Health Section A -Dehydration

DEHYDRATION

WARNING: This health chapter is written in hope to educate new chameleon owners to recognize early symptoms of sickness. Many of the pictures shown in health chapter are an advanced case of the disease. If your chameleon exhibit symptoms like these, it is HIGHLY advised for you to bring your chameleon to an exotic veterinarian as soon as possible. This article should NOT be used as a substitute for a vet visit. Please be a responsible pet owner. The author cannot be held responsible for any abuse or form of misused of the post. The identity of the sick chameleon's owner(s) is kept hidden to respect their privacy.

Case Study of the chameleon pictured above:

I used the color "red" to highlight the underlying problem
Cage Type: 24X18X18 (in.) ExoTerra Screen Terrarium
Lighting: ESU Slimline Reptile Fixture with Super UV Lamp (UVA and UVB bulb)
Temperature: 70 degrees at night and between 75-85 in the day. 85-90 degree basking area.
Humidity: No humidity gauge used.
Misting session: 2-3 times a day in addition to dripper bottle.
Length of misting session: Unable to get data.
Plants : Fake plants and fake vines.

Picture of the dehydrated chameleon's husbandry:

After series of forum conversations, It is quite obvious that this case was an example of improper husbandry due to a lack of research and misleading advices given by the pet store where the chameleon was purchased. Since hygrometer was not present, the owner was unable to know the accurate enclosure's humidity. Also, regardless of the proper misting and the little dripper used, the chameleon never got the chance to drink since the fake plant foliages didn't hold any water.

The owner, realizing the grave situation, gave the chameleon a prolonged misting session while searching for an available exotic vet in the area. The chameleon started drinking in an instant.
Unfortunately, regardless of the genuine effort that the owner gave, the chameleon passed away. With the owner's permission, the case is presented in this blog to educate people of the importance of proper husbandry method and extensive researches about chameleons care before trusting the advice of Pet store reptile "specialist".

FACTS:
Dehydration is the most common death of chameleons in captivity. It is extremely fatal if not treated as soon as possible. Dehydration is pretty much a self-explanatory condition mostly caused by inability in giving your chameleon enough water, delivering a proper drinking method, and maintaining humidity. However, if your husbandry, misting, and watering method are proper and your chameleon is STILL dehydrated, there might be an even more serious underlying problem. If that is the case, you will need to consult your veterinarian to find out exactly what is wrong. An untreated dehydration can permanently damage your chameleon's kidney and liver which lead to fatality. A chameleon owner has to be alert if his/her chameleon start to show the symptoms of dehydration. A Chameleon in this condition can go spiraling down hill in no time. Please refer to the chameleon care chapter for proper enclosure, misting, and drinking method.

Symptoms to watch out for:

1. Sunken eyes (Be aware, the chameleon in the case study is already in advanced stage of dehydration. When your chameleon exhibits the same symptom in the picture, you need a vet to treat and hydrate your chameleon).
2. A yellow or orange urate
3. Loss of appetite and chameleon appeared lethargic
4. When pulled GENTLY with 2 fingers, the skin is too slow to return back to its position (or, even worse, does not go back at all).

Comparison Pictures:

-"Healthy Eyes" photo courtesy of Karen Bainbridge-


UNHEALTHY URATE (ORANGE COLOR) AND POOP (TOO DRY OR TOO RUNNY)
-notes: a yellow urate is also unhealthy. Your chameleon can produce runny feces after being fed silkworms or hornworms. In that case, it is completely normal.
-photo courtesy of Dave Weldon-


HEATHY URATE (WHITE) AND POOP (MOIST AND DARK BROWN)
-photo courtesy of Dave Weldon-

TREATMENT:
If dehydration detected early, the treatment is quite simple. Misting more often and prolonging the time per session is recommended.
If your chameleon is old enough (5 months or older), a "shower" method can be used to effectively hydrate your chameleon. DO NOT SHOWER BABY CHAMELEONS. The water droplets can clog its nostril and cause it to drown.

How to shower your chameleon:

1. Put a fake plant (recommended) or a live one with lots of foliage into the tub
2. Adjust your showerhead so the water hits the wall and the REFLECTED DROPS hit the plant. You do not want the water to directly shoot your chameleon. If you can set the showerhead to different modes, set it so that the water droplets that comes out from the nozzle is small and fine instead of big and coarse.
3. Put your chameleon on the plant. A first timer chameleon usually freaks. But, overtime, he will learn to tolerate this session.
4. Let your chameleon shower for a good 30 to 45 minutes (especially for those that are dehydrated). DO NOT leave your chameleon unattended during this session.
5. Continue doing these therapy sessions daily or once every 2 days (depending on your chameleon condition) until he regain his hydration status.
6. Do realize that shower method can inflict some degree of stress to your chameleon. I do not shower my chameleon just for the sake of hydration. I only do this method when it is absolutely necessary and when the benefit outweigh the risk of inflicting discomfort to your chameleon.
   

New Arrival: Bringing home a new Chameleon

Author: Ryan Jarosek, jparkreptiles.com
Article was posted on June 16, 2009 12:25 PM

Chameleons are susceptible to illnesses brought on by a host of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. Diseases spread most rapidly in unsanitary and crowded conditions and most easily affect weakened or stressed animals. Such conditions are almost inevitable in recently imported chameleons and all too common in many breeding operations. It is, therefore, important to protect animals already in your care from infection by any new arrivals as well to protect the new arrival itself. This article provides some “best practices” when bringing home a new chameleon. Newly acquired chameleons should be treated as if all are infected until proven otherwise. Even captive bred animals from the most respected sources can carry infections that were unknown to the breeder. A stressed animal is, almost by definition, immunologically compromised and organisms that had been benign can become problematic after the stress of shipping and adaptation to a new environment.

Planning for the new arrival:

Planning for the new arrival is a crucial step. Conduct research into the needs of the species you will be acquiring and have the setup ready and tested before the animal arrives.

• Choose a location for the new arrival: A good location is key to a successful transition. The new arrival should be physically isolated from any other animals, preferably in a separate room. This will help to protect both new and old animals from cross contamination. Just as in any setup, the cage should be at a comfortable height and be placed in a low traffic location. Giving the chameleon a view from above and minimizing disturbance from both animals (including cats, dogs, etc.) and humans will help to reduce its stress.
• Husbandry: Lighting, temperature and watering should be in place and appropriate to the species. Plants should be clean and repotted. You should feel comfortable that the environment is functional and sanitary. Err on the side of providing excessive hydration. New animals are often somewhat dehydrated.

Arrival

• Handling the new Arrival: When handling the newly acquired chameleon it is important to wash your hands before and after handling any other animals. Ideally, one should wear latex or non latex examination gloves and change them between animals. Treat everything as if it is contaminated.
• Basic Physical Examination: A visual examination of the animal should have been made before it was acquired but it is important to re-examine the animal to make sure nothing has happened in transit or that something was not missed by you or the supplier. An examination of the eyes, feet, skin, and the inside and corners of the mouth should be done. Doing this before the chameleon is placed in the enclosure prevents you from having to remove it again while it is becoming accustomed to its new home. Again, the goal here is to limit stress. Weigh the Chameleon. An accurate weight will be a good starting point to judge the progress and the health of the chameleon.
• Introduction to the new home: After the examination it is now time to introduce the chameleon to its new home. Once the chameleon is in the enclosure it is best to “leave it alone.” Avoid holding or excessive viewing of the chameleon. It is best to limit activities to cleaning and watering. Observation and examination can be done at those times. I do not regularly handle new arrivals until they have had about 3 weeks to acclimate. Even then, handling should be infrequent, done only when necessary.

Diagnoses and Treatment

• Vet visit: Make an appointment with a reptile vet as soon as possible after acquiring your chameleon. It is important to have the new chameleon examined by a professional and have tests done to determine if there is anything that needs to be treated. A fecal examination should be done. In the event something is found, a course of treatment will be prescribed by the vet and should be followed exactly as outlined. After treatment, a follow up appointment will be needed and another fecal examination performed to determine if further treatment is needed. It is not uncommon for an initial fecal exam to be negative and then be positive a week or two later. So plan on doing at least two such exams regardless of the outcome of the initial exam. A list of qualified reptile veterinarians in your area can be found at the web site of the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians at www.arav.org
• Screening for common parasites:

1. Fecal Examination – Fecal examinations are primarily performed to detect microscopic gastrointestinal parasites. Common parasites found in chameleons and most commonly in wild caught specimens include, Intestinal protozoans (e.g., Coccidia), nematodes (pinworms, roundworms, lungworms), and cestodes (tape worms). In order to perform a fecal examination, a fresh fecal sample needs to be collected. Pick up a sample after the chameleon has recently eliminated and store it in a sealed plastic baggie. Fresh samples will give the most information and help in an accurate diagnoses. A wise practice is to have fecal examinations performed on all animals, even assumedly healthy animals, every 6 months to 12 months.
2. Blood tests – Various hemoparasites reside in the blood stream may only be detectable by a blood test. Drawing blood in a chameleon is always highly stressful and this is especially true in the smaller species. Allow your veterinarian to decide on the appropriateness of doing blood work.
3. Visual inspection for subcutaneous (filarial) worms – These parasites are often visible under the skin. Your veterinarian can sometimes surgically remove them.

Preventing Re-infection and Cross Contamination:

• Hand hygiene: Hand sanitation has been cited as the most important tool in reducing the transmission of infectious agents. Using anti-microbial soap with hot water or one of the alcohol based products is recommended. For more information and detailed guidelines visit http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5116a1.htm
• Cleaning: Know the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. In most cases, cleaning with soap and water is adequate for routine maintenance and day to day sanitation. Regular maintenance should include the removal of waste, wiping the bottom of the cage, and keeping the basking site clean.
• Disinfecting: Disinfecting is needed when there is a significant likelihood of high concentrations of dangerous microorganisms and/or that an infection will be spread to others. Below are some of the common methods of disinfecting:

1. Submerging tools, vines, branches and other items in boiling water for 30 minutes to an hour will kill most organisms.
2. Rubbing alcohol will disinfect and sterilize equipment but some microbes may be unaffected. Rubbing alcohol is most often used to disinfect equipment like tweezers, forceps, and needles.
3. Bleach is stronger than alcohol. It is typically used by diluting ½-1 cup of household bleach in one gallon of water. It can be used to disinfect equipment such as tweezers, forceps, cages and needles by wiping down the object or by submerging in the solution of diluted bleach.
4. Miscellaneous chemicals have been developed for disinfecting and/or cleaning of reptile and bird cages. Many are effective but they should be used with caution. They are often corrosive and can cause damage to organic or inorganic materials.
5. Steam cleaning is a safe alternative to chemical disinfectants. Steam is produced under high pressure through a nozzle and effectively kills many organisms.

Your Supply Closet: Items to have on hand

• Latex or non-latex examination gloves) – Gloves provide protection for you and you chameleon when cleaning or performing examinations. This is key in preventing cross-contamination
• Hydrogen peroxide (7%-12%) is a disinfectant used to clean and disinfect equipment, cages, and other surfaces. Anything under 7% is not effective in killing Coccidia
• Bleach is an excellent disinfectant for equipment, cages, and other surfaces.
• Steam cleaner. This is a high pressure steamer that is a good alternative to chemicals that can damage organic material.
• Disposable towels are invaluable for wiping up messes for use as a disposal liner for cage bottoms.

Your Medicine Cabinet: items to have on hand

• Supplements. Phosphorus free Calcium Powder without Vitamin D3, Calcium Powder with vitamin D3, reptile multi vitamin.
• Syringes of different sizes. These are useful for the administration of medications, supplements, like calcium, for hand feeding, and for cleaning and sterilization, especially of tubing. (Syringes should not be used to administer oral supplements, medications or foods except to sick animals under the direction of a veterinarian.)
• Cotton Balls and Q-tips are useful for cleaning and for the application of creams and topical medications.
• Properly diluted Chlorhexidine Gluconate product. This is an ideal substance for the topical treatment for many common problems such as foot and temporal gland infections.
• Iodine can be an effective topical antiseptic agent although most veterinarians will recommend Chlorhexidine Gluconate.
• Liquid calcium is a supplement that can assist in recovery from and prevention of metabolic bone disease (MBD). It should be administered only under the direction of a veterinarian.
• K-Y jelly is a lubricant that is commonly used in the treatment of rectal and hemipenal prolapses to prevent drying out of the affected organ.
• Tweezers are ideal for handling and extracting small objects.

References:
Klingenberg, R. J. (1993) Understanding Reptile Parasites. 2nd Ed. , Advanced Vivarium Systems, Lakeside , CA .
Mader, D. R. (1996) Reptile Medicine and Surgery 2nd Ed. W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia , PA.
Davidson, L. (1997). Chameleons Their Care and Breeding. Hancock House, Blaine , WA .
Center for Disease Control. Infection Control in Dental Settings http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/infectioncontrol/glossary.htm
Center for Disease Control. Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5116a1.htm

Handling Your Chameleon?

Handling


This is by far the most often subject that people ask. "Is it okay to handle my chameleon?"
I am somewhat hesitant to give the green light. Yet, at the same time, I do not share the extreme idea that handling chameleon is absolutely forbidden. I will leave that decision entirely up to you. However, I will share you some of the facts that I deem to be true.

First of all, I firmly believe that we should NOT try to characterize animals with human feelings, let alone a chameleon. I often hear people say “My chameleon is very tame. He/she crawls up my hand whenever I open the cage.” Another one is “My chameleon lets me rub his/her chin”, or “my chameleon often rubs his/her nose and love bite my hand.” The danger with that statement comes from attributing human affections into our pet. By humanizing our chameleon, we can falsely convince ourselves into thinking that chameleons enjoy such activities. Although I cannot be sure what is going on inside of their tiny head, since I am not a chameleon, I will have to force myself not to overly view things from my perspective.

Take a dog, as an example. When they see their owner, dogs usually lie down and display their tummy. We often associate that as an affection gesture and, immediately, think that our dog is asking for a tummy rub. In the wild, wolf packs have been known to also display this behavior toward their Alpha male. The idea of the packs asking for a tummy rub from the alpha male seems to sound ridiculous now, isn’t it? We have learned that such behavior is a sign of respect. By exposing their soft belly, the pack signals a white flag to the alpha male. Thus, it is safe to say that your domestic dog is displaying respect and acknowledging you as his/her Alpha leader.

Just like it is a ridiculous idea of assuming a pack of wolves wanting their tummies to be rub, it is also not wise to think that your chameleon is displaying affections toward you during those above cases. Therefore, we have to keep an open mind and allowing another possible and plausible ideas. Perhaps, your chameleon hates to be in the cage and saw an opportunity to escape when he quickly climb toward your hand.

With that in mind, I would urge you to question the statement “My chameleon enjoys my presence” and perhaps start substituting the word “enjoys” with “tolerates.”

I firmly believe that chameleons never enjoy being held. It is believed that excessive handling can shorten your chameleon's lifespan. They view everything that moves and bigger than them as predators. Therefore, knows the fear that you inflict when you handle your chameleon. They view you as a giant that is about to eat them. Their response is usually to run, and when they are cornered, there is no other way but fight. Understanding this rule has won you half of the battle to avoid getting bitten by your chameleon.

Training chameleon not to bite is the number one reason why people think it is necessary to handle their chameleon. Unfortunately, chameleons are not dogs. They are wild animals. Thus, handling them, in my opinion, is a bit futile. Constant exposure from feeding, outside basking, misting, and cage cleaning should be enough to make your chameleon tolerates you and associate you as positive events.
Although I do not recommend you handle your chameleon, if you keep insisting on it, I do have a suggestion on how to do it to reduce your chameleon stress during this regimen.

1. Once your chameleon arrives, give him a chance to get used to his cage about a week or two. Usually, a baby chameleon will pace inside his cage. They become restless and often hang upside down trying to escape. This is a normal behavior. They are stressed out and a bit afraid of the new environment. They will pace and surveyed around while displaying stress mark to see if there is another chameleon or predators around.
2. After they get used to the surroundings, you can begin the handling regimen. Please keep this as minimal as possible. I would limit the handling to 5 minutes once a week. Gently take them out and sit calmly to let them venture around your body and climb your head.
3. If you are a bit afraid of the possibility of getting bitten, you can wear thick gloves (or oven mitten) for protection. Since many have reported that their chameleons reacted strongly to bright colors, I would advise you to get dark brown or black gloves. Avoid bright yellows and reds.
   
4. Know that sometimes they will see you as threat and might start to fight back and try to bite you. Whatever you do, avoid sudden movement or jerking your hand and smacking your chameleon off the ground. They can get seriously injured. Also be aware that nervous chameleons do jump. Be prepared to quickly catch them with your open palm to avoid them smacked on to the floor.

With that note and the disadvantages of handling regimen, I will leave the decision entirely up to you.

Veiled and Panther Chameleon Care 101 Check List

Judging how people usually wants easy and quick readings, I bet some of you just click this page right away ignoring the 101 series that precede this, aren't you?

Do not cheat. I promised you. By diligently reading them all, you will save a lot of heartache from making common mistakes in chameleon's care :)
There are TONS (and I do mean tons) of things that are essential for your chameleon well being that I do not cover in this check list..

So, come now.. click the 101 A. and come back to this page later AFTER you read all of the 101 series.

For those of you who have done the home works, congrats! and read onward!
So, here is the Chamworld Blogspot Shopping Check List for the bare necessity:

Enclosures and Furnitures:

• 2 Aluminum Screen cages (18X18X36) and (24X24X48). Females can stay in 18X18X36 permanently.
• 2 live plants with appropriate size to fit in the screen cage (Hibiscus Rosa Sinensis is recommended)
• 2 or more fake jungle vines (i/e: exoterra jungle vines)

Lighting and temp:

• 1 24" Light fixture
• 1 24" ReptiSUN 5.0 Linear
• 1 Lamp clamp
• 1 Incandescent bulb (experiment with wattage to achieve desired temperature)
• 2 Digital probe thermometers with hygrometer built in
• 2 Digital Timers (Recommended to automate Misting system and lights)
  

Watering:

• 1 hand pumped spray or 1 misting system (Mistking is recommended)
• 1 Zoomed dripper
• 1 bucket or plastic tote for drainage if required

Supplement:

• 1 Reptivite without D3
• 1 Herptivite
• 1 MinerAll 0
  
• 1 Repcal with D3

Food item:

• 1 cricket keeper or plastic tote bin to put your crickets in
• 100 crickets appropriate size to last him/ her about 7 - 10 days before you buy another feeder
  
• 1 bag of dry gutload for your crickets to eat
• 1 water quencher for your crickets to drink (such as orange cube fluker farm/ water crystal)

---------------NOW STOP------------------
Go home and relax... Set up your enclosure and everything else. Test run it as if the chameleon is already there. Run the misting schedule.. and see if you have problem with drainage.
See if your temperature fluctuates too high or too low..
See if your humidity is too high/ too low..
Depending on the result of the test run, there will be things you need to buy and change (such as: buying more plants, changing the wattage, drill more holes on the PVC board, etc etc).

Adjust... Adjust.. Adjust... until you achieve the optimal micro habitat for your future chameleon.

--------------IS IT PERFECT NOW?-------
If the answer is yes, then go ahead! go to the expo, call your preferred breeder, and finally..
Get your chameleon.. It will be so happy coming home to its kingdom, courtesy of its owner (you!)

Veiled and Panther Chameleon Care 101E (FEMALE CARE)

Article is Coming Soon! In the meantime, here is a video of Female Carpet Chameleon digging a nest site. Essentially, this is the biggest difference of female care compared with male. So, stay tune! (This statement is made on Thu, June 18, 2009 11:39 PM PST)

VIDEO COURTESY OF KENT

Veiled and Panther Chameleon Care 101D (FEEDING)

Feeding

It is important to familiarize yourself with nutritional contents of the feeders you are feeding to your chameleon. Just as you would not feed your children junk food as their main diets, you should also be aware which insects are healthy and which are considered to be snacks.

Chameleon in the wild will eat many different species of insects to complete their nutrition need. Although it is almost impossible to exactly simulate that in captivity, you should varies his diet as much as possible. Try to have at least 3 different feeders on hand. Chameleon can pull a long period of hunger strikes when he is subjected to the same diet over and over.

Feeders:

I usually have 4 or more different feeders ready for my chameleon. I rotate the feeder type to avoid getting him bored.

These are insects that I consider as good feeders:

1. Phoenix worm
2. Silkworm
3. Hornworm (Common in US/ Illegal in Europe)
   
4. Butter worm
5. Cricket or Grasshoppers (Common in Europe but illegal in US -so, whichever available for you to buy)
6. Blaptica Dubia
7. Super worm

Insects #1-4 are very nutritious and can be fed without dusting
Insects #5-7 need to be dusted to balance the Ca: P ratio.

These are treat only feeders. Some insects become treat only basis due to their inefficient gutloading method (i.e: Mantis). Some due to their poor quality of nutrition (i.e: Waxworm and mealworm). And, others because of their rare availability in store (because their slow nature in reproduction or simply because of restrictions by law).
I could just eliminate insects that cannot be attainable here, but I realized there are people outside of US reading this blog. So, I decided to put them into consideration since some of the illegal insects in US are actually legal in Europe. Anyway, I compile everything into this one list:

1. Wax worm
   
2. Mealworm
   
3. Black Soldier Flies/ House flies/ Blue Bottle Flies/ Fruitflies and Spring tails (for neonates)
   
4. Silk moths or hornworm moths
5. Butterflies: Make sure you check the toxicity of the butterflies. Painted Lady and Cabbage White Butterflies are generally safe. Monarch butterflies, on the other hand, are Toxic.
6. Rolly pollies (pill bugs/ sow bugs/ wood lice): Extremely high in calcium and chitin.
7. Praying Mantis
   
8. Snails (Illegal to breed/ purchase in couple of states -Consult your local law)
9. Earthworms (Anecdotal/ feed on your own risk)
   
10. Indian Walking Sticks (Available in Europe/Illegal in US): According to testimonies from fellow European chameleon keepers, their chameleon go nut for this insects. They are also very easy to gutload. Unfortunately, they are not available for US chameleon keepers.

There are many good insects suppliers in the US. All of the insects that I mentioned above are commercially available (#8 and #10 is available limited in certain state. You also have to have permit to own them).

I advise you not to use wild caught insects unless you are absolutely sure that they have not been subjected to Pesticides or Insecticides, parasites (i.e: snails), and metal poisoning (Rolly Pollies).
Wild caught specimens that can be used are:

1. Locust/ Grasshoppers/ Katydids
2. Moths (research about their toxicity)
3. Certain Pantry Pests (research first before feeding them to your chameleons)
4. Dragon Flies

Insects to AVOID due to POISON:

1. Ladybugs
2. Fireflies
3. Scorpion
4. Spiders (i.e: Black widows, Brown Recluse, etc)
5. Centipedes
6. and other poisonous insects - ALWAYS MAKE SURE THAT INSECTS YOU FED TO YOUR CHAMELEONS ARE SAFE AND NON POISONOUS

Quantity:

Babies (0-4 months): 8-12 small crickets (1/8 - 1/4"). You can also feed them flightless fruit flies. The rule of thumb is never feed your chameleon insects that are bigger than the width of his forehead. Some exception applies to soft-bodied feeders such as silkworms and hornworms.

Juveniles (5-12 months): 5-6 medium crickets (1/2 - 3/4") daily. Over feeding your chameleon can put your chameleon in risk of developing MBD. Here is a quote taken from Kammerflage caresheet: "The very real risk of overfeeding during this life stage is a high potential for MBD (metabolic bone disease) by misjudging the calcium ratios to food intake. It's too difficult to manage proper supplementation when offering large volumes of food. By growing your chameleon slowly and steadily through this period of their life, you are much more likely to provide them with strong, dense bones as opposed to weak, brittle bones from accelerated growth rates the chameleons can't keep up with."



Adult Males (a year and older): 10 adult crickets per feeding every other day.

Quality:
Supplementing is very IMPORTANT to keep a healthy chameleon.
Wild chameleons eat a lot of variety of insect based on their nutrition need. Unfortunately, chameleons in captivity do not have that luxury. Thus, a proper supplementation and gut loading are REQUIRED to enhance the nutrition of your feeder. It is also important to notice that Gutloading SHOULD be the main method of delivering nutrition, vitamins, and minerals to your chameleon. And, supplement should act according to what it suppose to act (as a supplementary source/ as addition of the gutloading regiment).

Supplementation:
There is no exact formula that ensures the health of your chameleon. Each chameleon is unique and you should approach with extra attention to what your chameleon needs individually. There is no STRICT guideline on how much and how often a supplementation is needed.
However, a general rule of thumb is babies and juveniles need more of it than an adult, since they are still growing.

Supplementation is achieved by LIGHTLY dusting your feeders.
I do mean LIGHTLY. Do not smother and choke your crickets with supplementations.
Overdosing your chameleon with supplementation can also be fatal.

M ------- Multivitamin with Beta Carotene (I use Herptivite)
T---------- Calcium with D3 (I use Repcal with D3)
WThFSat------- Calcium without D3 (I use Miner-All 0)
Sun--------- No dusting required

Another supplement that your chameleon need is a preformed vitamin A (Retinol). Currently, there are not enough studies that delve with this subject matter. One argument brought up is that, unlike other animals, chameleons seemingly unable to convert beta-carotene into Vitamin A (See Dr. Gary Ferguson's interview in July Folder). In the wild, chameleons get their share of retinol by eating some tiny vertebrates (lizards and small baby rodents).

This is where it gets blurry. Some people recommend using them and some do not.
I do, however, supply my chameleon with this pre-formed vitamin A once a month. Vitamin A, just like D3, is a fat-soluble type meaning that your chameleon will not be able to dump the excess. Thus, there is a risk of over supplementing your chameleon. Always remember to use precaution when you do this supplementation regime. The less the better!

There are two ways for supplementing your chameleon with retinol:

1. Via feeders if your chameleon happened to like them (small pinky mice and anoles)->Be careful not to overfeed your chameleon with pinkies. Although they contain retinol, they also contain high protein that can prove to be detrimental to your chameleon's overall health.
2. Via supplementation (such as fish liver oil or preformed Vitamin A soft gel for human). Puncture the gel capsule with clean needle and take A VERY TINY MINUSCULE drop and brush it on your insects once a month. Remember, human vitamin A gel has an excessive dosage of 8000 IU per capsule. The RECOMMENDED dosage according to Professor Larry Talent at Oklahoma State University is 50 IU of retinol in corn oil/week. As of today (June, 2009), I no longer use this method of delivering Retinol, due to the difficulty in dosaging the right amount. I have opted to use Reptivite without D3 (a vitamin supplement that use Pre-Formed Vit A instead of Beta Carotene. I used this once a month).
   

Specifically for veiled chameleon, due to its ability in dumping excess mineral and salt via its nostril (similar to a marine iguana), it becomes somewhat easier to find out whether you are over supplementing your chameleon or not. Although not always accurate, white powdery substances on your veiled chameleon's nose is usually a sign for you to ease up on your supplementation regime or amount. If you see the sign, stop the supplementation for couple of days (2 - 3 days). Once the salt crust gone, resume the schedule with less amount of dusting.

Gut Loading:
Different feeders require a different method of gut loading.
Silk worms and Hornworms ate a specific food in order to survive. Their chow are available commercially.
There is no need to add another type of gut load for these feeders. They are nutritious enough for your chameleon.

For crickets and roaches, I used dry gut load specifically made by a fellow avid chameleon keeper. Long time ago, I used gutload made by cricketfood.com; unfortunately, as of today, they are no longer in business. Hydration can be provided by water crystal or Fluker Orange cubes . In addition, I also give them fresh fruits and vegetables, such as apples, oranges, dandelion, kale, and collard greens. Avoid using lettuces (as they generally are not that nutritious), broccoli, spinach, potato, tomato, and other types of foods that contain high oxalate contents.

I would also avoid using high protein food as gut load for roaches. Many will suggest you to feed your roaches with cat food, dog food, and fish flakes. Those types of gut loads are fine, if you want to keep ROACHES as pets. But, it is NOT acceptable for Chameleon. A high protein gut load can give your chameleon gout.

You can feed your roaches dog food to stimulate them into breeding mode. But, separate the one you are going to feed to your chameleon. And, gutload them with cricket gutload and veggies I mentioned above for ABOUT 3 TO 5 DAYS before feeding them to your chameleon. This will ensure the roaches to no longer have traces of dogfood in their system.

Method:

1. Free roam method: dump the crickets inside the enclosure and let your chameleon hunts. Do not let feeders overnight. The bugs will bother your chameleon at night by biting him. The benefit of free roam is the way it mimics the nature. Your chameleon will get a good exercise from hunting his food. Unfortunately, free roam makes it hard for you to monitor the exact amount of food that your chameleon eat daily, some insects might not get eaten and manage to survive and possibly escape.
   
2. Feeder Cup method: use a semi opaque or opaque cup inside the cage. Put your feeder inside of the cup. The benefits of cup feeding are the ability for you to accurately monitor your chameleon's daily intake, minimize insect escapees, and keeps a cleaner cage since the dead feeder will be in the cup. The negative thing about cup feeding are not all chameleons get accustomed to eat from a cup and chameleon tends to become lazy since no hunting required to get his food.
3. Combination method: This is the best way in my opinion. Put half of the insects free roam and another in a cup.
   

Sanitary:
Do exercise cleanliness while keeping feeders, especially crickets. If you let the container, where you kept the feeders, gets dirty and moldy, guess what! Those nasty things will also get into your chameleon’s tummy and making him sick. Also, ironically, cricket cannot stand their own nasty smell. You will start to see massive death when you let the cricket container gets too dirty and too smelly.

Do not let dead feeders in your chameleon cage. Pick it up and throw it away at sight.

A chapter will be dedicated for specific feeders and their care in the future.
Source(s): Kammerflage Kreations and chameleonforums.com

Veiled and Panther Chameleon Care 101C (MISTING)

Misting and Watering

One of the most common health problems chameleon faces in captivity is DEHYDRATION. It is very important to provide your chameleon with a proper watering method. Chameleons do NOT recognize stagnant puddle of water as water source. In the wild, they drink by licking morning dews on the leaves, soaking under rainfalls, and eating leaves during drought seasons (specifically veiled chameleon). With that being said, a water bowl and a waterfall system are a complete waste of time. Even worse, for some reason, chameleon often treats standing water as their personal lavatories. They will defecate on your waterfall making it a breeding ground for bacteria and all sort of nasty stuffs. Thus, we should simulate the natural drinking habit of chameleon in the wild by misting the enclosure.

Misting also temporarily raise the enclosure’s humidity. I suggest misting should be done at least twice a day with 5 minutes or more per session. It took generally about that much time to induce chameleon’s drinking response. Be aware, that some chameleons are shyer than others. They might not drink or eat at all in front of you.

I mist 4 times a day (Do you remember what I have said about chameleons will take a chunk of your time?). The reason I do it that much is because the environment where I live is very dry (during winter, the humidity here can drop to 5%).

Here is my misting schedule:

First session is at 7 am (an hour after the lights on). The reason I wait for an hour is to let my chameleon bask first to raise his body temperature. Water droplets can drop his temperature in an instant. Not letting your chameleon to have time to bask before the morning misting session, probably, is equivalent to an experience where someone throws you a bucket of cold water to wake you up. It is not a very nice experience, is it?

Second session is at 10 am (by then all the enclosure should already be dried)

Third session is at 1 pm.

The last is at 5 pm (Strangely, this is the time that my chameleon has chosen to drink or, at least, choose to drink in front of me).

I got to be honest with you. I do use an auto misting system that does the job for me.
It is very simple to set up and the benefits definitely outweigh the price.
But, if you have time and you do not want to spend extra money on misting system, a simple hand pump mister is sufficient. Filled the bottle with hot water (NOT BOILING) so when the water comes out of the nozzles, it will be warm for your chameleon.

Also, in addition to misting, you should purchase a little dripper system by Zoomed. A plastic bottle pricked by a needle pin can also be used if you want to save money.
The water should drip about every second or two. Put the dripper on top of the screen cage and let the water drops on your plant’s leaves. You can use a simple tray to catch the water. Elevate your plants so the bottom does not touch the water to prevent rotting roots. Remove water from tray daily. One of these days, you might want to invest your money or your time to build a drainage system.

My drainage system is simple. I drill holes in the middle of the PVC cage floor. I put the cage on a metal rack. And, on the bottom of the rack shelve, I have a bucket that catch the water drips.
The weight of the plant pot cause the PVC floor to curve in the middle, naturally, making the water to fall down into the holes.

Even with all that watering, the humidity of my room can still drop to a dangerous level for my chameleon. Occasionally, I will use an ultrasonic humidifier to boost the humidity a notch. I do NOT put the humidifier inside the enclosure. The foggy mist often freaks out my chameleon.

With all the fuss of watering and misting, it is CRUCIAL for you to know whether you need an extra misting depending where you live.
In order for you to do that, you will need a Hygrometer inside your enclosure.
There are some cheap digital thermometers out there that come equipped with a hygrometer as well. Go get one!

Veiled and Panther Chameleons’ cage should be in the range of 40% to 70% humidity.
Panther can benefit from having a SLIGHTLY more humid enclosure. It is okay for your cage humidity to fluctuate. Just be sure that it never drops below 40% or rise any higher than 80%. The real problem from having not enough humidity or too much humidity is the risk of your chameleon getting a Respiratory Infection (RI).

Another questions that often pops in mind is “How do I know for sure my chameleon is drinking if he never drink in front of me?”
While it is true that chameleons are generally shy, some do not and will drink in front of their owner. But, there is another way to know whether your chameleon is drinking or not. The obvious one is to check its droppings.
Chameleon’s dropping contains 2 parts: the actual feces and the urate.
A hydrated chameleon should have a moist (not runny) dark brown feces and white urate. A yellow or orange urate is a sign that your chameleon is not drinking enough water. In that case, a vet visit is in order.
_______________________Lesson continued to 101D
source(s): Kammerflage Kreations and chameleonforums.com