kidney failure

JackAttack

New Member
in need to know all signs you have experienced of kidney failure in your chams..............:( could be happening to mine :(
 
in need to know all signs you have experienced of kidney failure in your chams..............:( could be happening to mine :(

Although not always, dehydration is usually the culprit for kidney failure.

Symptoms, not limited to, are orange urate, gout, edema, etc etc...
The only way to be sure is by going to the vet and have your chameleon checked.
 
Although not always, dehydration is usually the culprit for kidney failure.

Symptoms, not limited to, are orange urate, gout, edema, etc etc...
The only way to be sure is by going to the vet and have your chameleon checked.



he has edema............bad............he has been to the vet, and i think she is wrong.........searching for an option myself........
 
I wish there was an easy way to diagnose - the big problem is that it will be nearly impossible to tell what's caused what.

He was given two general antibiotics, both of which can damage kidneys in chameleons, as well as having other side effects. he was then put on Albon, which is very hard for chameleons to deal with, and is possibly even more damaging on their kidneys.

Did he have kidney problems which led to his fall and swollen foot?
If so, the medications were just damaging the kidneys further.

Albon is really rough on them. If kidney problems were suspected, I don't understand why it was prescribed.
 
When my chameleon had kidney failure, he turned white (was a nosy be panther), kept his eyes closed for a long time, drank a lot of water too fast, and was down at the bottom of the cage, seemed like he was asleep a lot..
 
I wish there was an easy way to diagnose - the big problem is that it will be nearly impossible to tell what's caused what.

He was given two general antibiotics, both of which can damage kidneys in chameleons, as well as having other side effects. he was then put on Albon, which is very hard for chameleons to deal with, and is possibly even more damaging on their kidneys.

Did he have kidney problems which led to his fall and swollen foot?
If so, the medications were just damaging the kidneys further.

Albon is really rough on them. If kidney problems were suspected, I don't understand why it was prescribed.


we're not sure if he even has kidney problems.......thats the problem i guess. the vet pretty much said that if none of the meds work for him, that he probably has kidney problems.......ugh its so hard to decide what is right. he has been on albon now for 2 weeks, and still has another 2 weeks pretty much to go. IF the parasites were the cause, shouldnt he be getting better by now? not worse? he is still bright in color, but falls constantly. he is beginning to be frustrated with it, and is more often than not letting himself stay on the bottom of the cage as it is easier than the effort to get up again. he ate 4 horned worms on his own accord 2 days ago, had a bowel movement today, which was runny, but keep in mind he is on fluid with the albon. his urate is completely white. would that be different if there was kidney failure? its hard to describe, but he's not acting hasty, or "uncomfortable". if i have him on my hand, he is quite content to lay there and take in the sights. he's trying his hardest not to move/use his limbs. thats why i thought about the build up of uric acid crystals on his joints and in his limbs.......
 
(Warning) Necropsy Photos - Gout (Pseudogout)


this is dave weldons post...............it sounds like my jack.......his latest symptom is white crystal like stuff in his nose holes........his edema is so bad now......albon is doing nothing it seems, perhaps parasites werent the problem......is this possible, and is it curable.......how????

also.........new swelling all over his body.....casque, neck has hard spots,,,,,,back knee joint enlarged,,,,hes getting so swollen, cant hang on to anything
 
she told me she has experience with all reptiles, including chameleons :( there are a few others, if she doesnt do blood work, i will take him to another.....
 
I think you've given the vet plenty of opportunities myself. I would have left her/him in a fit of rage a long time ago from reading your other thread.

Perhaps it's time for a second opinion.
 
albon will often lead to runny stool - it is not a fun drug for their digestive system. The albon wold have, by now, killed most coccidia, and the remaining treatment would be to finish them off for good. If he is going further downhill, it would not be unreasonable to think (and again, I am neither a vet, nor have I actually seen the animal in qusetion) that the deterioration of his condition was due to the medication - at this point.
 
jack lately

these are the most recent pics of jack............i wondered if the white krusty stuff on his nose was a related symptom...............it is decieving, he looks so colorful in these pics, but he is so unwell :( all he does is lay there, and when he tries to move, he falls. he is sleeping on a green toque in his cage, so as not to have to hang on to anything.
 

Attachments

  • DSCF1308.jpg
    DSCF1308.jpg
    244.3 KB · Views: 742
  • DSCF1316.jpg
    DSCF1316.jpg
    249.5 KB · Views: 878
  • DSCF1306.jpg
    DSCF1306.jpg
    243.9 KB · Views: 574
the crusty white stuff is salts. IT's normal, especially when they're dealing with excessive salts and other stuff - you may just want to make sure he's drinking a lot. Veileds can deal with salts like that (some othr lizards do it - iguanas, etc., but not all chameleons can. See it as an adaptation ot potentially harsh conditions).


He really looks good still. Really. IF a prarasite was causing him problem, you'd see (normally) several other signs of their damage before you'd see these current signs. I think he looks healthy, despite the swellings and weakness. The worry (for me) woudl be that the medicine is causing him further problems than they would ever solve.

He looks to be in good shape, otherwise.
 
the crusty white stuff is salts. IT's normal, especially when they're dealing with excessive salts and other stuff - you may just want to make sure he's drinking a lot. Veileds can deal with salts like that (some othr lizards do it - iguanas, etc., but not all chameleons can. See it as an adaptation ot potentially harsh conditions).


He really looks good still. Really. IF a prarasite was causing him problem, you'd see (normally) several other signs of their damage before you'd see these current signs. I think he looks healthy, despite the swellings and weakness. The worry (for me) woudl be that the medicine is causing him further problems than they would ever solve.

He looks to be in good shape, otherwise.


ok, thanks eric. i believe he is getting a lot of fluid, including what we inject into him every other day. what are the other signs of a parasite caused problem? ive never seen it in any of my chams, so i had no reason to dispute the vet. i am going to call her today, and ask about stopping the albon.......he has days where he falls and seems more weak than others too, its so very strange.........thanks again for all your posts.
 
I have seen lots of chameleons develop SECONDARY problems from a parasitic infection. In 100% of those cases, the parasites had brought the animal's health down considerably. The animal is physically weak, thin, lacks much fat and is wasting away - often watery stool with blood. When looked under the scope, the slide SWARMS with protozoans - SWARMS.

Usually, only then have I seen secondary problems.

Others probably have different experiences, as I have not kept too many WC animals. CB animals have less parasite problems, usually.

It just seems weird that a parasite would have caused enough damage to the digestive system, resulting in problems with the chameleon's anility to absorb proteins, considerig the fact that your chameleon is clearly well-nourished.

If your chameleon's digestive system was damaged to the point it was not absorbing nutrients, I would "think" that it would result in a skinny chameleon with watery, bloody stool before anything else.

Anyone else have experience with coccida-induced gout?
I'd think "skinny, sickly, water-bloody-stool" would happen before gout.
 
Back
Top Bottom