Emergency or no?

[Shaddowxxi]

My question is does he look like I need to get him to a vet ASAP or will he be ok till the 19th?

I have, what I'm assuming to be, a subadult male Jackson's that I got about a week ago. He drinks really well for me and doesn't seem to mind me poking around in his enclosure for maintenance.

He isn't eating though. He has eaten around 5 crickets in the week I've had him, 1 the very first day (he actually took it from my hand, I was amazed) and 2 days ago he got really excited and snatched up 4 of them.
His poop seems normal, white urates and slightly runny.
He seems to have that vitamin A deficiency eye problem though and he lays down on his vines in a weird way... Pictures will show what I mean, he leaves a leg dangling.

I already made a vet appointment but they can't see me till the 19th unless I say it's an emergency, which is going to most likely cost me extra and I'm already going to be paying a lot to go to the veterinary college at my school (no other reptile vets around).
My question is does he look like I need to get him to a vet ASAP or will he be ok till the 19th?

http://ifunny.mobi/i/u02F4aZ12

He looks thin to me from not eating

That's about the best he ever looks lately

His eye

That's how he is 90% of the time

So again, my question is does he look like I need to get him to a vet ASAP or will he be ok till the 19th?

 

[Rodcham]

I really think you need to fill in the help sheet. Can't see from the pics what his husbandry is like. He does look a bit sad though. If his husbandry is great he may be fine but if it was me I would get him to a vet asap to check him out. If you fill in the help sheet I am sure someone will be able to advise you better.

 

[Lathis]

Not eating or picky eating for the first week is not unusual at all. If he at 4 crickets two days ago, he's going to be fine for a while. You might leave a few in the cage and leave him alone to hunt in private. He is still adjusting to his whole world being changed. As long as he is drinking, I would say give him a few more days to get settled before you worry about that.

Jax can be very chill, but the stripes don't lie. Stripes usually mean upset or scared, so give him some space if he pops out the stripes. If he's just dark, he may be too cool. What's your basking temp? About 83*F is good for him.

Did he just start shedding or just finish? My Jax Ferdinand gets supper crabby right before a big shed.

He does look a little skinny, but so did my Jax at that age. If he will eat make it count. Offer him something high in nutrition and moisture - silkworms or hornworms would be excellent if you can get them. If not, give your crickets a variety of fresh veggies and fruits to eat before you feed them off.

His eyes don't look bad, maybe a little sunken, but lots of mistings and proper humidity will fix that. Why do you think he is having an issue with his eyes?

The dangling leg could mean that something is bothering him. Is it always that leg? Are any of the toes swollen or discolored? Is the ankle more puffy than the other legs? Does he get mad when you touch it?

Unless there is something I am missing, I think waiting until the 19th would be okay. Are you taking him in for a "well lizard" checkup? If you can find them, bring fresh droppings to have a fecal check run.

If you fill out this form https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ we will help you get everything set up for him.

Finally - he is a DOLL! I love that curvy rostral horn! What's his name?

 

[Shaddowxxi]

Chameleon Info: he's temporarily named chamy for the vet's use - Male Jackson's, age unknown, I've had him about a week
Handling - I haven't since I put him in the enclosure but he doesn't seem to mind me much.
Feeding - This is a big part of my problem. He isn't eating well. I offer crickets every morning and he's eaten about 5 since I got him. I'm gut loading with kale at the moment. I was using those flukers orange cubes and I'm working on switching to fresh stuff.
Supplements - zoo med reptical without D3 every feeding and zoo med reptivite with D3 once every 1-2 weeks
Watering - I must manually with a pressure sprayer several times a day and he drinks very well every morning when I refill his dripper.
Fecal Description - white urates, slightly runny but sticks to leaves. No testing



Cage Info:Cage Type - Screen, 16/16/24 I think
Lighting - 2 UVB CFLs, a 100 daylight blue bulb all zoo med. 12 on 12 off
Temperature - 90 degree got spot down to 76 measured with a temp fun and probe. I wanna add that when I temp gun the hotspot it's 90 but when I temp gun HIM it's usually 86
Humidity - 56 to 80 depending on when I last sprayed. Measured with probe.
Plants - None yet. Planning to get a ficus tree for him
Placement - He is in my bedroom, have an oscillating fan on the other end of the room and a space heater that keeps it above 72 in there. Top of the cage is about 5 ft from the floor.
Location - East TN

 

[Shaddowxxi]

Not eating or picky eating for the first week is not unusual at all. If he at 4 crickets two days ago, he's going to be fine for a while. You might leave a few in the cage and leave him alone to hunt in private. He is still adjusting to his whole world being changed. As long as he is drinking, I would say give him a few more days to get settled before you worry about that.

Jax can be very chill, but the stripes don't lie. Stripes usually mean upset or scared, so give him some space if he pops out the stripes. If he's just dark, he may be too cool. What's your basking temp? About 83*F is good for him.

Did he just start shedding or just finish? My Jax Ferdinand gets supper crabby right before a big shed.

He does look a little skinny, but so did my Jax at that age. If he will eat make it count. Offer him something high in nutrition and moisture - silkworms or hornworms would be excellent if you can get them. If not, give your crickets a variety of fresh veggies and fruits to eat before you feed them off.

His eyes don't look bad, maybe a little sunken, but lots of mistings and proper humidity will fix that. Why do you think he is having an issue with his eyes?

The dangling leg could mean that something is bothering him. Is it always that leg? Are any of the toes swollen or discolored? Is the ankle more puffy than the other legs? Does he get mad when you touch it?

Unless there is something I am missing, I think waiting until the 19th would be okay. Are you taking him in for a "well lizard" checkup? If you can find them, bring fresh droppings to have a fecal check run.

If you fill out this form https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ we will help you get everything set up for him.

Finally - he is a DOLL! I love that curvy rostral horn! What's his name?

I guess the picture doesn't show it well but he keeps that eye closed. Always.

He doesn't care if I touch him anywhere as far as I can tell. Don't get much of a reaction at all, which is another worry...

I am taking him for a full checkup/consultation and to get these specific concerns addressed.

 

[Carlton]

My question is does he look like I need to get him to a vet ASAP or will he be ok till the 19th?

I have, what I'm assuming to be, a subadult male Jackson's that I got about a week ago. He drinks really well for me and doesn't seem to mind me poking around in his enclosure for maintenance.

He isn't eating though. He has eaten around 5 crickets in the week I've had him, 1 the very first day (he actually took it from my hand, I was amazed) and 2 days ago he got really excited and snatched up 4 of them.
His poop seems normal, white urates and slightly runny.
He seems to have that vitamin A deficiency eye problem though and he lays down on his vines in a weird way... Pictures will show what I mean, he leaves a leg dangling.

I already made a vet appointment but they can't see me till the 19th unless I say it's an emergency, which is going to most likely cost me extra and I'm already going to be paying a lot to go to the veterinary college at my school (no other reptile vets around).
My question is does he look like I need to get him to a vet ASAP or will he be ok till the 19th?

http://ifunny.mobi/i/u02F4aZ12

He looks thin to me from not eating

That's about the best he ever looks lately

His eye

That's how he is 90% of the time

So again, my question is does he look like I need to get him to a vet ASAP or will he be ok till the 19th?

What's the humidity level in your cage? If he's drinking a lot and your cage humidity is low, he may be losing ground over time. Dehydrated chams eat less and less. Where did you get him? Chances are he's an import and hasn't had perfect care. He looks dehydrated and very thin and depleted to me, and he should be eating more. Sometimes our larger insect feeders are a little intimidating so offering smaller sizes can help. More small insects can be easier to digest than fewer large ones. Some fatty treat insects like waxworms might put some weight on him. Also juvenile silk or hornworms. Jax love flying insects, so houseflies or dull colored night flying moths can get them going. Cultivated sowbugs were a favorite of my jax. If you collect sowbugs you'd want to be careful where you get them. They do accumulate garden pesticides. He may have intestinal parasites that are adding to his poor condition. The leg dangling thing is subjective IMHO. It could be from overall weakness, a soft tissue injury, not just a possible deficiency. What are you gutloading and dusting with and how often? Jax are sensitive to vitamin dusting...easy to overdose.

 

[Lathis]

Chameleon Info: he's temporarily named chamy for the vet's use - Male Jackson's, age unknown, I've had him about a week
Handling - I haven't since I put him in the enclosure but he doesn't seem to mind me much.
Feeding - This is a big part of my problem. He isn't eating well. I offer crickets every morning and he's eaten about 5 since I got him. I'm gut loading with kale at the moment. I was using those flukers orange cubes and I'm working on switching to fresh stuff.
Supplements - zoo med reptical without D3 every feeding and zoo med reptivite with D3 once every 1-2 weeks
Watering - I must manually with a pressure sprayer several times a day and he drinks very well every morning when I refill his dripper.
Fecal Description - white urates, slightly runny but sticks to leaves. No testing



Cage Info:Cage Type - Screen, 16/16/24 I think
Lighting - 2 UVB CFLs, a 100 daylight blue bulb all zoo med. 12 on 12 off
Temperature - 90 degree got spot down to 76 measured with a temp fun and probe. I wanna add that when I temp gun the hotspot it's 90 but when I temp gun HIM it's usually 86
Humidity - 56 to 80 depending on when I last sprayed. Measured with probe.
Plants - None yet. Planning to get a ficus tree for him
Placement - He is in my bedroom, have an oscillating fan on the other end of the room and a space heater that keeps it above 72 in there. Top of the cage is about 5 ft from the floor.
Location - East TN

Thanks! A few thoughts:

For a cage that size, you only need one CFL. Two on at the same time might be too much for him and it might be bothering his eyes.

90*F at his basking spot might be a bit hot, how close is it to the light? Ferd's basking spot is about 8-inches from the top of the cage and with a 75 Watt house lamp, it hits right about 85*F.

Plain calcium on crickets a few times a week is perfect. For the Reptivite with D3, you only want to use that 1 time a month. I do it on the first of the month. Jacksons need much less supplementation than other chameleons, so you want to be careful with the D3 and multivitamin.

Have you had a chance to look over the caresheets here?
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/

This info might be helpful to you.

 

[Shaddowxxi]

What's the humidity level in your cage? If he's drinking a lot and your cage humidity is low, he may be losing ground over time. Dehydrated chams eat less and less. Where did you get him? Chances are he's an import and hasn't had perfect care. He looks dehydrated and very thin and depleted to me, and he should be eating more. Sometimes our larger insect feeders are a little intimidating so offering smaller sizes can help. More small insects can be easier to digest than fewer large ones. Some fatty treat insects like waxworms might put some weight on him. Also juvenile silk or hornworms. Jax love flying insects, so houseflies or dull colored night flying moths can get them going. Cultivated sowbugs were a favorite of my jax. If you collect sowbugs you'd want to be careful where you get them. They do accumulate garden pesticides. He may have intestinal parasites that are adding to his poor condition. The leg dangling thing is subjective IMHO. It could be from overall weakness, a soft tissue injury, not just a possible deficiency. What are you gutloading and dusting with and how often? Jax are sensitive to vitamin dusting...easy to overdose.

You were probably typing this up as I filled out the how to ask for help form, it's posted now as a reply.
He's from a chain store so he is most likely imported.

 

[Shaddowxxi]

Thanks! A few thoughts:



For a cage that size, you only need one CFL. Two on at the same time might be too much for him and it might be bothering his eyes.



90*F at his basking spot might be a bit hot, how close is it to the light? Ferd's basking spot is about 8-inches from the top of the cage and with a 75 Watt house lamp, it hits right about 85*F.



Plain calcium on crickets a few times a week is perfect. For the Reptivite with D3, you only want to use that 1 time a month. I do it on the first of the month. Jacksons need much less supplementation than other chameleons, so you want to be careful with the D3 and multivitamin.



Have you had a chance to look over the caresheets here?

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/chameleons/



This info might be helpful to you.

I'm worried if I take out a cfl he won't get enough UVB because of the fixture.... A picture will show what I mean better.

It will only cover half the cage with 1....

 

[Shaddowxxi]

Also, someone asked about shedding.... He has not shed with me yet. He has some stuck on his head that I'm gonna ask the vet to look at.

 

[Carlton]

I think I'd agree with reducing the temp a little and CFL level in case it is bothering his eyes (jax are montane understory chams so a lower intensity is OK). Temps are a little high and the warmth will dry out your cage quickly. Thick live plants will help that and give him a retreat from view and from light if he wants it. Make sure there's a good cool down at night...into the 60s.

 

[Shaddowxxi]

Ok, I'll swap his heat bulb to a 60 watt and take out a UVB bulb.

This is what it looks like now

 

[Lathis]

I think that's a good plan to see if he perks up.
Is your heat lamp a red light? Use a white, standard bulb instead. More ambient light in the cage, and the red doesn't do anything for you.

 

[Shaddowxxi]

I think that's a good plan to see if he perks up.

Is your heat lamp a red light? Use a white, standard bulb instead. More ambient light in the cage, and the red doesn't do anything for you.

I had a 100 watt day bulb in there, I'll get another white one but red was the only lower wattage I had laying around.

 

[Lathis]

I had a 100 watt day bulb in there, I'll get another white one but red was the only lower wattage I had laying around.

Makes sense!

 

[Shaddowxxi]

Thanks for everyone's replies. I don't feel as freaked out by everything anymore.
I'm used to active reptiles so I'm having a hard time figuring out what "normal" is for a chameleon :/

 

[sharp229]

I would put a 6500k daylight CFL in the socket where you removed the UVB. This will give him more light without excessive UVB.

He may have vitamin A deficiencies like you mentioned; you may be able to help by giving him a supplement with preformed vitamin A like Repashy Calcium Plus, although like others have said you should not do this more than once a month. I would talk to your vet about it.

Chameleons are usually very active in my experience, so he may be adjusting or the inactivity may be related to his health problems.

 

[Lathis]

I would put a 6500k daylight CFL in the socket where you removed the UVB. This will give him more light without excessive UVB.

That's a really good idea! Your plants will be very happy with the 6500k.

 

[JosieJobo]

vitamin A

My vet said to gutload with yellow and orange foods for vit A, orange, bannan, squash, mangos... you get the idear he looks pretty sad but very cool hope he perks up for you Xx

 

[Shaddowxxi]

I'll look into the 6500k bulbs, I think I may even have some somewhere....

Thank you for the gut loading tip, I'm clueless x.x