meds

[Tulsah]

I've just picked up a Chameleon that was free to a good home, he had recently had a broken leg and come with a few meds, i was told he has to be hand fed as hes lazy, but hes not taking anything, i have bought him live food too but nothing seems to be working, any ideas please?

 

[AngieL]

If it was me I would take him to a good vet to make sure the meds are the right ones and see exactly what he's being treated for. If he's not eating it could be due to pain, antibiotics, or many other issues! Only a vet will be able to give you all the info you need to make him all better.

 

[carol5208]

Post some pictures of him so we can take a look at him for you.

 

[Tulsah]

If it was me I would take him to a good vet to make sure the meds are the right ones and see exactly what he's being treated for. If he's not eating it could be due to pain, antibiotics, or many other issues! Only a vet will be able to give you all the info you need to make him all better.

ty i have him booked in to see the rep vet

 

[Tulsah]

Post some pictures of him so we can take a look at him for you.

not sure how to post photo's give me a while please ive only just joined ty

 

[Tulsah]

Post some pictures of him so we can take a look at him for you.

 

[AngieL]

He doesn't seem to be in too bad shape but he doesn't look great. His eye looks like it has something going on but his bones look good. His dark cours show that he's not feeling great either. Glad you'll take him to a vet

 

[Lovereps]

Welcome to the forum!

This is a great place to learn about chams, especially since the internet and petshops often provide wrong information.
I admire your compassion for adopting a chameleon in need of medical care and your willingness to get him to a good vet, to be sure he is on the right medications.

Chameleons need their care to be close to perfect in order for them to be healthy.
In addition to the very good advice you've already been given, I'd like to add a few important things.
Whomever had your cham before you did may not have known exactly what he needs, which may have caused the health problems he has now.

To be sure everything is the way he needs it to be, you can carefully read this excellent caresheet about Veiled chams here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/

It is most likely his health troubles that are keeping him from eating and not laziness.
Even the laziest creatures eat when hungry.

It is possible that someone knows of a good vet with plenty of cham knowledge in your area.
Not all vets know much about cham healthcare and it is important that your cham's vet does.

Here is some good info on finding a competent vet for your cham:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/healthx/vet/

You can also cut and paste the questions from https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ and add your answers.
By doing that, fellow forum members can let you know if there is anything that would be important to change in order for him to recover and to have a healthy life with you.

 

[Tulsah]

thank you both for the help, i will read more from the links,i have got some new meds and lets hope he picks up, hes gone to the bottom of his viv atm, i dont know his age either so he may be quite old, he had been passed around alot, anyway im looking on the bright side, and thanks once again

 

[Lovereps]

We're rooting for you and your cham!

Sure he could be a geezer but at least he has a caring owner.

Some medications are hard on the kidneys, so proper hydration is especially important.

You may wish to try the "cham shower" as detailed in the link below.
It might perk him up a bit, especially if he is a little dehydrated.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/water/

Out of curiosity, what did the vet say is wrong with him and what meds were prescribed?

 

[Tulsah]

it was baytril? is that how its spelt, he said he was on the mend and was looking alot brighter than when he saw him before, it was the vet the woman before me had taken him to, he's also got some carnivore care mix. im still worried though.

 

[Lovereps]

Baytril is an antibiotic often used to treat infections in chams.
It is important to be sure he drinks plenty of water.
Hopefully, the appetite loss is a combination of the medicine and moving to a new home.

A recently broken leg makes me wonder if his previous owner knew to replace the UVB bulb every 6 months and to dust most of his feeders with calcium powder, dust 2x a month with calcium with D3 and 2x a month with a multivitamin powder.
Plenty of people see that the UVB bulb still lights up just fine but they don't realize that those bulbs stop giving off enough UVB after about 6 months.
Perhaps the vet would know if your cham had recently been calcium deficient and if it was treated.
Also making me wonder about that is the fact that calcium deficiency is one known cause of chams not being able to shoot their tongues at food or not shoot it very far.


You might be able to tempt him with some superworms lightly dusted with calcium that doesn't have D3. Many chams really enjoy them.
If the temps in your area are within his temperature range, then a little supervised time outdoors may make him feel a little better, too.
The Veiled caresheet has the temp info, as well as much more.

I hope he makes a swift recovery for you.

Please let us know how things are going and don't hesitate to ask questions.

 

[Tulsah]

sorry i replied to you last night, grrr i guess i didnt post it properly, the vet was the one the woman had taken him to, and he said he was looking brighter than when he saw him the week before, hes got some baytril and some carnivore care food, , hes not eaten still and im having to force feed him with the med food, i didnt want to come down this morning but hes haning in there, i gave him a shower , he hated it and didnt try to drink just wanted to get away

 

[AngieL]

Baytril can cause a decreased appetite for sure. The vet has given you the carnivore care to help keep his strength up most likely. Keep at it with the showers although he doesn't look dehydrated, he may just be a private drinker so just keep giving him opportunity. A lot of people force feed but only if they HAVE to. You can carefully open the side of his mouth by sliding a credit card in ant twisting it gently. Then you can slip food or water into the SIDE of his mouth, not the front, and be careful not to put it down his throat.

 

[Lovereps]

sorry i replied to you last night, grrr i guess i didnt post it properly, the vet was the one the woman had taken him to, and he said he was looking brighter than when he saw him the week before, hes got some baytril and some carnivore care food, , hes not eaten still and im having to force feed him with the med food, i didnt want to come down this morning but hes haning in there, i gave him a shower , he hated it and didnt try to drink just wanted to get away

You didn't post anything wrong...I was replying to your post made after the vet visit.

Hope you have a safe and fun Fourth of july!

It sounds promising for him, since the vet has seen improvement.
Hopefully, he is stronger than you think and will be able to make the turnaround.

There is a good way to "shower" chams that often won't irritate them.
Here it is, quoted from the forum's Chameleon Care Resources "Water and Humidity" sheet :
Shower - Another method of providing water, especially to dehydrated chameleons, is by using a shower. Place a large plant in the tub, aim the shower head against the wall, and run the water so that only a fine mist reaches the chameleon. The water should be room temperature (not hot!). They may drink for up to 30 minutes. Make sure to supervise your chameleon at all times while using this method.

The full page is here and there are many other great info links on the lefthand side of that page:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/water/

I don't know what his enclosure is like but if it has drainage of some sort, you can run a dripper all day onto the leaves to give him plenty more opportunity to drink, in adddition to misting his enclosure.
Hopefully, he has a nice size screened enclosure.

Not knowing how much you already know about good cham care, I'll just add a few more thoughts...
Sometimes chams become ill as a result of their environment not being right for their needs and very often people aren't aware of some very important things, such as not keeping the cage too damp or conversely too dry or the fact that UVB bulbs only emit UVB rays for 6-8 months, even though they still light up so they must be replaced at least twice a year.
That's why the forum moderators wrote this and other caresheets :
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
Not replacing UVB bulbs 2x a year actually causes a serious and sometimes life-threatening calcium deficiency because it makes a cham unable to absorb the calcium from its food.

Nutritional problems are a very common cause of illness in chams, as well.

Your cham can't say thank you, so I'll say it again--I'm glad that you've devoted your time and efforts to helping this poor critter.

 

[Tulsah]

I've just picked up a Chameleon that was free to a good home, he had recently had a broken leg and come with a few meds, i was told he has to be hand fed as hes lazy, but hes not taking anything, i have bought him live food too but nothing seems to be working, any ideas please?[/Q

 

[Tulsah]

You didn't post anything wrong...I was replying to your post made after the vet visit.

Hope you have a safe and fun Fourth of july!

It sounds promising for him, since the vet has seen improvement.
Hopefully, he is stronger than you think and will be able to make the turnaround.

There is a good way to "shower" chams that often won't irritate them.
Here it is, quoted from the forum's Chameleon Care Resources "Water and Humidity" sheet :
Shower - Another method of providing water, especially to dehydrated chameleons, is by using a shower. Place a large plant in the tub, aim the shower head against the wall, and run the water so that only a fine mist reaches the chameleon. The water should be room temperature (not hot!). They may drink for up to 30 minutes. Make sure to supervise your chameleon at all times while using this method.

The full page is here and there are many other great info links on the lefthand side of that page:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/water/

I don't know what his enclosure is like but if it has drainage of some sort, you can run a dripper all day onto the leaves to give him plenty more opportunity to drink, in adddition to misting his enclosure.
Hopefully, he has a nice size screened enclosure.

Not knowing how much you already know about good cham care, I'll just add a few more thoughts...
Sometimes chams become ill as a result of their environment not being right for their needs and very often people aren't aware of some very important things, such as not keeping the cage too damp or conversely too dry or the fact that UVB bulbs only emit UVB rays for 6-8 months, even though they still light up so they must be replaced at least twice a year.
That's why the forum moderators wrote this and other caresheets :
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
Not replacing UVB bulbs 2x a year actually causes a serious and sometimes life-threatening calcium deficiency because it makes a cham unable to absorb the calcium from its food.

Nutritional problems are a very common cause of illness in chams, as well.

Your cham can't say thank you, so I'll say it again--I'm glad that you've devoted your time and efforts to helping this poor critter.

ive now found my message had sent lol i thought it hadnt, and i didnt want you thinking i wasnt answering after all the useful advice you have given me , i have just left a message in the food list , asking about can o crickets? these were with him when i got him, but they are sticky ewwww not sure if this is right? and cant find a date, hes still not eating or drinking but i am making sure hes not going with out anything x

 

[Tulsah]

Baytril is an antibiotic often used to treat infections in chams.
It is important to be sure he drinks plenty of water.
Hopefully, the appetite loss is a combination of the medicine and moving to a new home.

A recently broken leg makes me wonder if his previous owner knew to replace the UVB bulb every 6 months and to dust most of his feeders with calcium powder, dust 2x a month with calcium with D3 and 2x a month with a multivitamin powder.
Plenty of people see that the UVB bulb still lights up just fine but they don't realize that those bulbs stop giving off enough UVB after about 6 months.
Perhaps the vet would know if your cham had recently been calcium deficient and if it was treated.
Also making me wonder about that is the fact that calcium deficiency is one known cause of chams not being able to shoot their tongues at food or not shoot it very far.


You might be able to tempt him with some superworms lightly dusted with calcium that doesn't have D3. Many chams really enjoy them.
If the temps in your area are within his temperature range, then a little supervised time outdoors may make him feel a little better, too.
The Veiled caresheet has the temp info, as well as much more.

I hope he makes a swift recovery for you.

Please let us know how things are going and don't hesitate to ask questions.

ty so much, i have had him out side with me sat in the sunshine most of the day he was so much warmer and seemed relaxed , ty once again

 

[kinyonga]

Is there a bump below his vent?? Can you post a photo that shows that area? Are his lips always open a bit at the tip?

 

[Tulsah]

Is there a bump below his vent?? Can you post a photo that shows that area? Are his lips always open a bit at the tip?

he had like 2 little lumps there, they are going down,i dont have the app to send pics i had a friend do the last one through their app i could mail u one? and no his lips are closed no space