Almost 7

Hansen

Member
Panther, male 7yrs oldI have had him since he was days old and fit on my thumbnail
I handle him alot. He comes toward me when I open his door
I feed him vegetable gut loaded roaches and super worms. Then I also get a crate of blues or silks every other week. I feed him when he goes over to where he eats. Every other day I try. I put Repashy calcium plus on his food at every feeding. Then a little extra calcium every weekend.. His uvb lights are 4 months old now and his basking lights are 60 watts and sitting where they have sat for 5 years, under his favorite sitting area.He has a temp change varient of 15°...70-85. He has large live plants and big puffy tomatoe ties to walk on. Since he has been old he has flat reptile hammock to sit on when he can't grip well.
He has a humidifier and a gallon jug of water w a special size hole that has it steady dripping all day. I don't measure his humidity but he's in the laundry room and I can feel the humidity in the summer. I remove his water and turn the humidifier off all night. His screen cage sits on top of tub that catches his water and pumps it out and into the drain. I often put a bit of bleach in the tub so his cage smells good. He drinks every a.m. in front of me and then when ever he wants all day.
His poo is chocolate brown and white-white. Solid and stinks. No parasites. Eats like a champ. His cage is 2'x2'x3.5'.
My issue is I think he has brain thing. He hangs over the side of his mat and is looking at nothing but looks all day. He seems to have dementia? Or some age related problem. He has not had any changes of husbandry in years except, I can no longer trust him not to fall so he doesn't free range anymore. I got him carprofen but it didn't help. Poor guy isn't having any fun anymore. Got any ideas for safe sleeping and any other suggested meds. He definitely cannot walk and keep his balance anymore. I keep several vines running together everywhere cause, again, his brain won't set his foot on things confidently. He sometimes leans so far out looking at nothing that he will tumble off. What do you guys think, just old age?
 
Wow! If you hadn’t had him for 7 years with the same husbandry, I’d say he’s at risk for vitamin D3 and possibly vitamin A toxicity. The Repashy Calcium Plus that you use…is it the one with a leopard gecko on the label?
 
Wow! If you hadn’t had him for 7 years with the same husbandry, I’d say he’s at risk for vitamin D3 and possibly vitamin A toxicity. The Repashy Calcium Plus that you use…is it the one with a leopard gecko on the label?
Yes, it's his whole life and I havnt been gone more than a few days so it's totally on me. His lights are still measuring on the high side, but if you think I should be adding d3...maybe he needs more w him being so old. I can take any advice you have. About 3 years ago, one of the real experienced people had a little article on the forum that said that Repashy is by far the best quality and ratios of things they need. That if We used specifically that on their food that we didn't need to willy nilly make guesses for what and how much they need. But Ill change it if you think I'm f-ing up. I'm a little old lady with this little old cham and I want him to have his best life. He is a little fat as you can see.
 
You've done very well to have him that long! Nice job!

Can you post a couple of photos of him please?
Do you think I'm over feeding him? Since he started staring at whatever he's looking at, he has gained a fat tummy. Lol The little mats are there in case he should loose his grip. I know he has arthritis but the stuff (carpofen) didn't make a noticeable difference.
Yes, it's his whole life and I havnt been gone more than a few days so it's totally on me. His lights are still measuring on the high side, but if you think I should be adding d3...maybe he needs more w him being so old. I can take any advice you have. About 3 years ago, one of the real experienced people had a little article on the forum that said that Repashy is by far the best quality and ratios of things they need. That if We used specifically that on their food that we didn't need to willy nilly make guesses for what and how much they need. But Ill change it if you think I'm f-ing up. I'm a little old lady with this little old cham and I want him to have his best life. He is a little fat as you can see.
O, and yes, the gecko one
 

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I highly recommend you take you chameleon to see Dr. Dayna. She is excellent with chameleons. It says she’s only 45 minutes from you. She is well worth the drive.
https://www.auroraanimalhospital.com/our-team
I'll call Monday. Do you think it could be something medical? I mean, he is actively staring at something. I have taken the cage apart trying to find out what he is looking at. It won't hurt him, but he is always tracking something down there and it's been the same most of his life. Not the looking. The way the water runs, the hose, the screen...all the same stuff yet now he finds it very interesting. I HAVE thought he has arthritis in his neck and it just feels good to hang his head a little...Im taking him to the Dr you mentioned.
 
I'll call Monday. Do you think it could be something medical? I mean, he is actively staring at something. I have taken the cage apart trying to find out what he is looking at. It won't hurt him, but he is always tracking something down there and it's been the same most of his life. Not the looking. The way the water runs, the hose, the screen...all the same stuff yet now he finds it very interesting. I HAVE thought he has arthritis in his neck and it just feels good to hang his head a little...Im taking him to the Dr you mentioned.

You will love Dayna! She is excellent with chameleons and will be able to give you her professional opinion.
 

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Picture number two looks like he may have gout. There looks to be some swelling in the hind leg ankle and maybe even in the front leg ankle. That may be why he’s having trouble hanging on to his branches.
 
I can see a bit of brown and irregularity to the way his lips shiput in a couple of the photos. Could it be mouth rot?

What I do with old chameleons is give them long fairly wide pieces of bark leaning on the walls of the cages to sit on....one going up to one side and another to the other side close enough to each other that the chameleon can transfer from one to the other easily. (Wish I could describe that better.) I find they can grip rough tree bark easily and because it's set up like ramps , it's easy to climb too.

Good luck at the vets! Tell Dayna I said hello!
 
Yes, it's his whole life and I havnt been gone more than a few days so it's totally on me. His lights are still measuring on the high side, but if you think I should be adding d3...maybe he needs more w him being so old. I can take any advice you have. About 3 years ago, one of the real experienced people had a little article on the forum that said that Repashy is by far the best quality and ratios of things they need. That if We used specifically that on their food that we didn't need to willy nilly make guesses for what and how much they need. But Ill change it if you think I'm f-ing up. I'm a little old lady with this little old cham and I want him to have his best life. He is a little fat as you can see.
I have had zero experience with older chameleons and am too new/inexperienced to advise you on anything. If you were a new keeper of a young chameleon and using that supplement at every feeding, I’d suggest a different regimen. As you’ve been using it for 7 years and with no problems, I’m not the one to tell you to do any differently. Dr Dayna knows chameleons and is the best one to help you. I wish you and your beautiful old guy the best. :)
 
Picture number two looks like he may have gout. There looks to be some swelling in the hind leg ankle and maybe even in the front leg ankle. That may be why he’s having trouble hanging on to his branches.
I just thought he was big! He has weighed 245 grams his whole life, so. But I'm taking him to the vet that was suggested.
 
You will love Dayna! She is excellent with chameleons and will be able to give you her professional opinion.
I second this. Dr. Dayna just helped me nurse my girl back to health. She's probably the best chameleon vet in the state. If you go to Aurora Animals Hospitals website and look at her bio her picture is literally just her with 3 chameleons. I'm an hour away and it's well worth the drive.

Kudos in keeping your guy alive for 7 years. That's a good long life for a chameleon.
 
I can see a bit of brown and irregularity to the way his lips shiput in a couple of the photos. Could it be mouth rot?

What I do with old chameleons is give them long fairly wide pieces of bark leaning on the walls of the cages to sit on....one going up to one side and another to the other side close enough to each other that the chameleon can transfer from one to the other easily. (Wish I could describe that better.) I find they can grip rough tree bark easily and because it's set up like ramps , it's easy to climb too.

Good luck at the vets! Tell Dayna I said hello!
Ok, I hand feed him w long tweezers because he has a tongue deformity from birth. He has always stuck his tongue out but it is very fat and does not have that part on the tip that grabs stuff. The second pic has him scowling at me. He often tries to get a bite of my finger when I bug him. Ill ask Dayna about everything you all have mentioned.
 
I also wanted to share that Dr. Dayna and Aurora Animal Hospital books out far ... However if you call right at 730 when they open they can often get you in with a cancellation or an emergency appointment. I've had luck with that. The emergency appts are more expensive but worth it.
 
Please let us know what the vet says. We want to know how your Cham does to!
Well, I took Houdini to Dayna Willem and she said, no mouthrot, no gout, and no vitamine under or over dosing. Matter of fact, she said there wasn't much wrong husbandry-wise. I actually have 2, 7 yr old male panthers but Houdini is in much worse shape than the other one-Drago. But, it turns out these guys have major arthritis. Houdini being in more pain than Drago. She gave me injectable Adequan and Tramadol drops for pain. Other than that, they have nothing wrong. I'm going to see how the Adequan works. If it doesn't help and Houdini is still struggling than I'm going to let him go rather than have him hurting. When it comes to quality of life, as long as they are eating, sleeping and
Wow! If you hadn’t had him for 7 years with the same husbandry, I’d say he’s at risk for vitamin D3 and possibly vitamin A toxicity. The Repashy Calcium Plus that you use…is it the one with a leopard gecko on the label?
I took him to Dayna Willems. His husbandry is good. He has arthritis. I could give you some info on Repashy calcium plus that I was told about 5 years ago and it works. He has bad arthritis in his elbows. Very painful. Dayna gave me Tramadol for it. Otherwise, time is marching on.
 
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