Veiled Chameleon Needs Help!!

Hey everyone I'm new here, I currently own a baby Veiled Chameleon about 4 or 5in I bought him off PetCo in California. He was healthy and still is i hope. But I'm having issues with him :/ Here are some of the things I noticed that are catching my attention. 1) He is opening his mouth a lot. Like it stays open for quite a while. 2) He inflates himself a lot kinda like if he takes in a lot of air but he also like twitches. 3) I don't see him eating or drinking a lot like before. Is it because he is not hungry or thirsty or sick? 4) He also exhales from his mouth I payed much attention to him for about an hour and he was getting big than he'd exhale making a little noise. It quite scared me I am in the process of looking for a Reptile Vet. here in Bakersfield, CA. If there's anyone near here knows any info on what's going on PLEASE contact me I am very worried about my Chameleon.

Thank you for taking time to read this :/ -Benito Sanchez (Bakersfield, CA)

E-Mail: djbennie93@aol.com

Originally Posted by Illegalstylez

Hey everyone I'm new here, I currently own a baby Veiled Chameleon about 4 or 5in I bought him off PetCo in California. He was healthy and still is i hope. But I'm having issues with him :/ Here are some of the things I noticed that are catching my attention. 1) He is opening his mouth a lot. Like it stays open for quite a while. 2) He inflates himself a lot kinda like if he takes in a lot of air but he also like twitches. 3) I don't see him eating or drinking a lot like before. Is it because he is not hungry or thirsty or sick? 4) He also exhales from his mouth I payed much attention to him for about an hour and he was getting big than he'd exhale making a little noise. It quite scared me I am in the process of looking for a Reptile Vet. here in Bakersfield, CA. If there's anyone near here knows any info on what's going on PLEASE contact me I am very worried about my Chameleon.

Thank you for taking time to read this :/ -Benito Sanchez (Bakersfield, CA)


E-Mail: djbennie93@aol.com

The open mouth behavior could be a threatening display or a method of releasing excessive heat. Or perhaps the nostrils are blocked and it has to open the mouth to breathe. Trip to a reptile vet is def warranted. Good luck.

Some info relative to your husbandry would be helpful.
What kind of enclosure do you have? What "furnishings" are in the enclosure?
Do you have a UVB fixture?
What kind/size/wattage of heat source are you using? What are the temps at the hottest and the coolest sides of your enclosure?
How do you hydrate?
How do you maintain proper humidity?
What and how often does he eat?

Chams are real high maintenance, demanding reptiles and not very forgiving of husbandry mistakes. They also prefer privacy and little to no handling.

As stated, open mouth breathing can be indicative of excessive heat or a defensive mechanism. You may notice a white substance covering the nostrils - that is just excess mineral build-up from the water he is drinking and will subside as he grows older and acclimates.

Babies often "twitch" when they move as a means of blending in - mimicing tree leaves to camouflage themselves.

Chams also "hiss" as a defense mechanism, though it's more pronounced in older animals.

A trip to the vet is never a bad idea

i was into chams before getting into balls and it sound like what they said above. it is either he is too hot or just trying to scare you off lol. but if your worried just take to vet. im in Bako too so just pm with any questions