serenitystarlite
Established Member
Hi, I am also from Pittsburgh. Let me know how the vet visit goes, I'm interested in finding out where good reptile vets are in case I have an emergency with any of my animals.
chameleon has a plug at rearend (?)
- Thread starter chamfriend
- Start date
Hi, I am also from Pittsburgh. Let me know how the vet visit goes, I'm interested in finding out where good reptile vets are in case I have an emergency with any of my animals.
Elizadolots
New Member
Just for my personal education...what the heck do you think that is? It's not his hemipenis...
(just how much of their insides can come out of the vent?)
(just how much of their insides can come out of the vent?)
Syn
Avid Member
How can you be so sure it's not the hemipenes? Chamfriend did state it had dried up...
Any who, I know there are hemipenal prolapses and (oh I can't recall the other on off my head right now...) intestinal (?) prolapses.
laurie
Retired Moderator
Yes syn the other kind is intestinal prolapse's. That is what my little Jewel just had. Compared to Jewels tiny size of 12 grams, her prolapse was huge. Even the vets were surprised she has make it so far. Sadly she is not out of the woods yet.
Has anyone heard how the vet visit went? I keep hoping all is well.
Has anyone heard how the vet visit went? I keep hoping all is well.
Last edited:
bridgofaith
Avid Member
Any update??
PedroANDAshley
New Member
Im dying to know D:
chamfriend
New Member
Vet/hospital Update
Hello All,
I'm sorry it took me so long to write a reply - we got caught up in taking care of the chameleon. We were presented with two options: 1) go to a 24-hour emergency hospital that evening or 2) go the next morning to a vet who sees reptiles. We were very concerned about whether it was an emergency. Over the phone, the emergency clinic told us if the tissue is "light", no emergency; if dark, emergency. We felt compelled to go that night even though we rightfully suspected that the costs would be much higher. The chameleon was diagnosed with a "prolapsed cloaca". We were advised that he needed surgery or would die. The tissue at the end was dead; it needed to be cut-off; and the living part sutured and returned to the inside. They said the cause was either straining or parasites. They advised us that he was about 5 years old and the post-surgery prognosis would be good. We went ahead with it. He had the surgery in the middle of the night; we brought him home the next day around 1 pm. He remained pretty lethargic - at the bottom of his cage for about 24-48 hours. He came home with 3 meds - 2 antibiotics and 1 parasite treatment (panacur). We also have to feed him a liquid carnivore diet 4 times/day + give him water by mouth. The diet is a powder you mix with water - very easy actually. There is some post-surgery bleeding when he goes the bathroom. You can imagine it is very worrisome because you don't know if he is okay or what is really happening. He is up on his branches - moves around some - seems like he is okay, but because we are not familiar with his normal behaviors, we are simply trying our best and hoping he is okay. We watch him/check him alot. We now have a system of getting any feces out of his cage and off of him immediately. My 11-year old daughter is amazing because she does most of the caring 1st hand while I look over her. Also, my husband has done a lot so we are sharing the worry. The owners come home on Sunday; we received e-mail from them. They said it has happened before but not so severe. For those with the same possible problem: we were told the chameleon should only eat every other day (we were told by the owners to give him crickets as he eats them). Also, the cricket only diet is somewhat suspect acccording to the vet. For the person in PGH: The name of the hospital is Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center on Camp Horne Rd (close to 279 exit) - it is a 30,000sq ft facility - state of the art for all types of animals - cost.....$730 for exam/surgery+drugs,etc/meds and discharge. It costs $120 to see an exotic animal in the emergency room right off the bat. After he was examined and they advised the surgery, we contemplated going the next morning to another vet that was recommended. It is called Northview Animal Clinic on Seibert Rd (McCandless area). Although we opted not to go there and stay at the emergency clinic, we heard good things about them - that they will see reptiles - and afterward we heard via e-mail from the owners that they had been there before. I hope this answers any questions you all may have. Sorry again for the delay...thanks again for your help.
Hello All,
I'm sorry it took me so long to write a reply - we got caught up in taking care of the chameleon. We were presented with two options: 1) go to a 24-hour emergency hospital that evening or 2) go the next morning to a vet who sees reptiles. We were very concerned about whether it was an emergency. Over the phone, the emergency clinic told us if the tissue is "light", no emergency; if dark, emergency. We felt compelled to go that night even though we rightfully suspected that the costs would be much higher. The chameleon was diagnosed with a "prolapsed cloaca". We were advised that he needed surgery or would die. The tissue at the end was dead; it needed to be cut-off; and the living part sutured and returned to the inside. They said the cause was either straining or parasites. They advised us that he was about 5 years old and the post-surgery prognosis would be good. We went ahead with it. He had the surgery in the middle of the night; we brought him home the next day around 1 pm. He remained pretty lethargic - at the bottom of his cage for about 24-48 hours. He came home with 3 meds - 2 antibiotics and 1 parasite treatment (panacur). We also have to feed him a liquid carnivore diet 4 times/day + give him water by mouth. The diet is a powder you mix with water - very easy actually. There is some post-surgery bleeding when he goes the bathroom. You can imagine it is very worrisome because you don't know if he is okay or what is really happening. He is up on his branches - moves around some - seems like he is okay, but because we are not familiar with his normal behaviors, we are simply trying our best and hoping he is okay. We watch him/check him alot. We now have a system of getting any feces out of his cage and off of him immediately. My 11-year old daughter is amazing because she does most of the caring 1st hand while I look over her. Also, my husband has done a lot so we are sharing the worry. The owners come home on Sunday; we received e-mail from them. They said it has happened before but not so severe. For those with the same possible problem: we were told the chameleon should only eat every other day (we were told by the owners to give him crickets as he eats them). Also, the cricket only diet is somewhat suspect acccording to the vet. For the person in PGH: The name of the hospital is Pittsburgh Veterinary Specialty & Emergency Center on Camp Horne Rd (close to 279 exit) - it is a 30,000sq ft facility - state of the art for all types of animals - cost.....$730 for exam/surgery+drugs,etc/meds and discharge. It costs $120 to see an exotic animal in the emergency room right off the bat. After he was examined and they advised the surgery, we contemplated going the next morning to another vet that was recommended. It is called Northview Animal Clinic on Seibert Rd (McCandless area). Although we opted not to go there and stay at the emergency clinic, we heard good things about them - that they will see reptiles - and afterward we heard via e-mail from the owners that they had been there before. I hope this answers any questions you all may have. Sorry again for the delay...thanks again for your help.
Jonasburns
New Member
oh mybest wishes in your rehabilitation.
and kudos for your hard work.
