Is my chameleon just a runt??

[ryanra22]

So I've had my little guy for awhile now, and well he's still really little! When I got him in February he was allegedly 3 months old. It's now December so he would be about a year old and he's still really tiny!

I feed him a variety of crickets, silkworms, hornworms, and the occasional super. I use the repashy all in one supplement. I guess my question is is he too small? Or did it just so happen that I got a smaller one of the bunch? Any help would be appreciated!

I'll try to put some pics in but they aren't great because he gets super freaked out by my cellphone

The picture in here is from like 2 weeks ago

 

[stalincat]

have you ever done a fecal for him?

 

[camimom]

can you put him on your hand so we can see how big he really is?

 

[ryanra22]

I've never had a fecal done on him. His poop/urate always looks pretty normal to me though, but would I notice it being off if something was wrong?

Here's some pictures the one where he's fired up is from a little while ago maybe 1-2 months and the one where he's real light is from just now. Not very good the best I could swing with him though he was especially weirded out by my phone today.

 

[camimom]

Even if he was born in februrary when you got him ( i know you say he was supposed to be 3 months old) he still looks small for his age.

healthy, but small.

 

[stalincat]

get a fecal done

I should just write it as my signature.. it's all I say recently. I wish I'd done mine as soon as I got my baby

 

[ryanra22]

Even if he was born in februrary when you got him ( i know you say he was supposed to be 3 months old) he still looks small for his age.

healthy, but small.

Ok thank you so much for the help. Small is ok, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't because of anything I was doing incorrectly. As long as he is healthy I'm ok with it

 

[ryanra22]

get a fecal done

I should just write it as my signature.. it's all I say recently. I wish I'd done mine as soon as I got my baby

Ok, how exactly do I go about this? Just call the vet and bring in a sample?

 

[SouthCaliChameleon]

He's a mini panther... lol

 

[camimom]

Ok, how exactly do I go about this? Just call the vet and bring in a sample?

yes.
most vets say bring a sample, they will test, if hes clean itsa ll good, if hes not, then you have to bring him in.

 

[pssh]

Yeah, definitely call the vet to get a fecal done. If something was wrong my first guess would be parasites.

How much do you feed him? And what are the temps? I've had two small ones that were otherwise healthy. I gave them as much food as they wanted because they were so small. There are some that are just small for whatever reason. If he doesnt have parasites (or other health issues) and has enough food and warmth, he could just be one of the little guys.

 

[Carlton]

Ok thank you so much for the help. Small is ok, I just wanted to make sure it wasn't because of anything I was doing incorrectly. As long as he is healthy I'm ok with it

He is beautiful, looks great, just a little guy. Nice "apartment size". There is a lot of variation in size and it could be that parent genetics, incubation temps, or early nutrition affected his growth before you got him. Could be that electing for fast color-up and intense coloration was linked to size too.

 

[ryanra22]

Yeah, definitely call the vet to get a fecal done. If something was wrong my first guess would be parasites.

How much do you feed him? And what are the temps? I've had two small ones that were otherwise healthy. I gave them as much food as they wanted because they were so small. There are some that are just small for whatever reason. If he doesnt have parasites (or other health issues) and has enough food and warmth, he could just be one of the little guys.

I've been offering him pretty much as much food as he wants since I've thought he was a little small. He eats pretty much daily and anywhere from 8-12 medium crickets or around 6-8 silkworms. He almost always eats everything I put in for him.

His top temp is around 96-98 and has another basking spot closeby that sits around 85-88. Then towards the bottom of his cage temps get to about 75 or so. Humidity is consistently 50-60% as well. Spray down the entire cage about 3-4 times a day for water.

 

[asongforyou]

Mine looked "fine" but had ringworm. It's not like you'd be able to see the parasite eggs with the naked eye. Most pets including Chams need regular fecal tests.

 

[ryanra22]

Ok so I called the vet to ask about the fecal and the lady told me "since I had never been to the vet I'd need to bring him in for a check up along with the fecal".

Does that sound pretty standard? I don't mind taking him in if I have to, but I picture that being quite the adventure. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should carry him in to get to the vet?

Thanks again for all the help everyone. It's very much appreciated.

 

[deadhd5]

Ok so I called the vet to ask about the fecal and the lady told me "since I had never been to the vet I'd need to bring him in for a check up along with the fecal".

Does that sound pretty standard? I don't mind taking him in if I have to, but I picture that being quite the adventure. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should carry him in to get to the vet?

Thanks again for all the help everyone. It's very much appreciated.

It sounds like a good idea to bring him in as well. Its probably a good idea to get comfortable with a vet visit procedure, although I understand the reluctance. Good luck

 

[ryanra22]

It sounds like a good idea to bring him in as well. Its probably a good idea to get comfortable with a vet visit procedure, although I understand the reluctance. Good luck

Yea I just scheduled an appointment for Tuesday so I'm gonna take him in and get him checked out and hopefully everything will be good.

 

[deadhd5]

You can create a small container (shoebox perhaps) with a secured branch inside for him to sit on. Thats how I transport my chameleons.

They will establish a record for him with weight and other notes that could be useful as a future benchmark. Plus, it is a good idea to establish a good relationship with the vet... That way if you know what you need to resolve a future issue you may be able to get meds without a formal visit (and the associated fee).

 

[Lovereps]

Ok so I called the vet to ask about the fecal and the lady told me "since I had never been to the vet I'd need to bring him in for a check up along with the fecal".

Does that sound pretty standard? I don't mind taking him in if I have to, but I picture that being quite the adventure. Anyone have any suggestions as to what I should carry him in to get to the vet?

Yes, my chams' vet does the same.
US vets are licensed and a condition of their licensing is to only treat pets they have examined.

Once you collect a fecal sample, refrigerate it to keep it fresh. Do not freeze it.
It's good to have a good cham vet before an emergency arises.
Not all vets are experienced with chams.

For transport, I use a sturdy, roomy cardboard box with a towel on the bottom and a sturdy fake vine stuck through the box sides for the cham to grip.

To confirm what others have said, parasites can cause a failure to grow normally. Other things can too, but parasite infestations are treatable, unlike inborn defects.
To be clear, some inborn defects might just make a cham small but not sickly.

 

[ryanra22]

Yes, my chams' vet does the same.
US vets are licensed and a condition of their licensing is to only treat pets they have examined.

Once you collect a fecal sample, refrigerate it to keep it fresh. Do not freeze it.
It's good to have a good cham vet before an emergency arises.
Not all vets are experienced with chams.

For transport, I use a sturdy, roomy cardboard box with a towel on the bottom and a sturdy fake vine stuck through the box sides for the cham to grip.

To confirm what others have said, parasites can cause a failure to grow normally. Other things can too, but parasite infestations are treatable, unlike inborn defects.
To be clear, some inborn defects might just make a cham small but not sickly.

Ok great, thanks so much for the help! I'm definitely going to go the cardboard box route.

I'm starting to feel kind of bad now I probably should've done this sooner when I felt like he was pretty small, but if they did find it was a parasite or something would medication allow him to resume a more normal growth pattern? Or would it be simply too late for him to attain a healthy normal size?