Guido is constipated!

Dave Weldon and friends
You perhaps remember that we wrote about Guido (2 1/2 fr old male veiled) a number of weeks ago. He had eaten some tiny twigs in the bottom of a new plant we put in his area. He got impacted and did not poop for a couple of weeks. Well, we gave him bits of pear and pedialyte. After a while it worked. But since then, he only poops in the shower and only about every 2 weeks. We shower him almost every day now. He used to poop every day from a particular vine onto a paper towel. Every 2 weeks seems like a long long time to us but he doesn't seem to be having other problems with that schedule.
Well, then about 2 weeks ago he seemed to be failing. He was hanging on his vine with one leg hanging down and his head resting on a slat. And his eye was glued shut. So off to the vet. We went to the Bird and Exotic Clinic of Seattle which is an excellent facility. Dr Tracy Bennett and Dr Dan. Very caring and knowledgeable.
They examined him and of course he perked up for the whole trip and for the doctor. Looked just great, very active and very strong. They said they never saw such an active chameleon. His gums looked a bit white to the Doc so they suspected an infection as we did. So they perscribed an antibiotic Ticar at .07ml injected once a day for 10 days. They sent us home with 9 hypodermic needles. And they did a blood analysis for him too. The result was not too bad. Some evidence of an infection present in the body. And his calcium was a little high and his Phosphorus was a little low.
They talked to us about changing his diet so we are going to start him on silkies or maybe butterworms. He hates crickets and we do too. He has been living on Superworms and an occasional waxworm.
Guido responded to the antibiotic right way and after 10 days he was quite tired of being injected every day.
Another major thing we talked to the doc about was his pooping every 2 weeks! They had no suggestions and said it may be normal for him. They said when a cham gets older sometimes they do poop irregularly.
Then we talked about parasites. It seems that Guido has been fighting with parasites forever. We have given him Panacur quite a lot but the doc says that the parasites he has may be unaffected by the Panacur. so they asked us to bring in a stool sample for them to analyze. Then they would give Guido a different drug to treat the parasites. However, he has not pooped in over 2weeks so we cannot take the sample to them. We asked if they could just give him some other drug but they won't without analyzing his stool. They are telling me to bring him back in for an enema, clean him out and then they can check his stool and give him a drug.
We know he has parasites because he does pass one of them every so often. Rather long yellowish worm looking things with what looks like a head at both ends.
So I guess I am just asking for any advice here
1. Any comments about the 2 week poop cycle?
2. Any ideas on giving a cham an enama?
3. Any way to get a drug for parasites without going to the vet?
4. Are there any homeopathic kind of treatments for parasites?

As always we do appreciate your help.
Elliot and Sandy

gesang said:

We know he has parasites because he does pass one of them every so often. Rather long yellowish worm looking things with what looks like a head at both ends.

1. Any comments about the 2 week poop cycle?
2. Any ideas on giving a cham an enema?
3. Any way to get a drug for parasites without going to the vet?
4. Are there any homeopathic kind of treatments for parasites?

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Howdy Elliot and Sandy,

Having fully formed worms coming out is probably the biggest indicator of why things are not right. A high parasite count could be the cause of the infection being detected by the blood test. Parasites can damage internal surfaces leaving them susceptible to infection. The two week poop cycle is probably tied to the parasites too. Does the poop really stink? Getting a fecal sample by doing an enema is stressful but may be necessary if you can't get a sample the old-fashioned way. You really want to get that analysis done to make sure you are using the right drugs. The wrong drugs will waste treatment time and possibly risk additional health problems. I don't know of any homeopathic treatment methods.

Tough situation but it sounds like you have vets who have a clue.

Thank you, Dave. We did want to confirm that an enema would not be harmful. Yes, his poop really do stink. We plan to head back to the vet Wednesday. We took him to the vet 2 years ago for the parasites. He prescribed panacur. So, we gave it to him regularly (still do), and, like a dummy, I thought the fact that he passed a worm with each stool was a result of the panacur (killing them off). Duh. The panacur should have made them disappear. In the mean time, we changed food distributors, etc., trying to eliminate what we thought was a repeated infestation. The truth probably is that he has never been free of the initial infestation. Somehow, up until recently he has managed to thrive in spite of it all. Thank God for that. And thank you for all your help with Guido!

I read that he has been living on Superworms. Maybe that has something to do with the problems (can be harder to digest) as well? Just an idea...

If you and your cham hates cricket do as I do and switch do roaches (B. dubia). Quiet and my cham loves them.

Hope everything turns out well!

I'd like to see a picture of one of these worms. Seems strange to have a veiled with worms in the first place. If he's been on panacur, he shoudln't have intestinal worms. It's very strange. Possibly tapeworms? They have a head on the end, if they're passed whole (which doesn't usually happen). Also, tapeworms sometimes don't die from fenbendazol (panacur). One dose of droncit will do them in, however, almost all the time.

Have you ever had a vet actually do a fecal and confirm there were worms?

Many vets assume chameleons are Wild caught, and treat them for parasites without a fecal - without knowing that most veileds are CB.

How much does he eat per sitting/per day? I've seen constipation a number of times when animals are fed a lot at once, or just overfed in general.

A slightly dehydrated chameleon will also become constipated. Give him a lot of water, and see if he starts going. Spray him with some very warm water, for a long time.

gesang said:

...We did want to confirm that an enema would not be harmful. Yes, his poop really do stink...

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Howdy,

I wouldn't expect an enema to be harmful, just stressful. Do what it takes to get the sample for the fecal test. Stinky poop is parasites. I wouldn't be surprised if the vet prescribes several different drugs to cover multiple parasite types. You'll need follow-up fecal checks to figure out if things are getting better. During treatment and after, you'll need to keep things sanatized or you'll risk re-infecting him with the parasites left on surfaces and in soil. Good luck .

Smegma Plug, of all things !

Well, last night I fed Guido some canned pears. This helped us alot when he had his impaction a couple of months ago. At that time he was getting canned pears soaked in Pedialyte, to keep him hyperhydrated in hopes of easing out the impaction. He also got half&half pedialyte/water combo. And it worked.

Well, it worked last night too. No pedialyte, just canned pears. And, this morning when he showered, he pooped. Big time. Therefore, we were able to avoid an enema, and get the stool to the vet today.

But, guess what? No parasites, no eggs, no larva, no nothing. We did take along a dried specimen he passed the other week, that I thought was a HUGE parasite. Turns out the dried specimen was a SMEGMA PLUG. In all our studying and researching, we had somehow missed the chapter on smegma plugs.

Bottom line is: the impaction he had in May probably caused some permanent challenge internally, resulting in his irregular bowel movements. His diet is too rich and too high in calcium, causing further problems. The solution is to change his diet, and, for the time being, feed him pears now and then to help him move. I brought crickets home today (he used to hate them) and he devoured them with great gusto. So, for now it will be crickets.

FECES ON THE LEFT (smegma on the right). Yes, it looks like chicken breast but it's his feces (i'm sure it doesn't taste like chicken )
GUIDO IN MAY WHILE HE HAD HIS IMPACTION- STILL STRUTTIN HIS STUFF

Eric Adrignola said:

How much does he eat per sitting/per day? I've seen constipation a number of times when animals are fed a lot at once, or just overfed in general.

A slightly dehydrated chameleon will also become constipated. Give him a lot of water, and see if he starts going. Spray him with some very warm water, for a long time.

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Thank you, Eric for the advice, and I do agree that he is probably overfed. We cut back on his feeding after Dave W. advised us a couple of months ago. And he has since lost some weight. But he's still a bit chunky. He loves the large, really fat superworms. When I pull one of those babies out, his whole countenance lights up! But we have learned it is too rich a diet, and it probably led to the large smegma plugs he developed. The one photo here is of a smegma plug that is probably mostly exoskeleton of a superworm.

He does shower nearly everyday, and drinks then. And also gets misted and sometimes drinks from his spray bottle when I hold it up near the side of his mouth. So, he's pretty well hydrated. The doctor said to give him pears regularly.

Seems to me there ought to be something mentioned in the chameleon books about smegma plugs. This evening, when I googled the term, I found quite a few links to this website, where it was discussed early last year. Sorry I missed it. We only found out about this website from Dave W. in May.

Thank you for all your help, guys. Sandy

Hempa said:

I read that he has been living on Superworms. Maybe that has something to do with the problems (can be harder to digest) as well? Just an idea...

If you and your cham hates cricket do as I do and switch do roaches (B. dubia). Quiet and my cham loves them.

Hope everything turns out well!

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Thank you for the advice and the well wishes. Guido is doing great, and we have changed his diet to crickets.

Howdy,

That little string-like material is commonly found wiped on a branch or still dangling out of the vent. Once in a great while, we get a post showing a hemipenal plug which is a whole lot bigger . Here's the postings from a more recent episode: https://www.chameleonforums.com/possible-tape-hook-worm-4548/

Can you post the blood test results, especially the Calcium and Phosphorus numbers. I'd be surprised if his calcium levels are too high unless you've been doing lots of dusting. Feeding superworms without dusting them is more often the cause of the calcium-to-phosphorus ratio being upside-down.

Keep an eye on the canned pears thing. I worry about continuing that for too long -- lots of sugars... Keep checking with your vet about how that goes...

Glad to hear that he seems to be doing better .

Guido is a nice looking boy! Sounds like he will be fine with a diet change. Superworms are one of the least nutritious things you can give a reptile. They are good for treats but not as a basic diet. My chams love them too but I try to limit them. The crickets and Dubia roaches, as suggested by the others, would be best. After he becomes regular again you can also introduce a few silkworms or hornworms.

As to that plug. It is definitely related to the reproductive system. It's something that is shed on a fairly regular basis when all is going well. It's semi dried secretions and it comes out intact but kind of pliable and then dries to a branch or the cage floor. It often comes out along with the poop. Males that are not sexually active (no exposure to females) can become plugged up so that the material will not come out. It will dry up inside both sides of the tail bulge. You can actually feel this dried mass if you feel both sides of the bulge. It then builds up from the inside. This condition could be a problem. A vet or experienced breeder can get the dried plug out if necessary. Breeding males will often eject this material when they see a female and prepare for breeding. They want that stuff out of there before they grab on to that female for mating.

Sounds like Guido has some great parents. Taking him to that best was the best decision. The blood panel tells the vet a lot about general health and nutritional needs. Will Guido ever get to have a lady friend?

I spoke to the Vet's office about the sugar thing. That's why I didn't do the pears on a regular basis, even though I knew it helped him. They said it will be alright to do it somewhat regularly. I plan to do it about once a week, half a teaspoon full. It has to be finger-fed to him, as wet pear won't stick to his tongue. He licks his chops after getting it, and appears to like it.

I did dust his superworms, about twice a week.

We are requesting a copy of his bloodworkup, which we will post here when we receive it. The vet's office is over an hour from our home, so we're going to get it in the mail.

Ah, so the smegma stuff is not related to digested matter.

A girlfriend for Guido

About Guido having a mate:

So far Guido has only been romantically involved with gloves , a beanie baby chameleon , my slippers , and my left hand (which was the first time he got "aroused" and it scared the daylights out of me- I thought he was attacking me at first. Which surprised me because we had such a good relationship. I guess he thought so, too . Of course, I insisted on keeping things platonic. Needless to say I strongly (but gently) discouraged his advances. That's when we got him Suzie (the beanie baby).

We are so new to all of this, 2 1/2 years (Guido is 3), that I'm afraid we don't trust our husbandry. Females appear to be much more challenging, and the results can be so tragic and heartbreaking. Plus, I don't know what we would do with the offspring (if we should be fortunate enough to get it right). It's not like we're trusted breeders. And veiled chams are probably not in great demand (although my husband and I think they're wonderful! As do the many people who have joined this forum. Guido is so very sweet natured, even though he is decidedly his own man.) But veiled's seem quite plain compared to the other exotic chams pictured on the forum. These are just some of the reasons we felt that getting Guido a girlfriend just wouldn't be worth the risks. Of course, HE probably would not agree.

Raising a chameleon is a very "geek-like" responsibility- it's all so technical, which is why my husband enjoys it. I tend to get emotionally attached and protective. And anxious when "things don't seem right". It's very complex and challenging, and there's this whole subculture surrounding these beautiful little creatures. It can be very rewarding.

Guido still prefers to be hand fed. And, when he tried to mate with my hand, I thought- oh, no, he's imprinted on me. But then I realized, chameleons are entirely solitary in their life and development. Hence, they don't imprint. They are merely impulsive.

Even so, they're so vulnerable, they really are our little kids, aren't they?

The smegma is a seminal plug (I am in a hurry, si I didn't read all the othe rposts in detail). Are you dusting a lot? Sometimes, if given insects dusted with rep-cal too much, chameleons can develop constipation as a secondary symptom of the hardening/calcification of their intestines. Just make sure he's not oversupplemented.

just read this thread - that vet is literally a couple blocks from my house. Come visit next time your in my neighborhood.

Too bad we both have males!

Thank you for writing. Good advice. We have reduced his dusting.

royden said:

just read this thread - that vet is literally a couple blocks from my house. Come visit next time your in my neighborhood.

Too bad we both have males!

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Ah, yes, it would have been nice to give Guido a date night with someone's female. He is a good looking cham, and very hardy, and friendly. Probably a good choice for breeding. Maybe someone with a lonely female will see this and let us know.

Thank you for the invitation to come visit. Next time we're there, we'll write ahead of time and see if you're available. Sandy & Elliot

Guido's parents...............your post expressing your concerns and the responsibility you feel for him was very lovely and well expressed. He will be fine without a female because of the care you provide for him in general. I have panthers but I think Veileds are equally attractive and interesting. There is NOTHING plain about Guido

I just took a good look at that picture of him in May. I know time has passed, but going by that picture, he seems very overweight - and, it appears that his eye is swollen out quite a bit more than normal.

A combination of overfeeding and a vitamin imblance is a likely cause. When their eyes swell, it's often vitamin A. Either too much or too little (gotta love the way this works, eh?).

What supplements are you using, how often, how much? And, what are you feeding your insects? Some commercial gutloads contain ingredients that may cause such a problem with the eyes.

PardalisGirl said:

Guido's parents...............your post expressing your concerns and the responsibility you feel for him was very lovely and well expressed. He will be fine without a female because of the care you provide for him in general. I have panthers but I think Veileds are equally attractive and interesting. There is NOTHING plain about Guido

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Thank you for the encouragement!