HELP!!!!!! Open wound!!!!

[reyesjoshuacruz]

I have a 8 month Fem Veiled rescue that has been in my posession for about 4 months, shes acclimated just fine and laid an infertile clutch two weeks after i first got her. the prob is i noticed two blackened scales on one side of her cask. They were there when i aquired her in the first place, one has went away and left a visible " scar ". the other has gotten worse. ive included pictures of the growth and need help. What is it? what caused it? how do i treat it? why did one go away and one get larger? ive been diluting bactine in warm water and putting small amounts on the area once a day waiting a minute then rinsing with warm water after. Now ive noticed two more black spots! Please help shes got the most personallity a chameleon owner could wish for!!!!!!!

( side note: shes also got missing and deformed nails on both her front feet, is there anything other than topicals that i can be using?)

 

[RhettusMaximus]

Vet

She should be taken to the vet if the infection is spreading.... It could be something serious. I don't know what it is because i've never had any experience with such a skin disorder with chams...

 

[Jeweledchameleons]

Cricket damage?
You know that they will attack and feed upon a sleeping chameleon
if they're left in the cage for too long.
From the description, you've got a bacterial infection
along the lines of a staph infection.

Whatever is eating away at him has got to be stopped.

First things first, you've got to clean up the site of the wound(s)
I've used some H202 and a Q-tip followed antibiotic ointment.
and / or keep the area dry and exposed to the air.


That means stop all misting and such.. provide a glass of water
inside the cage where it's well lit for his drinking needs.
one things for certain, you'll need something stronger
than what you've been using if his immune system is weakened.
hope you're using GOOD a D3 vitamin dust.

a vet visit seems to be in order.
they'll have other antibiotics that will be safe for the animal
and perhaps a culture ID of what you're dealing with.
Good Luck!

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Vet, vet, vet, vet, vet...... did I mention possibly taking her to the vet?
Something like that is beyond online diagnosis. She needs to be seen in person.
Keep us updated!

Good Luck

-Brad

 

[Dean Pulcini]

You should always have cricket gutload in your chameleon cage to avoid this kind of thing. The crickets wont eat your chameleon.

 

[joejoe519]

You said that the spots were on her when you got her? Maybe she was burned by her basking light or something else. I found this on a site with a chameleons owner manual.

Thermal Burns

Causes: Chameleon able to get too close to his basking light.

Symptoms: Usually, you will observe a light green patch, accompanied with/or without a blister(s). The area then turns black and eventually sloughs off leaving a raw area prone to infection.
Treatment: Immediate professional medical care must be sought! Your vet may prescribe an oral antibiotic, topical compresses and or a cream called flamazine that is very occlusive and will sooth and protect the raw area while providing antibacterial properties. You must of course re-adjust your lighting.

The vet really needs to look at her.

 

[Steven Reecy]

I have a 8 month Fem Veiled rescue that has been in my posession for about 4 months, shes acclimated just fine and laid an infertile clutch two weeks after i first got her. the prob is i noticed two blackened scales on one side of her cask. They were there when i aquired her in the first place, one has went away and left a visible " scar ". the other has gotten worse. ive included pictures of the growth and need help. What is it? what caused it? how do i treat it? why did one go away and one get larger? ive been diluting bactine in warm water and putting small amounts on the area once a day waiting a minute then rinsing with warm water after. Now ive noticed two more black spots! Please help shes got the most personallity a chameleon owner could wish for!!!!!!!

( side note: shes also got missing and deformed nails on both her front feet, is there anything other than topicals that i can be using?)

I've never seen it on a cham, but it might be a fungus. Google "black reptile fungus" and see what you come up with. Treatments are stuff that would treat atheletes foot in the early stages, and in the late stages, it gets in their blood and will kill them. Only a vet can give shots to cure it at that stage (if indeed, thats the problem). I lost a Collared lizard to it before I got wise.

Steve

 

[RhettusMaximus]

interesting.

Doesn't look to be fungal. Looks more bacterial to me. Could be a thermal burn that has gotten infected like said above.

 

[joejoe519]

I've really tried to search all over for a diagnosis. The burn is the most likely one I see. I also found an article about a chameleon with ticks/mites and had the same sort of condition. Black spots followed by infection and death. But ticks can be seen moving around most of the time,so that was just a suggestion. Let us know what the problem is when you and your vet figure it out.

 

[MWheelock]

Hey y'all

I agree with going to the vet as pictures are always limiting.

That being said, zylafen would be a good topical to put on affected areas once a day or potentially SSD. These necrotic areas will may respond just to this, but the question is what has caused the initial issue in the first place.

The nails could be from cage screening and holding on too tight or being pulled off (or netting too small or untreated with a plastic). I never take the toes too lightly as it is really easy for osteomyelitis to kick in (infection of bone). This could have happened in your care or before you got him. (Really not an uncommon presentation. Early nutritional calcium deficiency/ UVB, will sometimes start this way. (How many eggs did she lay?)

As far as the cask, thermal burns,, bug bite, infection,...? I would reallly check your husbandry to see what could have caused this. Bring a picture of your set up to the vet. This is usually very helpful.

Good luck,
Matthew

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

Please can someone suggest a good herp vet in the southern ca, orange county area? I looked when i thought one of my fems was eggbound and no local stores could suggest one and wasnt able to find one online.

thanks everyone for all your input i really really appreciate it. the wound looks worse in the pics then in real life, im still taking her to a vet though. The first black spot, almost seemed like a tick or mite, but when i took a closer look it was just a black scale,more along the lines of of a puckering on the spot where three scales met. that one vanished and left a puckering white spot, that gets smaller and better with every shed. this one looks like a large black scale and doesnt seem to be getting better with every shed.

again thanks to everyone who posted a reply!

 

[dodolah]

Please can someone suggest a good herp vet in the southern ca, orange county area? I looked when i thought one of my fems was eggbound and no local stores could suggest one and wasnt able to find one online.

thanks everyone for all your input i really really appreciate it. the wound looks worse in the pics then in real life, im still taking her to a vet though. The first black spot, almost seemed like a tick or mite, but when i took a closer look it was just a black scale,more along the lines of of a puckering on the spot where three scales met. that one vanished and left a puckering white spot, that gets smaller and better with every shed. this one looks like a large black scale and doesnt seem to be getting better with every shed.

again thanks to everyone who posted a reply!

well.. it's 30 minutes North from Anaheim. Dr. Tom Greek.
I trust my chameleon under his care.
A very excellent exotic vet!

 

[reyesjoshuacruz]

thanks for the advice, ill most likley be seening him then

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy,

Here's where Dr. Tom Greek working out of until his new location is ready (many months to go...)

He's seen 500-1000 chameleons and has written articles about chameleons.

http://www.tomgreek.com/

Village Animal Hospital
23379 Golden Springs Dr.
Diamond Bar, CA 91765
909.861.7463