chambabysitter1
New Member
Sorry I took your 2 vague sentences out of context, it wasn't my intent. But do you see how it could have been read the way I perceived it?
Good luck to you.
odd color change and sunken eyes w/ pics
- Thread starter ayiaskepi
- Start date
Sorry I took your 2 vague sentences out of context, it wasn't my intent. But do you see how it could have been read the way I perceived it?
Good luck to you.
ayiaskepi
New Member
Do not worry about the comment. I do see what you mean. I was able to get some pedialyte in him. Once I put him into the shower again, he was trying to drink a bit and I shot some in on a few occasions. The bad news is that for the last 15-20 minutes he has be keeping his mouth slightly, almost as if he is gaping, but he isn't. I am concerned. I am going first thing tomorrow and will sit in the vet's office until I am seen. Another negative is that I am skeptical about the vet's experience with chams. I can only hope for the best.
Thank you so very much for everyone's advice.
Thank you so very much for everyone's advice.
You have to do the best you can with the vets you have in your area. We have no one spectacular here either. Just show up and wait. They won't close the clinic with you still sitting there. When I have a sick critter I don't take "no" for an answer and I just show up and wait. If anything they take you in because they're pi**ed off with you. I'll settle for that.
ayiaskepi
New Member
Update on igor
I just got back from the vet. She was very gracious and took me before her first appointment. It turns out that she owns several Jacksons among other herps. She seemed pretty knowledgeable about chams and was telling me all about the recent breeder show in Daytona. Anyway, she really could not tell me what was wrong with Igor. She ended up injecting fluids and calling it a day. She recommended me keeping him out of the heat for now and to continue "supportive treatment". She was saying to continue the showers and pedialyte. If he does not eat in a few days, she wants me to hand feed him. I must say that she really did not see him in his worst condition. When I woke up today, his coloring was normal and his eyes were not as sunken in. As soon as we left the house, his coloring got all stressed again. I am guessing the pedialyte helped. As a side note, I mentioned the high temps and urate condition to the vet. She told me that there should be no problem keeping on teh screened in porch in the summer as long as I do not let the temps get too high. She said she keeps her Jacksons the same way with no problem.
So... back home with Igor on a schefellera (spelling?) in the garage. I have him there right now because it is in the mid 80s in there all day and only in the mid 70s in the house because of the AC. Is this ok? Any advice on a next step? The vet said that if he does not get better, the next step would be bloodwork. She did not want to do it today b/c she feared the stress factor could send him downward quicker.
Any thoughts??
I just got back from the vet. She was very gracious and took me before her first appointment. It turns out that she owns several Jacksons among other herps. She seemed pretty knowledgeable about chams and was telling me all about the recent breeder show in Daytona. Anyway, she really could not tell me what was wrong with Igor. She ended up injecting fluids and calling it a day. She recommended me keeping him out of the heat for now and to continue "supportive treatment". She was saying to continue the showers and pedialyte. If he does not eat in a few days, she wants me to hand feed him. I must say that she really did not see him in his worst condition. When I woke up today, his coloring was normal and his eyes were not as sunken in. As soon as we left the house, his coloring got all stressed again. I am guessing the pedialyte helped. As a side note, I mentioned the high temps and urate condition to the vet. She told me that there should be no problem keeping on teh screened in porch in the summer as long as I do not let the temps get too high. She said she keeps her Jacksons the same way with no problem.
So... back home with Igor on a schefellera (spelling?) in the garage. I have him there right now because it is in the mid 80s in there all day and only in the mid 70s in the house because of the AC. Is this ok? Any advice on a next step? The vet said that if he does not get better, the next step would be bloodwork. She did not want to do it today b/c she feared the stress factor could send him downward quicker.
Any thoughts??
Chameleons Northwest
Avid Member
Sounds like he's on the mend. Your vet did exactly as I would have expected mine to do. The bloodwork would show if there is renal failure, but it is stressful on the cham to draw it. If he is responding to current treatment, then hopefully all major organs are OK.
As for temps, you are still keeping him too hot. Did you carefully read all the responses on this thread? If it is mid 70s in the house, that is better than an ambient temp of mid 80s in the garage. He needs an ambient (room) temp of mid 70s. Then you add a basking lamp to the top of the cage. I would recommend a common household bulb, only 40watts. Not 75 or 100 watts. Just a common 40 watt bulb at the top of the cage for basking. If you had read our posts you would have seen the recommended temperatures of mid 70s ambient and 80-85 for basking. Ambient is room temperature. That is what will give the cham the general temperature in his cage. Mid 80s is too hot for ambient temperature for a panther chameleon.
So far it looks as though high temperatures are his problem. I imagine the vet wants to see how he responds to extra fluids and lower temps and then will decide whether to do bloodwork to see if there are further problems. I think, but may be wrong, that the only correctable problems bloodwork would reveal would be diet deficiencies or infection. We have gotten bloodwork done on a cham to check nutrition levels/metabolism. It can be very helpful.
As for temps, you are still keeping him too hot. Did you carefully read all the responses on this thread? If it is mid 70s in the house, that is better than an ambient temp of mid 80s in the garage. He needs an ambient (room) temp of mid 70s. Then you add a basking lamp to the top of the cage. I would recommend a common household bulb, only 40watts. Not 75 or 100 watts. Just a common 40 watt bulb at the top of the cage for basking. If you had read our posts you would have seen the recommended temperatures of mid 70s ambient and 80-85 for basking. Ambient is room temperature. That is what will give the cham the general temperature in his cage. Mid 80s is too hot for ambient temperature for a panther chameleon.
i wonder what it is
So far it looks as though high temperatures are his problem. I imagine the vet wants to see how he responds to extra fluids and lower temps and then will decide whether to do bloodwork to see if there are further problems. I think, but may be wrong, that the only correctable problems bloodwork would reveal would be diet deficiencies or infection. We have gotten bloodwork done on a cham to check nutrition levels/metabolism. It can be very helpful.
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ayiaskepi
New Member
Thanks for the advice.
The vet had said it would be better to go with garage temps, but I trust this forum a little more for advice. I will move him. He is not looking good right now and did not respond to the shower and is not taking the pedialyte. One thing I noticed, which I never have before, is a dark line on his underside around the "bulge" at the base of his tail. The mystified the vet as well.
The vet had said it would be better to go with garage temps, but I trust this forum a little more for advice. I will move him. He is not looking good right now and did not respond to the shower and is not taking the pedialyte. One thing I noticed, which I never have before, is a dark line on his underside around the "bulge" at the base of his tail. The mystified the vet as well.
ayiaskepi
New Member
Igor passed
Igor passed away a few days after the last post. He looked like he was doing a lot better and then one morning he took a turn for the worst and it was only a matter of a couple hours and he was gone. The vet is stumped and so am I.
I have not been able to post for a while so forgive me for not updating sooner. I will probably be taking a break from this forum for a little.
Thanks for all your advice.
Igor passed away a few days after the last post. He looked like he was doing a lot better and then one morning he took a turn for the worst and it was only a matter of a couple hours and he was gone. The vet is stumped and so am I.
I have not been able to post for a while so forgive me for not updating sooner. I will probably be taking a break from this forum for a little.
Thanks for all your advice.
Chameleons Northwest
Avid Member
Oh, I am so sorry. You did all that you could do. It is especially saddening when they seem to rebound and then are gone so quickly.
