Creature is Maybe Dying... :'(

Creaturelover123

New Member
Some of you may already know that my first chameleon, creature, has not eaten since the 11th of Feb. We are pretty sure she is dying because:

1st: She has not eaten in 9 days, not intrested in her food
2nd: She is just laying there under her basking light 24/7 not moving
3rd: She is laying there with her eyes closed, only opening them if her cage gets bumped (which barley ever happens)

Never thought this would happen.
I have gavin her Waxworms,Crickets, and Superworms. She isn't even intrested in them.
Im taking it day by day.
We will see what happens.
 
Have you tried getting her to eat, by putting water on her nose and when she opens her mouth putting a bug in it?
 
Sorry to hear. You should fill out the help form so we can give you some recommendations. Is she WC/CB, you should take her to the vet ASAP, the longer you wait the worst it will get. She could be egg bound or have parasites.
 
Sorry to hear. You should fill out the help form so we can give you some recommendations. Is she WC/CB, you should take her to the vet ASAP, the longer you wait the worst it will get. She could be egg bound or have parasites.

I don't know what WC and CB means. Unforchuntly we don't have a good reptile vet around here.
 
It is very sad to just let her die. A vet visit could save her. If she needs surgery that costs hundreds you don't have, then give her the lack of a long death. Yet the vet put her down. I would think you owe her that at least. jmo
 
How cold is it where you live, my chameleon stopped eating for a least a week and a half, I hope she wont die, try and do everything you can to make her try and eat, try hornworms maybe, or blue bottle flys, my chameleon started eating when i gave him flys
 
How cold is it where you live, my chameleon stopped eating for a least a week and a half, I hope she wont die, try and do everything you can to make her try and eat, try hornworms maybe, or blue bottle flys, my chameleon started eating when i gave him flys

I will try to get the flys. Where can you get them?
 
A regular vet could possibly help you, you never know if they have good information on chameleons, or exotic reptiles. Order them off of mantis palce, go to the website, and go under feeder innsects and when you see the picture that sayss blue bottle flies click it then add the 100 pupaes to cart and also the shipping that is $6.50, they are little pupaes and they should hatch in about three days if you keep them very warm, I kept mine next to the heat lamp on top my cage.
 
Don't just wait for her to pass. You should try to force feed here. Start with a few waxworms-It might sound gross but if you want it to survive, one should try everything. Many of my animals were in the same boat and people would give them to me. My survival rate is about 60% but that is better than 100% dead.
Take about 3 waxworms and soak well in water to the point of them drowning.

Then with a pin put a hole in them so their insides can drain into digestive track of chameleon.

Take a plastic spoon and turn upside down and slowly push into mouth. Important is EXTREMLY SLOW the muscles in the jaw will tire and the mouth will open. EXTREMELY SLOW also because you don't want to damage teeth or jaw from weakend bone conditions.

Once the mouth is open, place the worms inside and let chameleon swallow. It will first try to throw-up but if you use your fingers and keep the food inside, she will eventually swallow. sometimes the best is placing food into throat area behind the sticky tongue area.
Then leave for a 2 days but continue to mist for hydration.

If your able to, without the spoon, pry open mouth and place food in that way. You can grab skin under the tongue area and place your nail between the upper and lower mouth, then gently pull on skin to open mouth.
Extremely important to get something into the digestive track or damage is unfixable...
Can you post a pic?
If her eyes are sunken in a little, there are other forms of help but will require a small aquarium, water heater, and pedialite.
 
You should get in touch with chameleonsnorthwest, I believe they are located in Washington and might be able to recommend a vet.
 
If your chameleon wont eat, try what Mredhorse said, just pinch the bottom lip an d slowly pull down the chameleons bottom jaw. And try to force feed, and try toput a little water in its mouth, try not to drown it though. If your chameleon is small maybe buy the house flies instead of blue bottles because blue bottles are pretty big
 
An hour is nothing when you think about it. It takes me 2 each way if i want a good herp vet.

I will travel the same just to get some shimp for my seahorses if LFS are out.
My feelings are, the animal did not choose me, I chose it, and should do everything possible to keep them healty and alive. If time and money are issues, I should not have them. JMO :)
 
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