Different ways of giving antibiotics to chameleons

[LanceLee]

I read there are three ways of giving antibiotics to chameleons, hope to understand each way better

1) the most common way is oral administration yes? force feeding amtibiotics to your chameleon in liquid form, in the right dilution/amount, taking into careful consideration of its weight?
however, this method is also very taxing to your chameleon's kidneys yes?
side-effects include constipation, yellow-orangy urates?


2) next method is to inject liquid antibiotics (again, in the right amount/dilution) directly into your chameleon's body? i read that the best way to do this is to inject into the skin underneath your chameleon's armpit.

advantage of this method is that it will enter the bloodstream faster? will it also be less taxing to its kidneys?


3) the third way is to use the nebulizer method.
this is the method i'm most interested in, because i read that it doesn't tax your chameleon's kidneys and perhaps it's also the less stressful to your chameleon?

however this is the method i know least about, there doesn't seem to be much info about this online. i read elsewhere in this forum - it's about putting your chameleon into a tight-lipped, shoe-box container, with a tube that feeds misted antibiotics for your chameleon to inhale. has anyone tried this before?

the antibiotics i'm using is Baytril and i use it to treat mostly upper respiratory infections in chameleons

 

[Lathis]

Injectable, inhalable, and oral drugs are usually different grades, formulations, and/or concentrations. You can't usually just switch delivery methods, and doing so can be dangerous. For example, injecting an oral-grade antibiotics might cause ulcerative sores and may not activate the drug in the bloodstream, making the dose useless.

Without significant personal experience and the direction of an experienced vet, I would not experiment with this.

 

[jajeanpierre]

The drug determines what side effects or risks it carries, not the method of delivery.

The delivery method is based on the drug itself. Some drugs like Baytril do damage to tissues when injected, causing extreme pain and tissue destruction. If a drug is toxic to the kidneys, as many antibitotics are, the best way to minimize that is to make sure the animal is very well hydrated throughout the treatment.

This is where your vet comes in. You really need a vet who has an extensive knowledge of pharmacology and how it relates to the physiology of chameleons and your chameleon in particular.

 

[LanceLee]

keeping chameleons as a hobby is somewhat illegal in china... but the market is huge n expanding quickly, unfortunately, vets here r not trained nor experienced with chameleons

 

[Andee]

Then I would not experiment. Unless you have a seriously good vet directing you, then you will likely do more harm than good.

 

[LanceLee]

i'v finally found a legitimate vet in my city, who claims to know enough about chameleons. i'm visiting him with my sick female tomorrow. thanks folks, for all the advices

 

[Lathis]

i'v finally found a legitimate vet in my city, who claims to know enough about chameleons. i'm visiting him with my sick female tomorrow. thanks folks, for all the advices

Good luck to you both!