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- Thread starter codiwatkins
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codiwatkins
New Member
Thank you for all of your kind words. I searched over his cage and found one of his limbs had chunks of bark missing from it. I suspect he might have choked on a piece of bark. He has always kinda chewed on his limbs but I never worried because I read on several threads that it was nomal in the juvi chameleons. He had a variety in his diet and got regular supplements, so I didnt think it was anything lacking in his nutrients that was causing him to do it. I just figured he was teething or something....Anyways I plan to call the vet first thing in the morning to get the necropsy. I put him in the fridge. It so sad how they turn black.....
His colors where coming in so beautifully...
Well once again thanks for all the kind words and for those that tried to help us.
His colors where coming in so beautifully...Well once again thanks for all the kind words and for those that tried to help us.
CHAMaDdIcT
New Member
really sorry i hope you dont stop keeping chams from this experience and can recover from this and get a new cham 
i hope you dont stop keeping chams from this experience and can recover from this and get a new cham 
merumontanus
Avid Member
As Julie has already mentioned (and I see you have already done, Codi), unless you plan on having your vet perform a frozen section histology, freezing the body (in water or not) will damage the tissue upon thawing, which will make a histopathological examination very difficult, or impossible.
Histopaths are relatively expensive, and the tissue samples usually have to be sent out to a lab-- your vet should be able to recommend whether or not to perform a histopath based on her immediate observation. If the cause of death is clearly evident upon dissection, then a histopath isn't necessary.
Regards,
Fabián
Chris Anderson
Dr. House of Chameleons
The freezing in a block of ice method Shannen mentioned is what I use for saving animals that are going to be preserved for a scientific collection. For nectropsy, you don't want to freeze the animal.
Based on what you've said, I'm not sure he choked, at least not on the bark. Chameleons have their tracheal opening just behind the tongue. It looks like a small hole. For him to have choked and suffocated, something either would have had to be covering this opening of something small enough would have had to have been quickly inhaled into the lungs. Aspirating water is possible but aspiration of a foreign object seems unlikely due to the size of the trachea. I'll be interested to hear what the vet finds in the necropsy.
Chris
Based on what you've said, I'm not sure he choked, at least not on the bark. Chameleons have their tracheal opening just behind the tongue. It looks like a small hole. For him to have choked and suffocated, something either would have had to be covering this opening of something small enough would have had to have been quickly inhaled into the lungs. Aspirating water is possible but aspiration of a foreign object seems unlikely due to the size of the trachea. I'll be interested to hear what the vet finds in the necropsy.
Chris
Kent67
Retired Moderator
Stunned. In 18 years of keeping chams I've never (knock on wood) had anything like that happen. I'm very sorry for your loss and would also be very interested in hearing the results of a necropsy. It should be relatively inexpensive. Here the going rate seems to be $35 to $45 for the necropsy if samples don't need to be sent out.
Chameleon Bazaar
New Member
heartbreaking, so sorry for the loss of a beautiful cham!
Mouth open, hear raised in the air, swaying, chest pulled in, gasping noises...this is not that rare of a way for chameleons to act when they are dying. I have never had a real medical answer as to why this happens exactly...but I think its that its not getting enough air.
whitespyder
New Member
how devastating, im very sorry.
veildowner
New Member
my veild did this, this afternoon wen he eat a cricket
he got it out though but was still chocing so i gave him a gud mist round the mouth and he was fine after that
he got it out though but was still chocing so i gave him a gud mist round the mouth and he was fine after that
panthercham
New Member
So sorry for your loss Codi, he was a beautiful cham
veildowner
New Member
sorry for your loss
codiwatkins
New Member
I just recieved a call from the vet and he had an approximatley 1/2 centimeter piece of what appeared to the vet to be bark lodged in his throat. He also had a half eaten cricket in his throat as well. The vet suspects the bark stopped him from swallowing the cricket all the way which in turn caused him to choke...... The vet would like to know if I want to run additional test on him?? What do yall think??
