I think my guy is dying, I'm so sad!

[PNW_Cham]

I don't know what to do and I'm totally panicking. Marlo has gone downhill fast, even since yesterday. He's been acting pretty odd in the last week or two, sleeping downward, hanging by his tail, sleeping during the day. This morning I found him nose down in a plant so I moved him back to his branch. I went in to check on him shortly after and he was asleep again, hanging by his tail. I've moved him on to a towel now and he immediately went back to sleep. I woke him to offer food and he just closed his eyes. He has never refused food before and has been eating and drinking very well until just today. He's been so tired but I think this is it, is he dying right now? He has not been sick as far as I can tell. He is an ambanja panther chameleon, 8 years 3 month old. I don't know what to do for him at this point, I'm super upset.

 

[MissSkittles]

I’m so sorry. It sounds as though he is passing. Put him somewhere soft and comfortable. I don’t know if giving him a small stick to hold would give him comfort. Give him quiet, peace and love until he has to leave you. 8 years is a very good lifespan for your friend and you’ve given him an excellent life in all those years. Sending you hugs and healing.

 

[PNW_Cham]

I’m so sorry. It sounds as though he is passing. Put him somewhere soft and comfortable. I don’t know if giving him a small stick to hold would give him comfort. Give him quiet, peace and love until he has to leave you. 8 years is a very good lifespan for your friend and you’ve given him an excellent life in all those years. Sending you hugs and healing.

Thank you. It’s been a really difficult day. He woke up and I was able to hold him so that he could take a long drink of water before settling back down to sleep again. But here he is right after drinking.

 

[PNW_Cham]

He’s cuddled up on some shirts now under his (raised) heater.

 

[ehdee6]

Your little man is lucky to have such a loving and caring human to look after him.

 

[BleuSaphir]

It be great if chameleons can have average life span 20 years. 8 years is a good year in good husbandry.

 

[PNW_Cham]

Your little man is lucky to have such a loving and caring human to look after him.

thank you, he's been such a cool little companion. I have endless good memories of him. He hasn't passed yet but he's calm and still and peacefully sleeping...

 

[PNW_Cham]

It be great if chameleons can have average life span 20 years. 8 years is a good year in good husbandry.

thank you. I was really hoping for one last summer with him since he loved his sunny time outdoors but i guess that is not to be. He made it through the night, pastel colors and all, and is very still and quietly sleeping...I just dont want him to suffer but so far he is peaceful as he shuts down. This is hard.

 

[Beman]

He has come to the end of his life... He is very old now and you should be so proud of the long healthy life he had with you. This is when you have to decide if you want to let him pass away slowly or intervene by taking him to the vet for human euthanasia. I personally feel euthanasia is the best way to go as they can decline very slowly and it can be quite painful for them and you as well to watch.

I am sorry for the loss that is coming. I found this to be the most excruciating type of loss when my boy came to the end of his life. Most people do not understand how you can care for a reptile but I find it is a bond like no other.

 

[PNW_Cham]

He has come to the end of his life... He is very old now and you should be so proud of the long healthy life he had with you. This is when you have to decide if you want to let him pass away slowly or intervene by taking him to the vet for human euthanasia. I personally feel euthanasia is the best way to go as they can decline very slowly and it can be quite painful for them and you as well to watch.

I am sorry for the loss that is coming. I found this to be the most excruciating type of loss when my boy came to the end of his life. Most people do not understand how you can care for a reptile but I find it is a bond like no other.

Thank you very much. I have a very close friend who is a veterinarian and I consulted with her last night and she has helped me understand what signs to look for. I'm just unsure whether to stress him by transferring to a vet or to keep him home and comfortable in hospice. I haven't yet decided, I obviously do not want him to suffer! But he is currently very still and peaceful. But if it continues past today I may take him to the vet for euthanasia tomorrow. It's difficult to know how what's best for him. I live in a smaller town now and my veterinary options are more limited than they used to be.

 

[Beman]

Thank you very much. I have a very close friend who is a veterinarian and I consulted with her last night and she has helped me understand what signs to look for. I'm just unsure whether to stress him by transferring to a vet or to keep him home and comfortable in hospice. I haven't yet decided, I obviously do not want him to suffer! But he is currently very still and peaceful. But if it continues past today I may take him to the vet for euthanasia tomorrow. It's difficult to know how what's best for him. I live in a smaller town now and my veterinary options are more limited than they used to be.

It is a personal decision. And one only you can make. You will know when it is time if you need to intervene. Just make sure the vet you take him to has experience with euthanasia and reptiles. It is a bit different than a dog or cat. Hopefully he will just pass peacefully in his sleep.

 

[PNW_Cham]

.

 

[PNW_Cham]

It is a personal decision. And one only you can make. You will know when it is time if you need to intervene. Just make sure the vet you take him to has experience with euthanasia and reptiles. It is a bit different than a dog or cat. Hopefully he will just pass peacefully in his sleep.

Thank you. I called every veterinary hospital in my area and the next city over and only found one veterinarian that will see reptiles (a cat clinic) so I made an appointment for tomorrow morning. But I'm not feeling great about it because it is curbside only, so I have to drop him off to be examined and then if they decide that they will euthanize then they will have me come in. But I can't go in with him otherwise. This is really my only option, I literally called everywhere.

 

[Beman]

Thank you. I called every veterinary hospital in my area and the next city over and only found one veterinarian that will see reptiles (a cat clinic) so I made an appointment for tomorrow morning. But I'm not feeling great about it because it is curbside only, so I have to drop him off to be examined and then if they decide that they will euthanize then they will have me come in. But I can't go in with him otherwise. This is really my only option, I literally called everywhere.

Yeah I can not say I would be all that comfortable with that. I had to do it once during covid but I actually knew the vet which was the only reason I was comfortable with her handling him while I was not there.

 

[PNW_Cham]

Marlo was still alive this morning; he was a bit bloated and his eyes were clearly bothering him a lot (new development) so I went forward with the vet appointment. I had to wait in my car while she examined him and she called me on the phone to discuss. She seemed pretty judgmental at first, saying that he’s too thin (he’s always been thin and as a mature adult only eats every third day, he will not eat more frequently), he has muscle loss (yes, he’s elderly and has been very sleepy lately), and she asked about his yellow mouth (it’s literally always been yellow). She really pushed for diagnostics and wanted me to syringe feed him with carnivore care and give antibiotics for a while to see if he would improve. I declined and asked for euthanasia instead. Was that the right decision? I really don’t know but I feel that this was his time to go, he’s over 8 years old. Had he been younger and sick I would have pursed treatment options. But he went downhill so fast, I just couldn’t see him coming back from that. I hope I didn’t make a mistake, it’s been so hard. Once I was allowed inside with him and the decision was made the vet softened her stance and was quite compassionate. She even shared that she’d had a chameleon once but never got another because he didn’t live long at all. So in the end she was very caring once she saw my tears and understood my connection to him. I didn’t make this decision lightly, I’m really heartbroken.

 

[Beman]

Marlo was still alive this morning; he was a bit bloated and his eyes were clearly bothering him a lot (new development) so I went forward with the vet appointment. I had to wait in my car while she examined him and she called me on the phone to discuss. She seemed pretty judgmental at first, saying that he’s too thin (he’s always been thin and as a mature adult only eats every third day, he will not eat more frequently), he has muscle loss (yes, he’s elderly and has been very sleepy lately), and she asked about his yellow mouth (it’s literally always been yellow). She really pushed for diagnostics and wanted me to syringe feed him with carnivore care and give antibiotics for a while to see if he would improve. I declined and asked for euthanasia instead. Was that the right decision? I really don’t know but I feel that this was his time to go, he’s over 8 years old. Had he been younger and sick I would have pursed treatment options. But he went downhill so fast, I just couldn’t see him coming back from that. I hope I didn’t make a mistake, it’s been so hard. Once I was allowed inside with him and the decision was made the vet softened her stance and was quite compassionate. She even shared that she’d had a chameleon once but never got another because he didn’t live long at all. So in the end she was very caring once she saw my tears and understood my connection to him. I didn’t make this decision lightly, I’m really heartbroken.

You made the right choice... 8 years is very very old compared to most. Most are lucky to live 5 years. By the things you said it is clear the vet has no real updated knowledge of panther chams. Their mouths are yellow and that is normal.

Carnivore care would have just compromised organ function in a sick elderly cham. It has to be very carefully used with healthier chams as well. Antibiotics as well depending on type can cause renal issues. If his renal system was already in shut down it would have just pushed it into shut down faster.

Every single sign you mentioned are very very common signs of a cham that has reached the end of their life.

This was my thread on my Beman that passed away. I share in it what I saw as he got worse the last year. https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...ttle-love-june-2018-february-9th-2025.194337/

 

[PNW_Cham]

You made the right choice... 8 years is very very old compared to most. Most are lucky to live 5 years. By the things you said it is clear the vet has no real updated knowledge of panther chams. Their mouths are yellow and that is normal.

Carnivore care would have just compromised organ function in a sick elderly cham. It has to be very carefully used with healthier chams as well. Antibiotics as well depending on type can cause renal issues. If his renal system was already in shut down it would have just pushed it into shut down faster.

Every single sign you mentioned are very very common signs of a cham that has reached the end of their life.

This was my thread on my Beman that passed away. I share in it what I saw as he got worse the last year. https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...ttle-love-june-2018-february-9th-2025.194337/

Thanks, that is helpful. I will read through your thread about Beman.

I learnt a whole lot about Chameleons with Marlo. I learnt how to breed silkworms, various roaches, stick insects, and even grasshoppers. I spent summer days in open fields with a butterfly net catching wild insects for him, looking like a lunatic. I learnt all about UVB lights, ceramic heaters and thermostats, how to make gutload recipes from scratch, how to run my mist king, how to care for live plants, and make RO water. We spent a lot of time outdoors with him on our baby fruit trees while he soaked up the sunshine and I sat in my lawn chair keeping watch. My neighbors thought I was crazy just staring at my little trees. I snuck him into hotel rooms during our cross country move. I loved peeking in on him at night to see his pastel jammies. He had such a beautiful temperament, was always calm and agreeable. And my god was he a gorgeous creature, a literal rainbow. He’ll forever be missed.

 

[MissSkittles]

Thanks, that is helpful. I will read through your thread about Beman.

I learnt a whole lot about Chameleons with Marlo. I learnt how to breed silkworms, various roaches, stick insects, and even grasshoppers. I spent summer days in open fields with a butterfly net catching wild insects for him, looking like a lunatic. I learnt all about UVB lights, ceramic heaters and thermostats, how to make gutload recipes from scratch, how to run my mist king, how to care for live plants, and make RO water. We spent a lot of time outdoors with him on our baby fruit trees while he soaked up the sunshine and I sat in my lawn chair keeping watch. My neighbors thought I was crazy just staring at my little trees. I snuck him into hotel rooms during our cross country move. I loved peeking in on him at night to see his pastel jammies. He had such a beautiful temperament, was always calm and agreeable. And my god was he a gorgeous creature, a literal rainbow. He’ll forever be missed.

I’ve read (and written) my fair share of memories of love for our chameleons and other animals, and yours just brings me to tears. You have a lot of beautiful memories and truly gave him all of your love and care. Your sweet boy is not suffering any now, and I believe is enjoying the blessings of paradise now. It was a difficult and painful decision to let him go, but absolutely the right one for you both. Sending you much love, hugs and healing.

 

[PNW_Cham]

Thanks so much, I truly appreciate all your advice and care.

 

[PNW_Cham]

I’ve read (and written) my fair share of memories of love for our chameleons and other animals, and yours just brings me to tears. You have a lot of beautiful memories and truly gave him all of your love and care. Your sweet boy is not suffering any now, and I believe is enjoying the blessings of paradise now. It was a difficult and painful decision to let him go, but absolutely the right one for you both. Sending you much love, hugs and healing.

Thanks so much, I truly appreciate all your advice and care. It's been really helpful and brings me a lot of comfort.