Need to know baby veiled chameleon's COD!

[Wheres Waldo]

I have 4 2-month old veiled chameleons housed together in a screened cage. About an hour ago, one of the larger chameleons started shaking his head back and forth and then began to writhe back and forth (kind of like a slithering snake) and then abruptly stopped and was dangling from a limb by his feet and tail. I got him out and he lay in my hand in the fetal position, turned almost black, and died. Do you have any idea what could have caused this? I am very worried that it might happen to the others. Thank you.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I have 4 2-month old veiled chameleons housed together in a screened cage. About an hour ago, one of the larger chameleons started shaking his head back and forth and then began to writhe back and forth (kind of like a slithering snake) and then abruptly stopped and was dangling from a limb by his feet and tail. I got him out and he lay in my hand in the fetal position, turned almost black, and died. Do you have any idea what could have caused this? I am very worried that it might happen to the others. Thank you.

I'm very sorry for your loss.

A vet can do a necropsy and give you an idea. If you want to do a necropsy, wrap him up in plastic an d put him in the fridge until you take him to the vet. Don't freeze him. I paid $80 for a necropsy by an avian vet with a reptile practice.

Nobody is going to know what the problem is from a post on the internet. It is just not possible. You might get a lot of comments and suggestions, but really, no one will be able to tell anything without opening the baby up and having a look. It is something to consider because they were housed together and you want to rule out anything that could be caused by an infectious or toxic agent.

Again, sorry for your loss.

 

[GCash]

Was his mouth open when he was writhing? If so, it sounds like he was trying to regurgate. They usually have that motion when trying to work something up. Is there any loose debris or crickets that are too large that he could possibly have choked on? You'd have a better chance if you filled out the "how to ask for help" sticky. Necropsy is your best chance for definitive answers though.

 

[Wheres Waldo]

No his mouth was not open, but he was eating just before it happened. I mostly just want to know what type of issues might have caused the writhing behavior. I think you may be right about the him possibly trying to regurgitate and choking. Do you know of anything else that could have caused that type of behavior? Thank you.

 

[GCash]

The writhing I've only seen with trying to work up a regurgitation. They also will do a similar motion with the gular pouch extended during their yawn/stretch behavior, but is not as serpentine and is fairly common and nothing to worry about. I wouldn't expect asphyxiation without it being fairly obvious but I'd bet it was trying to regurgitate with that motion or just a final throw, maybe gastrointestinal, and I must point out this is just a guess. Not definitive but the writhing would be a good troubleshooting clue to a qualified vet doing a necropsy. Good luck, I hope this is an isolated incident and nothing contagious.