White ring around nostril - worried!

[Charma]

Our three month old female veiled chameleon has been happy and healthy since we got her three weeks ago. She was thin when she arrived, but is a greedy little pig and is eating 6-8 dusted and gut-loaded crickets a day, also drinking well.
Yesterday we noticed a white rim around one nostril and today it is worse, although she can still breathe from it, and is still eating and drinking. What is it? Fungus? A respiratory disease? Excess salt sweated out? I read they do this throgh their nostrils).
If anybody knows what this is and what to do about it, please help!

Charma

 

[Brad]

Without some focused pictures it is impossible to say for sure, but very likely what you are seeing are salt deposits. Chameleons can excrete salts through their nostrils and as far as I know this is not a reason to be concerned.

 

[Taliwood13]

I have an answer

The ring around your chams nostril is probably a result of over dusting the crickets. Try using less and see what happens. It will probably go away.

 

[Kalibr03]

dusting

The dusting thing makes sense. My little guy used to get the salt deposits all the time (I was dusting too much). Now I have an appropriate dusting schedule and I haven't see this anymore.

 

[Charma]

Thanks for your thoughts!

I do appreciate your prompt replies to little Charma's white crusty nostrils (both now). I shall cut back the dusting (I have been pretty heavy with a Calcium/vitamin combo.) as I don't want to kill her with kindness.

Thank you for being helpful chameleon owners, it is wonderful to have such a support group! I'll let you know the result. All the best,
Charma

 

[lilj0e]

also ive seen when they dont shead fully around the nostriles that it looks like that sometimes.

 

[Lunatic913]

i noticed the same on my veiled also, i'll try less dusting and see what happens

 

[Fate X]

ive seen it a few times ,mostly when they were babies.

 

[Charma]

Eureka-she's cured!

Thank you all, for your suggestions. I stopped dusting the crickets so heavily, (now only dusting 1/4 of her daily intake, and only every other day), and today the white crusty rings were gone.
Sha has also started enjoying her mistings, whereas before she puffed up and ran away. Now she comes to the spray, I think she had just never had it before. She is also used to my hand putting crickets into her bowl, even right next to her head, and she is the sweetest thing, - so much fun to observe. She gets 3/4 of her crickets in her bowl (hung on a branch) in batches several times a day, and the rest let loose on the floor of her cage, so she doesn't get lazy. She enjoys stalking and hunting, and can see amazingly well. Now we watch her instead of TV!
Charma the well-fed chameleon.