First vet visit

[Sarahcwilson]

So, Steve has been making a weird crackly noise every once in a while. Since I am a new chameleon owner and wasn't sure what it was, I took my baby boy to the vet I picked for him, a local exotic animal clinic with a certified reptile vet (lucky me for having one so close to me!). I wanted to check on the noise and just make sure he is looking healthy and that I am taking good care of him.

Thanks to Jannb's suggestion, I took in a "sample" to be tested. It turns out he does have a parasite and he'll need to be treated. So I'm glad I took him in. BUT, I am traumatized!

The vet had to swab Steve's mouth. Has anyone ever had to watch their baby's mouth get swabbed?!?!?! It was horrible for me to watch. The veterinarian was an expert, obviously knew what he was doing, and had done it before. But, when he had to pry Steve's mouth open to look around and Stevie was struggling and his tongue was flailing, I had a hard time. Steve has always been handled gently so to go from that to having a swab down his throat... Poor guy!

Also, when the tech tried to give him his first dose of medicine, Stevie would NOT open his mouth. The guy pried and pried and finally, I said I could do it at home (he gapes at a certain black spray bottle, so I'll use that to get him to open).

Other than me being traumatized and him needing medicine, I am happy that Dr. said he otherwise looks very healthy! Yay!

Anyone else traumatized during their first, or any, vet visit?

 

[Sarahcwilson]

On a happy note, Steve zapped a silkworm out of my fingertips earlier this week for the first time!!!!

 

[Chameleonic]

I had to forcefeed a water dragon of mine that had a URI. Possibly something to do with my overwatering (I'm not sure).
Anyway, it wasn't fun. I think maybe you should have let the tech do it first time so you could watch. I guess you know what you have to do though. I felt the same. My advice is to pull harder than you want to. It gets it over with quicker. I didn't always take my own advice
It sounds like he is basically fine though, so good work.

 

[Sarahcwilson]

Steve did great this morning with his medicine. Yay! He opened right up and I injected the medicine into the back of his mouth. He swallowed and gave me quite the look but he's good now! I gave him a bath\soak as recommended by the vet to get any spores off (supposed to do this daily) and now he's hanging out while I get to cleaning his cage.

 

[OliveTheVeiled]

we had an vet visit shortly after getting out 3 year old veiled, we got her knowing she had a slight eye issue but after about a week of owning her her eye was very puffy and infected over, I didnt take her but my husband did and he said it was rough, They squeezed her eye several times to get all the infection out then her eye looked like a deflated balloon We were sent home with drops and she's not had another issue after changing cages ( I swear it was the moss wall in her old cage causing infection) but still not something I think I could have watched myself. I'm glad your Steve is doing better

 

[Chameleonic]

Steve did great this morning with his medicine. Yay! He opened right up and I injected the medicine into the back of his mouth. He swallowed and gave me quite the look but he's good now! I gave him a bath\soak as recommended by the vet to get any spores off (supposed to do this daily) and now he's hanging out while I get to cleaning his cage.

That's good news, well done