HELP found on bottom of cage. Really dark colors

Isn't misting and hydration important to preventing impaction?

That would be my guess. Not enough water when outside, can't digest food, that is why it comes out half digested like that.

http://chamworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/health-section-c-impaction.html

Why did nobody mist him while outside? How long did you keep him oustide for? This couldn't have all happened within the period of this morning.

Also, what are you using to measure outside temps? Can we see the outdoor enclosure? Certain thermometers can give bad readings.

How often were supplements used?

How often did you mist when you did? How long did the dripper run on for?

When did the chameleon start showing strange behaviour? Surely not just this morning.
 
Mom took him from his free range. said he was normal green/yellow like the before picture, moving from branch and was normal in resisting being picked up. The dripper I have out there dumps a lot of water and needs refilled every 40 min. Its a lunch meat container. He had been outside since 11am and she was filling the dripper at regular 40 min intervals she said. she last checked/filled it at 3pm. I got home from work at 3:30 and went out to feed him crickets and found him on the bottom looking dead on his side. Calcium w/o d3 was used very often (5-6 days a week), but I was using less since I was feeing silks. I ran out of silks about 3 days ago and went back to crickets. light dusting on crickets only. Reptive w/d3 was probably used 2 weeks ago. I am using a Digital in/out thermometer/ hydrometer. When I found him was the first he looked abnormal and he must have gone from looking fine to almost dead within 30 min which is why I first thought bee sting or something poisonous. We have 28 acres of land and live in the center of it so there is no chance of chemicals in the air/ possible wild insects.

cage and therm pics.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/my-outdoor-transport-temporary-25771/


the battery in the mist system timer is dead and im kicking myself for not replacing the battery
 
After reading that, I dont think it is impaction. He has been eating his crickets and worms from a cup but I do think that what I thought was a giant fecal may in fact be vomit. I misted him fairly heavily on what he is laying on and got him to drink some more from the syringe. I dont know what else I can do. I feel so bad especially since I have no idea what its from. I cant even take him to the vet to be put down because they are all closed.
 
the closest one on that list to where I am now is Cleveland and it is over an hour away. If he makes it through the night I am taking him to Youngstown to get him checked out and Ill try to bring a fecal (and definitely whatever that worm thing is). If not, Ill make a decision in the morning if I wan to have the necropsy done.

just a update though. His colors are almost completely back but he is still limp and his mouth is open. I have him in a room at 80* and he is on a moist paper towel. Im going to leave him alone for a few hours and see if he gets better. Im not going to be able to do anything if he dies, and me just sitting there all the time does no good for either of us. Wish him luck and if you believe god helps animals pray for him :eek:
 
I still say temp is an issue. Your readings of 86 in direct sun are suspect at the least. If being left out in the sun during the summer didn't make things hot babies wouldn't die in cars. Your cage has no cover that I can see shading any part of it. Add that to no mistings equals dead cham.

If euthanization becomes your only choice, Use the CO2 method. Rig a couple of 2ltr bottles with some fish tank tubing, to a box. Drill a hole in the bottle cap just large enough for the tubing to go through. Insert the tubing so that it is only about an inch or so from the cap. Mix 2 cups of sugar to 2 tea spoons of live yeast. Add the mix to the bottle then fill it with warm, dechlorinated water. Repeat with the other bottle. The more bottles you make the faster death will happen. You should be in full CO2 production within an hr. Once you are, place him in the box and seal it shut. He will go to sleep and not wake up.

This was used for CO2 injection in a 75 gallon. Same basic principle, just take away those small catch bottles. Those 3 bottles made enough CO2 to kill everything in that tank, and did kill everything in that tank.
 
He passed shortly after your post. I did some more searching outside his cage and found a giant wolf spider living under it. I did some research to find that these spiders can cause severe swelling in humans, enough that would for sure be fatal to a chameleon. Ive narrowed it down to three things: Severe Heat exhaustion/dehydration which seems off due to the sudden symptoms, Impaction which also seems unlikely due to the sudden symptoms and a Spider bite which is nearly impossible to prove but could explain the sudden symptoms and swelling.

Ive decided not to go and get testing. I really want this to be over and I need to move on. Im going to the woodshop to make a coffin for my "more than just a lizard pet" to help show my respects and also to do something since I dont feel like watching tv or doing anything else.

Im going to take a break from chams for a little while but I hope to be back soon.
 
Sorry for your loss.. Looking at that pic and the description you wrote deep down i knew that he was beyond help. That is why I wrote what i wrote..
I think impaction would not be immediate like that also..
Heat stress is possible; but, veiled usually tolerate heat a bit more.. I would think some poisonous/ chemical agent is at hand. The spider might have something to do with this. u sure it was a wolf spider?

I certainly respect your decision after all we become quite attached to our pets.. but, deep down I kinda wish that you would opt for the necropsy.. :(This will bring everything to conclusion. There is always a valuable lesson to learn behind this kind of grief..

Again my condolences.:(
 
I am so sorry for your loss. You did the best you could for the little guy. He is not suffering anymore.

<<hugs>>
 
dodolah said:
Sorry for your loss.. Looking at that pic and the description you wrote deep down i knew that he was beyond help. That is why I wrote what i wrote..
I think impaction would not be immediate like that also..
Heat stress is possible; but, veiled usually tolerate heat a bit more.. I would think some poisonous/ chemical agent is at hand. The spider might have something to do with this. u sure it was a wolf spider?

I certainly respect your decision after all we become quite attached to our pets.. but, deep down I kinda wish that you would opt for the necropsy.. :(This will bring everything to conclusion. There is always a valuable lesson to learn behind this kind of grief..

Again my condolences.:(
Click to expand...

Thank you. Wolf spiders and brown recluses look a lot alike, but browns usually arent found this far north in Ohio.

wolf-spider-2.jpg
they are about 3" across... Probably the biggest spider in this area that I know of.

again, thank you everyone for your condolences. Im glad that it is over for him. I may still go out tomorrow and try to get an xray or something to rule out impaction.
 
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