New chameleon owner!!!! PLease help!

[Slicknick09]

So I've purchased my first chameleon a week and a half ago and so far it has been an interesting week. I started off with my 6 month old Nosy Be panther chameleon getting his feet and claws stuck in the aluminum screen. So I changed that to a pet screen. Seems to be fine but he is missing nails. Not sure if that was from me or I received him that way, of which I should have done a more thorough inspection of the animal before purchase. He did hand feed for me right away which was cool however, I needed to take him to the vet. He was a darker color a couple days after I brought him home. The day or two after I brought him home he was a blue with darker blue stripes. Now he usually a green with dark blue stripes. I took him to the vet and did a fecal test. He has Giardia and pinworms. So not only is the first two weeks stressful enough for him, I have to now, every morning, give him medication orally which involves me taking him out and holding him while my mother puts a syringe in his mouth. I feel this stress could eventually kill him. He's not brown or black. He's usually blue or green with the barring showing all the time and a white stripe. I wouldn't hand feed for me today but as soon as I dumped crickets in there he went for them. His stool is normal: black poop with white urate. After the time period for the medication is over should I just leave him alone for a while then attempt at hand feeding and free ranging. So far hes been pretty good. Hasn't really hissed or puffed up at me.

 

[Slicknick09]

If anyone can tell me how to post a picture that would be great.

 

[carol5208]

Did the vet give you a needle syringe? You can inject feeders such as hornworms, butterworms or silkworms with the meds so it is not so stressful on your chameleon. You can get the worms online at places like mulberry farms, and coastal silkworms. You would be better off doing this and there would be no stress. After if he is done with the meds if he wishes to handfeed there is no harm in that. You can inject the worms and then set them down on a branch of vine and see if he will go for them that way. I don't know how big your chameleon is, but you have to get the appropriately sized worm. The silks are sometimes hard to find and the smalls would be way to small to inject5. Hornworms get massive very quickly when exposed to food, so big that you would never be able to feed them to your chameleon within about 4 days time if you do not remove them from the food cup them come in. Butterworms may be the way to go. They are not too big or too small and could work.

 

[carol5208]

for pics, hit post reply and the scroll down to manage attachments and you can browse your computer and download the pics. or click on the paper clip to the rigtht of the white smiley face in the tool bar above.

 

[Slicknick09]

Here are some pictures.

 

[SMCNARY]

for pics, hit post reply and the scroll down to manage attachments and you can browse your computer and download the pics. or click on the paper clip to the rigtht of the white smiley face in the tool bar above.[/QUOTE

I need to try that

 

[Slicknick09]

This is a picture of the first day I got him. The previous pictures are from this morning.

 

[Slicknick09]

He looks a little stressed to me.