Pregnant Veiled can't lay eggs.Help!

[nhandu]

Hi, I have a female Veiled Cham and she is pregnant for about 2 months !!!.She has layed only 1 egg before 5 days.She digs all the time but I think she can't lay her eggs.What can I do?Can she die?Help me please!

[BoidKeeper]

She can and probably will die. Find a good vet. Remember one thing, eggs that aren't laid do not hatch so even if she dies and you remove the eggs they will not hatch.
I'm not sure if a vet would give her a shot to induce her or not but it's worth a try.
Do you have any idea why she maybe egg bound? Is she too young or did the nest box not get put in in time? Or is it not to her liking?
Good luck,
Trevor

[Trace]

So Trevor... just how many Veiled Chameleons have you bred or hatched?

Trace

[tHeGiNo]

It may be farfetched. but what substrate are you using? Are the holes she's digging holding their own? How deep is the eggbin? It should be at least a foot big. What is your laybox like? I would recommend a large garbage bin filled with a substrate. Female veileds can be VERY picky about their laying spot, and everything has to just perfect. Get this fixed as soon as possible, as being eggbound can ultimately kill your chameleon.

Actually, just to be safe, ill tell you exactly what to do. First, as suggested earlier, get a large garbage bin. Fill it with a substrate - at least one foot deep (I would recommend two feet) - moisten the substrate, and pack it down. The substrate must facilitate tunneling. I would recommend a sand/peat moss mixture, however if you do not have access to this, regular soil may suffice. Keep the female in this large garbage bin, and LEAVE HER ALONE! Don't look at her, don't do anything. Just let her be. If you have no luck, you will need to seek veterinary assistance, or you will have a dead chameleon.

When did she lay this first egg.

[Collide]

There is not much u can do to help, if u have provided the correct laying enviroment and she is having issues then your only option is a vet. and your gonna need one ASAP. she should be keep in a bucket with moist soil that hold togeather when squeesed but not dripping wet, and at least 1 foot deep. How big is she. Yes she can and most likly will die if she cant get those eggs out. keep us posted on what happens.

[Chris_Anderson]

Actually, Trevor, the eggs can be saved and hatched if they aren't laid. The following link talks about it breifly as well as gives some info on a good laying medium:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2002/may2002/questions/just_ask_may_02.html

Here is a good nesting site article:
http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/jan2003/nesting/nesting.html

At this point, she probably needs to have a vet induce laying with oxytocin injections. Good luck,

Chris

[meow_mix450]

thats not good:S, she will die if nothing is done, you have to give us more information, what are you giving her to lay her eggs in, i think your doing it incorrectly thats why shes not laying, but if your doing what thegine and collide said and if nothing works go to the vet. I cant help you much cause it has never happened to me, srry

Meow

[nhandu]

I think the reasons for this catastrophy are the late nesting conditions and the stress from the transportation.When she begans to dig about a 1 month after copulation and 2-3 days after she stop eating (but her abdomen was not so big and raised ) I took her to a friend who has hatched some chams, has more practice than me and the most important an incubator.He put her in terarium with about 20-25 sm sand but she began to dig about 3-4 days after her arrival.In this period she eat a little.Then she layd 1 egg not so good looking and hasn't stop digging about 5 days after this egg.She digs herself in long tunnels and stays there almost all the day but when she came out there is no difference in her abdomen.

What shot does she need?In my city there aren't good reptile vets.What medicament do I need to do the shot and what is the dosage.
Thanx for the quick answers.The time is running......

[meow_mix450]

i dont think they are suppose to eat between the laying periods, correct me, did you give it vitiems

meow

[nhandu]

I forgot to mantion that this is her first time , she is about 1,5 years old with body lengh about 18sm without tail.I think she is big healthy cham and the laying conditions are perfect.But al this stress from the transportation.And she is a little wild and fearly becouse she has lived in a terarium in my room, where I am living alone and I 'm not at home all the day.But now in this friend she is in exposition and all they there are many people. I mantion that before taking her there but my friend told me that there weren't problems with his laying Veils.But he hasn't think that his Veils has lived with human existence all their lives and they don't strees so much , like my babe
...
Maybe It was better to do one incubator and take all in my hands.I was affraid becouse in this situation I risk the eggs becouse of no practice .But now the problem is BIGGER .I've to worry not about the eggs but about my babe and I think I will loose her.....

[nhandu]

i dont think they are suppose to eat between the laying periods, correct me, did you give it vitiems



Yes that was strange.I give her only minerals - from Tetra >Don't know the exact model .Reptikal maybe .

[Chris_Anderson]

How deep is the laying medium in the nesting site? What is the diameter of the nesting bin? My feeling is that you might want to try a larger and deeper nesting bin. If she's stressed, it probably wouldn't help her to find she can't go as deep or as far in any direction as she wants. Just a thought. Keep her well hydrated and see if you can find a vet. Oxytocin is the same enzyme mammalian vets use to induce birth so most vets should have it, just be careful about the doses. It may be your only option I'm afraid.

How much was she fed and supplemented while she was producing the eggs? Here is a good article on the nutrition of gravid females for future reference: http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/july2003/nutrition/nutrition_jul_03.html
and
http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2003/oct2003/nutrition/nutrition_oct_03.html

Chris

[tHeGiNo]

Dude, it helps if you have a proper nesting bin. Create one with the instructions mentioned above. Then do as Chris suggested, seek a vet and / or the medications. Travelling with her, totally changing her environments, was a really bad idea. At least you know for next time. It just causes way too much stress on them.

Again, get a proper nesting bin as soon as possible! 22 cm is far too small!

[Chris_Anderson]

I just reread some of your posts and you said the nesting site is 20-25cm deep, I'd definately put her in a deeper laying container.

Chris

[tHeGiNo]

Didn't see this:

I forgot to mantion that this is her first time , she is about 1,5 years old with body lengh about 18sm without tail.I think she is big healthy cham and the laying conditions are perfect.

Like I said, 22cm is much too small, it is 8.5 inches which is 1.5 inches less then the recommended bare minimum. You will need to answer questions if we are going to help you. Get a new nesting site, as I suggested use a garbage bin or another large container. Fill it with 1 - 2 feet of substrate, the more the better.

Like Chris said, she is already stressed. The fact that she does not have a proper nesting site is just increasing this stress, and thus the chances of her laying decrease further.

[Charm_Paradise]

nhandu-

If she is digging that is a good sign she is looking to lay, first timers are picky about the deposit spot. If she has dropped an egg then she is more then ready to lay. We don't do veileds here, rather we work with panthers. I would not recommend using Oxytocin, it will more then likely kill her either way. Rather try using liquid calcium (NeoCalglucon) from a vet 0.02cc per day every day till she lays (oral). The calcium will help with contractions and help her to lay the eggs. She may just drop them or she may dig a hole and lay. Also she may deposit eggs over a week period. I just have a thing with Oxytocin, and most that I have seen use that drug ends up killing the animal, the calcium treatment seems to have a better success rate. Be sure you do not disturb her when she is digging, and get a proper egg bin like the one on the E-Zine link. Hope this helps!

[BoidKeeper]

Well I'll be Chris. I've been under the impression that all herp eggs that are not laid by the female would not hatch.
Thanks for the link.
Trace? You're still here, I thought you'd left. Oh well.
Trevor

[nhandu]

I'm very happy.My chams has layed after 5 day digging after the first egg.She layed 26 eggs and my friend putted them in his incubator but told me that they dosn't look very good.But they are fine now and has a better chanche to hatch , aren't still for garbage. She is very fine now with very good apetite. I decide to make a incubator in a refrigerator and to hatch the next eggs myself.Thank for all the useful links that you all give me.I'v searched but doesn't find any good sites.
Now I will be ready with good nutritious feeding and good incubator for the next hatch.I think to make a pause for about 2 months for the female ? Is OK?
Thanks to all fore the help .

[tHeGiNo]

Hey, I am glad to hear this. Did you end up changing the nesting site? I am equally pleased that you realize that an alive chameleon overrides the fact that the eggs may be infertile :). A method suggested to me a while ago by Trace, I would give her a good shower, in your shower. The whole process is very overbearing on them, and this will help get her back up to par. I would definitely wait longer then two months.

I forgot to mention, the eggs can be incubated at room temperature, so an incubator isn't absolutely necessary.