Need tips Administering Medicine to Veiled Chameleon...PLEASE HELP!!!

[Hannah C]

I have an 8 month old veiled who had MBD and recovered but now has a bone infection from it as well as lacerations on the inside of her mouth from feeding on horn worms.

She has been prescribed oral antibiotics and pain killers but will not open her mouth to take the medication.I have tried gently pulling down on her chin skin and gently covering her nose but nothing is working. If I do open her mouth it is not wide enough to really get anything past her jaw line into her mouth. I have tried pulling a little harder today but I just feel horrible, I don't want to hurt her by pulling to hard and I am worried the syringe could bruise her little mouth.

I don't know what to do because if she doesn't take them the disease will spread and she will die. I don't have anybody who is willing to assist me in giving her medication to her and she has to take it everyday for 6 weeks. I have tried the past two days and only been able to open her mouth partially to squeeze only a sliver of the necessary dosage in her mouth.

Does anybody have advice or tips???


PLEASE PLEASE help!! I love her so much I don't want her to die. i'll do anything.

 

[Blang]

You need to get a piece of plastic thin enough to bend into a v! Put a hole in the center of it for the diameter of your syringe to fit through, once you have the hole in it you can bend it in half! If you get the mouth part way open slide the plastic v in to help open her mouth without force! Once her mouth is open with the plastic v inserted you should be able to drip your meds into her mouth! You may need 2 people to do it! 1 for the cham and v & the other to administer the meds! Light plastic but heavy enough that she can't bite through it! ???? Ask!

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

There are some tips on giving medications here if you haven't seen this page yet: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/health/vet/

 

[Maximillion]

I have an 8 month old veiled who had MBD and recovered but now has a bone infection from it as well as lacerations on the inside of her mouth from feeding on horn worms.

She has been prescribed oral antibiotics and pain killers but will not open her mouth to take the medication.I have tried gently pulling down on her chin skin and gently covering her nose but nothing is working. If I do open her mouth it is not wide enough to really get anything past her jaw line into her mouth. I have tried pulling a little harder today but I just feel horrible, I don't want to hurt her by pulling to hard and I am worried the syringe could bruise her little mouth.

I don't know what to do because if she doesn't take them the disease will spread and she will die. I don't have anybody who is willing to assist me in giving her medication to her and she has to take it everyday for 6 weeks. I have tried the past two days and only been able to open her mouth partially to squeeze only a sliver of the necessary dosage in her mouth.

Does anybody have advice or tips???


PLEASE PLEASE help!! I love her so much I don't want her to die. i'll do anything.

I guess yours is not as mean as Maxie... All I have to do is reach for her and when she starts to hiss I put her meds, water, or what ever I need to put in her mouth in. She hasn't bit me in about a year but she will always threaten me with a wide mouth hiss. I love her attitude so much. I have had her two years now and she still lets me know I am just a stupid human that she tolerates..

 

[Hannah C]

You need to get a piece of plastic thin enough to bend into a v! Put a hole in the center of it for the diameter of your syringe to fit through, once you have the hole in it you can bend it in half! If you get the mouth part way open slide the plastic v in to help open her mouth without force! Once her mouth is open with the plastic v inserted you should be able to drip your meds into her mouth! You may need 2 people to do it! 1 for the cham and v & the other to administer the meds! Light plastic but heavy enough that she can't bite through it! ???? Ask!

could you send a picture of what you are talking about?

 

[Hannah C]

I guess yours is not as mean as Maxie... All I have to do is reach for her and when she starts to hiss I put her meds, water, or what ever I need to put in her mouth in. She hasn't bit me in about a year but she will always threaten me with a wide mouth hiss. I love her attitude so much. I have had her two years now and she still lets me know I am just a stupid human that she tolerates..

haha mine is super sweet. She doesnt like to be picked up and she will puff up at me but she rarely opens her mouth and has never shown any sort of "i'm actually going to bite you" aggression toward me. She sometimes opens her mouth when she's angry but not long enough for me to get the medication in :/

 

[kinyonga]

Try dripping water on the end of her nose. When she starts drinking you should be able to slip the syringe in her mouth and EASE the meds in. If you sort of bring the syringe up from below her sight line she won't likely notice it.

 

[Maximillion]

haha mine is super sweet. She doesnt like to be picked up and she will puff up at me but she rarely opens her mouth and has never shown any sort of "i'm actually going to bite you" aggression toward me. She sometimes opens her mouth when she's angry but not long enough for me to get the medication in :/

Maxie loves grapes she will open her mouth wide for a grape heck that girl would turn flips for a grape. Try tempting her with a peeled seeded green grape that might do the trick if so put her meds in the grape piece. You have to peel it and cut it up small.