veiled chameleon in trouble... need help

Sarahml · 07-13-04, 01:25 PM

My veiled chameleon is a female and she is 7 months old. She has a big black kind of scab on her side which has been there for about 1.5 months, and it now seems to be opening up. It is about one inch big. She is now refusing to eat, she won't touch her crickets, or her super worms, i went to the pet store today to get her wax worms to get her appetite going again, but they had none. I can not take her to the vet because no one here cares for chameleons, it is hard enough to get them to look at a rodent like a guinea pig. She has also been hanging out at the bottom of her cage quite a bit.... how can i tell if she is going to lay eggs. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

kidchameleon · 07-13-04, 02:50 PM

put a bucket full of vermiculture in there for her and check it everyday for eggs

CanadianJackson · 07-13-04, 02:59 PM

I use fairly damp sand for my chams to lay in make sure its packed down fairly hard so it will hold a tunnel, I'd be worried about anything she digs in getting into the wound? or whatever it may be on her side.

Collide · 07-13-04, 03:42 PM

Ahhh guys!

use damp soil u can mix in some sand if u want but no more then half i use about 3/4 soil and 1/4 sand (just my prefrence) but plain old soil is great. vermiculite is not good at all for laying. I wouldent use pure sand for various reasions.

take a pic of that spot dotn sound good.

As for her being prego. does she look fat can u feel/see eggs in her. is she trying to dig.

I dont know what is wrong with her more info would help cage specks, temps, daily ruteen ect...

hope that helps!

Sarahml · 07-13-04, 04:09 PM

she has been on the ground lately, hasn't been eating, but today i put in some earth worms and she ate them right up, not in front of me though. I just placed her in some damp sand in a plastic container, and am leaving her be for a bit before I go to check on her. She does look round around her belly, but there is no way for me to feel her, as she won't let me near her. She hisses, and tries to bite me. I had to place her into the container by coaxing her onto a stick, but even then she freaked on me.

Sarahml · 07-13-04, 04:54 PM

She has now been in the container for an hour, and is just staying in the corner of the container, i have the sand stacked in such a way that it goes from shallow to very deep. She is staying in the shallow portion pawing at the sand and the container in the corner.

CanadianJackson · 07-13-04, 05:01 PM

sometimes it takes my veileds a few hours to actually start digging, just leave her alone for awhile and see what happens

Collide · 07-13-04, 05:02 PM

ok she needs to lay leave her be id use soil but i quess sand is better then nothing dont desterb her much or u will intrupt her. dont mover her till she is no longer coving up the hole at all. make sure she gets lots of water after with extra misting and dust her food after try not to let her gorge on food either. keep us posted

Brandy

Sarahml · 07-13-04, 05:12 PM

I have been reading that I should be orally giving her liquid calcium, but how can i do that if she is supposed to be left alone? Also the container was too big to fit in her cage, but it is in the same room, and i have a heat lamp focusing on the container, but it is easy for her to get away from the heat if she wants. She did not look too stressed out when i checked on her.

I really appreciate all of your ongoing help.

Collide · 07-13-04, 05:46 PM

Most peope will put them in a big bucket of some kind (garbage can type thing) most likly if she is digging her only care is to get the eggs out she wont wander but keep an eye on her.

about the calcium

chams need extra vitimins including calcium and D3 this allows there bones to grow uvb lamps are important for this supliment are jsut a security they are getting enough check out the links under my name and read like mad. U can never read or get informed enough about stuff.

meow_mix450 · 07-13-04, 06:09 PM

Collide has good points. I also suggest using soil over sand, vermiculite is for incubating, not for laying. Just leave her and dont disturb her. What helps people is you have a lamp on top of the garbage can, and sometimes people will plant a ficus tree in the garbage can to encourge her to lay eggs.

Good luck

Meow

Sarahml · 07-13-04, 08:24 PM

She has yet to lay her eggs, should i leave her in her container for the night, or return her to her cage?

Collide · 07-13-04, 08:33 PM

leave her in there id leave the lights on but thats just me let her finnish

Sarahml · 07-14-04, 12:33 PM

She has now had 2 eggs which I can see on top of the sand, she was digging herself a small hole, but i do not think she layed any eggs in it. How do I know when she is done laying eggs? She is still clawing at the corner of the container, and is a very vibrant green.

panther_dude · 07-14-04, 12:52 PM

she probably laid the eggs on top because the pure sand is not strong enough to hold a good tunnel. Also if you are going to be leaving her in there overnight put some branches for her to climb up on. If chams are on a flat surface for too long it puts alot of stain on there feet.