Hello everyone. I am new here. My name is fletcher. I work at a pet store and we have received a Jackson's chameleon with a broken leg and a severe infection. I haven't seen him yet but from what I've been told, he looks bad. They are letting me adopt him out because I have a bearded dragon and have the most experience with reptiles. However, I have never had a chameleon. I have researched them and I have all the proper lights (minus reptisun 5.0 UVB. I only have 10.0 for my dragon) I'll be purchasing the UVB when I pick him up. We have an exotic vet about an hour from my home so he will be going up there Monday for treatment. What should I do over the weekend for him, If anything? I couldn't let him sit at the store and die (which would happen) and I know I am about to spend hundreds in vet bills. I need any advice for this guy. I want him to make it. I don't have any photos of him or his injury yet. I'll post some tomorrow when I pick him up. Thank anyone and everyone in advance- I need all the advice I can get.
New here.. I need help and advice from chameleon owners.
- Thread starter Fletcher
- Start date
Elizadolots
New Member
Welcome. You're doing a great thing. As you know he has a broken leg, I would put him in a shorter enclosure. If you are buying him a cage, maybe put it on its side until he heals. Put soft towels or something on the bottom so that, if he does fall, he has a nice landing.
An all around good thing to do is make sure he's well hydrated. It can give him the strength to fight his other issues.
An all around good thing to do is make sure he's well hydrated. It can give him the strength to fight his other issues.
laurie
Retired Moderator
Hello, glad you are saving the little Jackson. Let's see if I can offer some possible help.
First I would make sure he is well hydrated. Put him on a soft towel, and mist him several minutes with warm water. Try to use a very warm, fine mist. He may drink if you are lucky but it will help either way. Just make sure that he doesn't hurt his leg. Try to do this several times a day. Drip water from a dropper on his nose to see if he will drink, getting him to drink is one of the best things you can do for him.offer him crickets a couple times a day. Just hold the crickets close to see if he will eat.
Let him sleep on a warm towel with a couple of sticks to hold on to. I would not offer him a place to climb if you feel he could hurt his leg. Does he have a place to climb in the pet store? Is that where he broke his leg? As long as you only have a couple days it will be fine. If you need me just send me a pm. I will check in tomorrow morning.
Cheyenneohhh
New Member
I completely agree with Laurie and I hope your little guy makes it.
Please keep us updated.
We are all pulling for you here.
Please keep us updated.
We are all pulling for you here.
Thank you all very much for the advice. I have not picked him up yet. I will not be able to get him until noon today (about 2 hours or so from now). I have not heard anything from the pet store so far this morning, which to me, means he made it through the night!!
I have a 10 gallon aquarium with screen top that I used when my bearded dragon was a tiny baby. Do you feel this will be a good size for him to recover in? I will put a towel in the bottom for him and I won't give him something too high to climb on, as suggested.
I am not entirely sure how he broke his little leg. I have been gone for a few days on vacation. I got a call about him yesterday to see if I would adopt him. I was Told, while I was gone, they had stuck him in a fairly small enclosure (if it's the one im thinking of) with a female we had. Which is extremely stupid and I went off on the phone when my coworker told me this. Apparently the female tore him apart and they believe that's how he broke his leg. It's such a sad situation. I cannot understand why they felt that was a good idea. I don't know a lot about chameleons but I know that's a big no no.
If he makes if, I plan on buying him a screen enclosure because I read they were the best to keep them in to prevent respiratory infections. Since I have a glass aquarium, should I take him out of the enclosure to mist him to prevent any more infection until I can get him to the exotic vet Monday?
Thank you all so much for the help and advice. I am really hoping he makes it. I'm already attached to this little guy and I haven't even met him. I will post pictures tonight so please stick with me. Haha. I need all the help I can get!
Thank you again!!!
I have a 10 gallon aquarium with screen top that I used when my bearded dragon was a tiny baby. Do you feel this will be a good size for him to recover in? I will put a towel in the bottom for him and I won't give him something too high to climb on, as suggested.
I am not entirely sure how he broke his little leg. I have been gone for a few days on vacation. I got a call about him yesterday to see if I would adopt him. I was Told, while I was gone, they had stuck him in a fairly small enclosure (if it's the one im thinking of) with a female we had. Which is extremely stupid and I went off on the phone when my coworker told me this. Apparently the female tore him apart and they believe that's how he broke his leg. It's such a sad situation. I cannot understand why they felt that was a good idea. I don't know a lot about chameleons but I know that's a big no no.
If he makes if, I plan on buying him a screen enclosure because I read they were the best to keep them in to prevent respiratory infections. Since I have a glass aquarium, should I take him out of the enclosure to mist him to prevent any more infection until I can get him to the exotic vet Monday?
Thank you all so much for the help and advice. I am really hoping he makes it. I'm already attached to this little guy and I haven't even met him. I will post pictures tonight so please stick with me. Haha. I need all the help I can get!
Thank you again!!!
Elizadolots
New Member
Definitely do not use the 10.0 bulb with a 10 gallon tank. Get a few different incandescent bulbs and try them out to get a good basking temperature. As he's ill, I think you want him to be a bit warmer than normal, but not hot. Maybe a basking temp of 85 degrees. Put the lights off to one side, not directly over the center of the tank. That will help create air flow (the lights will warm the air on that side, it will rise out the screen top, pulling air from the other side of the tank...that air will come from the top of the "cool side" of the tank).
I think you need to minimize handling, so don't suggest taking him out often. The biggest problem I see with the tank is keeping water available for him. He will need "moving" water to attract his attention. Does your store sell "bubblers"? Something like that might be a good option for him at the moment.
I think you need to minimize handling, so don't suggest taking him out often. The biggest problem I see with the tank is keeping water available for him. He will need "moving" water to attract his attention. Does your store sell "bubblers"? Something like that might be a good option for him at the moment.
I just wanted to thank you all for the advice and help. He unfortunately did not make it. By the time I arrived to take him home, he was laying on his side. His leg was unbelievable. I will spare the details as it was horrible. I decided the best thing I could do for him was end his suffering. So he went quietly.
Thank you all so much. I hope to someday own one of these amazing little creatures.
Thank you all so much. I hope to someday own one of these amazing little creatures.
Elizadolots
New Member
Oh, I'm so sorry.
You've found the best resource for information about keeping chameleons, so when you do decide to make the jump, come here first and get all the information you can before you buy. When you do buy one, be sure to come post pictures for us. We love pictures.
You've found the best resource for information about keeping chameleons, so when you do decide to make the jump, come here first and get all the information you can before you buy. When you do buy one, be sure to come post pictures for us. We love pictures.
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