Has anyone seen this before?

[Elizadolots]

You can only move forward from where you are...there's no reason to wallow in "what ifs" of the past....It sounds like you're getting her good medical care and making the changes you need to make. I hope you'll post pictures of her in the future when she's feeling better.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I got her to drink her medicine"...and.."She now has to drink and be sprayed with a medicine that gives her electrolytes and vitamines, all sorts of things that is used to reverse this"...what exactly are you giving her??

You said......"I also have to get her calcitonin"...calcitonin is dangerous if not used properly and should only be given under the care of a vet. Did you go to a vet? Didn't the vet explain this too you? If calcitonin is given when the blood calcium levels are not high enough, because calcitonin draws the calcium rapidly back into the bones...your chameleon may go into shock and die. The blood needs to be left with enough calcium in it to maintain the level that the blood needs. You need a vet to tell you when the blood calcium levels are high enough.

 

[xanthoman]

"sprayed with a medicine that gives her electrolytes and vitamines, all sorts of things that is used to reverse this" doesnt sound like vet recomended strategy, even a reversal of symptoms does not mean that the problem is corrected. i would be wary of any product that sprays vitamins, especially multivtamins, and it is almost impossible to believe that you have done your cham research, but werent aware of the cfl/uvb controversy, proper lighting is one of the cornerstones of cham care and it is rare that it is discussed without the whole cfl/uvb thing coming up. jmo

 

[iya78]

For one thing I did not get on here to get lectured. I posted the last time to say thanks to all those that were concerned. I did do my research, and I did know about the uvb, I never said that I didn't, I just said that I accidently purchased the wrong bulb. I did not go to a vet, because there are no vets in my area, but I did go to a person that has much knowledge of reptiles, she knew exactly what I was talking about as soon as I started explaing what was going on, and the spray that she gave me seems to be working, only 2 days after my little girl was unable to walk is now able to move on her own and now is hunting again.
On another note
I do want to say thanks to Elizadolots for all your words of encouragement..

 

[Rosie42892]

For one thing I did not get on here to get lectured. I posted the last time to say thanks to all those that were concerned. I did do my research, and I did know about the uvb, I never said that I didn't, I just said that I accidently purchased the wrong bulb. I did not go to a vet, because there are no vets in my area, but I did go to a person that has much knowledge of reptiles, she knew exactly what I was talking about as soon as I started explaing what was going on, and the spray that she gave me seems to be working, only 2 days after my little girl was unable to walk is now able to move on her own and now is hunting again.
On another note
I do want to say thanks to Elizadolots for all your words of encouragement..

You have to realize the people on this forum care about the health of your chameleon. They want to see keepers who take back the bulb that could hurt their cham and buy the correct one. They want to see keepers who do their research and find a vet, or are willing to drive long distances to ensure the health of their chameleon. We just want your cham to be happy and healthy, and for you to keep a healthy pet for a long time.

 

[ghettomike]

ps and dont listen to pet store guys. Lol. Especially bigbox pet store guys.

 

[iya78]

FYI, I am going to purchase the new light now. And if those people actually did care they would be happy to hear that she is doing so well, she looks good. Instead of coming down on me for not doing things right, which I owned up to and accept and do not need more comments on that, how about getting some comfort in knowing she is getting better.
From legs stuck to her side, not being able to walk, her color was a ugly grey and she was not eating or drinking, now she is walking on her own with little struggle, her color is back to her pretty green, and she is eating and drinking again. She is no longer just sitting there, I have seen her all over her cage. All this is 3 days, I think I am doing something right..

 

[Panda]

I am glad your chams ok!
But please, PLEASE don't take it personally; all they want to do is help your cham live a long and healthy life!

 

[kinyonga]

iya78 said..."I did go to a person that has much knowledge of reptiles, she knew exactly what I was talking about as soon as I started explaing what was going on"...so then she warned you about the dangers of the calcitonin and told you that you need to know through a test that the blood calcium levels are high enough before you use it??

 

[iya78]

She is not the one who told me about calcitonin, I read it online. I did not purchased it and am not using, I never said that Iwas using it yet.

 

[Rosie42892]

I also have to get her calcitonin, and of course get her the right light, which I was going to do this morning, but my local pet store was closed today, so I will be making that trip in the morning.

Say that you have to get in made us think that you intended on giving it to your chameleon. You should not take offense to our efforts to give you advice and our opinions, we are simply out to make sure your chameleon is being kept healthy. Please keep us updated on her condition.

 

[iya78]

I purchased her light and I swear as soon as the new light hit her, her color is such a bright green it's crazy. She is doing real good..

 

[xanthoman]

good job

why are you so defensive , i thought you were seeking knowledge, seeking knowledge requires being open to things that may not be what you wanted, or expected to hear. accepting criticism is part of the learning process, people heres only concern, is what is best for your chameleon. how valuble would any of the posts here be, if every post said good job, (even if you really werent doing such a good job). true you didnt say you had seen a vet, but you did imply it, and you didnt say that you were going to a vet, but you did imply that you went to a vet and you also implied that vet had directed you to spray with vitamins, and administer calcitonin. we are all glad your cham is doing better, but, conditions that cause even temporary hind leg paralysis, dont just go away because you spray with vitamins, and calcitonin should only be administered by a real vet. even if the sypmtoms were only temporary, the conditions that caused it, likely still exist, how will you fix them if you are only willing to listen to good job. jmo

 

[Rosie42892]

I purchased her light and I swear as soon as the new light hit her, her color is such a bright green it's crazy. She is doing real good..

Now do you understand why we were all pushing for the light change?

 

[Elizadolots]

iya, did the expert you contacted tell you that you'd need to have blood work done and when the calcium level was right, you'd need to give her the calcitonin? Or, did the expert say he/she could help you test for proper calcium levels?

I'm asking because it seems to me this is sort of the crux of the concern at this point.

You're putting a lot of effort into helping your chameleon. I admire that. I'm sure everyone here appreciates the fact you didn't just shrug it off as unimportant.

I suspect that there are many things wrong with the "diagnosis by internet" thing, among them frustration on both sides because, frankly, communication is less than perfect.

Could you maybe post some pictures of your chameleon now that she is all happy and green again? Not only do we all love to see pictures, but it would let the experts here ( see things like joints and casque and stuff that they can, with their experience, use to see how well the animal is doing.

 

[xanthoman]

help form ?

you really would get a lot more valuble information out of this thread if you were to fill out the help form in its entirety. "I already filled one out not that long ago, do I need to fill one out everytime". once filled out you can cut & paste it to your notepad so that you do not need to fill it out every time. but at this point i think the only responsible thing to do would be to take it to a vet, but the help form would still be helpful in determining what other things could be done better, or possibly caused it in the first place. jmo

 

[kinyonga]

Even if we had looked up the one that was posted a while ago...so much advice has been given that if changed will make the old help questionaire outdated anyhow.

For what its worth...here it is...
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon,
sex, female,
and age, he never told me, but I am going to call him tomorrow to find out, I will post it then.
How long has it been in your care, for 2 weeks.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? I only handle her when she gets herself stuck on the top and that seems to be happening almost ever day.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? Crickets
What amount? She has been eating about one a day, that I notice, I try to keep an eye on her, but she could possibly sneak one in every now and then. What is the schedule? I was told to keep ten in there and then when I notice she is out, to put ten more.
How are you gut-loading your feeders? The only thing he told me to do is to put lettuce at the bottom of tank for them to eat.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? I have not purchased a supplement yet, I learned from reading on this site that it is a must to use it, so going out to purchase some tomorrow.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? I spray down the leaves until the are drenched. Twice a day
Do you see your chameleon drinking? Yes, she drinks a lot.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Color, Dark grey to black and white.
Consistency, solid
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No

History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. When I purchased her, she was in a cubed tank with several other chameleons. I had asked the pet store owner if a glass cage would be alright to have a cham in and he showed me his full grown female cham that was in a 7 foot glass tank and said that she was raised in a glass tank and is doing well.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? Glass, 10 gallon tank. He said that that size would be suitable for awhile.
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? Exo Terra Sun Glow for day, and nite glow for night. Both 25 w
What is your daily lighting schedule? 10 hours of sun glow, 13 hours of niite glow.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? I believe temp is around 80 degrees and overnight drops to 70-75. I have not purchased a thermometer yet, but do intend to tomorrow.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? Humidity levels are unknown, I have no way to measure them, was unknown to the fact that I had to measure humidity.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? I am using artificial plants.
Placement - Where is your cage located? In my living room.
Is it near any fans, air vents, No
or high traffic areas? She is placed in a area that is the beginning of the hall, so yes she is passed quite often.
At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 2 ft

Location - Where are you geographically located? Colorado

I hope that the things that I put in bold in this have been addressed!

 

[summoner12]

moral of the story: don't listen to the reptile store owner.

they might mean well, but don't always know what is best.

 

[ChamMom1968]

How I saved my juvenille chameleon from MBD

We acquired a chameleon on a whim (stupid idea and poor execution initially) and the pet store did not properly inform us of the need for UVB and calcium supplementation. After 4 weeks, our juvenile cham began to twitch and lose control of his limbs. He was 'near death' as far as we were concerned and thought he had fallen and broken his back and limbs. Panic set in however, thanks to this forum and other resources, I quickly realized his bones were falling apart so to speak. My husband and friend both suggested we put him down 'texas style'. Spending $300 on a trip to the vet was out of the question as we believed there wasn't much they could do if his bones were fractured, etc., so I did a little research and this is how we turned things around.

1. bought a UVB lamp
2. suspended a temporary shoe box within 9 inches of the UBV lamp inside the cage
3. put the chameleon in the box along with a stick and hibiscus leaves only
4. fed calcium dusted crickets with the legs pulled off so they could not jump out or escape from the box
5. bottle fed water by hand and sprayed water on the leaves several times a day to keep him hydrated (this was the hardest part of the rehab)

After about 10 days our chameleon regained control of his limbs and we then moved him into the cage with a false floor added so there was no risk of a fall of greater than 12 inches and to give him access to the UVB for 12 hours each day. Within a week, we took out the false floor and he is now free to roam about. His limbs are a little crooked but he is now in excellent health, gaining weight, shedding, etc. UVB, access to natural sunlight and supplementation are absolutely necessary if you want to house a chameleon.