A tragedy

[westcoastchameleons]

My year and a half old female recently passed, she was fine and seemed to be healthy when i left for a trip...one day later as my mom was doing the keeper duties she found the female dead......This was very crushing/saddening to me.....does anyone have any ideas as to why she passed.....

im very sad, i loved her alot even though she was just a pet, she was with me for so long....a horrible loss

 

[jenfur427]

I'm sorry for your loss. I haven't been around chams long enough to even speculate what went wrong.

 

[MicheleSmith]

Very sorry for your loss. If anyone on this forum could even begin to determine the cause of her death, you'd need to describe the symptoms she displayed before/after death.

Bruises, lumps in her abdomen- there are so many variables that could have lead to this...there are still so many things we don't know about chameleons, they can be extremely unpredictable. Chameleon keeping can be risky business. Again, very sorry

 

[westcoastchameleons]

she didnt give me any bad signs except for taking a little longer to finish a feeding...and she wasnt egg bound

 

[Jam]

If you still have her, you could have a good vet to a necropsy or autopsy on her... that's what I had done when my first cham corey died. They can be as simple as the vet cutting them open to look around and check for abnormalities to as extensive as having tissue cultures sent off to larger universities and/or testing labs.

 

[ucsdmolpath]

hi there,

your cham's symptoms sounds like the symptoms that my small male werner's chameleon had just recently...the poor thing also recently passed

i did notice was that every now and then he would puff up his chin flap...not continuously, but enough additional times for me to notice....and i saw him closing his eyes a couple of times during the day. his appetite decreased dramatically, though he was not dehydrated. (he still visited the dripper and drank from it regularly) did you also notice these kinds of things? i was originally hoping that it was just the heat wave we're having in san diego, and also that he was shedding... still hurts to think about it...

i can't figure out what happened, except maybe he somehow contracted a very aggressive respiratory infection...though his pregnant female friend in the same cage is doing fine...had her checked out, and a completely clean bill of health....

any insights anyone?

=^_^= eric

 

[Frank Castle]

Possible compaction? Not going to the bathroom? Thats all I can think of.

 

[scitamenic]

Let me just say it wasnt the chameleon. Look your mom in the eyes and ask her. Its obivious she killed it because she didnt want it in the house. Guilt trip her ass.

when all else fails, you got to come up with solutions like mine.

 

[Prism Chameleons]

Jake,

I am so sorry! Anytime one loses a pet or one of our chameleons, it is a very upsetting and sad experience.

They best way to determine her death is to take her to the vet for a necropsy to be done. Many veterinarians appreciate this and do not charge because there is still so much we do not know about Old World Chameleons and much research is still needed. My vet has continually asked me, that if I ever lose a chameleon to please let him research the chameleon for more scientific knowledge.

Aside from the normal illnesses we already know that can cause death in chameleons (i.e. MBD, parasites, egg binding, etc.), they can also die from causes that us humans experience as well. She may have had heart difficulties, tumors, and other internal problems. Just as our other pets like dogs and cats, chameleons can get illnesses and diseases too that have nothing to do with the care we give them. The only thing we can do is help provide more knowledge and research to the veterinarian community, as well as to herpetology researchers.

So again, I'm sorry for your loss and remember, it is definitely possible it has nothing to do with your care... She may have had other difficulties that caused her death. And in those cases, there is nothing that there could have been done to save her.

 

[westcoastchameleons]

Jake,

I am so sorry! Anytime one loses a pet or one of our chameleons, it is a very upsetting and sad experience.

They best way to determine her death is to take her to the vet for a necropsy to be done. Many veterinarians appreciate this and do not charge because there is still so much we do not know about Old World Chameleons and much research is still needed. My vet has continually asked me, that if I ever lose a chameleon to please let him research the chameleon for more scientific knowledge.

Aside from the normal illnesses we already know that can cause death in chameleons (i.e. MBD, parasites, egg binding, etc.), they can also die from causes that us humans experience as well. She may have had heart difficulties, tumors, and other internal problems. Just as our other pets like dogs and cats, chameleons can get illnesses and diseases too that have nothing to do with the care we give them. The only thing we can do is help provide more knowledge and research to the veterinarian community, as well as to herpetology researchers.

So again, I'm sorry for your loss and remember, it is definitely possible it has nothing to do with your care... She may have had other difficulties that caused her death. And in those cases, there is nothing that there could have been done to save her.

Thank you very much jenna! This was a hard loss of one of my favorites.I appreciate your help and concern, I will call you soon about getting a chameleon also!

 

[Prism Chameleons]

You are welcome Jake. Anytime we lose a chameleon is a sadness. Just give me a call when you are ready and I'd be happy to provide you with a beautiful new panther! Tomorrow is always another day, with new adventures, new life, and new beginnings .