Worried about new veiled female

[DJexotics]

Hello everyone!
A few weeks ago I took in a pair of baileys from one of the worst keeper EVER! The male is completely messed up with a burned casque & spine (all his spikes are literally coming off his body)! I'm slowly nursing him, but the problem is the female!
I am worried that she may have eggs, the previous keeper said they were never paired up, but with how he kept them... I wouldn't bet on anything he says! So have a small dig box for her, but I've been looking on here & am going to do a proper one this weekend!
I've had her for around 3 weeks, and I have her in a small reptibreeze so I can make sure she's eating & drinking enough during the quarantine phase! She's supposed to be around a year old.
Any info is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

The pic of her being held with a glove is from the previous keeper. And I also included one of the very messed up male!

 

[PoshPenny]

Wow...

The picture of the male is heartbreaking. I am new still (I'm a gecko girl), but wanted to say kudos to you. I know the senior members will be responding soon to help you. I know they will want a request for help form filled out, the link is posted in a sticky above. Jannb has a blog on keeping females and egg laying. Her blog along with Olimpias is what has brought me up to speed and saved my rescue who was on the verge of death when I got her. The male is just heartbreaking man. I mean how hard is it to buy a freaking clamp and put the basking lamp off the screen???? Seriously???? People kill me. God bless you for taking them in, and shame on the person who let that poor animal suffer that god awful burn to his back. That poor baby. I wish I could kick that guy in the throat.

 

[PoshPenny]

And females WILL lay eggs regardless of being paired with a male or not...I think personally she is gravid, from the first pic it looks like there is a huge lump (egg) bulging out, I would put her in the bin and leave her, ASAP, and make sure it is big enough, I went and got the link for Jannb's blog on egg laying, you can also get a laundry hamper, or whatever, just make sure its big enough, dont stick her something too small, just read the blog, listen to Jann!!! They can become egg laden and die.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/jannb/345-egg-laying-laying-bin.html

Please read that^, and do it. Better safe than sorry. But I see jelly beans in her belly. That is how my herp vet explained it to me. He said they will look like they are full of jelly beans. And eventually they will start poking out towards the hip areas, and then your cham will start to dig around at the bottom of the cage, and if you miss the signs of this, and dont get her to a bin, she could die. They lay clutches no matter what. With sex or no sex. Homegirl is gonna lay. But the million dollar question in YOUR case, is are they fertile, if they start to mold, then you dont have to worry, there are no fruit flies in your future.

 

[MSAquatics]

She is 100% gravid. Her coloration and size suggests it, but you can see the eggs back around her hips to confirm it. Dust her feeders everyday with calcium with no d3, and make sure she is very hydrated everyday. The eggs are more than likely infertile based on the cham's previous owners care, but it's possible they may be ok. At this point you need to focus on saving the female. Veileds can look great the day they dig the nest, and be close to dead the next morning. Laying eggs can be very hard on young females.

Good luck,
Leland

 

[DJexotics]

Oh my gosh.. Thank you guys soo much for replying! I just need to get some soil for the lay bin tomorrow, and it will be setup! I have been just working so much, but it's my wife's bday tomorrow, so I have 2 days off to spoil her & work on the bin!
I will make another post tomorrow on the male & how messed up of a situation he was in! It is even more sad, cuz he is the nicest easygoing Cham I've ever seen, even though he's been through so much!
Quick question... How long do they normally have eggs in them for? And how will I know if she becomes/is eggbound?

 

[ridgebax1]

I am no expert and have never had a female but once you get a proper bin she needs to have access to it 24/7. Most people keep the bins in the cage with the female but some do not. I am sure the experienced keepers can tell you how to successfully keep a bin outside of an enclosure. But either way she will need complete privacy to dig and lay her eggs. She may dig a false or test hole in several places before she actually lays the eggs. I have seen several posts lately of egg bound females who have died because the keepers did not recognize either the need to lay or that the cham was a female. Make sure she stays hydrated most of all I think. I think they do not eat much prior to laying eggs but after will pig out on their bugs. She was a beautiful girl judging from the picture on the glove. The male is heart wrenching. I have also seen many a cham thrive once rescued.
If you are at all concerned that she is becoming egg bound take her to a vet sooner rather than later. Once it is too late it is rare for them to recover. Good luck and I hope they both do well. Oh and I think your right not to believe much from the original owner.

 

[MSAquatics]

Based on the pictures, she doesn't look egg bound, but I would give her 24hr access to a laying bin. For my veiled I use a medium Rubbermaid container filled with damp play sand, placed in the bottom of her cage. If she starts to dig, leave her alone until she climbs out. Don't leave the lights on at night, don't try to feed her while she's laying, and don't remove her from the nest after she lays the eggs. After, provide plenty of water and food, and natural sunlight if possible.

Good luck,
Leland

 

[PoshPenny]

Don't peek either. They will stop if they think you're lurking. Possibly try to line up a vet visit for her soon afterwards for some liquid calcium and iv fluids, no telling how thin she really is with all those eggs in her. I'd gutload her feeders really well. I give fritas grapes, carrots, mustard greens, baby rice cereal, kale, apples, red bell peppers, all finely chopped up with a side of cricket crack.