My chameleon has black spots. Are they mites, ticks, or shedding?

Thanks for reaching out about Nelson. There are several possibilities that could be causing him to itch, a dermal infection being one but not a high probability, or could be a secondary condition. Vitamin A deficiencies are fairly common causes of dermal condition in reptiles. Insect prey needs to be supplemented with a wide variety of vegetables, both green and red/yellow/orange. A veterinary visit is recommended to access and provide a treatment plan. An injection of vitamin A will probably be recommended. Systemic antibiotics or anti-fungals might be recommended depending on what the lesion looks like. Good luck.

The white spot on your Veiled Chameleon's casque looks to be shedding skin that has not come off yet. Mist him with warm water to aid in shedding. It is common for lizards to lose toes. What likely happened was some shedding skin did not come off properly and restricted blood flow to the digit resulting in the loss. As long as it is healed up, there is no cause for concern. The darkening of his colors may indicate stress. Survey the area in and around the enclosure for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises, strong vibrations, bright lights or cold drafts. Reduce or eliminate any if found. You can review chameleon care at the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Veiled-Chameleon/

This could be due to a trauma and or a bacterial or fungal infection. Swab the infected area of the shell with a diluted povidone-iodine solution twice daily. Scrape away the infected area gently with a blunt tool or a cotton pad. If this time of first line treatment does not help and you do not see any improvement in 48hours a check up at your local veterinarian would be required as antibiotic ointment and more aggressive treatment may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

This does look very dark, and I agree that in your picture it doesn't look like a tick. I'd recommend having your vet take a look in person to make sure the nipple has not become infected or that this isn't something like a skin tumor.

Thanks for reaching out about Rex and including a photo. Unfortunately you did not include a photo of the belly and black spots. But, Rex appears thin and dehydrated in the photo. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess health and to examine the black spots. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Regin. The black skin could be either a sign of skin trauma or skin necrosis. Reptiles have black pigments (melanin) that is part of the immune system, that responds to infections and inflammation. If the skin has lost the blood supply and died, it could turn black also. You should contact your veterinarian for a recheck. If there is a persistant infeciton, antibiotics are warranted again. Good luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to see the skin in your pictures but it looks like a rash or comedones. If the reddish black things on her skin flakes off or are loose, wet them on a white tissue. If they melt away to a red streak that is flea poop. Flea dips and shampoos are NOT preventatives for fleas and the fleas that hatch on the carpet will jump right back on the pet. Fleas do not lay eggs on the pet but on the carpet. Bed bugs do not live on animals. I recommend a flea preventative like oral Nexgard, Simparica, Bravecto or topical Advantix ii or the Seresto collar. If there are no live fleas or flea dirt then she likely has a secondary skin infection or rash from an allergic reaction the the fleas. I would have her seen by your Vet so she can be provided relief. Also it looks like she has a paw infection which could be from environmental or food allergies. Good luck!