Doctor recommended adding worms which type best?

[niese4pigs]

I have a 1yr old veiled cham he recently started having a problem with one foot swelling. We suspected it was cellulitis because my dear husband over fed him crickets while I was out of town. Now his other foot is starting to swell & he has a swelling on the side of his chest near front leg all swelling is in same side of body. He has been on antibiotics for several days but my Dr. thinks it is time to introduce another type of feeder besides crickets. I need to pick some up today!!! Local pets stores only have meal worms, superworms and wax worms which is a better choice. Thanks for any replies will fill you guys in later with more detail about his swelling.

 

[beardeds7587]

out of those three i recommend super worms being the best......mealworms hard to digest and waxworms to fatty....if i was u i would allso look into getting silk worms and all so ordering horn worms.... but def super worms are the best out of the ones you're local petstore has.... i currently own 5 chams and work at petsmart goodluck

 

[Syn]

None of them are really a great choice, if anything you could try to offer superworms but do not replace crickets with them. Try getting hornworms or silk worms if possible.

Is your "Doctor" a knowledgeable herp vet or just an "exotics" vet?

 

[kinyonga]

Cellulitis from crickets?? How did he determine this?? Does he think the crickets are biting him?

 

[niese4pigs]

My Doctor is a great herp vet & a great exotic vet. I only plan to feed worms every other day & crickets on opposite days.

 

[niese4pigs]

Yes crickets biting him I was feeding large crickets 6-7 a day and my husband put 15 or more a day in cage & when I got home about 30 large crickets loose in cage he had obvious marks on his leg.

 

[sandrachameleon]

I have a 1yr old veiled cham he recently started having a problem with one foot swelling. We suspected it was cellulitis because my dear husband over fed him crickets while I was out of town. Now his other foot is starting to swell & he has a swelling on the side of his chest near front leg all swelling is in same side of body. He has been on antibiotics for several days but my Dr. thinks it is time to introduce another type of feeder besides crickets. I need to pick some up today!!! Local pets stores only have meal worms, superworms and wax worms which is a better choice. Thanks for any replies will fill you guys in later with more detail about his swelling.

Cellulitis seems an unusual diagnosis.
What do you feed the crickets?
Would you post a couple pictures and complete the "how to ask for help" sticky questionaire?

To answer the question you asked - silkworms and butterworms would be good choices. If your local store doesnt stock them, you can order online and have them shipped to you.
Wax worms are a terrible choice - very high in fat and low in everything useful. Mealworms are not great, though with gutloading theyre not terrible as an occassional feeder. Superworms are okay but fatty (make sure you gutload them) so dont offer too many supers either

edit- presumably the crickets had nothing to eat and so nibbled on the chameleon?

 

[kinyonga]

Its best not to leave many crickets in the cage and if you provide the crickets with some food in the cage they will be less likely to nibble on your chameleon. Make sure the food is not going to hurt the chameleon if it ingests it though too.

Did the vet clean out the infected areas or just put the chameleon on antibiotics? Did he do a culture and sensitivity test on the exudate?

 

[Syn]

Please fill out the form.... I am wondering how your vet made that diagnosis.

 

[niese4pigs]

Normally do not leave crickets in my chams cage long enough for them to cause problem. He normaly eats all (5-7 large) with in 15-30 minutes but my husband gave him 15 large crickets every day for 4 days ad he could not eat them quickly enough and my husband was either scared to touch crickets or just did not know he could not leave them in there for a long period of time. The bite marks on his leg were just tiny scratches nothing in cage could have caused them so The Dr & I assumed crickets caused marks. Nothing large enough to really scrub or culture. Started him on Baytril for 7 days along with hydrotherapy just toe and wrist area swollen. After 7 days of Baytril switched to Tribressen for next 5 days. Was doing well for next 2-2 1/2 weeks then noticed back foot swollen at ankle and swelling on side of chest.

 

[Syn]

So your Dr made an assumption? Baytril, too? Hydrotherapy? Tribressen My head is spinning already. I haven't heard of Tribressen before -- did he explain what it does? Well, maybe I have but under a different name.

 

[niese4pigs]

Male veiled a little over 1 year old have had since 3 months old

Handle a few times a week unless sick then have to give meds daily but he doesn't seem to mind being picked up

Feed crickets 5-6 large daily gut load with commercial gut loading food

Calcium w/o D3 3times a week

Reptavite every two weeks

Mistking 8 times a day 1-2 minute spray intervals
yes i do see him drink

Fecal normal color had fecal tested for parasites about 3-4 months ago

Screen cage 2x2x4
5.0 linear reptisun
100 watt day light 75 watt night time

Temp basking day 85-88
night basking 79-82

coolest temp at night is about 78
Humidity 50-80% have humidifer in room as well as fogger on cage
digital therometer/hygrometer
Artifical plants

cage in spare bedroom low traffic not around any vents
top of cage about 1.5 feet from ceiling

Live in Louisville, KY

 

[niese4pigs]

Tribressen is another antibiotic

 

[Syn]

Male veiled a little over 1 year old have had since 3 months old

Handle a few times a week unless sick then have to give meds daily but he doesn't seem to mind being picked up

Feed crickets 5-6 large daily gut load with commercial gut loading food

Calcium w/o D3 3times a week

Reptavite every two weeks Are these two dusts all you dust with?

Mistking 8 times a day 1-2 minute spray intervals
yes i do see him drink

Fecal normal color had fecal tested for parasites about 3-4 months ago

Screen cage 2x2x4
5.0 linear reptisun
100 watt day light 75 watt night time What kind of bulb are you using at night? You could be interrupting his sleep.

Temp basking day 85-88
night basking 79-82

coolest temp at night is about 78 You could use a bigger drop.
Humidity 50-80% have humidifer in room as well as fogger on cage Foggers can cause issues.
digital therometer/hygrometer
Artifical plants

cage in spare bedroom low traffic not around any vents
top of cage about 1.5 feet from ceiling

Live in Louisville, KY

Please get a picture of his "scratches" and his set up.

 

[niese4pigs]

Those are my only dusting supplements I use Problem with them?? Just recently bumped reptivite up to once a week

Night time heat bulb is red bulb and just double checked my night time temp it is at 72

And yes I am not crazy about fogger the motor always seems to go out on them I think I may be able to keep humidity up with just the humidifer in room along with mistking

Will try to get pics this week very busy work week ahead for me

 

[AReptile]

Red bulb can prove harmful to the cham in the long run so i suggest you get rid of it.

 

[Syn]

Red bulb can prove harmful to the cham in the long run so i suggest you get rid of it.

Right, and contrary to popular belief... it can affect their sleeping patterns. They can still see the light, maybe not as well, but it's still there.

 

[niese4pigs]

forgot to mention Dr. did take an xray of front leg that was was first to swell. xray showed he has good bone density which is even in both legs, soft tissue is swollen and there is extra space in the joints which is probably fluid no fractures

What does everyone recommend for a heat source at night my house stays pretty cool particulary in winter time

 

[Jsiddens]

A good ceramic bulb. They last a long time. I only needed a 60 watt one.

 

[Lovereps]

Silkworms, butterworms,phoenix worms and captive raised ONLY hornworms are all reasonably low in fats and high in calcium.
You can't use hornworms from your garden because the tomato leaves that they eat make them poisonous for your cham.
One of our forum sponsors has a butterworm special and it is interesting to see how low in fat they are, while being high in calcium:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/butterworms-new-prices-200-25-00-1000-100-inclu-shipg-46248/
Here's another one with a variety of feeders:
http://www.mulberryfarms.com/