He's sick

[chelseagrin]

I'm not sure what's wrong or what to do but there is something hanging out of his but and he won't use his back legs???? HELP!?!??!

 

[jannb]

Take him to the vets right away. Keep it moist with KY jelly until you get there. You can also soak it in cold sugar water.

This is how I handle prolapse: Soak in cold water with as much sugar dissolved in the water as you can get. Soak 5 minutes and take out for 5 minutes and apply KY Jelly, then soak 5 more minutes and then apply KY. Continue to do this until either he pulls it back in or you get him to the vet. If he doesn't pull it back in on his own he will probably need surgery. You can try to help him get it back in after you have soaked it for awhile and the vet will try to get it back in. If it's been out for awhile the chances of him or the vet getting it back in are slim and he'll probably need surgery. I can only imagine how painful it must be. Do you have a good Cham vet? If not where do you live and I might be able to help you find one.

 

[chelseagrin]

What causes this to happen?

 

[carol5208]

There is no specific proven cause. I have read overfeeding and even parasites can be the cause of prolapse which is what this sounds like. Can you post a pic? If it does not go back in then you must take him to a vet.

 

[Alexl]

There are several causes for prolapses and they should be carefully detected with your vet to avoid the same again in future. First your vet has to identify which organe (cloaca, intestine, hemipenis) is prolapsed. Only pushing tissue back often isn't a real help, therefore I always recommend not to do this at home.

Possible and common reasons for prolapses:

• Mating: Disturbed mating or a female tearing herself away from her partner suddenly can lead to an injured hemipenis, which swells and can't be pulled back into his normal position. Or he could have hurt his hemipenis after mating in the cage on a branch or anything else before being able to pull it back completely. Same can happen while emitting sperm sometimes.
• Obstipation: Too big feeders, partly undigested feeders or just too much of them can cause an obstruction which can't continue to pass the gut. The chameleon tries to press - has no success, so it goes on and on and on... and the gut and/or cloaca prolapse.
• Parasite burden: Some parasites can cause prolapses due to intestinal inflammation. The injured tissue is easier to prolapse and the chameleon wants to press due to pain.
• Lack of calcium: Calcium is needed not only for bones, bot even for all kind of muscles inside the body. Too less calcium intake can cause the intestine tonus to decrease, which makes it easier for the tissue to prolapse.
• (And in females: Egg laying or birth, being eggbound - any process where the chameleon tries to press.)

 

[junglefries]

methods of comfort

I agree with the sugar water and KY. worked for me and seems to bethe norm amongst everone in that situation as to results.