Giving Drugs to Chameleons (by Mouth)

[iwantone]

After finding out that the guy I bought my Hoes from has a bad reputation for his reptiles dying I decided to get a pooled faeces test done by PALS. The results came back and after consulting my vet I found out that I need to give them drugs by syringe and am wondering how best to do it? They are only small and get fairly stressed when picked up (although they do settle) and I am not sure who is going to be more nervous, me or them. I need to do this for 10 days and want the mimimum of stress for them. Help please.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

its always relevant: Hoes tend to have drug problems, tell the pimp you got them from to care for his hoes better. ok maybe not relevant, but i couldn't resist

 

[iwantone]

its always relevant: Hoes tend to have drug problems, tell the pimp you got them from to care for his hoes better. ok maybe not relevant, but i couldn't resist

Lol, I knew someone would comment. I changed the word from medicine to drugs as that's what the vet called it lol.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

I would maybe take awhile to consult further with your vet about the techniques, etc, if its a oral syringe you may find that its fairly simply, as often chameleons will gape at you when irritated, if its a actual syringe (needle) by consulting with your vet and having him show you a few times how to do the procedure you may find your self more comfortable, and in all seriousness, im sorry your having issues with your cham, its never fun and i wish you the best.

 

[brooklynelizabeth]

Lol, I knew someone would comment. I changed the word from medicine to drugs as that's what the vet called it lol.

LOL, ya im sorry i couldn't resist as i read the post i immediately chuckled

 

[iwantone]

I would maybe take awhile to consult further with your vet about the techniques, etc, if its a oral syringe you may find that its fairly simply, as often chameleons will gape at you when irritated, if its a actual syringe (needle) by consulting with your vet and having him show you a few times how to do the procedure you may find your self more comfortable, and in all seriousness, im sorry your having issues with your cham, its never fun and i wish you the best.

It will be an insulin type syringe without a needle. My chams are so sweet I'm not sure that they will gape. They are scared but just let out what sounds like a little puff of air. They are being treated with Panacur and diluted septrin but they seem nice and healthy otherwise. I would never have known that they need treatment if I hadn't had their faeces tested.

LOL, ya im sorry i couldn't resist as i read the post i immediately chuckled

Your post made me laugh.

 

[Miss Lily]

Joanna, when Tommy needed his meds I asked the vet for a needled syringe and injected one feeder a day. He only got that one feeder to ensure he ate one each day. How old are your Hoes? Is that a reasonable option for you? Will they hand feed? Tommy has never gaped and I found it so much easier and much less stressful for both of us! My vet gave my cresties their worm meds via a tube straight into their stomachs in the end since putting it in their food wasn't getting a large enough does actually into them. It was very stressful for me, the cresties and the vet but at least I know they got the full dose!

 

[suzi]

I was going to suggest the same as Miss Lily, if that is not an option for you Ataraxia has a "how to" blog that you may find helpful

 

[iwantone]

Joanna, when Tommy needed his meds I asked the vet for a needled syringe and injected one feeder a day. He only got that one feeder to ensure he ate one each day. How old are your Hoes? Is that a reasonable option for you? Will they hand feed? Tommy has never gaped and I found it so much easier and much less stressful for both of us! My vet gave my cresties their worm meds via a tube straight into their stomachs in the end since putting it in their food wasn't getting a large enough does actually into them. It was very stressful for me, the cresties and the vet but at least I know they got the full dose!

Hi Tiff

Sometimes they will hand feed and sometimes not. If I put a hopper by them they will take it almost straight away but the hoppers are very small so it would be fairly difficult I guess to get the drugs into them. I would also have to be extremely careful that Gretel didn't eat both as she is a bit of a piggy. I wonder if the hoppers are actually too small to inject. I was told that they are about a year old and are obviously a lot smaller than a Panther or Veiled.

 

[iwantone]

I think I might pop to the pet shop tomorrow and see if they have some hoppers that are slightly bigger but manageable for the hoes as this is definately the best option if I can do it. The measurement of the drugs is a dose of 0.04 mls and 0.05 mls of each drug daily but they will complete one course before taking the next.

 

[Miss Lily]

How many days is each course? It may be worth trying slightly bigger feeders. Have you drawn up any drug to see the volume compared to the feeder size? I found it easier to get hold of the locust with tweezers (I'm a wuss and those things bite, lol ) and inject between the 'segments' on the underside. I always had the head end towards me and injected towards the tail. A locust can survive all day with a dose of Metacam in it, lol! If it was a one off dose then waxworms would be a better choice as they are slightly fatter than locusts. Is there anything else they are eating that may be suitable to inject?

 

[iwantone]

How many days is each course? It may be worth trying slightly bigger feeders. Have you drawn up any drug to see the volume compared to the feeder size? I found it easier to get hold of the locust with tweezers (I'm a wuss and those things bite, lol ) and inject between the 'segments' on the underside. I always had the head end towards me and injected towards the tail. A locust can survive all day with a dose of Metacam in it, lol! If it was a one off dose then waxworms would be a better choice as they are slightly fatter than locusts. Is there anything else they are eating that may be suitable to inject?

Three days in the first course and 7 in the second. I haven't drawn up the drug yet as I need to get the syringe from the vet. I will check the cupboard and see if I have anything small enough in the meantime. I should get the meds on Thurs/Fri. OMG, locusts bite? I didn't realise that. I don't pick up large ones by hand anyway if I can help it as I hate the way they grip my finger but the little hoppers I can manage. The chams live together so I need to supervise the hoes while they eat the insect. The waxworms are too big (I think) but I am due an order of small silkworms. They also eat crickets but I cup feed those so I can't really leave them with drugs in and I'm certainly not hand feeding them lol.

 

[Miss Lily]

You could try offering one injected cricket in a small cup in front of one cham at a time. I have been bitten once by an extra large locust - it left two red marks on my finger! I don't like them on my fingers any more either, lol!

 

[iwantone]

You could try offering one injected cricket in a small cup in front of one cham at a time. I have been bitten once by an extra large locust - it left two red marks on my finger! I don't like them on my fingers any more either, lol!

I'll see which I think best when I've seen how much meds I need to put in the feeder. Hope that I can do that as it will save a lot of stress for them. OMG, I'm even less likely to handle them now.

 

[Amanda1801]

I have to give my cham liquid calcium, and I inject it into a worm - are yours able to eat small worms?

 

[iwantone]

I have to give my cham liquid calcium, and I inject it into a worm - are yours able to eat small worms?

They love silkworms. I've ordered some more but disappointingly they haven't come yet so tonight I took the plunge and got my other half to inject into a small hopper. It was quite difficult due to their size but it worked!!!! The first attempt it went right through lol but injecting up the body was successful YUK! The hoppers are slightly larger than they usually get but I picked this up especially. Day one over and only 9 more left.

 

[Miss Lily]

Glad you managed ok! It's not nice to do, but if it helps our chammies get better then it's worth it!

 

[iwantone]

Glad you managed ok! It's not nice to do, but if it helps our chammies get better then it's worth it!

Thanks Tiff, it certainly is. I just hope they take the rest and it avoids stressing them as I can't imagine having to open their little mouths when they get scared anyway.