Need extreme help with melleri!!!

[chamlover]

Hi guys,

We just got back from doing the NY show and one of the other dealers had this melleri that he was selling, that when i saw him i almost cried. I talked the guy into giving him to me because i know that if i didn't take him he would be dead by tomorrow. So no matter how bad this guy is for letting him get this bad, (he said he had a big shipment come in 2 months ago with a bunch on them, and these 2 were the only ones left) at least he realized that without some serious help this poor guy didn't have a chance. Anyway, he weighs in at 120 gr. and is completely skin and bone, completely dehydrated and probably filled w/ parasites. He is soo bad i am afraid the stress of a vet visit could kill him. Every hour he is with us is a miracle to his will to survive. I need help on this one. I am feeding him only liquids, pedialyte, egg yolk, and ensure. I'm afraid to give him too much liquid at one time as well. Any ideas? He is being fed with a tube although yesterday he did willingly take water from a dripping eye dropper. I am going to order some carnivore aid and hornworms, silkworms, and butterworms and make a liquid diet for him. If he makes it until then. I'll download pics tonight. How much liquids do you think he would be able to take at one time? Say a prayer for this one, he needs it.

Debby

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Debby- PM Kristina. She may not see this right away because it is not in the Melleri subforum.

Hi guys,

We just got back from doing the NY show and one of the other dealers had this melleri that he was selling, that when i saw him i almost cried. I talked the guy into giving him to me because i know that if i didn't take him he would be dead by tomorrow. So no matter how bad this guy is for letting him get this bad, (he said he had a big shipment come in 2 months ago with a bunch on them, and these 2 were the only ones left) at least he realized that without some serious help this poor guy didn't have a chance. Anyway, he weighs in at 120 gr. and is completely skin and bone, completely dehydrated and probably filled w/ parasites. He is soo bad i am afraid the stress of a vet visit could kill him. Every hour he is with us is a miracle to his will to survive. I need help on this one. I am feeding him only liquids, pedialyte, egg yolk, and ensure. I'm afraid to give him too much liquid at one time as well. Any ideas? He is being fed with a tube although yesterday he did willingly take water from a dripping eye dropper. I am going to order some carnivore aid and hornworms, silkworms, and butterworms and make a liquid diet for him. If he makes it until then. I'll download pics tonight. How much liquids do you think he would be able to take at one time? Say a prayer for this one, he needs it.

Debby

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

In the mean time, are you showering him? They need to absorb water through their skin. Kristina has told me that even when they have stopped drinking (during misting) they still need more misting in order to absorb water through their skin. You could shower him for at least an hour, under supervision.

I'm afraid I don't know how many liquids to give at one time.

It does sound as though he is responding already.

Our Hercules was drastically underweight, pale, and dehydrated when we got him, but definitely not on death's door. We showered him and twice a day I misted him for 10-20 minutes.

Do you do your own fecals, or can you get a fecal done?

 

[Sepioteuthis]

I would focus more of rehydration than feeding at this point. If it hasn't eaten in a while too much (or too rich) food could do more damage than good.
How is his behavior/ activity level? Does he show any interest in food at all? Have you showered him yet? How long is he?

If he's active but just skinny and dehydrated, I would give him a week or so of rest (just daily long mistings in the cage and a bowl of feed within reach) and see if he starts eating on his own.

Good luck!

Suzanne

 

[AndrewH]

if he has never been showered before, and he freaks out, on melleri discovery they say having it dark in the room he is showering in helps alot.

http://www.melleridiscovery.com/index.html

 

[chamlover]

I realize that too much food can kill them if they are really bad which is why i haven't done that already, except for ensure. I have showered him once already, under supervision. I haven't measured him yet although he looks full grown. His activity level is zilch. He was sitting with his eyes closed at the show and last night but this afternoon he has opened his eyes and just checking out his new enviroment. I have him in a small cage because he is so weak i'm afraid he might fall. I will put a bowl of crickets in his cage, you never know! His eyes already look a little better. I have a feeling he has the will to survive, i just don't know if he has gone past the point of no return. How do i pm Kristina? I was hoping she would be around to read this.

Debby

 

[lbesok]

I have used the crushed insects, like crickets and silkies with the bug juice recipe as you are using, with sick animals but I agree with not over doing the food for right now. Is their any way to take just the fecal to the vet, to identify the nasties, and get/know the meds for when he is stable enough for them? Good luck with this one.

 

[Kat77]

I know it hasn't been long since your last post, Debby, but how is he doing? Any changes?

 

[chamlover]

You guys guess what!! He just zapped 5 crickets!!!!! I'm telling you this one is going to make it!!! sniffle sniffle.Dark room is a great idea, i will do that later today. Where you think he is willing to eat on his own, should i offer him anymore? And yes, if and when he goes poop i will bring it in to have it checked. But even the dealer told me not to give him any panacur yet because he thought it would be too much and kill him.

Debby

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Kristina is Studiocham. But I see that Suzanne wrote (Sepiotheuthis) who is another keeper I would completely trust concerning Meller's situations and who has a lot of experience.

Great job! How rewarding. Looking forward to updates.

I too feel very positively about this guy. Keep the hydration going.

 

[Sepioteuthis]

That's great that he's eating on his own! In that case I would really leave him alone as much as possible.
I wouldn't feed him a lot at once, but I would offer him food twice a day.

 

[chamlover]

What do you consider alot? I just offered him a small roach (1/2" ) and he just about jumped up and zapped it. I am afraid to give him too much and undo everything, but he seems to readily , within seconds, take everything i have offered him. And i am leaving him alone. I just misted him again and i will shower him around 5-6 one more time. He also just pooped a little, it was very small and very runny and the urates he passed was extremely orange.

Debby

 

[Kat77]

Yay! Congrats on getting him to this stage Debby!! I'm so glad to hear that he is eating. I will be watching this thread. Please continue to keep us posted!

You did such a good thing taking him to rehab him. I can tell you have a heart like mine.

 

[Eric Adrignola]

extremely dehydrated - orange urates, skinny, ignorant dealer... all means dehydration. Try to let him drink as much as possible, but don't forget to allow his skin to dry out a bit. In his state, a small scrape or cut or unshed skin clump can be a nasty infection in no time.

The fact that he's eating at all means he's not in the final throws of melleri-death. He stil may be too far gone, but eating means a chance. it's when they stop eating that you have to worry.

 

[chamlover]

Speaking of that: he does seem to have a couple pieces of skin kind of crumpled up, it looks like it might be left-over shed skin. I didn;t want to do anything with it under his condition except for keeping it moist. I didn't realize that being that dehydrated could mean he could get a wicked infection of any kind, but thanks for the heads up. He did give me a fecal and i called the vet up and i am bringing it in tomorrow. Still don't think he is ready for any meds though. The difference in his demeanor already is remarkable. His eyes are almost sparkling. Any numbers as far as how much to offer him a day. I am thinking feeding him 2-3 times a day smaller meals, but i'm unsure as to how much to offer. HE seems to just want to keep eating.

It must be my month for melleri rehab. He is my second one. The other one has a severe burn but otherwise in very healthy conditon.

Debby

 

[Sepioteuthis]

I would start by not feeding him more then you would a healthy adult and then slowly building it up. He obviously going to need more food than a healthy cham over the next few week or more. I just wouldn't allow him to gorge himself.
Also keep en eye on his fecals, to make sure he's actually digesting the food.

good luck!

Suzanne

 

[chamlover]

Just a quick update on my new boy/girl. My hubby came home and he said he couldn't believe the difference in the way he looks. He said even the skin looked more hydrated. Yippie! He ended up eating 6 maybe 1/2 " crickets and 3 1/2 " roaches. I think that is a heck of a start. He still has months to go if he makes it, but a great start none the less. We believe he is a juvie. Compared to mine his head is really small. Of course could always be a female. Are they usually smaller than the males?

Debby

 

[Kat77]

Debby,

You should post some pics! I would love to see him/her, and before and after photos are always a hit around here.
I don't think size is a great indicator of gender in Melleri although it can be in certain cases...

 

[lbesok]

Debby, how are things going today with this special guy? How is his coloration? With Melleri, you'll know when they are on deaths bed, they get white almost like a ghost.

 

[chamlover]

He seems to be getting more hydrated. Hasn't eaten today and had a little green diarehea. I'm getting ready to give him another shower. He seems to be a little more active today. Probably cause he finally had something to eat for the first time in 2 months. I've got pics of him at the show but my daughter took them with her camera, so as soon as i get ahold of her i'll have her send them to me. He isn't white yet although he was turning white and gray when we first took him at the show which is what really scared me. I'm going to order that good bacteria stuff, i'm all out. I'm sure that will help as well. Butterworms and hornworms are on their way. He certainly looks better. There is a sparkle in his eye telling me he wants to live and thats half the battle. Thanks for all the help and caring wishes. We both need it.

Debby