So basically my chameleon drinks once and a while and his urate is orange he won't eat for 2 days now and he gets mad. Before he was like this I fed him butterworms and mealworms. I've gave him 2 pedialyte baths so far to rehydrate him but do I have to take him to the vet or what??? Plz answer i don't want him to die on me
What's wrong with my chameleon? ?????
- Thread starter Derian
- Start date
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
Hi and welcome to the forum! Let's see if we can figure out what's going on.
Could you fill this out with as much detail as you can, please? Don't skip questions, sometimes they may not seem important but they can be when you look at the bigger picture.
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.
Could you fill this out with as much detail as you can, please? Don't skip questions, sometimes they may not seem important but they can be when you look at the bigger picture.
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.
Olimpia
Biologist & Ecologist
The only thing I'll say right now is that it's not a great idea to give chameleons baths where you put them in liquid, it stresses them out pretty badly. Showers are a much better way, so if you can find a way to mist him a while with normal water that would be better. But I want to see what your misting schedule is like before I tell you to shower him X long X often.
My chameleon is a boy veiled chameleon and he is one yyear and 1/2 he has been in my care for about a year now. My chameleon for some reason likes to be held and scratches the door when he wants to get out and when we took my chameleon the vet to see if anything is wrong with him he was normal. I have been feeding my chameleon mealworms and butterworms and I feel him in the afternoon. For supplements I use exo tetravel calcum and herptivite multivitamins and calcium with vitamin D. I mist my chameleons cage wit warm water about 4 to 5 times a day and I never see my chameleon drink because he drinks from a syringe and that's the only way he will drink water. My chameleons poop seems normal but his urate is kind of orange which I don't understand because he drinks water every 2 days. My chameleons history is about last August he had calcium deficioncy so he had medicine and he was back to normal. My chameleons cage are 2 12x12x18 inches built on top of eachother and it's glass because my chameleon HATE the screen cage I previously bought for him. His basking light is a zoo med day light blue and it's 80 or 100 watt. His uvb are 2 reptisun 5.0 tropical lights. The temperatures are 80 where the uvb is and 89 where the basking spot is and in the middle is 75 and so is the bottom. For humidity I mist the cage with warm water and that's hiw I maintain it and the humidity level is around always 75 to 80. For plants I use fake plants around the cage and sticks going around with a log on the top. The cage is placed in my brothers room and he works for 2 weeks and gets 2 weeks off so when he isn't here he is by himself and there is a fan in the middle of the room. The remaining space is about 3 feet from the ceiling. I am located in Fort Worth texas and if you can find a good reptile vet that would be great and my problem is he won't eat and he is always mad and some times does like a semi loud puff of exhailing air coming out of his nostrils. And if he is stressed out how can I make him back to normal because I know a trip to the vet will create a lot of stress and how can I give my him a shower?
kplatvoet
Member
The how to ask for help is really important in trying to figure out what's wrong I would also include - If his urates orange before you gave him the buterworms or just after and are butterworms part of his everyday diet or a new thing ? And how long have they been orange.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-does-orange-urate-really-mean-89658/index2.html
sorry I posted while you were answering -
https://www.chameleonforums.com/what-does-orange-urate-really-mean-89658/index2.html
sorry I posted while you were answering -
kplatvoet
Member
If you cut and paste into the how to ask for help form it's easier to read your answers and to help - and I don't know much about your species as it's not one I've had any experience with but in the thread I linked to one keeper had given butterworms and felt it made his chameleon constipated causing his urate to be more orange. Mealworms are also harder to digest than other feeders- if he's not eating then he wouldn't be pooping anyway so this might not be the problem -but if he's a was it may have been -
I think a vet or someone who's had more experience would be more help than I can - and also checking the care sheets - If your dusting everyday with calcium with D it's too much - you need calcium with no D for most dustings.
Usually to give a chameleon a shower you point the water on the wall of the shower and put the chameleon on a plant so that the plant/chameleon gets the misting effect not the full force of the water. It will convince some chameleons to drink from the leaves- but it might be just more stress-
Have you tried any other feeders ? Hornworms have a lot of moisture in them and are good for hydrating - superworms are easier to digest than mealworms - sometimes a wax worm will break a strike - but they aren't good except as a treat.
Basking and the cool down at night are also important for proper digestion
so it might be a good idea to do the form using cut and paste to answer the questions one by one so the more experienced keepers can see if there's anything more that might be causing the problem.
I think a vet or someone who's had more experience would be more help than I can - and also checking the care sheets - If your dusting everyday with calcium with D it's too much - you need calcium with no D for most dustings.
Usually to give a chameleon a shower you point the water on the wall of the shower and put the chameleon on a plant so that the plant/chameleon gets the misting effect not the full force of the water. It will convince some chameleons to drink from the leaves- but it might be just more stress-
Have you tried any other feeders ? Hornworms have a lot of moisture in them and are good for hydrating - superworms are easier to digest than mealworms - sometimes a wax worm will break a strike - but they aren't good except as a treat.
Basking and the cool down at night are also important for proper digestion
so it might be a good idea to do the form using cut and paste to answer the questions one by one so the more experienced keepers can see if there's anything more that might be causing the problem.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Please don't bathe him in Pedialyte. It contains sugars and electrolytes that would end up drying on his skin. Probably not a good idea. Showering with plain water is safer.
