Gout?

Pluto_the_Panther

Pluto_the_Panther

Established Member
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My chameleon's ankles seem a bit swollen. He spends all his time sitting on a platform that holds his cup. He kinda lays on it. I feed him mainly dubias. I only do d3 twice a month and use calcium the rest of the time. He also seems perpetually hungry and just waits for food. Does he have gout or potentially another health problem?
 

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I understand that someone will want the full laundry list of his husbandry but I'm busy so I'll just answer relevant questions.
 
Pluto_the_Panther said:
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My chameleon's ankles seem a bit swollen. He spends all his time sitting on a platform that holds his cup. He kinda lays on it. I feed him mainly dubias. I only do d3 twice a month and use calcium the rest of the time. He also seems perpetually hungry and just waits for food. Does he have gout or potentially another health problem?
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May I see other pictures of his entire body? I am not seeing typical gout. Panthers have much thicker back legs. Also can a see a picture of the entire enclosure including lighting on top?
 
Yeah I see no signs of gout with your boy. How old is he and what is your feeding schedule, amounts fed on feeding days, and size of feeders? What is your basking temp? What UVB type and strength are you using?
 
He's 4.5 to 5 years old I think. Was feeding every other day but he seems always hungry so I've been feeding daily. Feeders are 1/2 inch to an inch. Probably a bit on the small side because I'm constantly feeding off dubias as soon as they're sorta big.
 
Pluto_the_Panther said:
He's 4.5 to 5 years old I think. Was feeding every other day but he seems always hungry so I've been feeding daily. Feeders are 1/2 inch to an inch. Probably a bit on the small side because I'm constantly feeding off dubias as soon as they're sorta big.
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How many feeders each feeding? Have you noticed any weight loss or weird fecals? When was the UVB bulb replaced last?
 
Pluto_the_Panther said:
Around 5. Don't think so. September 16th
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So 5 a day of that size is quite a bit for a chameleon of his age. Just watch his weight. Becoming obese can wreck havoc on their renal system. Normally I would link this to basking being hotter than you think so it is speeding up his metabolism making him more hungry than he should be.

The fact that he has a good appetite is great especially at his age. I would look into a different feeder run. One that you can pull in and out of the cage. That way he is not sitting at the platform constantly waiting for food.
 
Beman said:
So 5 a day of that size is quite a bit for a chameleon of his age. Just watch his weight. Becoming obese can wreck havoc on their renal system. Normally I would link this to basking being hotter than you think so it is speeding up his metabolism making him more hungry than he should be.

The fact that he has a good appetite is great especially at his age. I would look into a different feeder run. One that you can pull in and out of the cage. That way he is not sitting at the platform constantly waiting for food.
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I've been trying to use the pads on his head as an indicator and they haven't gotten full. Some days they're concave.
 
Pluto_the_Panther said:
I've been trying to use the pads on his head as an indicator and they haven't gotten full. Some days they're concave.
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Yeah I am not seeing any signs of being overweight with your boy. I would just keep feeding him daily with those amounts as long as the fat pads look good on the casque and cheeks. Make sure he has a dripper going during the day. As they get older this becomes very important.
 
Yeah I am not seeing any signs of being overweight with your boy. I would just keep feeding him daily with those amounts as long as the fat pads look good on the casque and cheeks. Make sure he has a dripper going during the day. As they get older this becomes very important.
He is really bad at drinking. Like he'll seem thirsty and then just stick his tongue into the air and completely miss the water. I think he gets dehydrated or something cause he'll go to the bottom early and get into a sleeping position. He's even closed his eyes before the lights go out. I know that's supposed to be bad but I think he's just weird.
 
Pluto_the_Panther said:
Yeah I am not seeing any signs of being overweight with your boy. I would just keep feeding him daily with those amounts as long as the fat pads look good on the casque and cheeks. Make sure he has a dripper going during the day. As they get older this becomes very important.

He is really bad at drinking. Like he'll seem thirsty and then just stick his tongue into the air and completely miss the water. I think he gets dehydrated or something cause he'll go to the bottom early and get into a sleeping position. He's even closed his eyes before the lights go out. I know that's supposed to be bad but I think he's just weird.
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Its not abnormal for them to tuck themselves in early. You might provide a larger money tree or umbrella plant for him. These hold more water when the mister goes off and provides better hiding spots for them. It will also help increase humidity providing a higher gradient.
 
Beman said:
Its not abnormal for them to tuck themselves in early. You might provide a larger money tree or umbrella plant for him. These hold more water when the mister goes off and provides better hiding spots for them. It will also help increase humidity providing a higher gradient.
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How early is normal?
 
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