Adopted a new veiled *Definite Aww factor here*

So here's Keiko, a 5 month old Veiled I adopted from Nicodemayo's Petco. She needed a good home to go to, being the black sheep and all, so I'm all too happy to give her just that. She's such a sweet lil girl, unfortunately very weak climber though. As you can probably see, she has a deformed casque(which is why I named her after the famous whale ;-)), probably from birth and her back left leg is bulging from MBD. Definite sad story here. She's such a calm, chill, very docile animal. Never flared up at me once, in fact I'm beginning to worry about the fact that she hasn't.

Here's the problem. The other day, I go to look for her, I find her laying upside down at the bottom of her enclosure still clinging to a branch of the silk plant I have. I checked her, she was very aware, just laying upside down (wierd I know). This was the day after I adopted her, so the night before I disturbed her sleep quite a bit as I was trying to put the final touches on her cage.

Next, today, I can't find her again. I look at the bottom of her enclosure, she's laying belly down under a leaf with her eyes closed (keep in mind this is about 2 PM and 2 days since I adopted her). Worried me, especially after I picked her up and she was cold to the touch. I put a ceramic heater at the bottom pointing up to raise the entire cage temp and went back to work. I was extremely surprised with the coldness of her as I sprayed down her cage right before I left for work, which was about 30 minutes before hand.

Again today, I couldn't find her. Checked under a bundle of leaves and there she is sunk down in the leaves, so I picked her up and gave her a few Reptivite w/ D3 powdered silkies.

Then she was sleeping about an hour ago, in the exact spot I put her in after my last scare I might add. I picked her up, fearing the worst, she didn't even open her eyes until about 5-6 seconds after I picked her up..

Now here's my question. Nico told me she had MBD before hand, but thinks it was cured with UVB lighting and calcium n D3 supplements. She has use of her affected back leg, and a killer grip on her good back leg. How can I help this lil girl? I know I could obviously take her to the vet, but my nearest vet is about 20-30 minutes away and would cost me a fortune, a fortune I don't have being a college student. I really need some home remedies and advice here, should any be needed. Or am I just being a lil too worried about her?

Here's some pics Don't be alarmed by the white stuff you see on her casque and hind leg, that's sacred ash from India, a friend of mine gave me some for her, and right now I'm willing to try anything. It's supposed to have mystical healing properties, I just hope it helps. She has an 18" reptiglo bulb on her cage now, which is only about 23 inches tall, she usually is about 8 inches from the bulb. As a basking lamp, Im using a regular Day Blue incandescent bulb. And she also has the ceramic heater at the bottom. She's been fed crickets and silkies dusted in Reptivite D3 today, and calcium yesterday and the day before.

What can we do here for this cute lil thing?

-Dave

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Screen, 17x17x23T
* Lighting - Combo Lamp, Reptiglo 18" w/ Day blue incandescent
* Temperature - 77-86
* Humidity - Haven't measured humidity quite yet.
* Plants - Silk
* Location - What used to be my dining room, and yes it does have a lil traffic, just me and my girlfriend living here though. AC vent is about 5 feet away on the other wall facing perpendicular to the cage, so I figure there's no way it could really be affecting her.


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Female Veiled. 5 months. Its been in my care about 3 days now.
* Handling - As little as possible right now.
* Feeding - Silkies and Crickets, dusted in Reptivite w/ D3 and Calcium. Crickets are gutloaded with Coastals Gutload.
* Supplements - Microstick and ReptiCal Calciums every day except for vitamin days. Reptivite once so far, twice a week is my normal schedule.
* Watering - Hand sprayer. Saturate leaves about 3 times a day. Never seen her drink.
* Fecal Description - I noticed her last stool as a little runny.
* History - She didn't have UVB lighting for a good portion of her life. Neglected by previous owners.
* Current Problem - MBD, Weakness (Climbing and just movement).

Can you fill out the husbandry description sheet in the health forum so that everyone can better help you by looking at your habitat?

There ya go

I don't like the look of her back left (her left) leg at the ankle. I think I would take her to a vet to have it checked out.

kinyonga said:

I don't like the look of her back left (her left) leg at the ankle. I think I would take her to a vet to have it checked out.

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Yea ....
I'm not really seeing MBD
Edema?
Gout?
There's something else going on here.

Sacred ash from India? Seriously???
The animal needs to go to a qualified herp vet with chameleon experience.

-Brad

Brad Ramsey said:

Sacred ash from India? Seriously???
The animal needs to go to a qualified herp vet with chameleon experience.

-Brad

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I know it's not traditional medicine, maybe sounds a bit crazy, but at this point I'll try anything. I would already have the lil girl at the vet, but for reasons I've already mentioned (distance, lack of funds), it's really hard to.

Maybe I'll make some calls and see who's all out there and who will see her.

-Dave

cgslim said:

I know it's not traditional medicine, maybe sounds a bit crazy, but at this point I'll try anything. I would already have the lil girl at the vet, but for reasons I've already mentioned (distance, lack of funds), it's really hard to.

Maybe I'll make some calls and see who's all out there and who will see her.

-Dave

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That would be really great for her if you could.
I understand the situation .... but I really don't think there is a way to help her without a vet.

-Brad

Hey Dave
If you need help with the $ for vet I may be able to help you. Let me know? E-mail me or pm me.
Charla

Glad shes in your care i know you'll take good care of her because she wasnt recieveing proper care in the store. With school started now, im bearly working over 20 hours a week and even after explaining to all the associates of her proper care, she isnt recieving it cause bottom line, theyre lazy about it. Dr.Brad wilson of the veterinary clinic west is where i take my animals and hes very very knowledgable of all sorts of reptiles and amphibians. I highly highly reccomend him.

love her..hope she gets the help she needs.

No way she is only 5 months old.
She is HUGE!
Not to mention a bit overweight.

Good luck with her.

Justin Carl said:

Not to mention a bit overweight.

Good luck with her.

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Which is why I suspect a problem other than MBD.

-Brad

mazurowsk1 said:

Hey Dave
If you need help with the $ for vet I may be able to help you. Let me know? E-mail me or pm me.
Charla

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Wow, that is so nice of you Charla. I'm speechless really, but I can say thank you so much for the offer. I'll keep in touch


The only reason I say 5 months is because Nico told me she was 5 months. If he has other thoughts on it now, or if anyone else does, it's open for debate.

Im just really hoping that's not edema...

-Dave

Now there's a worse problem...she's not eating today...I'm going to make calls here throughout the day and take her to the vet tomorrow hopefully.

-Dave

Could she be gravid and fat???

Let me know I mean it if you need help with $.

Does she walk around normally or even at all?

If she does sit on a branch or vine, will she prefer not to use that back leg?

? Fx or something of that order?

Hope that girl starts doing better..

OPI

First off I want to say how amazing this board is. I've already recieved a couple of people letting me know they would be happy to help out with the bills for poor lil Keiko. I'm overjoyed that some can understand that while I'm more than happy to give a good home to such an adorable lil girl, I just don't have it in my assets to support extensive vet bills, or inexpensive even. 2 out of 3 of my chameleons I adopted from PETCO so they could have good lives with 2 people that love animals. So thank you everyone for helping out where you can.

And OPI, she's very weak as of today. Walking around very little, BUT I did see her on her screen when I walked in at about 6 PM, good sign in my book, she's able to climb. I can't really notice whether she favors one leg over the othe while in her cage, it's pretty clustered in there. But I do know when I'm holding her, she has a hell of a grip with her good leg, and definitely prefers not to use that leg, although she can and has.

And Jan, she's way too skinny to be gravid. I looked at her today and she looked anorexic to me a little bit. Could just be my eyes, but she's definitely not gravid.

I'll keep everyone updated on the Vet, as I'm taking her tomorrow

-Dave

Justin Carl said:

No way she is only 5 months old.
She is HUGE!
Not to mention a bit overweight.

Good luck with her.

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She is in fact 5 months old pushing 6. She, along with two other were received in our store on the 24th of march. They were all wayyyy to young to be sent to our store but every morning i opened i was in the back, picking out 1/16th inch crix from the cricket bin. This particular animal had the deformity in her casque when we received her and became more severe as she matured. One of the animals which I remember selling to a customer (which i sent down the street to petsmart to buy a screen enclosure since we dont carry them hah) was a male, the other female i took in after i returned from vacation in Ohio severely dehydrated and she died in my care from assumed liver failure. I discussed this female with you not to long ago Justin. This is the last of the chameleons in the store and she needed out. I was working full time early in the summer and ever since i cut my hours preparing for school, and taking some vacations, i wasn't around as much to tend to these animals and even after numerous discussions with other employees about what needed to be done, proper care still wasn't executed. When i returned from vacation in Canada, this female had not been under uvb for over 2 weeks because i was the only one who had ever turned it on! The only noticeable effect from this was her swollen back leg which was at one point, so swollen that she couldn't even grip with it at all. She can use it now but certainly doesn't favor it. She still drank and ate with gutso when i saw her in the store so i am unsure why she has such a huge loss of appetite. Dave i know your doing your best which is why i called you to take her in. With a heavy load of biology and biochem classes under way for me, work, and still alotting time with the girlfriend and my chams, i just dont have the time to be giving this girl the time she needs at the moment. Work is in the air for me right now because i want to have more for my animals. Dave you have my number just give me a call or text like you have been if you need help

Nicodemayo said:

She is in fact 5 months old pushing 6. She, along with two other were received in our store on the 24th of march. They were all wayyyy to young to be sent to our store but every morning i opened i was in the back, picking out 1/16th inch crix from the cricket bin. This particular animal had the deformity in her casque when we received her and became more severe as she matured. One of the animals which I remember selling to a customer (which i sent down the street to petsmart to buy a screen enclosure since we dont carry them hah) was a male, the other female i took in after i returned from vacation in Ohio severely dehydrated and she died in my care from assumed liver failure. I discussed this female with you not to long ago Justin. This is the last of the chameleons in the store and she needed out. I was working full time early in the summer and ever since i cut my hours preparing for school, and taking some vacations, i wasn't around as much to tend to these animals and even after numerous discussions with other employees about what needed to be done, proper care still wasn't executed. When i returned from vacation in Canada, this female had not been under uvb for over 2 weeks because i was the only one who had ever turned it on! The only noticeable effect from this was her swollen back leg which was at one point, so swollen that she couldn't even grip with it at all. She can use it now but certainly doesn't favor it. She still drank and ate with gutso when i saw her in the store so i am unsure why she has such a huge loss of appetite. Dave i know your doing your best which is why i called you to take her in. With a heavy load of biology and biochem classes under way for me, work, and still alotting time with the girlfriend and my chams, i just dont have the time to be giving this girl the time she needs at the moment. Work is in the air for me right now because i want to have more for my animals. Dave you have my number just give me a call or text like you have been if you need help

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As always, I appreciate all the help Nic, you've been awesome. And this lil girl definitely gets a good deal of my attention right now, I think Liz and Waldo are getting jealous. lol

-Dave`