Chameleon throwing up?

[JRchameleons]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male ambilobe panther, 8 months old
Handling - Once every 1-2 weeks
Feeding - About 6-7 crickets most days, but I change it up a couple of times a week with hornworms, butterworms, phoenix worms, and the occasional dubia roach
Supplements - RepCal (no D3) almost every day, RepCal with D3 once every other week, multivitamins once every other week (alternating between Herptivite, Reptivite, and Sticky Tongue Miner-All O)
Watering - I hand mist 2-3 times a day and use a dripper some days
Fecal Description - Brown with white urates. Never tested for parasites.
History - I got him from a breeder about 4 months ago.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 2'x2'x3' screen cage (switching to 2'x2'x4' soon)
Lighting - Repti Glo 5.0, 60 Watt incandescent bulb
Temperature - His basking spot stays around the mid-80s, and the cage floor gets down to 69 on cold days.
Humidity - Humidity ranges 45-85
Plants - Live schefflera with fake vines
Placement - Cage is on a table in the corner of my living room. Another cham is housed next to him, but there is a curtain between their cages. Some daily traffic but nothing crazy. Top on cage is about 6 feet off the ground.
Location - US Southeast

I have taken this guy for a ride in my truck three times, and every time he has regurgitated. The first time he did it in my truck after we had been driving for about 15 minutes, the second time he did it as soon as we got in the truck, and the third time he didn't do it until about 30 minutes after we got out of the truck after a 10-minute drive. I've never seen him do this any other time. What's up with that? Is it just stress or could it be some other underlying issue? He seems to be in good health otherwise and he's eating and drinking well. I used to handle him pretty much every day when he was free ranged, and I took him outside frequently until it started getting too cold. He never seemed to mind, so I don't think handling in itself stresses him out, but maybe something about going for a drive does? Anybody else experience this?

 

[KarmaChameleon1337]

I think there's a possibility parasites could be causing throwing up. Correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[BeBoSON]

Looks like your doing everything right.
Since its only happens when you take him for a ride, it could be car (motion) sickness. Interesting.

 

[ataraxia]

agreed \.maybe some sort of motion sickness. if he is not doing it any other time.

 

[carol5208]

i am thinking motion sickness also as strange as it sounds. I would say do not take him for rides if this makes him sick. If he is only doing it while driving then I would probably rule out parasites as he would be throwing up all the time I would think and not just when driving.

 

[carol5208]

I think there's a possibility parasites could be causing throwing up. Correct me if I'm wrong.

yes they can throw up but they would be doing it all the time not just while driving I would think.

 

[JackP308]

You might only witness him throw up in the car since he is with you. So he very well may be throwing up at other times its just not so apparent? To really cross out parasites one would need to check for them.

 

[JRchameleons]

Thanks for the quick replies. Those possibilities are exactly what I've been debating between - motion sickness or parasites. He isn't showing any other signs of parasites, but of course I'm still worried about it and I'm trying to decide whether I should take him to get a fecal done. Obviously I will if it's necessary, but I'd rather not pay for it if I don't have to. My exotic vet, while fantastic, is pretty pricey. $64 for the visit itself and $37 for the fecal.

It does like a simple case of motion sickness as far as I can tell, but I've just never heard of this in a chameleon. But I guess it's possible with any animal?

 

[JRchameleons]

You might only witness him throw up in the car since he is with you. So he very well may be throwing up at other times its just not so apparent? To really cross out parasites one would need to check for them.

I think I would see it though. I clean out his cage once a week and I've never seen anything other than feces and urates on the cage floor.

 

[carol5208]

I think you would see signs of throw up in the cage also if it were parasistes. I think that would just be too odd that he has parasites and only throws up while driving!!

 

[thePopeJP]

The only reason it may not be motion sickness is that you said he threw up the second time as soon as you got in the truck? Does this mean you hadn't started moving yet?

Could it be something in your truck? Are there any weird smells in there (mold?) My moms car she just bought recently had a slight bad stench when we turned the heat on, it made me want to throw up so I could imagine a tiny guy like him reacting! Maybe a long shot but could be an allergy or something. (p.s. not trying t say you have a stinky car! )

 

[JackP308]

I think you would see signs of throw up in the cage also if it were parasistes. I think that would just be too odd that he has parasites and only throws up while driving!!

Yea I guess thats an easy way to rule it out. Id prefer to check for them if that was what ran through my mind if it was my animal. I wouldn't assume anything Id check and go from there.

 

[JRchameleons]

The only reason it may not be motion sickness is that you said he threw up the second time as soon as you got in the truck? Does this mean you hadn't started moving yet?

Could it be something in your truck? Are there any weird smells in there (mold?) My moms car she just bought recently had a slight bad stench when we turned the heat on, it made me want to throw up so I could imagine a tiny guy like him reacting! Maybe a long shot but could be an allergy or something. (p.s. not trying t say you have a stinky car! )

I was backing out of the parking space when he threw up the second time, so we had just started moving.

I don't think it's anything in my truck. I don't see or smell anything weird. The truck is 12 years old but I take pretty good care of it and I don't smoke or anything like that.

To me, the only thing that seems inconsistent with motion sickness is the third ride when he didn't throw up until about 20-30 minutes after we got out of the truck. That time I took him to a pet store and I was walking around with him sitting on my arm, and then he just threw up out of nowhere. (Note: That was the first time I tried taking a cham to a pet store, but I don't think I'll be doing it again. I thought it was a good idea because this cham isn't easily stressed and even likes being handled some days, but apparently the driving thing isn't working for him.)