Fungus big problem!please read!

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karolina

New Member
HELLO EVERYBODY!!! I'm new at the forum, and just going through huge problems with my cham. So looking for help and advice everywhere.
I'm owner of Yemen cham, I bought him about 2 months ago from pet shop. From the beginning he was very shy, barley moves through cage. I keep him in exo-terra 100x100, glass and top its a mesh. I've got heat lamp, so basking point its about 37C and rest of viv between 26-28C. I live in UK so just the top of the viv. its mesh, because most of the year its windy and cold, so I don't think more ventilation its needed. In the viv I got umbrella plant, fake plants,and substrate on the bottom. I feed him small hoopers (loctus) from pet shop,spread with the calcium. (about3-4 day)He refuse eating anything else,i tried but he was never interested any fruits or any other bugs. He drink water from dropper. Just about few weeks ago I see he's was keeping his leg up when he cling on tree, so I had closer look and realize it was infection, looks like so skin coming off with pieces of blood. I took him to vet, he said this is FUNGUS and it's already spread onto all legs. I was devastated!! At the vet they clean all legs,but he lost his fingernails at both back legs. He was also very weak coz he stops eating. I'v change heat lamp for stronger, and I keep him at the bottom coz he was keep falling down from trees. I went back to the vet for check his legs, and vet said he could have fungus inside he's body, and until we will get check that with biopsy can die. So he gave me tube to feed him with, powder food, anti-fungal medicine and extra calcium. So i'v started feed him with tube, I was going through hell, it is so sad to watch him in that condition every day. He have sleeping problem as well, I don't know why is that, but I'm switching his light off at 9pm .and before I'm going to bed I'm checking on him and he is not sleeping, i'm waking up at 7am and he's awake! I don't know what to do, I'm going out of my mind. He's my only one i love him so much. I try to feed him but he ate one waxworm and he vomit. He also vomit after tube feeding yesterday. So I don't know what to do! I don't know what type of fungus hes got, I'v search the internet for cham with fungus infections but haven't found much, so maybe is there anybody who been through something like that, or anybody know what to do how to help him??? I will be so thankful !!!THANK YOU
 
Your temperatures are too high. Basking spot no higher than 32c and the ambient temp should be low, about 22-24c.
The very high temperature you have will drastically increase your lizards metabolism, while this is sometimes a good thing with an ill lizard, it can also make matters much worse because it will speed the development of existing infection.
You should have no lighting at night, darkness is nessesary, if you require heating at night (if the temp in the room falls below 15c) then try to aquire a ceramic heat emitter the gives off no light.
 
Does the fungus have any blisters involved? The vet should be able to do a biopsy and grow the fungus to identify it. There is one fungus that is very bad that shows up in chameleons called CANV (Nannizziopsis vriesii). Its able to be treated with an (oral) antifungal, itraconazole.

Are you keeping the cage in an area where its drafty or near a window? Is the cage wet when the lights go off?
 
Kinyonga is right about the vet doing a biopsy. You have to find out what type of fungus you are dealing with. Once a culture is grown the vet needs to see what medicine the fungus is sensitive to and then that is the medicine you give your cham. The medcines for fungal infections are very hard on reptile systems(liver & kidneys) so you must be sure your cham is drinking a lot of water so it stays well hydrated. Skin biopsy can also tell you if your cham has a secondary infection like a bacteria infection. My Rex had a secondary bacterial staff infection with the fungal infection and is still on medicine for both infections. Your cham vomiting is really a concern and can mean a few things. #1 it could be that the fungus is infecting internal organs, #2 it could be your cham has a blockage which could be from anything, but my guess if this was the issue is because you have substrate in your cage. Chams while eating can accidentally ingest the substrate causing impaction and death for the cham if it cannot poop it out. This is why I line all my cages with paper on the bottom. Ask your vet to do an x ray and see if he/she can see if it is a blockage. In the meantime when you feed him I would only feed the powdered food that you mix with water and hope that some of it gets digested before he vomits it up. Why did the vet give you extra calcium? Does he have metabolic bone disease(MBD)? He should not get extra calcium if he doesn't have MBD. You don't want him to get an overdose of calcium because this could kill him too.
 
you didnt mention a uvb output tube light... you do have one of those aswell? without these there hunger goes way down. they need that uvb radiation to have a matabolism and to eat...but thast not to mention you fingle ordeal.i dont know much about that prettykkatt can help you with that
 
hi thank you for replays.
My vet said until we get results from the lab he can die,that was week ago. He dont eat anything,its been about 2 weeks now, and week i tube feed him,but last two days he vomit,he doing wird moves after i feed him like hes in pain somewhere inside,its hard to describe..and hes vomiting,every day its worst.
i dont know what fungus is it. but i will do photo i post today ,
the fungus you talking about its showes on skin, and my cham only got it on his legs(fet)
i got UVB lamp 20.
 
Please fill out this so we can check to see if there is anything that needs to be changed...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

You said..."the fungus you talking about its showes on skin, and my cham only got it on his legs(fet)"...when my chameleon had CANV it started off on the legs and feet and later spread to the body. You still need a biopsy to determine what the fungus is.

I asked..."Are you keeping the cage in an area where its drafty or near a window? Is the cage wet when the lights go off?"

Perhaps you are feeding it too much at once and that's why its vomiting? Are you making sure that its glottis is closed and you are not getting any food into its lungs?

OOOst16 said..."without these there hunger goes way down. they need that uvb radiation to have a matabolism and to eat"...I've never heard of the UVB light affecting the hunger or the metabolism...could you give the place that you read this please? The temperature affects the ability to digest the food and slower digestion may affect the hunger and the UVB light affects the D3 levels thus the calcium levels.
 
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hia, again, sory if i didnt answer corectly.
my viv its near balcony door,,its on the table about 40cm high from ground,
i dont really open balcony door coz its really cold now.
its not wet at all, cant go wet, coz i just use water to spray viv twice a day. and on the bottom he got substrate.you can see at the foto, i attached foto of my Kami.
thank you
 

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I would get the substrate out of the cage before he ingests it, if he has not already. In my earlier reply I said he might be having vomiting issues because of blockage and now seeing what he is kept on I really think that this is the case. I would get him to a vet and get an x ray done to see if there is a blockage asap. I know you said your vet is far but your cham might die if you do not take him. I also do not see where the fungus is on him. Can you take a closer picture of the affected area?
 
hi, i think he already got that infection from pet shop,thats what my vet said in the first place,as he was very weak from the beginning and i only had him for 2 months.
he died 2day,im very said,but in the other hand it was really painfull life for him.i'v gone thru a lot with him, so im hoping to have more good luck with next one.
thank you for all your advises and i hope i will be writing more happy post again.
:(
 
I'm sorry to hear that your chameleon died. I would give you some advice before getting your next one.

- Several posters identified that your temperatures were too hot. This, combined with the lack of a screened cage, and the substrate could have aided the fungus growth, even if he did get it originally from the pet shop. Get a proper screen cage with appropriate temperatures and no substrate before you purchase your next chameleon.

- I don't know the quality of your pet shop, but consider buying your next chameleon from a reputable breeder instead. This site has excellent resources to put you in touch with many of them.
 
thank you.

i had the substrate from pet shop as well. what do you keep on the bottom ?
i have exo-terra with mesh top,coz i thought cham gonna be to cold in screen cage,as in uk its not so warm most of the year.

Also do anybody know breeders North West England area?
thank you
 
i line mine with paper....i do aswell have the exotera tropical vented enclosure that creates a chimney affect of air flow...love it
 
Very sorry about your cham. :(
Be certain you totally disinfect everything in the cage--including the cage--before you use anything for another cham.
 
Sorry for your loss. Are you going to get a necropsy done?

draetish asked..."how does cool weather aid in fungus forming?"...it seems to be something that happens with lizards...
"Many fungi and bacteria thrive in dampness, cold and hot."...
http://rgheft.wordpress.com/2009/07...-infections-and-traditional-chinese-medicine/

"In most cases, skin fungi
forms due to overall temperature being too low and overall humidity
being too high. This end result of this climate
is a cold and damp atmosphere."...
http://www.the-lizard-lounge.com/content/library/lizard-diseases/skin-fungi.asp


"Fungal infections commonly occur in climates that are too high in humidity or where the temperature is too cool. "...
http://www.popularpets.net/lizards/health/skin-problems.php
 
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hia,thank you,
i think fungus was from pet shop,they keep all lizards together.
i throw away all plants and substrat from viv. just lamp and viv stay the same.

''Fungal infections commonly occur in climates that are too high in humidity or where the temperature is too cool.''
i dont think it was too humidity,i'v just spray viv with water twice a day.
but in england we got high humidity and cool temperature.
anyway i hope its going to be all good with my next cham.
thank you again,
 
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