Gular Edema

[WillSchaeffer2000]

Hey guys I'm looking to get some advice about an issue I just noticed yesterday while handling my Panther chameleon. Has anyone on here ever cured what appears to be gular edema? I've read mixed literature about it being an immediate emergency and then also not an emergency as long as I begin to immediately change his diet. Here is generally my routine with his diet.

I give him plain calcium (without d3) on his crickets daily. Every other weekend it's a rotation of calcium with d3 and multivitamin (all exoterra brand). I've heard something about too much vitamin A as well? I found the flukers cricket feed has added vitamin A, so I could ex that out? The crickets diet is kind of poor right now, just typical flukers quencher and orange cubes. Occasionally (haven't for a while) I throw kale or bananas in there. Lastly I feed him superworms as a treat every other day and the occasional horn worm when they have them in at pet smart. I'd Appreciate any help in suggesting what I can change or add to this to cure the gular edema. Thanks!

 

[jajeanpierre]

Gular edema is basically fluid retention that seems to accumulate around the neck (gular) area. Gravity pulls it to the bottom of the chest between their legs.

There are sooooooo many causes of edema from organ failure, to being protein deficient from a heavy parasite load to being sensitive to vitamins. Other times, vets haven't a clue why, but something is out of balance. Some edemas might be caused by vitamin deficiencies.

A specific protein holds the blood serum inside the blood vessels, so if he is protein deficient from a massive parasite infestation, he could develop edema.

With the species I'm working with, I've found something in whatever the commercial cricket farms feed their crickets causes a problem. I can sometimes manipulate edemas with crickets from certain shipments, even from the same supplier. I believe the vitamin culprit is synthetic D3. I supplement my adults with Vitamin A from a human Vitamin A gel tab once a month and that has never caused a problem. They are all wild caughts, so might have suffered extreme dehydration around capture/export, so they might have kidney failure so are more sensitive.

I would stop all supplements except plain calcium (lightly!) dusted on the feeders. Feed your feeders better food. I don't use any commercial food for my feeders, and try to feed them for at least a week on good food before feeding them to my quads. I've found crickets and whatever they have been fed to be the biggest problem. I tend to use silk worms as my staple feeder to try to avoid crickets.

His edema doesn't look bad.

 

[brownie64]

I would definitely upgrade your gut load the Flukers orange cubes are basically useless IMHO. Give them fresh mustard greens, dandelion greens, turnip greens, bee pollen, butternut squash, sweet potato's, and various fruits. Then get a quality dry gut load like Cricket crack, or Bug burger see if the improved diet don't help the edema. Like they say you are what you eat so what the feeders eat your cham eats.

 

[kinyonga]

This might be of interest to you...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/for-those-who-are-have-experienced-gular-edema.52144/

 

[carol5208]

You can gutload supers too! They will eat just about anything the crickets will eat! Also, have dealt with this firsthand and I can vouch that it is not fatal. I had a chameleon live to over 6 yrs with it. It came to me like that and the previous owner said it had it for over 3 yrs. He never even knew what it was and just thought it was fat! I tried everything to get rid of it. It never went away altogther, but would come and go in severity.

 

[jajeanpierre]

You can gutload supers too! They will eat just about anything the crickets will eat! Also, have dealt with this firsthand and I can vouch that it is not fatal. I had a chameleon live to over 6 yrs with it. It came to me like that and the previous owner said it had it for over 3 yrs. He never even knew what it was and just thought it was fat! I tried everything to get rid of it. It never went away altogther, but would come and go in severity.

Agreed. Unless it is caused by organ failure (heart, kidney or liver) it likely won't kill your chameleon.

 

[Stinger]

Good info Thank you, need some help on this Gular Edema.
Ziggy only wants to eat crickets only,I've tried Silkworms,Hornworm, BSFL. Won't touch them.
Started developing bulge around the neck, sure its caused by my supplement schedule, or to much dusting of the crickets.
Ziggy is about 7 months now. Panther Cham. Nosy Faly.
Lighting: Arcadia Quad T5HO 12% UV distance 12''Away 12 on---12 off.
Misting : 4 times per day for 45 sec. RO Water. Once a week warm shower for 10-15 min.
Gut Loaded crickets with Bug Burger, Repashy Superload,and also good greens with carrots,apples,orange and more .
All in blender then frozen into cubes. I've tried to introduce him to a variety of feeders, just doesn't seem to take them.
I'll just wait until he's a little older. I do hand feed him a cricket or two day, he does get 10 -14 crickets per day.
This Boy is so gentle, just loves getting out and being held.
Here is my Schedule;
Day 1: Repashy All in One cal plus.
Day 2: Calcium without D3 ,No D3
Day 3: Nothing but just gut loaded crickets
Repeated again following back to Day 1 again.

I was thinking of cutting back on Repashy All in one ,and continue with only calcium no D3 for the time being.
Its very possible its my dusting of the crickets, I get a few ghostly ones.
Any suggestions ! Ways to reverse this ?. Stay with everyday dusting of only All in One Repashy Cal.plus but dust lighly
Thank you in advance More than likely my fault over doing the love and caring
Location: Vancouver , Canada Its Cold right now -16 . Thanks Alaska