Mellers Rescue

[Joy Leaf]

So our current Mellers Joy is doing good these days, but thru chance we heard that a friend of a friend of a friend (etc) Had a Meller's but could no longer take care of it and it has a few health issues. We dont have a lot of spare $$ for huge vet bills, but we are going to take her in for one next week. We made the jump to acquire the animal and here is what we now know(pics below):

1. Not eating very much. (1-3 crickets every other day)
2. Will drink, havent measured what shes drinking, but she likes it straight from the spray bottle.
3. Is dehydrated as you can tell from the sunken eyesbut we're working on that.
4. One eye tends not to close all of the way like maybe its hardened skin around it.
5. Does not sleep well in an enclosure and has fallen 3 times (we were told about this and had a super padded enclosure bottom for her. We now have here in a large rubbermaid with heat and UV during this process.
6. Seems to have a large 0.5-0.75 inch open wound (see pic below) on her tail.
7. Very lathargic, and when she does eat her aim seems to be off and does not "flick" her tongue out quickly, its more of walking up onto the feeder and barely sticking her tongue out slowly and hoping it sticks.

Shes very friendly and outgoing when she is up and moving, she didnt like her tail being messed with for the pics though. Any ideas on possible at home treatments for her tail before we head to the vet next week? Also, we have gotten her to take about 1.5-2ML of reptaid every other day. We usually sneak it in while shes drinking. Is there an easier way to get her to open up to take water/reptaid via syringe without just trying to be lucky and catch her with her mouth open? Thanks all in advance! (pics below)

 

[AJA]

My two cents on this. I am assuming you are giving it long showers? This will help with the retained shed and dehydration. You can apply some neosporin on those burn marks and looks like she may have some sore going on around her mouth too (look under the melleri group forum for more info, someone says not to us neosporin but another type, but I can't remember what it is at the moment).

The rept-aid should be given every day for 10 days straight. You can grasp the skin below her chin and pull down. This will open up her gullet and you can administer the rept-aid then.

Get a weight on her/him now so you can monitor. When you are at the vet ask for a culture for pseudomonis. Was there UVB from the previous owner?

I am going to assume too that you know about the Melleri Discovery sight.

 

[Joy Leaf]

Yes, she is getting a daily warm shower for around 20 mins each time. We have been avid readers of the MD site since we got our first almost a year ago. Since we got her we have cleaned her tail daily and applied Polysporin (with no pain reliever). Should we apply the polysporin to the sore on her mouth? I will make sure to give her the reptaid daily now for up to 10 days. I will get her weight tomorrow. The previous owner had a decent set up and UVB was supplied via a reptisun 5.0. Should I dust the crickets she eat now? I have been lightly dusting them with calcium.

 

[OOOst16]

ya shes got somthing goin on with that mouth of hers...id take a seriouse look at it

 

[Joy Leaf]

Well we've looked at it , but should we be doing something about it before we go to the vet next week?

 

[OOOst16]

well it could be a bacteria infection. this isnt my area. but that sore is seriose...it could be more seriose then the tail issue...just look for mucus or bubles in the mouth ....and listen for poping or craking or hissing sounds when she breaths....( the mucus and breathing could be a signe of upper respitory infection) ....this cham needs a vet visit asap

 

[jannb]

I agree a vet visit is needed ASAP. Silvadene cream for the tail and mouth if you can get it..........if not then Zymox.

 

[Joy Leaf]

I will get one of those two tomorrow first thing. Where is the best place to find it?

 

[jannb]

I will get one of those two tomorrow first thing. Where is the best place to find it?

I got mine from the vet but try a google search.

 

[kinyonga]

If the area of the mouth are not cleaned out properly the infection could persist. A culture and sensitivity test will determine the bacteria involved so that the chameleon can be put on an antibiotic. A culture and sensitivity test should be done of the tail wound debris too. The bacteria could have infected other areas too...which is why I'm suggesting to see a vet.

 

[Joy Leaf]

She'll be at the vet this coming monday. The 2 closest vets that have cham experience are 1 1/2 and 2 hours away from us and Monday is the soonest we have time to take her to either. We were just curious of things we could do for her between now and then. Thanks everyone for your input so far.

 

[Joy Leaf]

Well unfortunately over the night she passed away. She actually seemed to do a little better yesterday so it was kind of a let down to find her gone this morning. Thank you again to everyone on CF for your help and input.