GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
I appreciate it, Jann! I've called everyone within range, and no one's available until Monday. All of the ones on the coast are inaccessible to me with my lack of driving, and my usual ride is tied up this weekend.
Lethargic Female Panther; oral lesion
- Thread starter GoodKarma19
- Start date
I appreciate it, Jann! I've called everyone within range, and no one's available until Monday. All of the ones on the coast are inaccessible to me with my lack of driving, and my usual ride is tied up this weekend.
Coop
Avid Member
Sorry for the late reply, but my Flower has one of those too. My vet said it was because of bites from feeders, and gave me some antibiotics for the lip and another bite. Pic of medicine attatched. I really hope she gets better, and is something similar to what mine had so she can quickly recover.
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GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Yep; Baytril and betadine - that's essentially the treatment! I just need Lily to hang in there until I can get her some Baytril or a similar antibiotic (pending vet's opinion). I'll check if the GP is willing to me tomorrow. If not... it'll have to be Monday. My choices are limited.
snitz427
Chameleon Enthusiast
Im sorry you and Lily are going through this. I have nothing useful to add to these medical posts, other than positive thoughts. A sick cham really pulls oh my heartstrings.
Makuna honey is expensive, but I picked some up to add to the human / animal first aid kit. I’m not sure if there is any harm in silv. sulf. cream being potentially ingested, but at least you know the honey is safe to apply all over her lip and wound. Its antibacterial and healing properties might help inside and out.
Keep us posted, and I hope lil’ miss gets to feeling better soon.
Makuna honey is expensive, but I picked some up to add to the human / animal first aid kit. I’m not sure if there is any harm in silv. sulf. cream being potentially ingested, but at least you know the honey is safe to apply all over her lip and wound. Its antibacterial and healing properties might help inside and out.
Keep us posted, and I hope lil’ miss gets to feeling better soon.
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Silver sulphadiazine is body safe in small amounts, but it couldn't possibly taste good! I'd rather use manuka honey on the lesion, especially since it's around her mouth.
I appreciate the healing thoughts! I'm rooting for my poor little lady. Gonna start pre killing supers to handfeed at this point!
Hashtag ChamLife
Avid Member
I hate to see the ladies in pain. Sorry you both have to deal with this.
I don't have anything on the medical front, but to the bites...
I've had this issue twice with hornworms. Once on my beardie and once on my female panther. After my panther had a nice face bite... I stopped toying with the worms. Now I use a set of tweezers to grasp the worm and a set of electricians "wire strippers" [or any small pliers]. You get the worm to get a little angry and let it bite the open pliers. When you see the mandible, close pliers until you hear the sound of success!
It may be cruel... but it's better than hoping the worm doesnt bite your critter. I do the same thing with larger feeders - grasshoppers, katydids, etc. This is also why I've moved to silkworms as a feeder. They have WAY smaller mouths and mandibles. Never had any issue other than the silk hanging from my chams mouth.
Best wishes!
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Happy to report that Lily is looking much brighter today, and my hovering and diligent cleaning/ointment application might have done some good! Eyes have been open for most of the day so far, and she's much more reactive. Swelling's down as well, particularly around her nostril! Lily's acting much more like herself, and was actively looking for food when I went to clean up her lesion. She tried to shoot her tongue at me, but didnt extend more than half an inch or so. Painful?
She seems much more comfortable today, and I'll keep doing what I've been doing. Looks like the weather will clear up a bit in the afternoon and warm up, so I'll try to take her outside again as well! Her basking's currently off, but her T5HOs have her temps at 76-78F anyway. I feel like it's probably safe to turn it back on, but I'll wait until I get her seen just in case.
Maybe I overreacted, but she was looking alarmingly flat! I'll keep my appointment for tomorrow evening to be safe. This girl's trying to stress me to death!
Pictures from this morning, pre cleaning (dont mind the bit of black on the outside edge of the lesion - it's just oxidized silver sulphadiazine):
She seems much more comfortable today, and I'll keep doing what I've been doing. Looks like the weather will clear up a bit in the afternoon and warm up, so I'll try to take her outside again as well! Her basking's currently off, but her T5HOs have her temps at 76-78F anyway. I feel like it's probably safe to turn it back on, but I'll wait until I get her seen just in case.
Maybe I overreacted, but she was looking alarmingly flat! I'll keep my appointment for tomorrow evening to be safe. This girl's trying to stress me to death!
Pictures from this morning, pre cleaning (dont mind the bit of black on the outside edge of the lesion - it's just oxidized silver sulphadiazine):
Chameleomom
Chameleon Enthusiast
Feel better Lily. Your in good hands
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you! I think I have a pair of little jewellery pliers around that would do the trick nicely. I won't be taking any more risks, at least not with Lily. She's never had good aim to begin with, and I dont want her to have to deal with this again!
I wish I could get silks more readily, but they're only very rarely available in my neck of the woods, and the shipping is absolutely bonkers if I try that!
Hashtag ChamLife
Avid Member
Yea, I can't get live silkworms either. I've been doing the eggs from mulberry farms until recently. The last 4-5 batches I've gotten from them have only had a single digit hatch rate... and their customer service is super slow apparently. Unfortunately, I only have smaller ones right now and only 1-200 left of those. I do have cocoons I'm hoping to be able to breed... but that's a ways off.Thank you! I think I have a pair of little jewellery pliers around that would do the trick nicely. I won't be taking any more risks, at least not with Lily. She's never had good aim to begin with, and I dont want her to have to deal with this again!
I wish I could get silks more readily, but they're only very rarely available in my neck of the woods, and the shipping is absolutely bonkers if I try that!
I'd offer to send you some... but doubt they'd make it to BC unmolested.
I did find that my girl with MBD [Petco] took very nicely to BSFL and the BSFs themselves. It was a great way to get her calcium up. I'm not sure if that's an option for you either.
Otherwise, those jewelers pliers should be great... you can do 1 mandible or both to be sure!
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
It's a chore to get a variety of feeders in Canada, haha! I can get BSFL, but they're pricey. I usually keep 50 or so to let them pupate, but Lily will happily take the larvae as well! She's not at all a fussy eater. Been meaning to get a surinam roach colony going - that'd be much nicer than these darn crickets!
Hashtag ChamLife
Avid Member
That's a gift and curse of Florida... I can walk out my door and get surinam roaches, GBRs, snails, katydids, hornworms [yea... I know wild hornworms]. But cant find a shop that sells anything but crickets. Then all the online vendors that may have sold you something come back with "we don't ship anything to FL". Its a chore. I've had to drive out of state just for feeders... that's why I now TRY to raise one of everything I can. That, and so other folk don't have to fight the same battles.
Sorry for hijacking your thread... i talk a lot. At least Lily is in competent hands! Glad shes doing better... and you too. There's nothing harder than being powerless to help a creature in need. : (
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thank you for checking up on us!
No real change for better or worse today. We're on the way to the vet as we speak, and I'll update later this evening.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
I agree! That’s my vets go to antibiotic. He doesn’t like Baytril.
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
Finally home from the vet's!
Lily's lesion and eye (which has been an ongoing issue) were numbed with a topical anesthetic so that they could be better examined. The lesion was debrided, and the doctor agrees that it was likely to have initially been a bite from a feeder that ended up getting infected. I was sent home with some chlorhexidine to flush her mouth, and instructed to continue applying a thin flim of silver sulfadiazine to the site. In addition, I was given a conservative dose of meloxicam (Metacam, 0.5 mg/mL; 0.02mL by mouth every 48 hours as needed) and low dose enrofloxacin (Baytril, 50mg/mL; 0.01mL by mouth once a day for 10 days). I expressed my concern re: the safety of Baytril, and the doctor humored me and pulled up a bunch of research papers touting it as safe, and only dangerous if the animal is dehydrated. Unfortunately, i can't share these papers because they're on VIN (Veterinary Information Network)! I've been told to offer her additional water via syringe/dropper, ideally 50/50 with an electrolyte solution, for the duration of the medications.
Her eye was flushed as well, and while the eye itself looks mostly undamaged and there's no debris, there's "something not quite right" with it. We're going to try a course of NeoPolyBac (BNP) +H and see if that helps clear it up some. The eye itself is definitely irritated and painful (judging by the way it's consistently sucked in), so it's certainly worth an attempt!
Fingers crossed for a smooth recovery!
Lily's lesion and eye (which has been an ongoing issue) were numbed with a topical anesthetic so that they could be better examined. The lesion was debrided, and the doctor agrees that it was likely to have initially been a bite from a feeder that ended up getting infected. I was sent home with some chlorhexidine to flush her mouth, and instructed to continue applying a thin flim of silver sulfadiazine to the site. In addition, I was given a conservative dose of meloxicam (Metacam, 0.5 mg/mL; 0.02mL by mouth every 48 hours as needed) and low dose enrofloxacin (Baytril, 50mg/mL; 0.01mL by mouth once a day for 10 days). I expressed my concern re: the safety of Baytril, and the doctor humored me and pulled up a bunch of research papers touting it as safe, and only dangerous if the animal is dehydrated. Unfortunately, i can't share these papers because they're on VIN (Veterinary Information Network)! I've been told to offer her additional water via syringe/dropper, ideally 50/50 with an electrolyte solution, for the duration of the medications.
Her eye was flushed as well, and while the eye itself looks mostly undamaged and there's no debris, there's "something not quite right" with it. We're going to try a course of NeoPolyBac (BNP) +H and see if that helps clear it up some. The eye itself is definitely irritated and painful (judging by the way it's consistently sucked in), so it's certainly worth an attempt!
Fingers crossed for a smooth recovery!
GoodKarma19
Chameleon Enthusiast
That's the plan, yep! Lily can be somewhat of a reluctant drinker, but thankfully she takes fluids well via dropper if needs must!
