advice plz

wow

New Member
today i went into the local pet store and they had a male panther chameleon he looks like an ambanja fully grown i just want to now what to look for in him so that i now he is healthy. they actually are doing a pretty good job of taking care of him.
 
bright colors, eyes not swollen, activity and movement. also see if they have a good enclosure and its right. i do not support pet stores that have the wrong set up. this incorrect set up can cause the chameleon to get sick and unhealthy. so if the pet shop you are looking at is petco or petsmart, do not buy because every chameleon ive seen in any of those stores, there enclosure was all wrong and they chameleons looked so bad. but ive only seen them have veildes and jacksons, so maybe this is a good place. also ask questions from the person you are buying it from. ask how long they have been working with chameleons and i like asking simple questions i know the answer to. you know to test them and if they get the simples question wrong they dont know jack about chameleons. hope this was a little help just dont buy from petco or petsmart!
 
The general advice is to look for clear open eyes, watch him for a long time and see if he closes them for periods of time. Also be observant of how active he is.
Hold him and get him to open his mouth. Check for signs of any bacterial infection and make sure the inside of his mouth looks pink and healthy.
Check claws and limbs for injuries, infection, signs of MBD.
Ask if you can take a fecal to your vet before you purchase or, better yet, if you can take him plus the fecal for a wellness check.
I hate to put a general ban on pet store purchasing....if they seem to be doing a good job with him maybe they're okay.
I would quiz them with some basic husbandry questions and see how knowledgeable they are.
If someone sells you a car they expect that you may take it to a mechanic, the same rules should apply here. You may have to leave some collateral ie: credit card but if they don't let you have him checked out I would think again about purchasing.

-Brad
 
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