carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
if that is all she will eat, then so be it. Per day, ok that would be like 6 every other day if she was eating 3 so that would be good.
Cham is sleeping during the day...alot. Help!
- Thread starter lojack13
- Start date
if that is all she will eat, then so be it. Per day, ok that would be like 6 every other day if she was eating 3 so that would be good.
Well, I did some parasitic research tonight and I'm afraid she may have subcutaneous nematodes. Ever since the first day I took her home I did notice 2 or 3 spots that looked like vieny structures under her skin. I dismissed them as simply that "veins" . From the information I've read these things have to be surgically removed. I just can't see her being able to be put under anesthesia, she is just so small and already in a weak state. I'm so upset. I don't know for sure that these things are nematodes but everything is pointing to that. And if they are, the first vet I went to was no herp vet, he would have spotted these worms for sure.....I don't know what to do.
ataraxia
Avid Member
The chameleon is a wild caught and more than likely has some serious health issues to combat.
JaxKiwiTiger
New Member
Just my newbie 2 cents here...I'm thinking URI or parasites. Get a 2nd opinion for sure. Glad u have some new equipment on the way, she will love you for that. Appetite is fine, they can go for months eating a few crix a week as long as hydration and humidity are non-issues. Jmo!
Not sure if any one is following this anymore, but I have my Cham scheduled for a vet visit on Thursday morning. I checked her poo about 1 minute after she did the deed this morning for any visible signs of worms and could not find anything. I really rifled through it with a fine tooth comb and could only find undigested cricket bits....which I am not even sure if that is normal or not. I know some parasites are only see-able with microscopes, and even then you really have to know what you are looking at, so I'm screwed there. Starting to possibly lean back toward a respiratory infection like you guys suggested. I have seen her gape several times today, not really sure it was "crackly" sounding but it looks like her right nostril is swollen shut to me. I also had an incident where she acting like she was trying to throw up? She was heaving her body forward and gapping wide and sort of hissing. Not sure what that was. She acted like she was going to eat crickets 2-3 times today but then back off of them which tells me she is hungry but just doesn't quite want them bad enough. have NOT seen her drink at all, which scares me, but I wasn't home all day either, so she may have drank. I could not entice her into drinking at all in front of me though. Hopefully this new Vet doc can help me. The last one has no business looking at herps.
ataraxia
Avid Member
When she defecates next...Take that stool in a zip lock baggie ASAP to a vets office and let them know what you need. Most dont need a office visit to do this. Heck, you could separate the sample and take it to two different vets to be sure.
Throwing up is just another sign your chameleon probably has parasites. I have personally dealt with more wild caught animals than i have captive born or hatched. When a chameleon is at the stage yours is in. If it is not treated for parasites promptly. Some can live a few months and some only weeks or even days. Yours is showing the typicals signs of an animal in the later stages. Fecal, fecal, fecal......
Being honest with you. If she is not waking up her time is limited.
Throwing up is just another sign your chameleon probably has parasites. I have personally dealt with more wild caught animals than i have captive born or hatched. When a chameleon is at the stage yours is in. If it is not treated for parasites promptly. Some can live a few months and some only weeks or even days. Yours is showing the typicals signs of an animal in the later stages. Fecal, fecal, fecal......
Being honest with you. If she is not waking up her time is limited.
She has been waking up briefly the later half of today. When I spray her with water she wakes right up, but she has woken up a few times without misting. She is acting waaay better than earlier. I actually got her to drink a lot tonight by misting her with warm water. Unfortunately I didn't get her to eat. I'm gonna have to get her to eat something tomorrow so I can get a stool sample for Thursday. She poops like clockwork at about 8:30 every morning. I only have 2 herp vet options local. I've already seen the one and he is no good. So the other one comes better recommended for dealing with reptiles. She won't be in till Thursday so I hope I can keep her going that long. Do you think if I get poop tomorrow and promptly place it in the fridge it will be viable for vet viewing on Thursday?
OK definitely still doing the fecal no matter what. But I am seriously still considering the Respiratory infection. She is awake and pretty alert this morning, which is a ton better than yesterday. She has gapped straight up in the air multiple times and there is a distinctive "crackling sound emerging every time she does it. Her right nostril is also completely swollen shut.
If turns out she has an RI I'm Definitely in agreement that me having her in a glass aquarium has caused it. Stagnant air + stagnant water = Bad. I was stupoid before I got her and did not read into things better. She's in a new all screen sided, DYI cage now with live plants, so hopefully she pulls through enough to actually enjoy it.
camimom
New Member
were you given meds to treat it?
No, no meds yet. Herp vet isn't going to be in the office until tomorrow morning. Hoping she "IS" a good herp vet and not like the last goof ball I went to.
Don't know exactly what's wrong with her but the bottom line is she's sick, and lethargic. She does not seem to be getting much worse than what she was 2 days ago but she can't go on like this much longer, I am getting her to drink but this will be day 2 without food. Hoping she pulls through till tomorrow and hoping it is not too late to help her.
Sorry, I put "If turns out" on that post, made it look like "It turns out" I ahve not been to the vet yet. Tomorrow at 8:30
Well, back from the vet. She is parasite FREE. I have had 3 vets run tests on the poo and no worms, no eggs, no nothing. So now we go to possible infections. My new herp vet could not rule out the possibility of a RI so she put her on antibiotics to weigh on the side on caution. Vet also tube fed her fluids and food which I will have to continue to do until she gets healthy enough to eat and drink on her own again. She went over my current enclosure set-up/ lighting/ etc, and, having looked that over, decided that I am doing nothing wrong on my part. I am seriously suspecting an RI however. I have noticed mucus coming from her left nostril and I swear the right nostril is swollen nearly shut. I have also observed several instances of open mouth exhaling and inhaling, and upturned head gapping with gurgling / crackling noises presented. Anyway, that's where we are at right now, I think the next week will give me a good idea on if she will recover or not.
Elizadolots
New Member
lojack, it sounds like you're on the right track with the RI.
