Hey! I found a jackson yesterday in our yard. He's missing most of his tail, but it looks like an old wound. He won't open his eyes more than a tiny slit. I've tried feeding him, but he's not interested. I've just been waiting to see if I can get his mouth open and hoping that if I put a cricket in there he'll eat it. I've also been misting him, but he's not interested in drinking anything. What do you think? Is he dying? He falls off branches easily, but I'm thinking that's because he won't open up his eyes. Is there anything I can do for him? Is it a lost cause? I don't want to put him back out in the yard because there are several cats around and I'm guessing that's how he lost his tail in the first place.
found a jackson, wont eat, drink, open eyes
- Thread starter mamax6
- Start date
sorry, I just found this...
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson, male, I've had him since yesterday
Handling - moderate amounts. He's not opening his eyes so I've held him quite a bit when trying to feed him.
Feeding - at the moment, just crickets.
Supplements - none yet.
Watering - misting him and plants around him. so far I haven't seen him drink at all.
Fecal Description - none yet.
History - Found in the yard, tail mostly missing.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Nothing yet. He's just hanging out in a non-poisenous house plant. We weren't planning on getting a pet, so I wasn't set up for him.
Lighting -
Temperature - 80's, just the temp of the house. When I had him outside he would stay dark green, but inside he's yellow green, so he seems happiest in here.
Humidity - Pretty humid, it's hawaii after all.
Plants - let me get back to you...it's my mom's plant.
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - hawaii
Current Problem - He's not eating, drinking, or opening his eyes. Nothing crusty is preventing him from opening them. He doesnt' seem to have all his strength.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Jackson, male, I've had him since yesterday
Handling - moderate amounts. He's not opening his eyes so I've held him quite a bit when trying to feed him.
Feeding - at the moment, just crickets.
Supplements - none yet.
Watering - misting him and plants around him. so far I haven't seen him drink at all.
Fecal Description - none yet.
History - Found in the yard, tail mostly missing.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Nothing yet. He's just hanging out in a non-poisenous house plant. We weren't planning on getting a pet, so I wasn't set up for him.
Lighting -
Temperature - 80's, just the temp of the house. When I had him outside he would stay dark green, but inside he's yellow green, so he seems happiest in here.
Humidity - Pretty humid, it's hawaii after all.
Plants - let me get back to you...it's my mom's plant.
Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
Location - hawaii
Current Problem - He's not eating, drinking, or opening his eyes. Nothing crusty is preventing him from opening them. He doesnt' seem to have all his strength.
Elizadolots
New Member
Are his eyes "sunken" as well as closed? Closed, sunken eyes are a sort of general "I'm not doing well" symptom.
I'm not a Jackson's person, but if it were me I'd up the amount of misting, even drip water directly onto his nose (one drop at a time) to try to stimulate that drinking instinct. Can you try to fix it so he has some sense of privacy? It sound like he's been through a lot and is deservedly stressed, so being able to hide at least a bit would probably help.
I'm not a Jackson's person, but if it were me I'd up the amount of misting, even drip water directly onto his nose (one drop at a time) to try to stimulate that drinking instinct. Can you try to fix it so he has some sense of privacy? It sound like he's been through a lot and is deservedly stressed, so being able to hide at least a bit would probably help.
laurie
Retired Moderator
My advice is mist, mist, mist. Otherwise leave him alone for a couple of days You could grab a fast picture and post it but then give him is privacy. Put something so he can see or be seem by anyone. Even a very large indoor plant misted with a light weight sheet would be good for him. Good luck, keep us posted.
xanthoman
Avid Member
not knowing any of his history prior to coming to you makes it sort of tough. even still, he will continue to need uvb at minimum, so first you need to make a decision if you are serious about trying to rescue him. realistically that will be hard to accomplish without spending a moderate of money and time. if you are not up for that, then it would probably be better to try and find a reptile rescue organization in you area, or possibly an existing jacksons keeper. if you decide that you do want to try yourself, then the best thing would probably be to set up a makeshift cage outside, if you keep him indoors for any length of time (more than a week), he will need a reptisun 5.0 light and fixture, and at least some calcium. probably around $50. before you spend anything you should be aware there is a significant chance that he will not make it. if you can put together a makeshift screen cage for outside (in the shade). then you will be able to save most of the lighting&supplement expense (for now) you can get a roll of plastic coated 1/2" mesh hardware cloth . stateside it would cost about $10, but over there it could be more expensive. you could just take the whole roll (should be at least 7-8' long) unroll it and zip tie the ends together. a 7' piece (longer would be better) will give you a cage of about 24" in diameter. you can just set it directly on the ground, and place a piece of plywood or something on top . if you try and use lighter screen then you will need to build some sort of frame. or maybe you could come up with a used bird cage or something. even before you get him setup, i would recomend (like the previous posters have said ) misting him for at least 30 seconds probably at least 5x a day, sometimes they have to be misted for a period of time before they will start to drink. if he is healthy enough to make it, he will probably start drinking at some point, if you keep him surrounded by enough moisture. at this point water is probably more important than food. if he is not opening his eyes, then (for now) it would be best to keep him in subdued light that still provides uvb (reptisun 5.0 or outside in the shade) or if you have the time you could just take him outside and hang out with him for an hr or so a day, so he gets the uvb he needs. then you can just let him hang out on the plant inside or maybe you could place the plant in front of a screened window that is left open (in general terms uvb does not pass through glass). if it appears that he is not going to make it then you might consider just letting him go again. not the most desireable option, but better to die a chameleon death as a wild free chameleon, than to die in a cage. jmo
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ocdirtyjerz
New Member
If your in Hawaii, let him go in the Pali, Puna, or anywhere not dry. He is better off in the wild. I am sure your are just gonna cause more stress.
Texas Panther Man
New Member
If you plan on keeping him you could attempt to construct a rain chamber for him. Get a large trash can. cut a hole in the lid and cover the hole with screen. Place a misting sprinkler upside down facing inside the can. Make sure you have some drain holes in the bottom of the can. Put a plant in the container that the cham can hang out on. So put the cham on the plant and turn on the sprinkler for about 20 - 30 minsutes. Do that at least 2 or 3 times every day for at the first cpl of weeks in your care. I would also apply some topical ointment to that tail wound. You can use silvadene or even neosporin will work to help keep it from gettin infected. Good luck.
Since the tail is an old wound I don't think putting antibiotic creams on it will help much...I think he's going to need antibiotics. This might be why he's not opening his eyes much and falling off the branches....and also why he won't eat. I expect that if something isn't done quickly he won't be alive much longer. IMHO he really needs a vet.
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Unless you live in E. Africa a jackson's isn't native to your area. NEVER release an exotic animal to a place it does not belong! You will have no idea just what parasites, diseases it could release to infect native herps, and it is also a predator who will be forced to hunt native insects that just might be at risk, especially in Hawaii. If you are in Hawaii this jackson's could even be killed by someone who resents their presence as a pest species. Even though you found this animal loose, that doesn't mean it should be released again. Releasing exotic pets is just one of the many weapons AR groups use to brand our hobby as irresponsible and cruel.
If you are not sure you can deal with its needs, I agree...find a herp society or possibly a referral from a vet who works with herps to find it a home.
