chameleon visit to the vet advice please

A

adamf

New Member
i have just found this website i have posted my stuff on another site can i post a link to save me posting detail and pics again i went to the vet who said he needs more humidity because his skin is not shedding properly thus causing the infection on his back and knees which we thought were burns ?? so my question is how can i achieve good humidity he has a fountain which he drinks from and we spray the viv hope you can help guys ...adamf:)
 
Personally i would get rid of the fountain, unless the water is empties everyday they are a home to bacteria.

As far as humidity, what species are you keeping and what are your current levels? Love plants do help raise the humidity, the more the better.

Go ahead and fill this out for us so we can help you better.

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.


Pictures are helpful
 
I am sure the injury was from a burn. I don't think it's much of an infection, unless there's a lot more I can't see. I would put some silver sulfa cream on his wounds and be done with it - barring any sort of systemic infection. Baytril can be really rough on them, and if there is NOT systemic infection, it can do much more harm than good.

The orange looking stuff on his back is possibly his spine. Use the SSD cream and he should be fine. These things can take such trauma very well - as long as it's kept clean and a good antiseptic is applied.

You need to remove the heating bulbs from his cage and place them so that there is absolutely no place in there where the temperature is high enough to burn them. Something's been cooking his skin. A problem with chameleons and heat sources is that they will stay really close to them when the temp's cold - their internal temperature stays cool, so they move to a warm spot. BUT, due to the air being cold, their internal temp never rises, and they just sit there, heating up more and more, until their skin is cooked.

If it's cold, a heat bulb or ceramic emitter IN or near the cage can be a very very bad idea. It's best to try to find a way to heat the air in the room, else they'll cook themselves to the bone.

Looked like his front leg was swollen. Get some more pics of that if you can.
 
Eric Adrignola said:
I am sure the injury was from a burn. I don't think it's much of an infection, unless there's a lot more I can't see. I would put some silver sulfa cream on his wounds and be done with it - barring any sort of systemic infection. Baytril can be really rough on them, and if there is NOT systemic infection, it can do much more harm than good.

The orange looking stuff on his back is possibly his spine. Use the SSD cream and he should be fine. These things can take such trauma very well - as long as it's kept clean and a good antiseptic is applied.

You need to remove the heating bulbs from his cage and place them so that there is absolutely no place in there where the temperature is high enough to burn them. Something's been cooking his skin. A problem with chameleons and heat sources is that they will stay really close to them when the temp's cold - their internal temperature stays cool, so they move to a warm spot. BUT, due to the air being cold, their internal temp never rises, and they just sit there, heating up more and more, until their skin is cooked.

If it's cold, a heat bulb or ceramic emitter IN or near the cage can be a very very bad idea. It's best to try to find a way to heat the air in the room, else they'll cook themselves to the bone.

Looked like his front leg was swollen. Get some more pics of that if you can.
Click to expand...

did you see the pics of the medication??
 
Flamazine is basically Silvadene.
Normally used as topical cream to treat burns...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_sulfadiazine

so, I don't get how the vet ruled out burns possibilities and gave you a medication for burn.
Are you sure you are not hearing your vet wrong?

The Baytril and everything is probably provided by your vet to help combat the infection caused by the burns.
Burn cases heal very slow. and it could take weeks or months for the skin to slough off like what your chameleon has.

Knowing that the basking bulb is indeed inside of the cage makes it even more plausible.
 
Last edited:
missed the flamazine - it IS silver sulfa. I just caution the use of baytril unless there IS an infection. I had a similar situation where baytril was given as a preventative measure, and it almost killed my chameleon. And he was burned over much more of his body than the one in these pics! Though not to the spine. My melleri was burned about that bad - lost a good chunk of his dorsal crest.

Healing is a relative term. The damage will be permanant. Some skin and tissue will return in a few years time, followed by pigmented cells. The bone and most of the skin lost will never return.

OVerall, if he coninues to eat, he'll most likely survive without any complications. If he goes off feed, then that is a different story. That means infection or sensativity to medication has caused problems. As far as trauma, however, if it doesn't kill them directly by destroying organs, the'll survive it! They're tough when it comes to physical trauma. Chemical and nutritonal issues... different story.
 
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yup... a real case of bad burn..
Looking from the discoloration, I have a feeling his casque will slough off as well.. so, don't be alarmed. Please take out the heat bulb outside of his cage to avoid repeating this.. I am assuming those gooey liquid on the wounds are the sylvadene (Flamazine), right? Not pus or something like that?
 
dodolah said:
yup... a real case of bad burn..
Looking from the discoloration, I have a feeling his casque will slough off as well.. so, don't be alarmed. Please take out the heat bulb outside of his cage to avoid repeating this.. I am assuming those gooey liquid on the wounds are the sylvadene (Flamazine), right? Not pus or something like that?
Click to expand...
yes it is Flamazine...
 
just upping the humidity as its a mesh top viv i put a bowl with a small hole in it with warm water on the top of the viv he loves it...and it drips onto the fountain to collect the water..
 
adamf said:
just upping the humidity as its a mesh top viv i put a bowl with a small hole in it with warm water on the top of the viv he loves it...and it drips onto the fountain to collect the water..
Click to expand...

Take out the fountain. Bad thing. It collects bacteria. This can actually help inflicting the infection.
Let it drip onto the plant (if you have a live plant).
Or let it drip to a shallow container. Cover the container with screen to avoid him fall into it. Empty the container out everyday.

Did you take out the bulb? You really need to take it out and set it outside of the cage.. otherwise he would burn his skin again especially during cold day.
 
The bulb will be dangling out side on the mesh roof i have ordered an higher wattage bulb so being outside will get some good heat into the viv the set up has changed since i noticed the problem
The bulb was moved and the fountain at the moment he cant get near the bulb im trying to get the humidity up and keep the temp ok the fountain is only there to catch the water and also for him to sit on to get warm it will be emptied when full its just a good insulator keeps in the heat like a rock but any advice tips will be appreciated thanks all..
 
adamf said:
The bulb will be dangling out side on the mesh roof i have ordered an higher wattage bulb so being outside will get some good heat into the viv.

The bulb was moved and the fountain at the moment he cant get near the bulb im trying to get the humidity up and keep the temp ok the fountain is only there to catch the water and

also for him to sit on to get warm
It is a good insulator keeps in the heat like a rock but any advice tips will be appreciated thanks all..
Click to expand...

I am not aware where you are located..
I found that 60 watt Incandescent bulb is more than enough to achieve the desired temp..

The odd dark coloration all the way to his cheek made me thing that he got burned in those area as well. So, if you can, apply some thin layer of Sylvadene too. So, again, some part of his casque will slough off much later.
As far as difficulty in shedding, I could see the reason why...
Especially the casque, I don't see it will shed nicely at all. After all, it's a dead tissue underneath.

Try to maintain at least 50% humidity.
Adding live plants in the enclosure will help you with that.

I don't quite get what you are saying in the section i highlighted.
You mean the fountain behave like a heat rock?
Then, it is more of a reason to take that out.
Heat Rock is NEVER be recommended for chameleon.. as you can guess the reason why.. yes, Burn risk.
 
his limbs look deformed. I suspect he has, or did have at some point, metabolic bone disease. The limbs, especially the front, have a characteristic bow to them. Do you give him any calcium with D3?
 
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