Yoshi seems to be dying!

[crash02]

Hello, this is my first time posting on this saite as i am a new cham owner. Ive had yoshi for about 4 months now, and he was doing fine until suddenyl last night I noticed he was sluggish, and weak. here is his info:


Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon
Handling - around once a week
Feeding - he's been eating large crickets, about 12 a week along with mealworms here and there
Supplements - I dust the crickets with reptocal d3
Watering - I mist about 1 to two times a day and a leave an ice cube dripping
Fecal Description - one is a yellowish color and the other is a goopy brown. ive never tested for parasites.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - prety small tank with perferrated holes on two side and on top.
Lighting - exo terra heat lamp - nothing special kept outside the tank on cold nights.
Temperature - not exactly sure
Humidity - not exactly sure
Plants - live plants are used along with exo terra moss on the bottom
Placement - on my desk
Location - nyc


Ok so here is the problem, as I said last night he seems lethargic and trembled when walking, and I also noticed he had a weak grip. I gave him water from an eyedropper and it seemed to do the trick. I also gave him a few crickets which he ate while trying to hold on tight to a branch. this morning everything seemed ok, he drank his water and then pooped, and for some reason he climbed down to the bottom and lay there. I picked him up to see what was wrong and his color changed from a bright green to almost a leapord pattern. i took him to my closest pet store but they were stumped. now, hours later hes motionless, with his tongue sticking out but i can see his heart is still beating, and every now and then he opens his mouth, and his tongue moves a little. I have no idea what to do. if anyone has any advice id very much appreciate it!! I'll post pics and a vid (if i can)

 

[kinyonga]

I hate to say so, but it sounds like its too late to do anything. The only hope it might have is if it gets to a vet in the next hour or so I think.

There are a lot of things wrong with your husbandry that might have contributed to this...if you are going to get another chameleon then you will need to know about it.

 

[Lurk]

Hello, this is my first time posting on this saite as i am a new cham owner. Ive had yoshi for about 4 months now, and he was doing fine until suddenyl last night I noticed he was sluggish, and weak. here is his info:


Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon
Handling - around once a week
Feeding - he's been eating large crickets, about 12 a week along with mealworms here and there
Supplements - I dust the crickets with reptocal d3
Watering - I mist about 1 to two times a day and a leave an ice cube dripping
Fecal Description - one is a yellowish color and the other is a goopy brown. ive never tested for parasites.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - prety small tank with perferrated holes on two side and on top.
Lighting - exo terra heat lamp - nothing special kept outside the tank on cold nights.
Temperature - not exactly sure
Humidity - not exactly sure
Plants - live plants are used along with exo terra moss on the bottom
Placement - on my desk
Location - nyc


Ok so here is the problem, as I said last night he seems lethargic and trembled when walking, and I also noticed he had a weak grip. I gave him water from an eyedropper and it seemed to do the trick. I also gave him a few crickets which he ate while trying to hold on tight to a branch. this morning everything seemed ok, he drank his water and then pooped, and for some reason he climbed down to the bottom and lay there. I picked him up to see what was wrong and his color changed from a bright green to almost a leapord pattern. i took him to my closest pet store but they were stumped. now, hours later hes motionless, with his tongue sticking out but i can see his heart is still beating, and every now and then he opens his mouth, and his tongue moves a little. I have no idea what to do. if anyone has any advice id very much appreciate it!! I'll post pics and a vid (if i can)

There appear to be many issues with your husbandry. Your chameleon needs a UVB light and more frequent misting. Most discourage the ice cube method. You should certainly know what the temperature and humidity level of your enclosure are. Calcium with D3 and a multivitamin are usually used once every 2 weeks and a plain calcium supplement every day.

 

[Supergirl]

this makes me so sad

 

[crash02]

I hate to say so, but it sounds like its too late to do anything. The only hope it might have is if it gets to a vet in the next hour or so I think.

There are a lot of things wrong with your husbandry that might have contributed to this...if you are going to get another chameleon then you will need to know about it.

There appear to be many issues with your husbandry. Your chameleon needs a UVB light and more frequent misting. Most discourage the ice cube method. You should certainly know what the temperature and humidity level of your enclosure are. Calcium with D3 and a multivitamin are usually used once every 2 weeks and a plain calcium supplement every day.

I appreciate the help guys, it feels terrible to know that I made this little guy suffer because I wasn't ready to set him up with a proper housing. I don't see his heart beating anymore, so I think it's over for him. The problem is that I tried to set his terrarium up by watching youtube videos, and I thought I was doing a decent job! I guess in the end it wasn't good enough. I didn't know he needed uvb lighting, because I thought that's what the D3 supp was for.. Damn, I really messed up. I'm going to let this sink in for a while before I decide to get another Cham. Before i do, i'm going to really do my homework before I have another cham commit its life in my hands. Thanks guys

 

[crash02]

this makes me so sad

I feel terrible, I really caused him to die. I really can't believe it... I guess its because I've successfully raised tree frogs (red eyes and whites treefrogs) for a long time, that I wanted to give chams a try. but theyre not the same at all. Chams require so much more than I ever realized or was told. I at least hope that this can be a learning experience for anyone else who reads this, showing how fragile these little guys are.

 

[Olimpia]

I'll try to outline what exactly in your husbandry is wrong, just so you know what we're talking about.

Hello, this is my first time posting on this saite as i am a new cham owner. Ive had yoshi for about 4 months now, and he was doing fine until suddenyl last night I noticed he was sluggish, and weak. here is his info:


Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon
Handling - around once a week
Feeding - he's been eating large crickets, about 12 a week along with mealworms here and there
12 a week is not very many, but we don't know his age so it's hard to tell. You should be gutloading the crickets and meaworms - that is, when you buy them, you place them in a container for at least 24 hours with fresh fruits and vegetabes like collard greens, dandelion leaves, spirulina, etc. so that they are full of nutritious food, which in turn is eaten by your chameleon.
Supplements - I dust the crickets with reptocal d3
You should have three supplements, following a schedule like this:
1. A phosphorous-free plain calcium, without D3 used at every feeding.
2. A phosphorous-free calcium with D3 used lightly twice a month
3. A multivitamin used lightly twice a month.
Too much D3, which is what your guy is getting, actually interferes with their ability to absorb calcium. So it's like you haven't been giving him any at all, essentially.
Watering - I mist about 1 to two times a day and a leave an ice cube dripping
Fecal Description - one is a yellowish color and the other is a goopy brown. ive never tested for parasites.
The yellow "urine" (urate) part you're seeing is a sign of dehydration. It's like us, if we don't drink enough our urine becomes dark, but if we're well hydrated then it's practically clear. With them a well hydrated chameleon has white urates. In the future I recommend that you mist more often, perhaps 2-3 minutes between 3-5 times a day.


Cage Info:
Cage Type - prety small tank with perferrated holes on two side and on top.
Lighting - exo terra heat lamp - nothing special kept outside the tank on cold nights.
In order for chameleons to produce D3 naturally they NEED a UVB light (like a Reptisun 5.0 bulb), which will mimic the UV produced by the sun, like they'd get in the wild. Additionally, a heat light which you have. The wattage of the bulb will depend on what you need to keep the temperatures where you need them to be for his age. But without the UVB bulb he's probably suffering from a really horrible imbalance of calcium and vit. D3.
Temperature - not exactly sure
Humidity - not exactly sure
There are CRUCIAL! I cannot state that enough. You have to monitor these levels with a digital thermometer/hydrometer or you have no idea if you're cooking your chameleon or not. A young veiled should be between 80-85* under the hot spot, while the rest of the cage is cooler, at about 75*F. The humidity should never really drop below 50, these are not dry desert animals.
Plants - live plants are used along with exo terra moss on the bottom
Placement - on my desk
Location - nyc


Ok so here is the problem, as I said last night he seems lethargic and trembled when walking, and I also noticed he had a weak grip. I gave him water from an eyedropper and it seemed to do the trick. I also gave him a few crickets which he ate while trying to hold on tight to a branch. this morning everything seemed ok, he drank his water and then pooped, and for some reason he climbed down to the bottom and lay there. I picked him up to see what was wrong and his color changed from a bright green to almost a leapord pattern. i took him to my closest pet store but they were stumped. now, hours later hes motionless, with his tongue sticking out but i can see his heart is still beating, and every now and then he opens his mouth, and his tongue moves a little. I have no idea what to do. if anyone has any advice id very much appreciate it!! I'll post pics and a vid (if i can)

I hope that helps, at least for future reference.
More than anything, I'm so sorry that the information you found out there misled you. It's so unfair to do research and have the sources be total crap. You can't trust pet stores and most of the stuff on the internet is wrong also. It's hard to know who to trust. Here you can read people's experiences, methods, and opinions and form a better idea of what is needed. Many on here have been keeping for decades, so there is a wealth of good info here.

I'm sorry he's gone

 

[kinyonga]

You should look at it as a learning experience for yourself too. We all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them...its just a shame that we can't skip the mistakes...which is why its good to post on forums like this one where there is a lot of information to help newbies skip a lot of mistakes. We still don't know it all though.

Their hearts can beat for a while after they are technically dead. He will likely go black at least in part when he's dead.

Sorry for your loss.

If you want to get another one, let us know and we will tell you what you need to do to keep it well.
Also...if you can keep frogs well...you can keep chameleons too.

 

[carol5208]

Sorry to hear about your little chameleon. If you decide to get another please come back to the forums here and we will guide you on what to do to raise a healthy one. I know you feel bad as you probably followed information that you thought was correct. Unfortunately we all have to learn from our mistakes. I am glad the little guy is not suffering any longer.

 

[crash02]

I feel terrible, I really caused him to die. I really can't believe it... I guess its because I've successfully raised tree frogs (red eyes and whites treefrogs) for a long time, that I wanted to give chams a try. but theyre not the same at all. Chams require so much more than I ever realized or was told. I at least hope that this can be a learning experience for anyone else who reads this, showing how fragile these little guys are.

I'll try to outline what exactly in your husbandry is wrong, just so you know what we're talking about.



I hope that helps, at least for future reference.
More than anything, I'm so sorry that the information you found out there misled you. It's so unfair to do research and have the sources be total crap. You can't trust pet stores and most of the stuff on the internet is wrong also. It's hard to know who to trust. Here you can read people's experiences, methods, and opinions and form a better idea of what is needed. Many on here have been keeping for decades, so there is a wealth of good info here.

I'm sorry he's gone

You should look at it as a learning experience for yourself too. We all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them...its just a shame that we can't skip the mistakes...which is why its good to post on forums like this one where there is a lot of information to help newbies skip a lot of mistakes. We still don't know it all though.

Their hearts can beat for a while after they are technically dead. He will likely go black at least in part when he's dead.

Sorry for your loss.

If you want to get another one, let us know and we will tell you what you need to do to keep it well.
Also...if you can keep frogs well...you can keep chameleons too.

Sorry to hear about your little chameleon. If you decide to get another please come back to the forums here and we will guide you on what to do to raise a healthy one. I know you feel bad as you probably followed information that you thought was correct. Unfortunately we all have to learn from our mistakes. I am glad the little guy is not suffering any longer.

WOW!!!! I am absolutely amazed at how much I didn't know... its incredible how much I did wrong, and with him being 5 months, that means that he was struggling to love this entire time. uhg, I really can't believe it. This is the first time that i've looked on a forum and already, this is wayyyyy more insightful than any misleading crap from youtube. I feel so stupid, but optimistic about the future. I want to be a good chameleon raiser, as in the little time that I've had Yoshi, I was shocked at how responsive a creature he was. They have emotions clear as day, are incredibly smart, and are beautiful to look at.

I already can tell that its only going to end in disaster if I don't follow your instructions carefully, so way before I get a new friend I want to make sure Ive got everything I need, and a system to follow. This makes me want to look at how im raising my frogs and make sure im not making the same mistakes I made with Yoshi. Again, i appreciate the help guys, and the support. I know that If I had found this site sooner, way sooner, he wouldnt be in the state he's in now. Thanks guys （．＿．）

 

[carol5208]

you are not the first person to stumble upon this forum and be greatful for it! I found out about it through a guy on craigslist I almost bought a chameleon from. I was sure glad I did too! Most everyone on here is friendly and helpful as we all share a love for chameleons. So try not to be too hard on yourself and as I said before we can guide you next time if you decide to get another one. We can help you get everything set up first and then you can get your chameleon.

 

[crash02]

you are not the first person to stumble upon this forum and be greatful for it! I found out about it through a guy on craigslist I almost bought a chameleon from. I was sure glad I did too! Most everyone on here is friendly and helpful as we all share a love for chameleons. So try not to be too hard on yourself and as I said before we can guide you next time if you decide to get another one. We can help you get everything set up first and then you can get your chameleon.

I really feel like its a shame that evern the petco store I bought him from gave me no indication how advanced a pet this was to take on. Not blaming them, but before you let a customer walk out of a store, you should brief them a little on the responsibility. I too should have searched harder, but im ULTRA happy that I found this forum. you guys have been super helpful and I am looking forward to trying again, following what I've learned. When Im ready to buy a new one, I'm coming here first

 

[carol5208]

You are not the first and unfortunately will not be the last to be given incorrect info from either petco and petsupermarket. I have seen it so much on here and it is very sad as you purchase a pet from them and you would think they should know about the care of it. Many of our members have gone into the stores and tried to tell them how to correct their care. Some listen, but most don't. We don't even recommend buying from them, as it just promotes them to get another one to sell after you walk out the door with yours. There are other places to purchase veilds besides the pet stores. When you are ready let us know. Panthers are also a very cool species and are a good beginner chameleon like the veilds.

 

[crash02]

REALLY!? I had no idea that you could get a chameleon outside of a chained pet store. It makes perfect sense that they wouldnt know a lot about these animals since theyre attention and care is split between so many different animal species. Id rather buy from a mom and pop store where they know as much as these forums do, or are actual cham owners themselves. I'm really exited

 

[ChameleonNerd]

most chameleons are actually bought from online stores. and knowing petco, and sorry if anybody on here works there, i wouldn't be surprised if your Yoshi was half dead when he was sold to you. they know almost nil

 

[jcarlo17]

sad to have a learning experience like this... i suggest next time set up your future chams home and post up some pictures so people can give you valuable feedback. also spend lots of times on these forums you can learn a lot here

 

[carol5208]

REALLY!? I had no idea that you could get a chameleon outside of a chained pet store. It makes perfect sense that they wouldnt know a lot about these animals since theyre attention and care is split between so many different animal species. Id rather buy from a mom and pop store where they know as much as these forums do, or are actual cham owners themselves. I'm really exited

yes, if you look in the upper right hand corner, it says "view our sponsors" click on that and you will see a list of breeders. I know FL chams sells Veilds. Most of the breeders sell panthers but some sell Veilds too. You can also check our classifieds as people are selling chameleons on there allthe time too.

 

[emilybier]

You really shouldn't beat yourself up so much. You were fed misleading information and it isn't your fault. It's not like you neglected him, you just didn't know. You obviously cared very much for him and you researched the way you knew how and you thought you were doing right for him. Now, you know what you need to do and we are all here to help you. It sucks that sometimes animals have to die for us to learn this. I came here after one of my chameleons died and learned so much for my three other girls and they are doing so well, it is so rewarding. I hope you feel better soon and I am so sorry for your loss.

 

[bechsgaard]

first of all welcome to the forum.
you have tons of things wrong with your setup.
First, Dusting crickets with d3 daily can cause d3 overdose. you should use calcium with out d3
second. Its important to spray multiple times per day to kepp humidity up. you should be recording your humidity and temperature and the basking spots
the cage should be AT LEAST 36"X36"X4' tall and it should be screen not tank.
Dont use substrate as it can cause many problems such as impaction
ice cubes as a primary water source is bad for the kidneys
your not feeding him veggies (only if hes a veiled cham)

Bring him to the vet IMMEDIATELY

 

[emilybier]

first of all welcome to the forum.
you have tons of things wrong with your setup.
First, Dusting crickets with d3 daily can cause d3 overdose. you should use calcium with out d3
second. Its important to spray multiple times per day to kepp humidity up. you should be recording your humidity and temperature and the basking spots
the cage should be AT LEAST 36"X36"X4' tall and it should be screen not tank.
Dont use substrate as it can cause many problems such as impaction
ice cubes as a primary water source is bad for the kidneys
your not feeding him veggies (only if hes a veiled cham)

Bring him to the vet IMMEDIATELY

Yoshi passed away.