine, i dont think the bulb is frosted (is this a problem)
if anyone could help i would really appreciate it, some days he seems as though he is getting better but when i see him with his eyes closed i go into a slight panic for the entire rest of the day and cant seem to divert my thoughts anywhere else aside from holy smokes my chameleon is not happy. i have other animals, i love animals, i do all i can to give them what they need but i feel i am doing something wrong here. i thought i was giving him a better life than the one he had at petsmart but it seems i am not. the photos show him screen climbing, which is something he just started doing yesterday.
note: i only open the window in the morning when the air is warm, it isnt windy it just allows a fresh air flow through
Get a fecal test done. See if you can take one in to be tested before having to take him in. You would then need to take him in if the fecal comes back positive for parasites.
Orangejuiceman
Member
This is what I’ve been using. I used the d3 twice a month only, and the regular on every feeding. Currently making all the changes that you suggested, my pet smart doesn’t have many options for chameleon food (sad for Miami) but I feel I need to correct the food a bit. The crickets at the store are commercially fit loaded not on actual food, this could lead to a vitamin A deficiency correct?
Do I need a vitamin A supplement, if so, which would you recommend.
He is outside right now basking in the morning sun, his eye is a bit squinty but still keeping the left one slightly squinted and only open sometimes. No redness or swelling but he has been rubbing it on a branch and it looks like he’s being a bit rough. I don’t want him to damage any further. Where do I go from here.
Only appointments are Monday, otherwise I have to bring him in as an emergency, am I over reacting?
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So I would personally replace the reptivite and the calcium with D3. It makes supplementing easier to use an all in 1 multivitamin like Repashy Calcium plus LoD version. This one in the 3 oz https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00DLJRMV2/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
This one would only be used 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th then at all other feedings you would use the green repcal plain calcium. Then not use the other two you have.
Your reptivite has Vitamin A in it so I doubt it is an issue of vitamin A. With the repashy I am suggesting you to buy it has vitamin A and D3 along with other vitamins.
I am wondering if he actually has something stuck in the eye. With you only misting once by hand and not very long he would not be able to clean his eyes. This is where the automated misters come in handy. You can set it for a full 2 minutes and then he has the ability with a very fine mist to clean the eyes.
I would not take him into an emergency vet... Not unless he is in full decline. They often do not have the knowledge needed and can make things worse. I would try a long misting session and see if he starts puffing up the eye turret and rotating it.
I would get a fecal run to make sure there is not a parasite issue though.
Per feeders just order them rather than buying from petco. Then you get healthier feeders with far less chance of contamination in a store. https://www.chameleonforums.com/sponsors/?tag=food
Orangejuiceman
Member
Upon waking, his left eye was closed, he was rubbing it on a branch and it just overall looks different than the other. I’m very worried. it is ONLY the left eye however. I ordered a mister and it will be here first thing in the morning, hopefully he can use the mist to clean it himself. something is amiss.
Neptune from Youtube said that if it was her, she would go to an experienced vet.
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Last edited:
Anyone with a chameleon should only go to an experienced vet when something is wrong. I recommended not taking to an emergency vet. They very rarely deal with exotics and do not tend to make things better.
In the images you posted 10 days ago the eye was perfect. Showing no issues. This is why I am thinking something is stuck in the eye. And with hand misting for limited time this just does not give them the privacy or time to clean the eye.
Orangejuiceman
Member
So I am so ashamed here. I think my girlfriend figured out the problem with Ojs eye. When I take him outside for morning basking, I place him on our Clusia bush. My girlfriend made the comment that Clusia does have a sap inside its stem that is toxic, almost like a milky substance. This didn’t start until I began taking him outdoors to bask and every time, I put him on the Clusia. I’m going to stop doing this and see what changes but I 100% think this is the problem and the reason for it being bad in the morning and his eye is calm at night
No need to be ashamed. It is a learning curve. See if the eye gets better since your not longer placing on the bush.
