Bad snail experience today.

redhorse

Chameleon Enthusiast
I had the worst Monday in a long time and not sure it is over.
So over many years I have been feeding snail to my chameleons for over 15 years (just 1 or 2 a month) and never had an issue.

This morning I removed the shell and some of the slime and gave it to Randel (he is 5 years old). This i nothing new and like a treat for him.
So from a distance I was watching him free range on one of the patio trees. He was not looking at me and all of a sudden dropped from about 1.5 feet. His mouth was gaping open and I did not hear his normal breathing so looked inside hi mouth. His glottis was closed and did not open, as I could tell he was struggling to breath. I was like, heart attack, seizer and could not figure it out. He seized up in my hands and started to show his stress colors and his eyes rolled up.

OMG I'm thinking he is going to die in my hands. CRAP!

While his body seized up, I still could not hear or see him breathing, I gently squeezed where his lungs are and could hear a tiny bit of air going through his nostrils (I mean tiny). I continued doing this for about 20 to 30 minutes, since the skin over his eyes would twitching once in a while. Still thinking he was going to die or even dead already (that bad). If his colors would have darkened, I probably would have given up but they did not. At about the 30 minute mark he opened his mouth but his glottis was still closed, so I gave him a little harder squeeze, but not to the point of breaking anything. It opened and air came out and a think piece of snail slime. I sucked it out with a water dropper. He still was not breathing but continued to squeeze for a little air to get in and out of his nostrils. About 3 minutes went by and his mouth came open again so I squeezed a little harder. I heard air flow into his glottis this time but his eyes were stull rolled up and sunk in. 2 minutes later his eyes started to fill out (still rolled up under the skin) and he gasped on his own. His right eye opened slightly (first time in over 30 minutes). He was gasping for the next 5 to 10 minutes and finally stopped but I could tell he was breathing normal. His eyes opened and filled out like normal but he was bobbing his head left to right. I thought brain damage due to lack of oxygen but this stopped after about a minutes or.

So placed him in a nice quite place and have been watching him for a few hours now. When I try to get close he tries to bite me, which is normal. So! crossing fingers, praying and being thankful.

NO MORE SNAILS for Randel. OOOOMMMMMGGGGGG!!!!!!

No need to respond but please give happy thoughts for a quick recovery...
 
Glad you got it out. Never thought of that either, maybe because he's older? I feed snails often and never had issues.

Not criticizing, but out of curiosity, why do you remove the shell? Lots of calcium there.
 
(y) I enjoy a little criticism, since I am always open to learn and know I don't do everything right. (y) glad your not though:)

I only remove for him, because he was born with extra skin by his saliva gland (Vet told me) and as long as it doesn't bother him and nothing gets near the area (where it could causes infection) all is good. It doesn't even show physically, it was during a wellness check. Surgery was what I was going to have done but the Vet. said, " the extra skin would not bother him", so I did not do the surgery. It would have only been cosmetic.

Plus, he is outside all the time and I dust with D3 every other week so didn't think it would bother him to remove it. When he was younger, I think he enjoyed the crunching more than the juicy part.

But, my Jacksons get the full shell, I just give it a little crunch before feeding.


Thank all!!!!
He ate a cricket but he is acting like "what the heck happened" and he did try to bite me "with force". Good for him. (y)
To close and now might give-up with snails for the others too. way to closes.. I am still shaking (didn't realize the emotional connection).
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

I will see if he is up for a Tail Tuesday shot and post tomorrow..

WOW! I need a nap.
Decided to come back and add a few photos- some were video that I had to take a pic of.. Don't know how to get 1 slide off video yet..

1st pic is him in his seizing up without breathing for over 10 minutes and me doing the squeezing thing. I would put him down and look for any responses, like heartbeat, or movement, and there was nothing. So I was just going by his colors (I was freaking out but calmly).

2nd pic was after 30 minutes and he finally took a gasp and opened his eyes.

3rd pic was 3 hours later resting and is very week but getting better.

He is already climbing now, at a cricket, so crossing fingers no permanent damage and will visit Vet soon.
 
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Internet went out before pics downloaded...
 

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I had the worst Monday in a long time and not sure it is over.
So over many years I have been feeding snail to my chameleons for over 15 years (just 1 or 2 a month) and never had an issue.

This morning I removed the shell and some of the slime and gave it to Randel (he is 5 years old). This i nothing new and like a treat for him.
So from a distance I was watching him free range on one of the patio trees. He was not looking at me and all of a sudden dropped from about 1.5 feet. His mouth was gaping open and I did not hear his normal breathing so looked inside hi mouth. His glottis was closed and did not open, as I could tell he was struggling to breath. I was like, heart attack, seizer and could not figure it out. He seized up in my hands and started to show his stress colors and his eyes rolled up.

OMG I'm thinking he is going to die in my hands. CRAP!

While his body seized up, I still could not hear or see him breathing, I gently squeezed where his lungs are and could hear a tiny bit of air going through his nostrils (I mean tiny). I continued doing this for about 20 to 30 minutes, since the skin over his eyes would twitching once in a while. Still thinking he was going to die or even dead already (that bad). If his colors would have darkened, I probably would have given up but they did not. At about the 30 minute mark he opened his mouth but his glottis was still closed, so I gave him a little harder squeeze, but not to the point of breaking anything. It opened and air came out and a think piece of snail slime. I sucked it out with a water dropper. He still was not breathing but continued to squeeze for a little air to get in and out of his nostrils. About 3 minutes went by and his mouth came open again so I squeezed a little harder. I heard air flow into his glottis this time but his eyes were stull rolled up and sunk in. 2 minutes later his eyes started to fill out (still rolled up under the skin) and he gasped on his own. His right eye opened slightly (first time in over 30 minutes). He was gasping for the next 5 to 10 minutes and finally stopped but I could tell he was breathing normal. His eyes opened and filled out like normal but he was bobbing his head left to right. I thought brain damage due to lack of oxygen but this stopped after about a minutes or.

So placed him in a nice quite place and have been watching him for a few hours now. When I try to get close he tries to bite me, which is normal. So! crossing fingers, praying and being thankful.

NO MORE SNAILS for Randel. OOOOMMMMMGGGGGG!!!!!!

No need to respond but please give happy thoughts for a quick recovery...

Glad you got it out. Never thought of that either, maybe because he's older? I feed snails often and never had issues.

Not criticizing, but out of curiosity, why do you remove the shell? Lots of calcium there.
Where on earth do you get snails??! I have wasted waaayy too much of my life on the 'net looking for the slimy little buggers!!
 
There are many out here but need to be collected before the sun comes up or on a rainy day. I QT them for 6 months feeding them veggies, dried flowers and dried leaves.

Randel Fun fact!!!! Ran = Randy and Del= Delgado who was my Platoon Sgt. in Okinawa Japan 1984-87. (y)

Randel is sleeping and seems to be doing fine.

Thanks again everyone...
 
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Randal does not eat snails anymore. (y) He is actually afraid of them now, so they do remember and learn.

After a vet visit, it was determined that he was not choking on the snail like I thought. It was determined that some of the snail slim, not shell got into his glottis/breathing hole. What he was experiencing was lack of oxygen and would faint. The muscles would relax opening his airway if it were more slime it might have dried without him waking up.
WOW, that was almost 4 months ago.. Time is picking up speed and doesn't seem to be slowing down.
 
Randal does not eat snails anymore. (y) He is actually afraid of them now, so they do remember and learn.

After a vet visit, it was determined that he was not choking on the snail like I thought. It was determined that some of the snail slim, not shell got into his glottis/breathing hole. What he was experiencing was lack of oxygen and would faint. The muscles would relax opening his airway if it were more slime it might have dried without him waking up.
WOW, that was almost 4 months ago.. Time is picking up speed and doesn't seem to be slowing down.
LOL he solved his own problem-create an aversion to the food that almost did him in.
 
I applaud your calm, patient response to such a very stressful situation. You did great and I am sure he is alive now because of your efforts. You acted as a true parent. Now you can fall apart! Randel had a NDE. Near death experience! Wish he could tell us what he saw!
 
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