Chameleon Old Age

[cantgetagoodsn]

I have a chameleon, Floyd, who has been with me for about 4 years now. Long story short he's not doing well and I think it's his time. I've been to the vet and talked to his original breeder. I've done I feel all I can for him at this point and he is still getting worse. Mainly, strength and his eyes are sunken in very much with an extreme loss of appetite (force feeding with him spitting his food out).

My question to y'all is not one of a healing nature, but rather out of preparation. He is showing similar signs as my previous jackson's chameleon that it is his time, but I want to ask y'all what were some signs of your chameleons passing from old age?

Also, what are burial options if it does come to that? I live in an apartment complex and cannot really bury him here. I live in Austin, TX and have plenty of places I could end up going, but I am curious as to what others have done.

Thank you, I do hope he gets through it but something tells me it is his time.

 

[junglefries]

Pet cremation services are usually available in most locations. That would leave you some way of rememberance with a little urn or ash spreading. As far as euthanising, a vet can or wrapped in a towel and smashing with a brick in the head (recommended by an actual vet to me for some ill formed jax babies I had). The latter seemed a little cruel to me. Four years is a pretty good for a cham. Sorry.

 

[Carlton]

One thing I've considered (haven't had to put a cham down from old age yet) is regardless what method you choose, one thing that might make it a little easier for both of you would be to let the cham cool down and get sleepy (in a dark box at lower room temp) before handling it. Cooler cham, quieter brain and less anxiety. Maybe I'm the one convinced it would cause less anxiety!

Sorry you have to consider it.

 

[rf9661]

Hello,

Today I lost my Ambilobe Panther, Leo, today. He was estimated to be around 7 years old. I had him for around 3 months. He was taken to the vet around 5 times within the last 2 weeks. Yesterday we finally did an X-Ray and discovered he had spinal arthritis. Today he was taken since he seemed he had trouble breathing and died. He was a great chameleon! It might be time for him or it might not, I would wait it out and an option is to bury him in a pot with a plant.

Best of luck,
Richard

 

[jannb]

I am sorry to hear that Floyd is not doing well. I have an old guy too. I have been hand feeding him for over a year now. I give him multi vitamins and a drop of liquid vitamin C once a week and he's been feeling pretty good for an old man. I think a really good reptile vet is a must when you have an aging chameleon. When my guys get older some of them got arthritis also and it caused them to fall so I had to put them on short trees (I free range everybody). They can get Adequan injections and Metacam for that and it helps allot. I also had one with high blood pressure, which caused his eyes to be puffy and hardening of the arteries and that caused him to have a stroke. They also get cancer. Basically they pretty much get everything that we do. It's important to have regular checkups, x-rays and blood work more often when they are older so you can stay right on top of everything.