Reptile & Amphibian Forums

what you are supposed to put on a cham that is having trouble shedding in some places? I did a search for "shedding" and I found totally irrelevant posts. Give me an "F" for paying attention. Our Jax seems to always take a long time shedding and in some places the skin just won't come off all the way.

This guy lives at my father's house, and keep telling him to mist, mist, mist. Hopefully, we'll get some automated misting system set up soon so it won't happen anymore.

Thanks...and sorry for the repeat question.

Kristen
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0.1 pygmy leaf
1.0 carpet
1.0 jackson

what is a warm steamy shower.

dennis
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working for the man again

Kristen-

Mineral oil and a Q-tip works good for problem spots with shedding. Hope this helps!
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John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

Thanks! That's what I couldn't remember...mineral oil...can I use it on his head? There is a spot between his eyes that won't let go too.

Kristen
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0.1 pygmy leaf
1.0 carpet
1.0 jackson

np
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John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

I use Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. Makes their skin shiny for a week, but it helps get skin off. Also, raise humidity.
-Tyler Stewart

JK
It would depend on how much trouble your little friend is having with the shedding. A warm shower will really help, especially if it's stuck all over. A variation on this is to set him in the sink with a plug on a plant, fill your misterbottle with hot water, and shower him this way. Takes a while and some muscle, but I am scared to put Orion right in the shower, she's not so big.
If it's just a little spot with a problem, (or after he/she is fresh from their "shower" use a Q-tip. If you have nothing to use try hot water (touch your wrist to make sure, but it won't stay scalding for long so you should be ok) and rub the spot one way, or roll the tip back and forth. Mineral oil works really well too if you have it. I had some stuff I would use that was from the vet, that was basically a little water-based lubricant and a little antibiotic, because Orion had a really stubborn spot on her tail, and we were worried about infection. I used it for a while after on some of her other problem spots, but it was a tiny tube (the size of a pen lid) and I finally lost it.
well, there you go.
I vote for a little from a, and a little from b.
Oh, and you can keep the humdity up with a fogger if you find it hard to mist a lot. I only mist once a day (in the morning for a looong time right in her face, for as long as she'll drink) and sometimes a little in the evening, but she never drinks then. I have a little fogger set up that goes on for an hour, off for an hour and a half. Her humidity stays between 60% and 90% (usually around 80% in between cycles). I also run a dripper for her all morning. Seems to work out ok.
if you have any ?s about foggers, ask me! I have figured them out! lol. They are about $40 CDN and are great! Definately will improve future sheds, and will lower the amount you need to mist. I only mist for her to drink, not for humidity's sake.
~Lindsay

Thanks for the wonderful thorough reply! Guess you changed your mind about flogging me...I'm very greatful! LOL!

I'd love to know more about your fogger...where can they be found? Can I use one for two cages? I'm sure the carpet would love it too.

Thanks!!!
Kristen
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0.1 pygmy leaf
1.0 carpet
1.0 jackson

OK here are two options. I'm in Canada, so any $ mentioned is CDN money. Just so ya know... here we go.
1) the fogger way:
I got two juice containers (like used for the welches juices) that are about 2L. Cut the top half off of one, and the bottom half off of the other. The one that is beheaded is used for the main part. The bottom of the other one is used for the lid. Usually the bases are wider than the middles, so if done right it should fit right over top (oooohhhh aaaaahhhh lol). Cut a small hole in the lid for the chord to come out. Cut little slits across one side of the main part. This is where the fog will come out. You don't want crix or chams to get in there, AND the fogger spits up a little water. It will hit the lid this way rather than go all over your cage (aha!). I have about 3 slits in mine. It doesn't take much. Figure out how deep you can fill the water for your fogger to work. Put it in your snazzy new dish thingy, fill with some water, plug it in and keep on filling till you either come close to a slit, or it stops working (they only work well up to a certain depth). I have little glass marbles in the bottom of mine for weight/stability, and they are pretty *such a girl* lol. With the lid on and the water in (oh it will automatically stop when the water is too low btw) it should be stable enough that your cham can walk on it w/o tipping it over. I find that using the juice jugs is perfect because they are wide enough that with the right depth of water it still works AND there is enough water to last a 24 hour cycle (genius!). There you go. you can play with the timer to see how often you need it on forhow humid you want it. You will want one for each cage. They produce enough fog for one cage, but I don't see it being enough for two. They are about $40 each, and the juice jugs are not much, so it isn't a lot. Also, I have mine on a shelf near the top of her cage. The fog will just flow down, so you want the fogger up high. I'm not sure how your cage is set up... you may have to just put in on top if there is room, and the fog will flow down though the screen. ALSO I have a beach sarong that is ankle lenght that i use on that side where the fogger is. It keeps the fog flowing downward IN the cage, rather than all over my room (more genius!). I use another one to cover her door, so she can't see my cats.
Ps if the fogger stops working just use a q-tip and rub the top that looks like a coin. If that doesn't help you can take it apart and clean with vinegar. It'll work like new. They want you to buy a new filter (the coin thingy) but cleaning works just as well, and no stores actually sell the filters so you ahve to send away (ha!) Can you tell im in a chatty mood?lmao

Option two: Use a warm mist humdifier. Mine was about $60-70 I just use it in winter cuz it gets terribly dry in my house (about 20-30% eek). I have metal air ducting thingys (a base and an elbow) to aim the mist in the cage. Works well. I have it on a timer also. You could get different ducting, and work something out so that there are two places the air is directed in. I haven't tried it, but I think it would work. You have to clean this a lot. It's gross (that's why I ONLY use it when I have to -the winter, lol). YOu have to empty the base and wipe every day, and once a week clean with bleach and water. And you ahve to fill it every day, if used a lot. And it will make the whole room humid. They can be great, but only in very dry situations. I find I keep the humidity in my room about 50% (which I like) and then let the fogger do the rest.
Well, there's my two cents (or about ten lol)
~Lindsay
I think two foggers is your best bet

awww, why didn't you tell me this earlier??? lol i sent away for another disk thingy, it cost about 15 bucks with shipping and everything (thats more than i paid for the whole fogger. going out od business sale. gettign very desprate they were, they dropped them down to ten bucks, so i bought a couple...) so you just take the disk out and q-tip-it (i don't think thats a word) with the vinegar? my one chip has like rust or something on it, like the paint on the metal is lifting off or something, it is totally messed up or does it just need cleaning???

Thankd a bunch
Kaitlyn

For the rust you could try an SOS pad. Or some CLR. I used that once when it was really bad and vinegar wouldn't work. Just make sure to let it run with new water for a few hours or something before using it for your cham again.
Usually wiping it with a qtip on the top once a week will help a lot. Then, if it stops working take it apart and use vinegar/clr for a soak for about five min, then clean with qtip and try again. It worked for me. BUT I've only used it for a few months.. .I'm sure eventually it will stop working, but it seems ok for now It's just metal that conducts electricity into the water. I zapped myself once lol. I wondered why they said not to touch the water stream, so I tried it lol. I was amazed by the fogger at first... When the metal becomes covered in calcium and scale buildup from hard water it can't conduct electricity anymore, and that's why it stops working