MrMystopholeesMom
New Member
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male ambanja panther purchased from pet store (he was a
gift, otherwise I would have selected a reputable breeder);
in my care for approx. 7-8 months, probably a yr old
Handling - As little as possible, however, quite frequently as of late due to
medicating/force-feeding, etc.
Feeding - When he was healthy, he was eating a dozen crickets with 4-5
mealworms every other day, gut-loaded with Fluker's dry cricket
feed and dusted with calcium once a wk.
*He went on a hunger strike when he became ill, and I force-fed
him various slurries comprised of pedialyte, ensure, insectivore meal,
etc. He finally started eating mealworms only about a wk and a
a half ago.
Supplements - Fluker's Calcium with D3 1-2 a week, .03 cc Sunshine Factor 1-2 a wk
Watering - Dripper at least twice a day, heavy mistings, see him drinking very frequently
Fecal Description - He was tested for parasites on his seceond vet visit and was found to have a high protozoa count. However, a round of metronidazole proved effective. His fecals, however, still look bad to me--the urates are somewhat orange and the feces itself is runny and smells very bad.
History - Basically the same--he seemed very healthy for the first month I had him and suddenly developed an eye irritation for which I consulted a vet. The vet put him on an anti-biotic (i apologize, I cannot remember the name) and a topical ointment (Neo-Poly-Bacitracin) which did not help. Second visit, he did a fecal and prescribed Baytril, metacam, and the metronidazole for protozoa. His condiditon improved (color, appetite, thirst etc returned) yet he seemed extraordinarily uncoordinated. 3rd visit (today)--the vet is concerned that the eye infection was resistant to Baytril and allowed the infection to spread into his spine, which would explain his loss of coordination despite overall improvement.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - free range in small, climate-controlled room with little traffic.
Lighting - ReptiSun compact 5.0 with ZooMed 100 watt basking bulb, in addition to 60 watt indoor lighting
Temperature - 65-90 degrees; 85-90 in basking area, around 75 overall, 65 at night (measured by thermostat as well as individual thermometers)
Humidity - No specific form of measure, I have live plants and a humidifer. I generally base how I use the humidity according to his hydration levels (which I determine by testing his skin) and the overall feel of the room
Plants - Golden pothos and schflera, as well as articial vines and ivy
Placement - Free-range, all plants and vines are 4-6 ft off ground
Location - Salem, Virginia
I highlighted the history section of my help form to avoid redundancy because I primarily concerned about Mr. M's prognosis at this point. I get the impression the vet wants to be optimistic so he avoided the issue of putting him down (although he did mention it maybe necessary) and prescribed a new battery of meds. This is what he explained to me and the subsequent treatments:
1. The eye cleared up, but healed smaller than it originally was.
The remaining pus indicated more infection elsewhere.
2. His uncoordinated movements indicated spinal affliction, but
he is too small to extract enough blood to culture in order to
determine this type of infection.
3. His white blood cell count is high, his protein and calcium
levels are high *BUT* apparently, his bones are not calcified
enough to register a decent x-ray image.
So, he prescribed Ceftazidime pre-loaded injections (.o1 cc every 72 hrs.), Metcam for inflammation, and Calcionate syrup for bone density.
Basically, I just feel like I'm medicating the poor thing to death and I don't want to torture him if I'm going to have to put him down. Can anyone offer any advice or let me know what you think of this? Do you think it's possible he can recover?
Your Chameleon - Male ambanja panther purchased from pet store (he was a
gift, otherwise I would have selected a reputable breeder);
in my care for approx. 7-8 months, probably a yr old
Handling - As little as possible, however, quite frequently as of late due to
medicating/force-feeding, etc.
Feeding - When he was healthy, he was eating a dozen crickets with 4-5
mealworms every other day, gut-loaded with Fluker's dry cricket
feed and dusted with calcium once a wk.
*He went on a hunger strike when he became ill, and I force-fed
him various slurries comprised of pedialyte, ensure, insectivore meal,
etc. He finally started eating mealworms only about a wk and a
a half ago.
Supplements - Fluker's Calcium with D3 1-2 a week, .03 cc Sunshine Factor 1-2 a wk
Watering - Dripper at least twice a day, heavy mistings, see him drinking very frequently
Fecal Description - He was tested for parasites on his seceond vet visit and was found to have a high protozoa count. However, a round of metronidazole proved effective. His fecals, however, still look bad to me--the urates are somewhat orange and the feces itself is runny and smells very bad.
History - Basically the same--he seemed very healthy for the first month I had him and suddenly developed an eye irritation for which I consulted a vet. The vet put him on an anti-biotic (i apologize, I cannot remember the name) and a topical ointment (Neo-Poly-Bacitracin) which did not help. Second visit, he did a fecal and prescribed Baytril, metacam, and the metronidazole for protozoa. His condiditon improved (color, appetite, thirst etc returned) yet he seemed extraordinarily uncoordinated. 3rd visit (today)--the vet is concerned that the eye infection was resistant to Baytril and allowed the infection to spread into his spine, which would explain his loss of coordination despite overall improvement.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - free range in small, climate-controlled room with little traffic.
Lighting - ReptiSun compact 5.0 with ZooMed 100 watt basking bulb, in addition to 60 watt indoor lighting
Temperature - 65-90 degrees; 85-90 in basking area, around 75 overall, 65 at night (measured by thermostat as well as individual thermometers)
Humidity - No specific form of measure, I have live plants and a humidifer. I generally base how I use the humidity according to his hydration levels (which I determine by testing his skin) and the overall feel of the room
Plants - Golden pothos and schflera, as well as articial vines and ivy
Placement - Free-range, all plants and vines are 4-6 ft off ground
Location - Salem, Virginia
I highlighted the history section of my help form to avoid redundancy because I primarily concerned about Mr. M's prognosis at this point. I get the impression the vet wants to be optimistic so he avoided the issue of putting him down (although he did mention it maybe necessary) and prescribed a new battery of meds. This is what he explained to me and the subsequent treatments:
1. The eye cleared up, but healed smaller than it originally was.
The remaining pus indicated more infection elsewhere.
2. His uncoordinated movements indicated spinal affliction, but
he is too small to extract enough blood to culture in order to
determine this type of infection.
3. His white blood cell count is high, his protein and calcium
levels are high *BUT* apparently, his bones are not calcified
enough to register a decent x-ray image.
So, he prescribed Ceftazidime pre-loaded injections (.o1 cc every 72 hrs.), Metcam for inflammation, and Calcionate syrup for bone density.
Basically, I just feel like I'm medicating the poor thing to death and I don't want to torture him if I'm going to have to put him down. Can anyone offer any advice or let me know what you think of this? Do you think it's possible he can recover?
