Bad News on the Doorstep... I Couldn't Take One More Step - My CHAM IS SICK

KaitNChaCha

New Member
Chameleon Info:


  • My Cham: Male Veiled Chameleon who is 7 months, 2 weeks old. I have had him for almost 7 months (will be seven on the fifth).
  • My Handling: I handle Charles Crayon V, almost every other day, as he enjoys being outside. I didn’t realize it was a “no-no” to handle him, until about a month ago, but by then he had grown accustomed to going outside.
  • Happy Hour: I feed my chameleon dried mealworms, dried crickets, the vegetable for reptiles mix (though he often doesn’t consume it) and super worms. I give him the opportunity to get his own food (it sits in a small metallic bowl) so he eats, on average, two to three super worms a day. I really don’t have a set schedule - as I try to set the fresh worms out in the morning (which varies based on what time I get up) and I had never heard of gut-loading before this, so I do not do that?
  • Vitamins: I give him the D3 with Calcium, but I didn’t realize you shouldn’t be administering it every day - also the D3 with Calcium was from Petsmart.
  • Watering: I use manual misting every three to four hours, and the water is cleared to be used for reptiles (with the cleanser thingy) and it is usually a little warmer because he doesn’t appreciate the cold water. I also use the little dripper, and have a small rock bowl thing to catch the water he doesn’t drink. He is really weird though because he’s been drinking the standing water, which I know isn’t good. So I change the water daily.
  • Fecal Description: He hasn’t been tested for parasites, but I recently noticed that his presents were only coming out as white - which means he’s only been urinating. Which confused me because his kidneys are failing yet he excreted that, and not the poop. This got me thinking that he might have been backed up too.
  • History: He was hatched 11/20/2019.




Cage Info:


  • Cage Type: Screened Cage, who’s height is taller than the width and length. I purchased it again at Petsmart, as they came “highly suggested”. So I think it is 2’x2’x4’ or 1’x1’x4’.
  • Lighting: It was a zoomed reptile lighting set. It came with a nighttime bulb, and a daytime UVB bulb. I also purchased a red basking bulb. My daily lighting schedule is a little off at the moment, because I was recently on vacation (for the weekend) and unfortunately no one was home for the lights. I usually have the daytime and basking bulbs on for twelve to fifteen hours, and then the nighttime bulb on for the remainder of the time.
  • Temperature: The temperature of the cage remains anywhere from sixty-five to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. His lowest (on the reptile carpet ground) remains typically in the low seventies, as he climbs higher, the top stays at around eighty-eight. I measure these temps every three to four hours (when I mist) utilizing a tool known as the Laser-Temperature-Regulator.
  • Humidity: I used to use this tool that measured both temperature and humidity and then it broke. That was around two months, and I never got a chance to rebuy the humidity gauge, but I followed the instructions for how often I should mist. I mist the leaves and the cage every three to four hours.
  • Plants: I use fake plants and I wish I didn’t - I literally see him sometimes trying to chew on the plants. I thought it was because I had just misted them, but he kept trying to chew on them - it has made me rethink having fake ones in there.
  • Placement: I have the cage situated in a corner, in between my bookshelf (one of three and filled with children’s books) and my dresser/vanity. This is not a high foot trafficking area, and I situate him about three feet off the ground, and then the cage height is four feet and so basically it is seven feet (minus a couple of inches since he doesn’t rest at the top of the cage outside) off the ground.
  • Location: I am located in western Pennsylvania, where the summers are as humid as the ones in Florida, but the winters are frigid like the New England states up north.




Current Problem: My chameleon recently went to the vet (as in yesterday July 2nd 2020) and was diagnosed with gout (not mentioned if articular or visceral) and renal failure. His life expectancy is not going to be that long apparently and treatment is expensive and likely not going to work - said the vet. I worry now about his eyes - his pupils are dilating without a change in light.
 

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Okay, noted, I won't feed him anymore. I did fear at one point that he had mouth rot because his teeth and surrounding tissue (gums?) were bright red. The vet said she could not one hundred percent give a prognosis, because I couldn't afford the xray, but she said there's a very high chance (she gave around eighty-five to ninety percent) that he has those conditions, mostly because she saw the inflamed joints, the swollen bump that's on his left rear leg, and because he was so severely dehydrated (idk how) that she had to push fluids under the skin. I am so worried about him, I am willing to try anything! So thank you for the advice on the dried insects.
 
Chameleon Info:


  • My Cham: Male Veiled Chameleon who is 7 months, 2 weeks old. I have had him for almost 7 months (will be seven on the fifth).
  • My Handling: I handle Charles Crayon V, almost every other day, as he enjoys being outside. I didn’t realize it was a “no-no” to handle him, until about a month ago, but by then he had grown accustomed to going outside. It's ok to handle them sometimes if they are ok with it.
  • Happy Hour: I feed my chameleon dried mealworms, dried crickets, the vegetable for reptiles mix (though he often doesn’t consume it) and super worms. I give him the opportunity to get his own food (it sits in a small metallic bowl) so he eats, on average, two to three super worms a day. I really don’t have a set schedule - as I try to set the fresh worms out in the morning (which varies based on what time I get up) and I had never heard of gut-loading before this, so I do not do that? He shouldn't be eating dried insects. Superworms are something that should be a treat too. There are lots of live insects out there to use....BSFL, silkworms, hornworms, locusts, crickets, roaches, etc. . You should have a schedule and you should be feeding the LIVE insects well and gutloading them. You want the chameleon to have a healthy diet so he'll be healthy too. I use dandelion greens, kale, collards, squash, carrots, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc and a bit of berries, apples, pears, papaya, mango, etc.
  • Vitamins: I give him the D3 with Calcium, but I didn’t realize you shouldn’t be administering it every day - also the D3 with Calcium was from PetSmart. I use RepCal phos free calcium powder at all feedings lightly but one a week...that one day a week I alternate between herptivite and phos free calcium/D3 powder.
  • Watering: I use manual misting every three to four hours, and the water is cleared to be used for reptiles (with the cleanser thingy) and it is usually a little warmer because he doesn’t appreciate the cold water. I also use the little dripper, and have a small rock bowl thing to catch the water he doesn’t drink. He is really weird though because he’s been drinking the standing water, which I know isn’t good. So I change the water daily.
  • Fecal Description: He hasn’t been tested for parasites, but I recently noticed that his presents were only coming out as white - which means he’s only been urinating. Which confused me because his kidneys are failing yet he excreted that, and not the poop. This got me thinking that he might have been backed up too. That confuses me too. And I'm wondering about being impacted.
  • History: He was hatched 11/20/2019.




Cage Info:


  • Cage Type: Screened Cage, who’s height is taller than the width and length. I purchased it again at Petsmart, as they came “highly suggested”. So I think it is 2’x2’x4’ or 1’x1’x4’.
  • Lighting: It was a zoomed reptile lighting set. It came with a nighttime bulb, and a daytime UVB bulb. I also purchased a red basking bulb. My daily lighting schedule is a little off at the moment, because I was recently on vacation (for the weekend) and unfortunately no one was home for the lights. I usually have the daytime and basking bulbs on for twelve to fifteen hours, and then the nighttime bulb on for the remainder of the time. there house be no light at night and for the day lights I recommend. Long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light and an incandescent household light bulb of a wattage that produces the right basking temperature.
  • Temperature: The temperature of the cage remains anywhere from sixty-five to ninety degrees Fahrenheit. His lowest (on the reptile carpet ground) remains typically in the low seventies, as he climbs higher, the top stays at around eighty-eight. I measure these temps every three to four hours (when I mist) utilizing a tool known as the Laser-Temperature-Regulator. I would ditch the carpet.
  • Humidity: I used to use this tool that measured both temperature and humidity and then it broke. That was around two months, and I never got a chance to rebuy the humidity gauge, but I followed the instructions for how often I should mist. I mist the leaves and the cage every three to four hours.
  • Plants: I use fake plants and I wish I didn’t - I literally see him sometimes trying to chew on the plants. I thought it was because I had just misted them, but he kept trying to chew on them - it has made me rethink having fake ones in there. Let's hope it's not too late to get real plants...nontoxic, well washed both sides of the leaves.
  • Placement: I have the cage situated in a corner, in between my bookshelf (one of three and filled with children’s books) and my dresser/vanity. This is not a high foot trafficking area, and I situate him about three feet off the ground, and then the cage height is four feet and so basically it is seven feet (minus a couple of inches since he doesn’t rest at the top of the cage outside) off the ground.
  • Location: I am located in western Pennsylvania, where the summers are as humid as the ones in Florida, but the winters are frigid like the New England states up north.




Current Problem: My chameleon recently went to the vet (as in yesterday July 2nd 2020) and was diagnosed with gout (not mentioned if articular or visceral) and renal failure. His life expectancy is not going to be that long apparently and treatment is expensive and likely not going to work - said the vet. I worry now about his eyes - his pupils are dilating without a change in light.
 
No yesterday - my mum wasn't willing to pay for it. But the vet said using context clues that that's what she deduced. Also, I just worry because the vet said he seems to be in a lot of pain (which I noticed too) but my parents do not want to pay the money to put him down. I think it's inhumane to let him suffer, but I do not have enough money right now to put him down. They said the outlook for him is grave, and his timeline is in dire strain/going to be coming to a close very, very soon.
 
Also, thank you for the feedback - I just fear it's too late. From the packet about gout and renal failure that she gave me, made me realize that even the most "aggressive" treatments, only prolonged the inevitable.
 
Does he hang his legs off the branches when he's resting?
I agree it's in humane to let him suffer.
Do you have any fresh cherries?
 
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