I think Spike might be on his last ounce of energy. I have gotten great feedback from many of you and I thank you for the encouragement. It has been suggested that I give more information about Spike to see if there is anything left I can do to help him out.
Spike went on a hunger strike about three weeks ago. Until that point, he had been thriving in our environment (about one and a half years). He was so weak this past Saturday, we took him to a vet who specializes in exotics. He was de-wormed (JIC), hydrated, force fed a mixture with food and injected with calcium and vitamin A, D & E.
We really don't know why he went on a hunger strike because nothing in his environment had truly changed, which makes me think it's something internal.
Spike seemed to perk up a little after the vet visit. Saturday night though, we noticed a problem with his right eye being swollen and a purple pea sized bulge when he blinked. Then we noticed a funky color change on his body at certain times. I will post pictures of both these scenarios.
Sunday, we force fed him two crickets and a sow bug (spring has hit and we are starting to see fresh food - last summer he ate sow bugs like m-n-ms).
I have been giving him a warm water soak 20 minutes a day per the vet because she said Spike can soak in some water through his anus for hydration purposes.
So now, Spike is very weak again. He's had enough "spunk" that I can't get his mouth open for a force feeding and feel that it is just stressing him out more. He hasn't eaten since Sunday and is sleeping most of the morning today with a limited grip on his branches.
I hate to see him weak and suffering and based on input from you all, I may take him back to the vet to be put down because I'm thinking that all the signs are not so good and to know that he is suffering seems cruel. There is so much emotional pull to keep him going though, my four kids and I are pretty attached to this guy. I was hopeful this weekend because he bounced back with the injections, but now that he isn't responding to me, I'm thinking there may be more underlying issues that I can see.
Thank you in advance for any advice. Here are the particulars of his habitat below that he once thrived in:
Chameleon Info:
Spike, Male, 2 years old
How long has it been in your care? 1 1/2 years
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Frequently
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Gut loaded crickets in the winter and fresh caught sow bugs and beetles in the summer in addition to the crickets.
What amount? On demand. Some days he'd eat 4-6 crickets and then take a couple days off. Some days he'd take two and eat a few days in a row. He would eat from our hands or hunt. We never left in extra crickets over night.
Watering - We mist a few time a day. He only drinks directly from the squirt bottle, so I stand and "nurse" him until he stops drinking. Usually every day or other day. I leave the spray bottle with the red cap next to his cage and he crawls in front of it if he is thirsty too.
Fecal Description - This weeks droppings from the force feed are only partially digested. You can see the main body of the cricket. He was de-wormed at the vet this weekend just in case.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - All screen 2 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet
Lighting - Heat and UV
Temperature - Night time about 65 degrees, Day time up to high 70's.
Plants - All fake
Placement - Cage is in the living room next to a bay window and over a radiant heat source. Therefore lots of misting to keep things moist.
Location - CT
Current Problem - Hunger Strike to the point of extreme weakness. Discoloration on skin. Swollen eye.
Spike went on a hunger strike about three weeks ago. Until that point, he had been thriving in our environment (about one and a half years). He was so weak this past Saturday, we took him to a vet who specializes in exotics. He was de-wormed (JIC), hydrated, force fed a mixture with food and injected with calcium and vitamin A, D & E.
We really don't know why he went on a hunger strike because nothing in his environment had truly changed, which makes me think it's something internal.
Spike seemed to perk up a little after the vet visit. Saturday night though, we noticed a problem with his right eye being swollen and a purple pea sized bulge when he blinked. Then we noticed a funky color change on his body at certain times. I will post pictures of both these scenarios.
Sunday, we force fed him two crickets and a sow bug (spring has hit and we are starting to see fresh food - last summer he ate sow bugs like m-n-ms).
I have been giving him a warm water soak 20 minutes a day per the vet because she said Spike can soak in some water through his anus for hydration purposes.
So now, Spike is very weak again. He's had enough "spunk" that I can't get his mouth open for a force feeding and feel that it is just stressing him out more. He hasn't eaten since Sunday and is sleeping most of the morning today with a limited grip on his branches.
I hate to see him weak and suffering and based on input from you all, I may take him back to the vet to be put down because I'm thinking that all the signs are not so good and to know that he is suffering seems cruel. There is so much emotional pull to keep him going though, my four kids and I are pretty attached to this guy. I was hopeful this weekend because he bounced back with the injections, but now that he isn't responding to me, I'm thinking there may be more underlying issues that I can see.
Thank you in advance for any advice. Here are the particulars of his habitat below that he once thrived in:
Chameleon Info:
Spike, Male, 2 years old
How long has it been in your care? 1 1/2 years
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Frequently
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Gut loaded crickets in the winter and fresh caught sow bugs and beetles in the summer in addition to the crickets.
What amount? On demand. Some days he'd eat 4-6 crickets and then take a couple days off. Some days he'd take two and eat a few days in a row. He would eat from our hands or hunt. We never left in extra crickets over night.
Watering - We mist a few time a day. He only drinks directly from the squirt bottle, so I stand and "nurse" him until he stops drinking. Usually every day or other day. I leave the spray bottle with the red cap next to his cage and he crawls in front of it if he is thirsty too.
Fecal Description - This weeks droppings from the force feed are only partially digested. You can see the main body of the cricket. He was de-wormed at the vet this weekend just in case.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - All screen 2 1/2 feet by 2 1/2 feet
Lighting - Heat and UV
Temperature - Night time about 65 degrees, Day time up to high 70's.
Plants - All fake
Placement - Cage is in the living room next to a bay window and over a radiant heat source. Therefore lots of misting to keep things moist.
Location - CT
Current Problem - Hunger Strike to the point of extreme weakness. Discoloration on skin. Swollen eye.