Need Help! ASAP

D

DefiniteTones

New Member
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Ambanja, Male, 5months. 2months in my care Handling - Handle maybe 4 times so far
Feeding - b. dubia? 4-5? every other day ? gutloaded w/ greens
Supplements - repcal w/ D3 every other day and herptivite mondays and thursdays?
Watering - Dripper system ? everyday about 4 times a day for about 2-3 mins each ? driking like normal
Fecal Description -brown but comes out wet looking and w/ lots of white urate.never been tested for parasites?


Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage zoomed, 16x16x30 Lighting - zooMed linear FL 5.0, basking is a daylight blue w/ a 40W
Temperature - basking spot is 88-90F overnight temps are around 72? all temps measured w/ a zoomed digital thermometer?
Humidity - humidity is at around a constand 50-60% and is measured w/ a analog zoomed guage regulated by live plants and regular misting as well as dripper
Plants - live plant is a hibiscus
Placement - cage is loacted on desk near a high traffic area and a vent nearby Location - located in a coastal area in Texas
Current Problem - Current problem just noticed for two days, chameleon is favoring left side and is very weak on grip but is very allert and trying to be active, but eating has slowed significantly. possible impaction or fall from 24" does/ is closing eyes more often now:(
 
I would change the location of the cage and allow for less traffic/visibility to other people/pets. Also, any location near a vent or window is not particularly preferred. Airflow is good but constant drafts or A/C directly on the cham is not good.

I would not supplement calcium with D3 every other day nor would I use herptivite twice a week. Instead, I would use calcium without D3 4days a week on the other 3 no supplements at all. If your chameleon doesn't get sun at least once a week, I would only use calcium with D3 twice a month. I would use herptivite (or even better VIT-ALL) twice a month. The greens that you feed your insects do matter...make sure not to use broccoli or spinach as they contain oxilates that hinder calcium absorption.

As for the tender left side, I would make sure to line the bottom of the cage with something to break his fall, should he fall again. You may need to see the vet for a shot of calcium if one of his limbs is broken.

If it is impaction, give him a long warm shower. Like 45 minutes should do the trick. If no success, try lots of sun. If still no success, try gutloading feeders with plums!
 
Can you post some pictures please?
I really think the best option is to take it to a vet to be sure what is going on....its hard for us to diagnose things here without conclusive indications (deformed bones, flexible casque, etc.)

It could be an imbalance in the nutrients (excess D3 or lack of calcium for instance) that might be causing it...but that's just one possibility. Since you are saying the weakness is only on one side, there could also be other reasons for it (injury from a fall, neurological problems).

However...IMHO you are using both supplements too often and you need a phos.-free calcium powder too. It should be getting phos.-free calcium dusted on most feedings...phos.-free calcium/D3 twice a month and the vitamin powder twice a month.

Regarding impaction...do you have a substrate that he may have ingested? Why are you thinking impaction might be a possibility?

One more question...does the UVB light pass through glass or plastic?
 
Thank you kinyonga, you are spot on. A vet visit would yield best results providing the vet is experienced with chameleons.

A picture is worth quite a bit. Please provide pics if you really want more help!

I also think you should always drip for at least 10 minutes. This means you'll need a bigger reservior and more control over the speed of drops coming out. You can always use a large water bottle/jug, an aquarium airline valve, and some hot glue or super glue to keep the valve on the jug. Here are the valves (soo cheap) I'm talking about: Air Valves

Here is the supplement that kinyonga and I were saying you should use more often instead of using the calcium with D3. Again, I would say use this stuff 4 days a week.
4703
 
Here is his back right leg usually he just tucks it under his belly and just uses his right hind leg to hold onto stuff as well as his tail
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His front left leg isn't even grabbing the branch in this picture, it just hangs but he can grip still but he just sits and uses his right side lately(past two days)
dsc04125.jpg
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Can you get any shots with the whole chameleon in the frame? I'm not seeing anything out of the norm just yet...but the pics are not quite showing me enough.
 
Temps seem a bit high at 88-90 for basking. Temp of 80-85 is recommended. But that's likely not the issue bothering him at this time. Just thought I'd mention it.
 
Last edited:
Has he pooped recently? When was the last time? What makes you suspect impaction? How much did he eat last? What size dubia is he eating? Again, do you have a substrate that he may have ingested?

Is he closing his eyes during the day? Have you put him outside under the sun?

What have you done so far to solve the problem since these suggestions have been made?
 
havn't seen any poop that looks fresh for at least two days now, and i suspect impaction due to there being about a day where the plants soil was exposed (went looking for river rocks). he ate about 5 crickets and 2 dubia about three days ago. Admitidly the dubia were a little too big but it wasn't too signifcant of a problem, well at least i didn't think so at the moment. Im gutloading crickets on plums to aid w/ that and he is in the middle of a shower at the moment been around 30min now. what else is there? till i go to vet.
 
Shower should help him go. If not a vet trip will def be needed soon. Dont feed him anymore feeders with a chitinous body. If you have hornworms on hand they may help him loosen up a bit also. But dont feed him much til he goes again. Like 1-2 horns.
 
I agree with everything Texas said here. You can try a warm shower or even take his cage outside for awhile and give warm mistings to see if he will go. I would also get him to the vet asap. Could be parasites.
 
Update!

Well, i got back from the vet yesterday and according to her he has three types of intestinal parasites which were just causing general weakness, loss of appitite, very very early stages of MBD and dehydration, but other then that he is fine. Well they gave me two different types of injections to administer at home:eek: and a bunch of other stuff as well, but the outlook on him is good so i expect a full recovery soon:D
 
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