Hello
I bought male of F. pardalis Nosy Be on stock market 3 months ago. When i gave him small cricket on the 1st day, he vomited it back. He didn`t look alright. The next day he didn`t vomit it back, so i thought he could be alright. After 2,5 months he started to be seriously ill, he closed eyes and doesn`t eat anymore. After 3 days of his illness my father got from veteriarian "Panacur", it`s against parasites, so he gave him one. Next day, he completely lost his blue color, doesn`t eat nor drink. My father carefully opening his mouth and giving him small cricket, waxworms and water drops. We don`t want to lost him. He sometimes swallow it and sometimes vomit it. His stool is very washy. He doesn`t seem to recover from this illness. Pls. could someone help us?

Note: We are using fluerescent tube UV-5. The lights are on 12-14 hours a day. We also steep crickets into vitamin powder which contain also calcium. The terrarium is big. We also have other chameleons - Diego Suarez, Ambilobe, Tamatave, Ambanja and Chameleo calyptratus, all are in good condition. The female Nosy Be is also in good condition.

Here is photo of Nosy Be before illness:
http://img182.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nosybeew5.jpg

Here is photo of Nosy Be with illness:
http://img151.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nosybe1fn5.jpg

PS: Veteriarians in our city has almost non experiences with Chameleons, it`s not very common animal in our country.

Edit: The temparature in the terrarium during day is 28-30°C, during night is 23-24°C.
We water our chameleons that we fogg the plants in the terrarium. They lick the water drops from the plants or from the terrarium. The humidity in the terrarium is 60%. We dont`t want higher humidity because we are beware of coccidiosis.

I'm no expert and I don't know if an expert is online right now, but I know dull color and sunken eyes can be signs of dehydration. If you put your chameleon on a plant or tree inside of your shower and run warm (not cold or hot) water on the wall of the shower so that it splashes indirectly on the plant and just leave it there with the water running for 30 minutes or even more, it can help hydrate him. Still though, I can't assess the root of this problem because I'm not familiar with solving many chameleon health issues. I do know that panacur is given in very very low doses.

Here is a link to a post about panacur

How do you water your chameleons?

I'm hoping an expert will chime in and correct me or give you more help and advice!

__________________
Christen
1.0 Ambilobe/Ambanja cross

Thank you for the reply Spatulars. We water our chameleons that we fogg the plants in the terrarium. They lick the water drops from the plants or from the terrarium. The humidity in the terrarium is 60%. We dont`t want higher humidity because we are beware of coccidiosis. We gave him very low doses of Panacur. We are now trying the shower with warm water as you advise.
Thank you

This is very interesting,my cham has eye problems likes yours, but not the loss of color. Id try givin him a shower also.

It hurts me to see him like that. It is very odd how he lost his coloring the very next day after panacur. I was "told" by an old vet that injecting the antibiotic baytril could cause the chemoreceptors to become dead, and our male nosys tail has turned black maybe because of this.
Washy stool does sound like he could be carrying a parasite load. Maybe you could try giving him an electrolyte supplement like pedialyte or something similar to try to give him a little boost. Hopefully someone will be able to tell you something more beneficial. Good luck with him.

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~Liz~ Check out my site http://freewebs.com/lbesok
*1.2 Nosy Be *1.2.7 Ambilobe*2 Melleri .1 Beardie *.1 Leopard Gecko

hey Hotaro,
It does sound like he might has a parasite.
Take his feces and put it in a zip lock bag.
And have it tested to a veterinarian (i think any vet can do this).

tell your vet to pay attention for coccidia.
Bloated belly, restlessness, dehydration, and runny stool (diarrhea) are some signs that i worry about.
if it is then, I don't think Panacur will work for eradicating them.

For now, You have to give him shower and provides misting (like Lbesok says) a pedialyte or electrolyte water can be beneficial.
You really do need to keep giving him drink to counter the dehydration.
The coccidia can be treated with the meds; but in your case, the dehydration will take its toll way before the parasite will.

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CARE FOR VEILED AND PANTHER CHAMELEON AT:
http://chamworld.blogspot.com

Do you have all of these chameleons in separate cages?

You said his stool is very washy...what do you mean by washy? Watery?
Is there a brown part and a white part when he defecates?

Can you post a picture of the whole body and tail of the chameleon from when you first got him and now please?

Although the eyes can be sunken in from dehydration, that can also happen from being sick.

Thank you friends for all the advices. I gave him 30 minutes of shower today (he sat on the plant and it seemed that he liked it), i will do it till monday. On monday, i will buy the "pedialyte" for him and i will see, if this help him. If not, i will take him to veteriarian for the test against the parasites.

To kinyonga:

I have all the chameleons in seperate terrariums, so Tamatave male + female in one terrarium, Nosy Be male + female in other terrarium... I have cages but i use them only when it`s hot and sunny day. I take all the chameleons outside the house and put them to cages which are on the garden .

Yes, i meant that his stool is watery and brown, i didn`t see the white part but the watery stool could be, because he didn`t eat that they before, he vomited it back, he has only few water drops, so maybe that causes the watery stool. I will watch him carefully to see, how the stool looks now.

Here is new photo where you can see his whole ill body
http://img516.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nosybe3dq1.jpg

There is another photo, where he looks healthy, he is there with female....i don`t have more photos of him.
http://img170.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nosybe2pw4.jpg

Thank you again for all the advises, i will let you know, if something change.

P.S: Sorry for my bad English, it`s not my native language

You should really have all 4 chameleons in separate cages. Caging males and females together can creat many problems. What is your native language...maybe someone on here speaks it and can help.

-chris

conversion into Fahrenheit (82-90ºF) high to lows of (73-75ºF)

you also stated that he's being kept in a terrarium w/ 60% humidity.

I'd say that you're cooking the poor animal.

Forget the poisoning of parasites for now. I don't believe that is the case
since he started having problems when you started taking care of him.

Do this.
Take him out of the terrarium and put him in a fake tree or elevated bush
they need not be expensive... just something that gives him a place to hide and feel sheltered.

Erect a 40-60W bulb w/ reflector and direct the light to the top of the plant 30 cm
away from the top of the plant were he can reach a basking zone.
Put him in the lush plant leavers and branches and leave him alone.

Take a clean and clear glass of water (broad rimmed and wide mouth)
and place it somewhere he can reach it to drink from.
He'll be attracted to the sparkle and shine of the waters reflection.
so if you can have a light on it where he won't feel exposed.. he'll drink from it.

Or place him in a shower as others have suggested (with plant support)

Right now -he's been stressed enough.. let him rest and re-hydrate.
if you keep it up you will "apple kill' the poor thing.
don't try to force feed him or medicate for now.
his color will return.

Take the time to get a screen cage so that he has airflow
do not try to bake him under lights for 12 hours a day
let the animal regulate their own temps on their own.
water can be given in a glass that they can drink from.
misting does not work in all cases for all owners.
or you can give him a shower as others have suggested.


let us know his behavior and progress.
best of luck. jc.

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