moviemanmania
Avid Member
Hello CF members. Unfortunately, I have a very big cloud over me this week. My beloved blue bar has fallen ill from what I fear is a fatal disease that he may have acquired from two rescue panthers.
Here's the background.
In October I took in two rescue panthers from two different owners. One from Alabama, and another from a frat house an hour away from me in Louisiana. Both came to me with the exact same symptoms of closing their left eyes and the left eye was more sunken in then the right. They could open it when they needed too but when relaxed would close the left eye only. I thought this was hypovitaminesis a and gave them both carotene and retinal sources of vit. a, but they didn't improve any.
At this point I brought them both into the most qualified vet in my area I could find, dr. Neveraz at the Louisiana state University. He saw both of them and drew a culture from the male. The test came back positive for a gram negative bacteria. He also did an eye examination and flush. Both chams were sent home with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride ophthalmic solution, receiving drops in the left eye three times a day and one drop in the right eye once a day. When the test came back positive the dr. then switched them to amikacin with the same amount of administering regimen. I also rinsed the eye out with saline solution each morning. One week later the female stopped eating and drinking, her body became septic and died. At this point the male showed no improvement so i brought him back into the vet. The vet did another examination and then sent him home with batriyl .1 mls by mouth once a day and metacam anti-inflamatory once a day. I also treated the eye topically with terrmycin.
I then brought the male to another local exotic vet who saw nothing wrong with him and recommended liquid tears. The chameleon saw no improvement and identically died as the female did. They both stopped eating and drinking, and became blind. Even force feeding them didn't save them. I have sent the body of the male to dr. Neverez for him to have a necropsy. The necropsy results indicated nothing out of the ordinary.
Just when I thought all this was behind me I noticed today that my 13 month old panther male's left eye was shut closed for a split second. Additionally, his left eye is more sunken is when compared to his right eye. I am really fearful that I may be experiencing the same symptoms that the other two panthers suffered. I am at my whits in with this and have talked to many breeders who all say they have never seen this condition before and have only seen hypo vit. a.
Today the 13 month old panther is closing his eye regularly. I have contacted both Dr. Naverz and Dr. Alfonso to seek their advice on the situation in an attempt to save him. Dr. Alfonso, being in florida won't accept him as a new cases so my only other option is to see Dr. Naverez at the LSU vet school again. The assistant talked to me on the phone yesterday and said that surgery to remove the eye would be the best solution they are looking at right now. I am very doubtful he would survive the surgery and even if he did I am even more doubtful that what ever disease is causing this wouldn't kill him after the surgery. I will have to make a decision tomorrow wither or not to go with the surgery. What should I do?
Here is some more information about their care.
Female rescue panther
was only provided crickets that were not properly gut-loaded when in care of pervious owner
dusting/supplement schedule was adequate
left eye closed and sunken in
was free ranged in the same room as my other panthers once in my care
body became septic and died. stopped eating/drinking and became blind
Male Rescue panther
was only provided crickets that were not properly gutloaded when in care of pervious owner
dusting schedule was off and was provided multi-vitamin 2-3xs a week
left eye closed and sunken in
was free ranged in the same room as my other panthers once in my care
body became septic and died. stoped eating/drinking and became blind
My male panther I've raised since 3months old
provided silkworms, crickets, hornworms, dubia, superworms all gutloaded well
supplements provided by repashy vit.
free ranged in the same room as rescue panthers
just noticed yesterday that one eye is sunken in more than the other and he had it closed for a second. He slightly squints the eye lid on the left side.
5.0 uv linear reptilgo light changed every 6 months
provided outside time 1-2xs a week
basking spot at 92f
here is the link to the two adoptee/rescue panthers
https://www.chameleonforums.com/new-adoptees-vet-visits-68728/
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Male panther, 13-14 months old. Had him since he was 3 months old
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
3-4 times a week.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Feeding every other day 2-3 worms (silk, hornworm, superworm, and crickets) all gutloaded very well.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Repashy all in one
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Mist king setup. mists 4xs a day. chameleon doesn't drink often, gets most of the fluids from his food
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
black and white. everything normal
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
He's been perfectly healthy for the most part. Always ate and drank well. There was once when I was on vacation that he was over-supplemented and was acting 'drunk' for a few days because of the over-supplementation.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Free range area. very large. 4x3x8
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
5.0 2ft long repti-glo changed every 6 months
basking spot of 92f
All my chams are on 12 hours on 12 hours off schedule.
Temperature - (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
92f basking to 72f during the day
66-68f at night
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
30-45%
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
dracaena, pothos
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
The chameleons have their own room with visual barriers between each other.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Lafayette, Louisiana
Here's the background.
In October I took in two rescue panthers from two different owners. One from Alabama, and another from a frat house an hour away from me in Louisiana. Both came to me with the exact same symptoms of closing their left eyes and the left eye was more sunken in then the right. They could open it when they needed too but when relaxed would close the left eye only. I thought this was hypovitaminesis a and gave them both carotene and retinal sources of vit. a, but they didn't improve any.
At this point I brought them both into the most qualified vet in my area I could find, dr. Neveraz at the Louisiana state University. He saw both of them and drew a culture from the male. The test came back positive for a gram negative bacteria. He also did an eye examination and flush. Both chams were sent home with ciprofloxacin hydrochloride ophthalmic solution, receiving drops in the left eye three times a day and one drop in the right eye once a day. When the test came back positive the dr. then switched them to amikacin with the same amount of administering regimen. I also rinsed the eye out with saline solution each morning. One week later the female stopped eating and drinking, her body became septic and died. At this point the male showed no improvement so i brought him back into the vet. The vet did another examination and then sent him home with batriyl .1 mls by mouth once a day and metacam anti-inflamatory once a day. I also treated the eye topically with terrmycin.
I then brought the male to another local exotic vet who saw nothing wrong with him and recommended liquid tears. The chameleon saw no improvement and identically died as the female did. They both stopped eating and drinking, and became blind. Even force feeding them didn't save them. I have sent the body of the male to dr. Neverez for him to have a necropsy. The necropsy results indicated nothing out of the ordinary.
Just when I thought all this was behind me I noticed today that my 13 month old panther male's left eye was shut closed for a split second. Additionally, his left eye is more sunken is when compared to his right eye. I am really fearful that I may be experiencing the same symptoms that the other two panthers suffered. I am at my whits in with this and have talked to many breeders who all say they have never seen this condition before and have only seen hypo vit. a.
Today the 13 month old panther is closing his eye regularly. I have contacted both Dr. Naverz and Dr. Alfonso to seek their advice on the situation in an attempt to save him. Dr. Alfonso, being in florida won't accept him as a new cases so my only other option is to see Dr. Naverez at the LSU vet school again. The assistant talked to me on the phone yesterday and said that surgery to remove the eye would be the best solution they are looking at right now. I am very doubtful he would survive the surgery and even if he did I am even more doubtful that what ever disease is causing this wouldn't kill him after the surgery. I will have to make a decision tomorrow wither or not to go with the surgery. What should I do?
Here is some more information about their care.
Female rescue panther
was only provided crickets that were not properly gut-loaded when in care of pervious owner
dusting/supplement schedule was adequate
left eye closed and sunken in
was free ranged in the same room as my other panthers once in my care
body became septic and died. stopped eating/drinking and became blind
Male Rescue panther
was only provided crickets that were not properly gutloaded when in care of pervious owner
dusting schedule was off and was provided multi-vitamin 2-3xs a week
left eye closed and sunken in
was free ranged in the same room as my other panthers once in my care
body became septic and died. stoped eating/drinking and became blind
My male panther I've raised since 3months old
provided silkworms, crickets, hornworms, dubia, superworms all gutloaded well
supplements provided by repashy vit.
free ranged in the same room as rescue panthers
just noticed yesterday that one eye is sunken in more than the other and he had it closed for a second. He slightly squints the eye lid on the left side.
5.0 uv linear reptilgo light changed every 6 months
provided outside time 1-2xs a week
basking spot at 92f
here is the link to the two adoptee/rescue panthers
https://www.chameleonforums.com/new-adoptees-vet-visits-68728/
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Male panther, 13-14 months old. Had him since he was 3 months old
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
3-4 times a week.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Feeding every other day 2-3 worms (silk, hornworm, superworm, and crickets) all gutloaded very well.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Repashy all in one
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Mist king setup. mists 4xs a day. chameleon doesn't drink often, gets most of the fluids from his food
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
black and white. everything normal
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
He's been perfectly healthy for the most part. Always ate and drank well. There was once when I was on vacation that he was over-supplemented and was acting 'drunk' for a few days because of the over-supplementation.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Free range area. very large. 4x3x8
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
5.0 2ft long repti-glo changed every 6 months
basking spot of 92f
All my chams are on 12 hours on 12 hours off schedule.
Temperature - (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
92f basking to 72f during the day
66-68f at night
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
30-45%
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
dracaena, pothos
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
The chameleons have their own room with visual barriers between each other.
Location - Where are you geographically located?
Lafayette, Louisiana
. As Jann suggested, consulting with Dr. Mader might be just the thing needed since he specializes in the pharmacology of antibiotics in exotic pets (I have his book 
