Hi everyone,
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*Please be aware this post goes into detail about a medical emergency with my cham so heads up if you're squeamish**
I wanted to share my experience today in hopes that it will help others who may (hopefully not) encounter a similar problem. Advice is welcome. I strongly recommend saving the address and phone numbers of multiple local vets so you can have options if there is an accident.
I came home from work today to find my 14month old male Veiled basking casually with a chunk of his casque hanging off the front of his head! It looked like a large sliver about 1/8" wide down the entire length of his casque. It was hard not to panic while I figured out how to help him without scaring him. I knew I had to take him to the vet immediately (he is lucky that it happened on a weekday afternoon as some animal hospitals only operate during business hours) so I called my closest vet; fortunately they are only 15min away. I explained that he had an inch long piece of his casque hanging off and I could see some pink skin (not quite red enough to be considered bloody) at the base where it was still attached. They said I should bring him in immediately to treat the wound and prevent infection.
The next step was to get him out of his cage and into a box. I was worried that he would run away from me, hide, and further injure himself in the process so I VERY SLOWLY began misting him while holding a handful of chopped kale (his favorite treat) outside of his cage for a few moments until I had his attention. I opened his cage, kept spraying, and he climbed onto my hand. It was weird because he didn't go for the kale, he really just walked onto my hand on his own free will. I was pleasantly surprised and used the opportunity to place him gently into a 10x10x12" cardboard box with a towel laid at the bottom so I could transport him. The vet mentioned not to put any objects that could injure him further into the box like branches or vines. I wrapped the box in a towel (32 degrees today in Boston) and got into my car that my boyfriend had already warmed up for the trip. We only waited about 10 minutes to see the vet because we had called ahead. At the end of the visit the nurse said that the first thing he did was climb out of the box and onto her shoulders, and how lucky I am to have such a friendly chameleon!
The vet ended up removing the bit that was hanging off, and prescribing a cream to use daily for the next week. She said that it was actually a good sign that the exposed tissue underneath was pink because it meant that the wound was receiving proper blood flow to heal it. She told me to watch out for signs of infection for the next few days: Blackening of the exposed tissue, discharge, changes in his eyes or vision, or signs of lethargy. A change of appetite (within reason) is normal. I wasn't too happy about the Emergency Visit fee ($150) and the cost of the medicine ($40) but I could never put a price on Wilson's health and wellbeing. He was treated and back in the box to go home after about an hour total.
When I opened his box at home, he seemed terrified and was clinging to the towel and staring up at me. I didn't want to move him just yet because I still had to apply the medicine, so I grabbed a Q tip and gave him a quick and painless swab (I'm hoping the reapplications over the next few days will be that easy...). I slowly picked him up and brought him into the living room to give him some Dubias out of a bowl. He ate 5, climbed around on my shoulders and the furniture for a few minutes, and slowly returned to his usual relaxed state. I carried him back to his cage and he practically jumped back inside.
I can only guess what happened to him since I wasn't there; he has a habit of getting his casque wedged between branches and the screen of his cage, and then forcing his way through. He's very strong so I doubt that he fell; if anything, I've noticed that he has no idea how tall his casque is so sometimes he tries to climb through tiny spaces. Just last week I lowered the branches in his cage because his casque was starting to drag along the top, so I think it might be time to upgrade to a 24x24x48" as a precaution. Right now he's 17" from nose to tail, and his cage is 18x18x36". I have a feeling he will still continue to wedge himself in weird places, even in a bigger cage, but I think he will be much happier with the extra space.
My advice: if something happens to your pet and they need urgent medical attention, stay calm! If you start to panic, then your animal will panic as well. It will be easier to get the help you need if you think things through and act with purpose.
*
*Please be aware this post goes into detail about a medical emergency with my cham so heads up if you're squeamish**I wanted to share my experience today in hopes that it will help others who may (hopefully not) encounter a similar problem. Advice is welcome. I strongly recommend saving the address and phone numbers of multiple local vets so you can have options if there is an accident.
I came home from work today to find my 14month old male Veiled basking casually with a chunk of his casque hanging off the front of his head! It looked like a large sliver about 1/8" wide down the entire length of his casque. It was hard not to panic while I figured out how to help him without scaring him. I knew I had to take him to the vet immediately (he is lucky that it happened on a weekday afternoon as some animal hospitals only operate during business hours) so I called my closest vet; fortunately they are only 15min away. I explained that he had an inch long piece of his casque hanging off and I could see some pink skin (not quite red enough to be considered bloody) at the base where it was still attached. They said I should bring him in immediately to treat the wound and prevent infection.
The next step was to get him out of his cage and into a box. I was worried that he would run away from me, hide, and further injure himself in the process so I VERY SLOWLY began misting him while holding a handful of chopped kale (his favorite treat) outside of his cage for a few moments until I had his attention. I opened his cage, kept spraying, and he climbed onto my hand. It was weird because he didn't go for the kale, he really just walked onto my hand on his own free will. I was pleasantly surprised and used the opportunity to place him gently into a 10x10x12" cardboard box with a towel laid at the bottom so I could transport him. The vet mentioned not to put any objects that could injure him further into the box like branches or vines. I wrapped the box in a towel (32 degrees today in Boston) and got into my car that my boyfriend had already warmed up for the trip. We only waited about 10 minutes to see the vet because we had called ahead. At the end of the visit the nurse said that the first thing he did was climb out of the box and onto her shoulders, and how lucky I am to have such a friendly chameleon!
The vet ended up removing the bit that was hanging off, and prescribing a cream to use daily for the next week. She said that it was actually a good sign that the exposed tissue underneath was pink because it meant that the wound was receiving proper blood flow to heal it. She told me to watch out for signs of infection for the next few days: Blackening of the exposed tissue, discharge, changes in his eyes or vision, or signs of lethargy. A change of appetite (within reason) is normal. I wasn't too happy about the Emergency Visit fee ($150) and the cost of the medicine ($40) but I could never put a price on Wilson's health and wellbeing. He was treated and back in the box to go home after about an hour total.
When I opened his box at home, he seemed terrified and was clinging to the towel and staring up at me. I didn't want to move him just yet because I still had to apply the medicine, so I grabbed a Q tip and gave him a quick and painless swab (I'm hoping the reapplications over the next few days will be that easy...). I slowly picked him up and brought him into the living room to give him some Dubias out of a bowl. He ate 5, climbed around on my shoulders and the furniture for a few minutes, and slowly returned to his usual relaxed state. I carried him back to his cage and he practically jumped back inside.
I can only guess what happened to him since I wasn't there; he has a habit of getting his casque wedged between branches and the screen of his cage, and then forcing his way through. He's very strong so I doubt that he fell; if anything, I've noticed that he has no idea how tall his casque is so sometimes he tries to climb through tiny spaces. Just last week I lowered the branches in his cage because his casque was starting to drag along the top, so I think it might be time to upgrade to a 24x24x48" as a precaution. Right now he's 17" from nose to tail, and his cage is 18x18x36". I have a feeling he will still continue to wedge himself in weird places, even in a bigger cage, but I think he will be much happier with the extra space.
My advice: if something happens to your pet and they need urgent medical attention, stay calm! If you start to panic, then your animal will panic as well. It will be easier to get the help you need if you think things through and act with purpose.
