Advice needed 🙏

[Rosie/Diego]

Hi all,

I'm after some help with Diego my nosy be panther. He's around 5 years and for the last 2-3 months he's been looking and acting so poorly. I've taken him to the vets several times where they tested him and found worms so he was treated for this and when tested again showed no signs for worms however still seems to be losing weight.
He's in a large viv, semi bioactive and other than changing his bulbs to ensure the heat and UV is all working perfectly I haven't changed anything that could cause any upset as far as I'm aware.
He has a very good appetite and at the moment I know I'm over feeding him to try and get him to pack on a bit of weight. He generally is only interesting in Locusts, and I was giving wax worms and fruit beetle lavae to get more fat and moisture into his diet but he lost interest in them. I've been misting regularly as always but also giving reptiboost which he has been drinking but nothing seems to be working.
He has sunken eyes and casque and his bones are all becoming really prominent on his limbs and back. His grip is really weak and he keeps falling asleep. It's breaking my heart to see him like this as he's always been so healthy and active.
We're going back to the vets tonight but I'm not sure what they can do for him and I'm worried it'd be kinder to have him put to sleep right now than have him suffer. Obviously this is a last resort.
Does anyone know what the vet should be looking for in particular? Should he be doing bloods as he never has before. He's done an ultrasound that showed distention and he was given some pain relief but don't think anything has done any good.
Please help, any advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Beman]

Unfortunately he is older which is not going in your favor. Depending on the type of meds they gave him this can be hard on their renal system. They can run blood work to see what could be going on. If it is a matter of his renal system not working as it should or if he maybe is fighting an infection.

 

[nightanole]

Another vote for renal. Id say half my crew that died of old age, it was renal failure. The kidneys slowly crystalize.

I will say the cause is protein type and amount. So depending on what the vet says, and if you can get the fluids going, you might have to put him on a low protein high fat(i mean its a cham, they dont have carbs, so the only choices are protein and fat) diet. Id start off seeing if you can find some cheap caterpillars in your area such as silk worms or horn worms. They are basically "bags of water" and will turbo boost the fluids to the point you get runny urate.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi. So sorry that your fella isn’t doing well. Unfortunately, at 5 years he’s an older chameleon, and it’s difficult to know what is best to do. Getting some labs drawn may give you an idea of what is going on and how best to proceed. Infections can cause what you describe and be relatively easily cleared. Impaired organ function isn’t so easy and depending on severity, may not be treatable and the best we can do is try to buy some time. Your vet and your heart are your guides.
In the meantime, you can add some extra branches, vines or even some sort of safety net to prevent him from injury if he falls. If he is in a truly poor condition, a hospital bin might be needed. Since you mention locusts, I assume you’re not in the US and not able to get hornworms. Silkworms are your best feeders to help hydrate him, as mentioned already. They also have some great nutritional value. Wishing you and Diego the very best.

 

[Rosie/Diego]

Thank you all for your help appreciate it and mentioned it to the vet. He's done bloods and given him some fluids and a powdered food supplement to feed with his Locusts.
I did try silks worms, not easy to get hold of here. He ate one and the rest of them died off pretty quick. Think he had 2 of the fruit beetle lavae and then lost interest.
I've adapted his enclosure (a temporary fix for tonight) extra branches and raised the floor.
Will update when I know more.
Also attached a pic so you can see him. So pale and fell asleep on way home from vets