What's wrong with my veiled revised thread

[veggie_val]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon , female, almost 5 months old. I've had her for 2 months.
• Handling - 2-3 days a week
• Feeding - 4-6 dusted crickets in the morning, available meal worms all day.
• Supplements - Zoo Med's Reptivite dusted crickets every other day
• Watering - Automatic mister goes off for 12 seconds every hour.
• Fecal Description - normal brown with white urate
• History - From a breeder

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Large reptibreeze cage, screen all the way around.
• Lighting - large heat/UVB dome lamp. Also on an automatic timer that comes on at 7:30am and off at 7:30pm
• Temperature - accurate
• Humidity - accurate
• Plants - potted Umbrella plant, basking branch and fake foliage.
• Placement - on a stand in my bedroom by a window
• Location - San Diego, California

Current Problem - My chameleon has always been healthy, until recently when I haven't seen her eat for the past two days. When I came home today we took her out of her cage and she didn't try to run like normally and seemed really weak. When we put her back, she started to climb funny and fell twice. Here's a video of her walking. It looks like she has no control of her arms and legs. I'm so worried, has anyone seen this or knows what's going on??

 

[carol5208]

Are you not using calcium at all? That could be the problem. Are you 100% sure that you have a combo uva/uvb light? Also, how often are you using the Reptivite? It should not be used everyday. It is a multivitamin and should be used a couple of times a month. You also have the branch under that light way too close. She might get burned if she sits under the light too long or her casque touches the hot screen. You say your temps are accurate, but what are they actually??

 

[veggie_val]

Are you not using calcium at all? That could be the problem. Are you 100% sure that you have a combo uva/uvb light? Also, how often are you using the Reptivite? It should not be used everyday. It is a multivitamin and should be used a couple of times a month. You also have the branch under that light way too close. She might get burned if she sits under the light too long or her casque touches the hot screen. You say your temps are accurate, but what are they actually??

Basking temp is about 80, and room temperature is always in the 70s the screen is touchable and I dust crickets with calcium. I was told to dust with the Reptivite every other day. I live in California and temperatures are easily controlled. So i don't believe temperature is the concern. I'm certain the lamp is a heat is a heat/uvb combo

 

[kinyonga]

What do you feed/gutload the insects with?

Does the Reptivite have D3 and prEformed vitamin A in it as well as calcium? Since most feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous its important to dust the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorous - free calcium powder at most feedings...onlybskipping the two times a month you dust with vitamin powder and twice a month you use the phosphorous - free calcium / D3 powder.

The foot grabbing is a symptom of MBD bit I don't see any broken or bent bones at the moment.
A vet can tell you for sure that's what it is. If it is it will need to be corrected ASAP by providing liquid calcium sandoz or gluconate until the bones are strong again. You will also need to make sure your husbandry is correct to keep it from returning.

 

[carol5208]

Does your Reptivite contain d3? If so, I would not use it like that. It can cause hypervitamosis(research it) and cause problems for your chameleon. Not saying that is what is going on here yet, but just something to consider for the future.

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

im going to be honest i think your dusting is fine, her legs look healthy and strong its just the fact that she is having a hard time fining a place to put them. I found your recent post about this and i saw that someone mentioned something about her sight and i think that is the answer. The only reason why i am saying this is because A.) u said she hasten eaten so maybe because she cant see her food and cant get a shot at it B.) it really looks like she is guessing where she is putting her legs and arms. I would keep a weight chart to see if she has lost any because that is a sure sign there is something wrong, trust me i know from prier experience. im not so sure tho why she is having a trouble, im just throwing my opinion and ideas out, pls try to get her to a vet tho. I will keep track of your posts to make sure she is ok

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

i also forgot to add this, it takes as long as many months to show signs that a chamelon is sick/unhealthy, your cham could have been sick for the past month or two and you didn't even realize it. also are you dusting with multi-vitamins too? that is another important thing you need to dust with.

 

[carol5208]

i also forgot to add this, it takes as long as many months to show signs that a chamelon is sick/unhealthy, your cham could have been sick for the past month or two and you didn't even realize it. also are you dusting with multi-vitamins too? that is another important thing you need to dust with.

To my knowledge Reptivite is a MultiVitamin and that is a problem if you use it too much. There have been research and necropsies done on dead reptiles, including chameleons that have their organs mineralized from too many supplements, vitamin D being the biggest problem..

 

[veggie_val]

Does your Reptivite contain d3? If so, I would not use it like that. It can cause hypervitamosis(research it) and cause problems for your chameleon. Not saying that is what is going on here yet, but just something to consider for the future.

The Reptivite does not have D3, but thank you for your concern

 

[veggie_val]

im going to be honest i think your dusting is fine, her legs look healthy and strong its just the fact that she is having a hard time fining a place to put them. I found your recent post about this and i saw that someone mentioned something about her sight and i think that is the answer. The only reason why i am saying this is because A.) u said she hasten eaten so maybe because she cant see her food and cant get a shot at it B.) it really looks like she is guessing where she is putting her legs and arms. I would keep a weight chart to see if she has lost any because that is a sure sign there is something wrong, trust me i know from prier experience. im not so sure tho why she is having a trouble, im just throwing my opinion and ideas out, pls try to get her to a vet tho. I will keep track of your posts to make sure she is ok

I appreciate that your response doesn't have the assumption that I'm doing something wrong. Yesterday was the first time I've seen her walk like that. And I'm very sure she can see because she follows me with her eyes and then looks at the water dripper whenever it drips. I tried cup feeding her but she just looked back and forth from the feeders to my face. I'll start looking into open veterinarians near me.. And keep you guys updated.

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

I appreciate that your response doesn't have the assumption that I'm doing something wrong. Yesterday was the first time I've seen her walk like that. And I'm very sure she can see because she follows me with her eyes and then looks at the water dripper whenever it drips. I tried cup feeding her but she just looked back and forth from the feeders to my face. I'll start looking into open veterinarians near me.. And keep you guys updated.

maybe try feeding her something she really likes or maybe something new. Have you tried flightless flies? When my cham got sick he loved them!! it made him start moving a little more and gave him a little bit of an appetite. try finding them at your local pet store, i got mine at petsmart.

 

[R.H]

just regarding food, does ur food roam her enclosure or do u just hold a pot with insects in for her to feed??
have u tried to hand make a feeder cup and hang it in the enclosure ? same spot everyday with a nice perch to sit on infront of feeder.

my pantha chameleon had issues eating ( along with lots of other issues, and all the amazing people on here helped me being her to health again)

i changed her staple diet to crickets +silk worms and made and fixed in a feeder ( nothing special) and it's the best thing of ever done for her, very mornin she's sittin waiting for me to put her good in.
I'll upload a pic, behind my baby In the corner is her feeder

 

[veggie_val]

just regarding food, does ur food roam her enclosure or do u just hold a pot with insects in for her to feed??
have u tried to hand make a feeder cup and hang it in the enclosure ? same spot everyday with a nice perch to sit on infront of feeder.

my pantha chameleon had issues eating ( along with lots of other issues, and all the amazing people on here helped me being her to health again)

i changed her staple diet to crickets +silk worms and made and fixed in a feeder ( nothing special) and it's the best thing of ever done for her, very mornin she's sittin waiting for me to put her good in.
I'll upload a pic, behind my baby In the corner is her feeder

That's exactly how I feed her.. I made a feeder bottle like that too..

 

[veggie_val]

Went to the vet. He said she doesn't have MBD or any infections but suggested we have a heat source at night at least during this rainy whether. He also gave us calcium drops and will be doing a follow up. Other than that, they said she's a happy, healthy looking girl.

 

[carol5208]

Veilds can take temps down into the 40's. Many people say add heat if the temps drop below 50 degrees and it still is not really necessary. It is up to you what you want to do. Be aware that many vets are not very experienced with chameleons, but maybe are with other reptiles and often can give out wrong information. I have seen it time and time again on here. If you choose to add heat at night, make sure it is a ceramic heat emitter and nothing that gives off any light.

 

[veggie_val]

Veilds can take temps down into the 40's. Many people say add heat if the temps drop below 50 degrees and it still is not really necessary. It is up to you what you want to do. Be aware that many vets are not very experienced with chameleons, but maybe are with other reptiles and often can give out wrong information. I have seen it time and time again on here. If you choose to add heat at night, make sure it is a ceramic heat emitter and nothing that gives off any light.

The doctor seemed experienced however, said that basking spot should be 90 which seemed high for me. But I do have a red night heat bulb I'll try out.. She seems like she's doing better and I'm pretending I don't see her coming out of her cage onto the fake palm tree next to it for the first time! haha

 

[brownie64]

Went to the vet. He said she doesn't have MBD or any infections but suggested we have a heat source at night at least during this rainy whether. He also gave us calcium drops and will be doing a follow up. Other than that, they said she's a happy, healthy looking girl.

Well did your vet give you any incite as to why she is wailing her legs every time she takes a step? Vet or not this isn't normal. They may shake back and forth to mimic a leaf blowing in the wind, but their feet are normally very controlled. I'm with @carol5208 I would seek the advice of another vet that was properly trained in chameleons if it were me.

 

[veggie_val]

Well did your vet give you any incite as to why she is wailing her legs every time she takes a step? Vet or not this isn't normal. They may shake back and forth to mimic a leaf blowing in the wind, but their feet are normally very controlled.

I showed him the video which he said is a concern and said it could be a symptom of being cold at night. After the visit she's walking fine now so I'm just going to keep a close eye on her and follow the doctors advice. Like I said, she's feeling well enough to explore out of the cage by herself for the first time ever and doesn't seem weak anymore.

 

[brownie64]

I showed him the video which he said is a concern and said it could be a symptom of being cold at night. After the visit she's walking fine now so I'm just going to keep a close eye on her and follow the doctors advice. Like I said, she's feeling well enough to explore out of the cage by herself for the first time ever and doesn't seem weak anymore.

Well if she is back to herself that's all that matters glad to hear it.

 

[veggie_val]

Well if she is back to herself that's all that matters glad to hear it.

Yea maybe she just wanted attention haha but I will take every precaution and keep an eye on her.