Egg Bound Veiled - Please help

[camillathechameleon]

So, I did post a few times last week. On Thursday I took my veiled to the vet and he confirmed she is egg bound. He did an xray, gave an injection, we are hand feeding her twice a day with a syringe (dog food) and she is taking a liquid med once a day.

His opinion was she has been pregnant for about 3 weeks but I had no idea as she didn't start acting strange until last week.

So, is there anything else I can be doing for her. Here is what is being done:

*Injection - given at vet, Calcium Gluconate
*hand feeding, prescription dog food, twice a day
*giving meds daily, Neo-Cal solution every morning by mouth
*laying box is in and has been since last week when I suspected
*basking area, which is where she stays is at 84 degrees, humidity at 60
*misting cage 3-4 times a day
*Cage covered with a towel for complete privacy
*Still offering gut loaded crickets but she is not eating. We are removing and replacing them.

Our hopes of course is she lays soon but vet said if she didn't we would have to surgery and I don't there is any way we can afford that. I love her and am very attached so please, if anyone else has any other suggestions please let me know.

Robyn

 

[Dez]

Did you vet suggest an oxytocin injection.. this is a "labor educing" injection that will make a female pass eggs

Sometimes it works and sometimes not. If the eggs are twisted up inside of her they may be impossible to pass and surgery may be the only way.. Surgery is very risky for a chameleon

 

[camillathechameleon]

He didn't suggest and I didn't know to ask about any oxy injection. He said from the xray the eggs did not have the hard shell so I am assuming we are trying to get the hard shell so she can pass them.

 

[kinyonga]

Chameleon eggs dont have hard brittle shells like birds....they are leathery and somewhat flexible. It usually takes about thirty days for he eggs to be ready after mating or the start for infertile eggs. The female often stops eating a few days before laying. Why does the vet think she's eggbound?

Also please don't make multiple posts about the same issue...it makes it harder for us to follow whats going on.

 

[camillathechameleon]

I apologize if I made more than one post about this. I didn't realize I did. I have actually wondered myself why he thought she was egg bound but he said she is. This is my first chameleon so I didn't know to question him.

I just have so many questions. She is still not eating although I am syringe feeding her twice a day.

From the time I noticed she was getting bigger and not eating, how long does it usually take before they lay.

I am supposed to come back in for a recheck on Thursday if she hasn't laid her eggs but I honestly do not know if this vet is surgery happy or what. He said he she hasn't laid her eggs then surgery would be the next step and I just don't know if that is the right thing to do.

I am not in this to breed, she is a pet and I want to do what is best for her but it is really hard finding reliable help.

 

[kinyonga]

Does she have a place to lay the eggs in her cage? If she doesn't she could become eggbound.

If the vet says she's about three weeks along....If the vet is right she has about ten days to go which is why I don't understand why he says she's eggbound...unless there is something he's seeing that he didn't tell you.

I also don't know why he's getting your to feed her unless she's showing signs of being malnourished. When a female is near laying she needs less stress not more.

What was your supplement schedule before this...please be specific. What did you feed/gutload the insects with?

 

[camillathechameleon]

Everyone I have talked to so far agrees that she is probably not ready to lay, probably soon. I am actually calling the vet this morning and asking A LOT of questions as to why he told me she was egg bound. I am answering your questions below: My responses are in ALL CAPS.

"Does she have a place to lay the eggs in her cage? If she doesn't she could become eggbound." YES, SHE DOES.

"If the vet says she's about three weeks along....If the vet is right she has about ten days to go which is why I don't understand why he says she's eggbound...unless there is something he's seeing that he didn't tell you." AFTER ALL THE RESEARCH I HAVE DONE AND ALL THE PEOPLE I HAVE TALKED TO I AGREE HERE. I JUST THINK SHE IS NOT READY.

"I also don't know why he's getting your to feed her unless she's showing signs of being malnourished. When a female is near laying she needs less stress not more." ALSO AGREE. SHE WAS NOT MALNOUSHED HOWEVER SHE DID STOP EATING. I TOOK HER IN BECASUE I DID SUSPECT SHE WAS WITH EGGS AND WAS CONCERNED ABOUT HER NOT EATING. I DIDN'T WANT HER TO GO DOWN HILL AND REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

"What was your supplement schedule before this...please be specific. What did you feed/gutload the insects with?" CRICKETS GUTLOADED WITH THE FOLLOWING IN THEIR ENCLOSURE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. FLUKERS ORANGE CUBE, FLUCKERS HIGH CALCIUM FIET, FLUKERS CRICKET QUENCHER. WHEN I GET UP IN THE MORNING I PUT 5-6 CRICKETS IN A SMALL ENCLOSURE WITH APPLE AND SWEET POTATO. LEAVE THEM IN FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES AND THEN PUT THEM IN CAMILLA'S ENCLOSURE. THEY ARE DUSTED WITH REP-CAL MULTIVITAMINS AND REP-CAL CALCIUM WITH VIT D.

 

[camillathechameleon]

OK, I called and spoke with the vet technician who helped us. The vet was in surgery. He said she is NOT egg bound as of last Thursdays appt. So, I guess I misinterpreted the term "egg bound", lol. Because they did say egg bound, I used to have birds so I am very familiar with what egg bound means and that is what the vet said. He did say she was healthy at the last appt. and that hasn't changed since then, she is still looking healthy. Just not eating much on her own which I guess is normal.

I kept asking questions but he did say without seeing her it is hard to answer and I get that. The recheck appt is on Thursday at 4pm. He said the recheck is free since I was already in but they will want to do another ultrasound which is $180 to determine what is happening in there. I asked about Oxytocin shot and they said they don't generally do that with Chameleons and if at this appt they determine she is "egg bound" they would suggest removing the oviducts. He said to continue hand feeding her twice a day as this is making sure she does not get malnourished since she still isn't eating much and to continue on with the liquid calcium I am doing twice a day.

I am just still so unsure all this is needed but I want to right by her. Any thoughts?

 

[Lpsouth1978]

CRICKETS GUTLOADED WITH THE FOLLOWING IN THEIR ENCLOSURE AVAILABLE AT ALL TIMES. FLUKERS ORANGE CUBE, FLUCKERS HIGH CALCIUM FIET, FLUKERS CRICKET QUENCHER. WHEN I GET UP IN THE MORNING I PUT 5-6 CRICKETS IN A SMALL ENCLOSURE WITH APPLE AND SWEET POTATO. LEAVE THEM IN FOR ABOUT 15-20 MINUTES AND THEN PUT THEM IN CAMILLA'S ENCLOSURE. THEY ARE DUSTED WITH REP-CAL MULTIVITAMINS AND REP-CAL CALCIUM WITH VIT D.

Fluker's cricket diet is really not very good. I would suggest either making your own gutload (search the forums for sandrachameleons blogs about gutloads) or purchase a quality gutload online. You can get them from several of the sponsors on this site. Giving the crickets you will be feeding to your chameleon apples, potatos, carrots, turnip greens, etc. is a good idea, however you need to give them at least several hours to eat it or you will not see any benefit.

Also, DO NOT dust with a multivitamin and calcium w/D3 every feeding!. Your dusting schedule should be as follows:

Calcium w/o D3 every feeding
Calcium w/D3 2x monthy
Multivitamin 2x monthly

 

[jannb]

OK, I called and spoke with the vet technician who helped us. The vet was in surgery. He said she is NOT egg bound as of last Thursdays appt. So, I guess I misinterpreted the term "egg bound", lol. Because they did say egg bound, I used to have birds so I am very familiar with what egg bound means and that is what the vet said. He did say she was healthy at the last appt. and that hasn't changed since then, she is still looking healthy. Just not eating much on her own which I guess is normal.

I kept asking questions but he did say without seeing her it is hard to answer and I get that. The recheck appt is on Thursday at 4pm. He said the recheck is free since I was already in but they will want to do another ultrasound which is $180 to determine what is happening in there. I asked about Oxytocin shot and they said they don't generally do that with Chameleons and if at this appt they determine she is "egg bound" they would suggest removing the oviducts. He said to continue hand feeding her twice a day as this is making sure she does not get malnourished since she still isn't eating much and to continue on with the liquid calcium I am doing twice a day.

I am just still so unsure all this is needed but I want to right by her. Any thoughts?

Oxytocin is often used on chameleons. It doesn't always work but sometimes it does. How knowledgable is your vet about chameleons. There's a good chameleon vet in Houston. http://www.gcvs.com/

 

[camillathechameleon]

Fluker's cricket diet is really not very good. I would suggest either making your own gutload (search the forums for sandrachameleons blogs about gutloads) or purchase a quality gutload online. You can get them from several of the sponsors on this site. Giving the crickets you will be feeding to your chameleon apples, potatos, carrots, turnip greens, etc. is a good idea, however you need to give them at least several hours to eat it or you will not see any benefit.

Also, DO NOT dust with a multivitamin and calcium w/D3 every feeding!. Your dusting schedule should be as follows:

Calcium w/o D3 every feeding
Calcium w/D3 2x monthy
Multivitamin 2x monthly

Oh wow, thank you for letting me know all of this about the supplements. What I do is what the pet shop I got her from told me to do. I will begin immediately doing this. Will be buying a calendar to hang by her cage.

 

[camillathechameleon]

Oxytocin is often used on chameleons. It doesn't always work but sometimes it does. How knowledgable is your vet about chameleons. There's a good chameleon vet in Houston. http://www.gcvs.com/

Thank you Jan. I am in league city and we have 2 very knowledgable vets. I have been in contact with several locally and from what I gather the one I am going to is a "very surgery happy vet clinic". The other one I have now been in touch with today which comes highly recommended actually took my call and spoke with me.

I am going to be getting her xray and doing my follow up visit with her on Thursday. She said surgery (which this other vet keeps pushing if she doesn't lay soon) is very dangerous and that she will want to do 1 more xray to see where she is and then she would suggest oxytocin which is what everyone else is saying. So, I feel more comfortable with this new vet already.

Thanks for all of your help.

 

[Devokid]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned this, but you really should not feed your chameleon dog food. It is too high in protein and can lead to more health problems. If you must feed her from a syringe, I would mash up some bugs. It is healthier for her to eat her normal food.

 

[camillathechameleon]

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned this, but you really should not feed your chameleon dog food. It is too high in protein and can lead to more health problems. If you must feed her from a syringe, I would mash up some bugs. It is healthier for her to eat her normal food.

The vet told me to. I thought it was odd also. But I figured he was a vet. I am going to another vet for her recheck, another xray and exam. I think I am actually going to make the apt for tomorrow and go in a day earlier.

 

[TheAmbulatingFerret]

The vet told me to. I thought it was odd also. But I figured he was a vet. I am going to another vet for her recheck, another xray and exam. I think I am actually going to make the apt for tomorrow and go in a day earlier.

Honestly if you have to force feed, use insects. Just make sure you chop the heads off/kill them first. I don't see how any form of dog food could be considered an okay replacement for a totally insect based diet.