Help! Possible MBD

[Nadiahyusuf]

My chameleon has just suddenly come down
With what Im now guessing is MBD. He eats
And drinks just can't climb and is shakey and can't use his
Limbs correctly.
The vets were closed when we realized he needed
To go. Can he surrive hes about 5 months old and will
He be able to climb?

 

[kinyonga]

If it is MBD (and we can't tell for sure without photos and more information)...it will need to be corrected and at the same time husbandry will need to be corrected to prevent it from happening again. Its important to correct it asap because it doesn't just affect the bones....it affects other systems in the chameleon as well.

Whatever damage has been done will likely remain (crooked bones, etc.) but by acting quickly further damage won't occur and the chameleon should be able to go back to a reasonably normal life.

The quickest way to correct it is for the vet to give the chameleon shots of calcium until the blood calcium levels are high enough that the chameleon can be given a shot of calcitonin which will draw the calcium rapidly back into the bones.

MBD occurs as the result of an imbalance in nutrients such as phos., calcium, D3 and vitamin A...and they need to be in balance. When trying to balance them you need to look at the supplements, what you gutload the insects with and feed the chameleon as well as the lighting, temperatures, etc. which also play a part.

Good luck with it!

 

[Elizadolots]

Hi! I'm sorry your chameleon is doing poorly. I understand how scary that is.

You definitely need to be concerned with MBD, but there are other things that can cause shakiness and lack of coordination. A possibility (not saying this is for sure what it is) is that you have heavily fluoridated water. An easy, inexpensive change you can make is to switch to water that is distilled or purified by reverse osmosis. Us it in your misting as well as your dripper. It might not help, but it can't hurt and it just might help.

 

[Panther16]

MBd will never go away, a lot of it can be cured but it won't make it completely go away.... Hopefully it gets better. Good luck