Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted a message 2 weeks ago regarding an ailing veiled that was salivating (possibly URI). I beleive she is on the mend as it's been 2 weeks. I am keeping her much warmer, she has stopped salivating and she is continuing to eat and drink. However, she still occasionally lays on her side (and is light green in color). I won't return her to her larger enclosure in fear that she will fall from the pearch (2 feet from the floor). Any ideas about why she is loses her balance? I'm sure it's not MBD as she (and him) have had ample calcium in their diets since they were babies.

Do you dust with anything else besides calcium? they need more than just calcium dust, if indoors they need d3, if outdoors no d3. Dusting calcium without d3 or sun is just as bad as not dusting. You could also be over suplimenting...what is your dusting schedual, give as much detail as possible about feeding and housing, I dont mind reading it all, hopefully we can bring your little cham around.

It could be stress also, have you checked to see if she is stressed in any way? (cage placed in high traffic area?, male & female together?, not enough hiding spaces?, handling to much? housing in glass?) stress can cause a chameleon to become ill and even die.
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From Sunny Florida
Jovana's kids listed below
1.0 Veileds
1.1 Ambanja Panther
1.1 Tamatave Panther

I have had the pair since June (they were 1 1/2 inches at the most). My intent was to breed them. As babies, I gave them calcium 3 times a week. After their rapid growth in lenth and them gaining some girth I went to twice a week, supplemented their diets with mealworms on occasion. The calcium does list vitamin d3 as an ingredient. Their cages (separated by lu-on) is in my office with the door always closed (to keep the cats out), so this room is not a high traffic area. Their cages are made of 1/4 inch mesh. I have rarely handled them as I know that it strsses them out. I tried to breed them 3 times this winter, as she was showing her receptive blue spots and every time, he had no interest. 2 weeks ago, after noticing that something was wrong, I called and spoke with the reptile specialist and got the same response from posting a message here, that is was more than likely URI, due to the salivating. The specialist said that once a veiled gets this, chances of recovery are slim, but don't give up hope and I havent, as it's been over 2 weeks and she seems to be progressing. She's eating and drinking and has her bright green coloration most of the time. She has been basking under her light (uv), but will occasionally lose balance and fall on her side and often lay for hours like that. At first I would pick her up and place her right side up. She has become quite feisty now when I put mu hand in her cage to dump in her jar of crickets and will gape at me, which I think is a good sign. For the last 2 weeks, she has been in a semi-transluscent plastic shoebox with a screened lid and have kept her much warmer and think this has helped to "dry" her out, if she did/does have URI. I just can't figure out why she sometimes fall on her side. She has been eating and drinking. Thank you for asking more details and your willing to try and help! (Her name is Poe) one more thing, as I am in Ohio and the house humidity in their room with the heat has been around 35%, I bought a humidifier thinking that would help them. I ran it for over a month and think that had something to do with her getting the URI. It raised the humidity to 45-50 %. After noticing her ailment, I stopped running it, thinking that may have been the cause. Let me know if any of this information may pinpoint her current status.

Has she ever laid eggs? If not, you almost certainly have a case of dystocia on your hands. Also, if she's getting adequate UVB, yyou really don't need D3. It can be quite toxic. Do you use any other supplement? D3 is only one opf several vitamins that they need. If your prey are well gut loaded you don't really need much supplementation. So how do you gut load your prey?
Ed

They do need other vitamins and goodies than just the calcium and d3. do you gutload the crickets well? I'm thinking if she's nice colors and eating and drinking fine that its not stress. I dont understand why she would get uri in a screen cage and no stress. loosing her grip could easily be due to not gutloading if you dont do that... also does she have any live plants? they love to eat ficus and pothos and hybiscus, that gives them nutrients that crickets dont...

Have you checked the temp at her basking spot? mine will climb on the screen and bask for hours with mouth wide open till I move the heat lamp, never drooling though...

I dont think the humidifier would cause uri unless it had some sort of bacteria growing in it... normaly 35% is real low for chams, you should try to get it around 50% at least, normaly when a cham is sick you should try raising the humidity and temp a few degrees. As long as she's eating and drinking good...I really dont think its uri...they usually stop eating and drinking with uri and that becomes the critical point where they dont turn back. I dont think I would worry about that as much as loosing the grip and falling.

I know she would probably be more comfortable in her cage, maybe you can place a thick towel folded many times on the bottom of the cage for padding...I did that with a cham that had no toenails and kept falling. do you clean the cage good? no mold or anything in it? just trying to think of possibilities...

what color/texture is the poo? is the urates (white part) acctually white?

I think that if eveything looks good no mold, proper gutloading or vitamin dust, poo looks good, cage not moldy or anything, and she does not get better that you should look for a good herp vet...maybe they can take a fecal and/or blood to see if everything is working good inside.
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From Sunny Florida
Jovana's kids listed below
1.0 Veileds
1.1 Ambanja Panther
1.1 Tamatave Panther

Thanks Jovcham, sorry so long to answere back....will be more prompt! "Poe" is hanging in there. The cages are mold free, and since she has been sick, she hasn't poo'd much at all to see if the white part is actually white. She is still in the "hospital" set up. She has been pretty lifeless the last couple of days. She is still a good bright green color and has been laying on her side again. She is still drinking. Her forelimbs have taken on the appearance of a sort of splotchy "mold" color. Not a clue of what this may be. It's a sort of grayish color and not solid, just in patches. Any ideas? I'm affraid I am going to lose her, but I am not giving up hope.