Help!!!

[Mike H.]

Hello guys how are you? My male veiled was drinking some water out of the faucet when i noticed he stopped and started breathing weird and holding his head up. I think he got some water down the wrong pipe... Anyway i turned him upside down, and water dripped out of his nose.... like alot. i got all the water out that i could... right now he's acting somewhat normal, but hissing randomly every once in a while, as if hes taking a huge breath. Is he safe??? is there anything else i can do??? he is accepting food (superworms) if that has any significance...

 

[Nursemaia]

He needs to get to the vet. He got water in his lungs it will turn into pneumonia without medical treatment

 

[Rapunzel's Pascal]

Ditto...I would agree

 

[Mike H.]

right now hes acting absolutely normal...

 

[Nursemaia]

Pneumonia and other respiratory issues may not show symptoms at 1st. He needs to be examined by a vet

 

[Extensionofgreen]

An exam, before pneumonia or Respitory Infection starts is not very useful, unless the vet prescribes preventative antibiotics.
I'm not saying a vet isn't a good idea, at some point, but if this were me, I'd make sure humidity was correct, temps were on the warm side, with an 85-90F basking area, and keep a close eye on things. If anything irregular persist for more than a day or 2 or anything else changes, that's when I'd be getting the chameleon to the vet immediately. I would call and make sure you can get in immediately, if needed or maybe schedule the appointment for 3-4 days from now and cancel if all is well.

 

[Nursemaia]

I disagree with this because outwardly he may appear well but upon exam with the stethoscope you'll be able to hear the fluid in the lungs. I lost an iguana many years ago in a similar fashion. He had a near drowning, appeared fine, I waited, pneumonia set in and then antibiotics didn't help. Died in days.

 

[Remkon]

I'm going to base my reply on the topic's title.

Don't you think that this forum would be so much better if people were not able to use 'Help' as a subject for a topic?
'Help' on itself if a bit of a global call for distress, don't you think?

Describe your problem briefly so you attract the right people to assist you, it's not even hard to do, look:
"chameleon inhaled water, please help"
"chameleon nearly drowned, please advise"

 

[jajeanpierre]

I disagree with this because outwardly he may appear well but upon exam with the stethoscope you'll be able to hear the fluid in the lungs. I lost an iguana many years ago in a similar fashion. He had a near drowning, appeared fine, I waited, pneumonia set in and then antibiotics didn't help. Died in days.

I know you are a nurse, but I'm going to question your diagnosis and treatment of the iguana. I suspect your iguana had secondary drowning. Antibiotics would be of no use with secondary drowning.

If water is aspirated into the lungs, the lungs set up an immune response and the end result is pulmonary edema.

I once had a favorite hen that aspirated on crop contents when she regurgitated after I tubed fluids into her crop (she had a blockage and was under veterinary care). She seemed fine but about 8 hours later she was in acute respiratory distress and suffocating. I rushed her to the vet and he treated her with Lasix and I took her home with Baytril injections to prevent pneumonia. She got another Lasix shot the next day. I think that first Lasix shot cost me $100 which I found a bit outrageous since my racehorses get Lasix before racing and it is about $40.

 

[Nursemaia]

That was the diagnosis from the reptile vet at the veterinary hospital at University of Pennsylvania. Confirmed via x-ray. I waited 48 hours before taking him into the vet for an exam as that was when he started showing symptoms, raspy breathing. I was sent home with antibiotic injections but he died 3 days later. Pulmonary edema certainly could have played a role but it would have been secondary to the aspiration pneumonia. I was 19 when this all happened and quite inexperienced at the time.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hello guys how are you? My male veiled was drinking some water out of the faucet when i noticed he stopped and started breathing weird and holding his head up. I think he got some water down the wrong pipe... Anyway i turned him upside down, and water dripped out of his nose.... like alot. i got all the water out that i could... right now he's acting somewhat normal, but hissing randomly every once in a while, as if hes taking a huge breath. Is he safe??? is there anything else i can do??? he is accepting food (superworms) if that has any significance...

I've found my chameleons often hold their head high when they have eaten a lot or had a lot to drink. Their respiration rates are quite slow, but if you are seeing him take big breaths it is indicative of some sort of problem getting enough oxygen. Maybe you are now only noticing his respiration. He might have an underlying respiratory infection completely unrelated to the incident.

Their nostrils are connected to their mouth directly, so if he had water in his mouth and you turned him upside down, water would have poured out his nostrils. That in itself is not worrying at all.

To be honest, I don't think there is a whole lot you can do even if he aspirated water into his lungs. If there is water in his lungs, there will be an immune response and he will develop pulmonary edema--basically his lungs will fill up with fluid and he will drown in his own bodily fluids. The treatment is Lasix which is a diuretic. I doubt any vet has a clue of the dosage and how chameleons respond to Lasix. I doubt it would be cheap. I once took a favorite hen to the vet who had aspirated on crop contents and the initial Lasix shot cost me $100. She needed another the next day plus a round of antibiotic injections.

 

[Extensionofgreen]

I disagree with this because outwardly he may appear well but upon exam with the stethoscope you'll be able to hear the fluid in the lungs. I lost an iguana many years ago in a similar fashion. He had a near drowning, appeared fine, I waited, pneumonia set in and then antibiotics didn't help. Died in days.

I suppose my recommendation is less about avoiding a vet immediately and questioning the veterinary protocol for aspiration, that hasn't developed into anything of concern. I understand that once something, such as pneumonia develops, that's a harder road to walk, but I just don't believe that there is treatment for aspirated water, in a chameleon, aside from preventative antibiotics, as I wouldn't think Lasix would be ideal or even useful in this case. I would still give things a few hours to overnight to sort themselves out and keep a close eye on things, but the original poster likely has less experience and may not notice subtle changes in time. This is gray area case, in my opinion, where more than one approach is acceptable and neither option is correct, with the correct response being based on the OP's experience and comfort level.

 

[Nursemaia]

I suppose my recommendation is less about avoiding a vet immediately and questioning the veterinary protocol for aspiration, that hasn't developed into anything of concern. I understand that once something, such as pneumonia develops, that's a harder road to walk, but I just don't believe that there is treatment for aspirated water, in a chameleon, aside from preventative antibiotics, as I wouldn't think Lasix would be ideal or even useful in this case. I would still give things a few hours to overnight to sort themselves out and keep a close eye on things, but the original poster likely has less experience and may not notice subtle changes in time. This is gray area case, in my opinion, where more than one approach is acceptable and neither option is correct, with the correct response being based on the OP's experience and comfort level.

It is a grey area and no one option is either right or wrong. My preference is an exam. If auscultation shows nothing then OP is out a few bucks for the exam fee. If rales are heard then antibiotics and/or Lasix may be prescribed or they could go the conservative route and wait and see if further symptoms develop. X-rays may be recommended to look for pulmonary edema or opacity and consolidation consistent with infection but that could get costly and may not even be necessary. I prefer an exam because it establishes a baseline with the vet and if there are changes in a few days then the vet will be able to see the changes from the norm.