At the animal hospital 😞

[Chell]

So Camilla stoped eating for 2 days now and is gasping and I can hear a pop noise. I called every vet in this state. I guess specialist don’t work mondays so I’m now at the animal hospital where I have to wait in the car. They told me they do have a reptile specialist that knows about chameleons. Wish me luck

 

[Mendez]

Sounds like a severe respiratory infection. Let us know what the vet says. We can always assist with your husbandry parameters if you'd like.

 

[kinyonga]

Good luck!

 

[Chell]

So she is dehydrated. He breathing is ok and sounds good. She didn’t gasp the whole 3 hours they had her. No parasites. Or MBD. They are giving her a iv treatment and then sending her home with some kids of food mixture and antibiotics

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Antibiotics....For what?

 

[Chell]

They think she has a respiratory infection starting and I caught it on time. Since they didn’t hear the popping noise they are gonna take my word for it. Also her breathing was good but they did hear a little crackle when they listen to her lungs

 

[kinyonga]

What was the IV treatment they gave her?
Can you post a photo of her so we can see all of her from the side please?
What antibiotic is she on?

 

[Chell]

I don’t remember the name of the antibiotic I have to pick it up today. And they give her fluids in the iv treatment. Which helped today she was a lot more active and finally had a nice poop. These are the best pictures I can get right now. I don’t want to pick her up

 

[Chell]

Also so far today I have not seen her gasping. I’m wondering if maybe she was just so dehydrated that’s why her mouth was opened a lot? I’m gonna call the vet back and see if I even should start the antibiotics. They did say her breathing looked good and they could hear a tiny crackle when they listen to the lungs

 

[Mendez]

Was the antibiotic Ceftazadime?

Chameleons in stressful situations tend to hide their symptoms, e.g. going to the vet. So I'm not surprised she didn't show symptoms of an RI there.

The signs that you describe are not that of dehydration. I could be wrong here. But I still believe it is an RI. Especially if they could hear a crackle in the lungs. Going with the antibiotics sounds like the best option IMO.

 

[Chell]

I’m not sure I have to pick it up tomorrow. It’s a hour drive and I couldn’t make it today. For some reason I have to pick it up at a animal pharmacy. I do know that’s it’s liquid and have to give it to her for about a month. But I did call the vet and they said to give her the antibiotics because it did sound like it’s the start of one. I also just want to say thank you to everyone for helping me so far. If I never found this site I would have not been able to help her as much as I have been

 

[Mendez]

The pleasure is ours! Let us know how the treatment goes. And by liquid, do you mean a liquid injection using a needle and syringe, or is it given orally? If you don't know at the moment, that's perfectly fine.

If it is Ceftazidime, it will need to be given through subcutaneous injections using a needle and syringe. Today, I just gave my jacksons chameleon his second to last Ceftazidime injection. I can't wait for it to be over, but I have learned a lot through the whole process. I'm pretty comfortable with giving a jacksons chameleon an injection so feel free to ask me for help/guidance/tips if this is the antibiotic prescribed.

Here's what happened to my guy if you are curious:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/aspirated-water.181191/

 

[Chell]

No I have to give it to her by mouth. They asked me if I could do the injections. I can not. I have a great fear of needles if I see one I pass out. I thought I would be ok when I brought my dog to vet before because it’s a animal I would be fine. Yea didn’t work as soon as they pulled out the needle I was on the floor and woke up to EMS there most embarrassing thing to happen at the vet I have to leave my kids alone in the doctor office for their shots I feel so bad lol.

 

[Chell]

The pleasure is ours! Let us know how the treatment goes. And by liquid, do you mean a liquid injection using a needle and syringe, or is it given orally? If you don't know at the moment, that's perfectly fine.

If it is Ceftazidime, it will need to be given through subcutaneous injections using a needle and syringe. Today, I just gave my jacksons chameleon his second to last Ceftazidime injection. I can't wait for it to be over, but I have learned a lot through the whole process. I'm pretty comfortable with giving a jacksons chameleon an injection so feel free to ask me for help/guidance/tips if this is the antibiotic prescribed.

Here's what happened to my guy if you are curious:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/aspirated-water.181191/

Omg I read your story that is so scary. I’m afraid she might do that with her little dripper she gets her mouth right on it. I tried taking it away but she would not drink off the plants. That’s the only way she will drink. I also think that’s how she got dehydrated by me taking it away

 

[Mendez]

No I have to give it to her by mouth. They asked me if I could do the injections. I can not. I have a great fear of needles if I see one I pass out. I thought I would be ok when I brought my dog to vet before because it’s a animal I would be fine. Yea didn’t work as soon as they pulled out the needle I was on the floor and woke up to EMS there most embarrassing thing to happen at the vet I have to leave my kids alone in the doctor office for their shots I feel so bad lol.

I feel for you. I also really hate needles; luckily I don't pass out but I can't stand the sight of them either. Annual flu shots are dreadful, but I still get them. When I had to give my cham his first injection, I picked up the needle and my heart rate sky-rocketed, my breathing became shallow, but I could still think properly. I calmed myself down, walked over to him and gave him the injection. After giving him several shots over this past month, my breathing and heart rate don't change any more. While I still dislike needles, I can tolerate them much more than before my cham's incident.

Omg I read your story that is so scary. I’m afraid she might do that with her little dripper she gets her mouth right on it. I tried taking it away but she would not drink off the plants. That’s the only way she will drink. I also think that’s how she got dehydrated by me taking it away

I wouldn't worry about taking the dripper out of the cage as long as she goes for it on her own volition (whether that be from a leaf or straight from the dripper). Somewhere along the way, I missed the cues that he was done drinking and wanted a breath of air. As long as the dripper isn't spraying water like a firehose, and she has the ability to walk away from the water whenever she wants, the dripper should be perfectly safe. The dripper itself wasn't the cause, I was. We live and learn, and sometimes we make mistakes that hurt the very animals we vowed to protect. Unfortunately, that's the way of life. As long as you can provide them the best care possible and learn from your mistakes--well, that's all that our pets could ever want.

 

[Chell]

So the

I feel for you. I also really hate needles; luckily I don't pass out but I can't stand the sight of them either. Annual flu shots are dreadful, but I still get them. When I had to give my cham his first injection, I picked up the needle and my heart rate sky-rocketed, my breathing became shallow, but I could still think properly. I calmed myself down, walked over to him and gave him the injection. After giving him several shots over this past month, my breathing and heart rate don't change any more. While I still dislike needles, I can tolerate them much more than before my cham's incident.


I wouldn't worry about taking the dripper out of the cage as long as she goes for it on her own volition (whether that be from a leaf or straight from the dripper). Somewhere along the way, I missed the cues that he was done drinking and wanted a breath of air. As long as the dripper isn't spraying water like a firehose, and she has the ability to walk away from the water whenever she wants, the dripper should be perfectly safe. The dripper itself wasn't the cause, I was. We live and learn, and sometimes we make mistakes that hurt the very animals we vowed to protect. Unfortunately, that's the way of life. As long as you can provide them the best care possible and learn from your mistakes--well, that's all that our pets could ever want.

antibiotics is Baytral

 

[kinyonga]

Make sure she gets the opportunity to drink enough water while she's on the baytril.