Sick Oliver on Ceftaz

Hello everyone,

I took Oliver to the vet on July 10th, to get a nasty scratch looked at.
This was july 10 https://imageshack.com/i/ide5HKA4j

The vet prescribed .03 injectable Ceftaz (antibiotic) for 3 weeks.
During that time Oliver would not eat and hadn't been prior to the vet visit, so I had him on bug juice and other oral supplements. While also giving daily soaks and time outside.

I took him back to the vet and she was disappointed with his progress, so he was put on another week of ceftaz. I also had her look into one of his eyes which doesn't close shut when he sleeps and she said it looked inflamed. She didn't take a culture but prescribed Tobramycin drops 2x a day. To me it looked like the chameleon version of conjunctivitis.

I took him back to the vet friday and she still wanted to continue the antibiotics. She also prescribed liquid calcium (.1 2x a day) because she thought he needed the extra


Right now I think I should stop all medication for at least a week. She is an exotic but I can't blindly listen to her recommendations for reptiles, unless you guys believe I should.

Food wise he is getting dino fuel, a little bit of carnivore care, roach bug juice and repta boost. I also gave him some pedialyte today.

This is his skin today



https://imageshack.com/i/eyNrH82jj

He started to shed on the other side of him, but it has been taking a long long time.

I just don't know what else to do.

After a small dose of pedialyte at about 8am, I took him out side to enjoy the rain. It was hot, humid and rainy so it was perfect for Oliver to be out in. The sun has just started to come out and warm everything up so he is basking in that. He is drinking more and more today willingly than he was yesterday

This is of course the better side, but seeing his blues come back makes me really happy

good to hear he is showing some sort of recovery, natural sunlight is one of the best things u can do for your cham, if possible , keep him out all day. It will help his immune system, try to feed him something he doesnt usually eat, like a silkworm, they love those!

It's nice to know that he is starting to feel a bit better.
Other than the known physical benefits, I think it makes chams feel "happy" to be outdoors in nice weather.

boo-boo

His injury looks so much better!

I'm amazed what a day can do with out meds...actually astonished

give him more sun, get him outside all day if you can, as long as it doesnt go past 90 degrees youre good

I would continue the antibiotics. There is definitely some ulceration of the skin and if there is some conjunctivitis present then those can be challenging to treat. So antibiotics are definitely going to be an ally, and ceftazidime has few side effects. I am concerned that there may be a significant fungal component as well. The moist looking crusting covering larger areas can be more consistent with fungal, although not always. If it is not starting to clear with antibacterial options especially that worries me for something fungal. The best course of action would be a skin biopsy of one of the abnormal areas, which would be a quick little sample of the full thickness of the skin sent off to the lab to look for bacterial, fungal, and viral components. Then you'll have a much better idea of what you're trying to treat rather than just continuing blindly and hoping for progress. Whatever is affecting the skin can also affect internal organs as well, whether it's fungal or bacterial, which is most likely why he's feeling so crummy. Sun is always great, as is keeping him hydrated. There's nothing wrong with pedialyte but also get just good old water in there too.

I will call the vet as soon as I am back home. She did say that the injection sites would turn black but I never expected the spots on his legs to get that gross.

The stuff around his mouth is just dried food if anyone was looking at that.

What do you think about the extra calcium prescribed?
Thank you

This might be a better resolution

Those are the injection sites? Usually I give ceftaz in the legs. Not wrong to give it there but a bit concerning that the sites are that angry looking. Bruising can happen but shouldn't look like a bloody sore. I was talking more about the rest of the skin too - that doesn't just look like normal shedding skin. That looks like abnormal skin layering up and sloughing off.

The black spots on his back are the original infection. The spots around his legs are where I'm concerned the most for fungal.



I just called the office and they said they'd call in the next hour or two. If it is fungal, what med would usually be prescribed...I just want to start researching that.
Thank you

ferretinmyshoes said:

I was talking more about the rest of the skin too - that doesn't just look like normal shedding skin. That looks like abnormal skin layering up and sloughing off.

Click to expand...

I too think the skin looks very strange. Not like a normal shed but like the skin has become loose and is sloughing off in layers.

Itraconozole and ketaconazole are two fungal medications that might be used.

Hope he has a full recovery. You can tell there is a beautiful panther under all that. Curious as to how he was 'scratched' in the first place.

Thank you.
Literally the minute we got home from the vet for a routine check up, he got stuck between two branches in his out side cage and got cut....

It sounds like he desperately needs those branches removed and replaced with artificial vines that can't cut him and some live plants for leaf cover.

Anything sharp or anything that can otherwise cut a cham is just another accident waiting to happen.

Better put something on his new cut to prevent a second infection.

OR if there was a skin problem already present it can itch and they will sometimes rub on branches trying to scratch an itch, and thus cause more damage. Rather than the branch being the inciting cause.

I don't purposely leave the branches sharp....he got himself wedged in between them and before I could cut him out he was free I've since then, fixed that


Now another symptom...can blood come out when he ejaculates sperm plugs??

The blood where I'm pointing the stick at is on top of his poop, not mixed in. I saw it come out with his sperm plugs
The black particles are just dirt/debris from the plant.

Sorry I sounded so harsh, froggielog.

I didn't think you left them sharp on purpose but wanted to emphasize that those flexible artificial vines would be nearly impossible for him to get cut on.