Ok, I just wanted to ask this one question...

[Danicuteeyes]

Yes I searched vets and vet checks...whatever lol
I was wondering if I have to take my chameleon for routine check ups?? like a dog or something...
if so how often?

also, how much does it cost for a checkup? (ok i know its not accurate but just tell me how much the charged you)

thanks again!

 

[Pure]

Well up here in Jvill my vet charges like 50 bucks or so for the office visit and consultation. and 19 bucks for a fecal and deworming meds. After he sees them once, he will do just fecals without having to bring them in again.

Fecals are really about the only periodic checkup I would do. if you breed your own feeders you can pretty much get by with out ever even having to do fecals.

 

[jannb]

I have an excellent chameleon vet in Orlando that I drive two hours to see. He recommends well checkups every 6 months. The charge for both my chameleons....if I'm going I always take both....and sometimes my dog, is usually under $100.00 and I buy other stuff gutload and all while I'm there which is included in this charge. They always have fecals which are very important.....you never know what they have until you have a fecal.

 

[WelshOneEmma]

If only I lived in th eUS! Our vet checks are usually £25, and his fecal was £125. T'was an expensive day!

 

[summoner12]

If only I lived in th eUS! Our vet checks are usually £25, and his fecal was £125. T'was an expensive day!

HONESTLY.... go to the vet and explain to them you expect free fecal from here on out..... 125 quid would have gotten you a microscope and some extra spending would get you the slides and fecosol (spelling).

that is a SERIOUS rip off and unless this vet is good i would never go back unless he is going to give you your money back.

 

[hallenhe]

Summoner, tell me where you're getting 125 quid microscopes; I want one!

My vet charges $48 for an office visit. Things Involving Microscopes (fecal, bacterial smear, etc.) run about $25. Labs (blood chemistry) ~ $75.

 

[summoner12]

125 quid is what? 25o US dollars almost? (sorry not hip to the conversion....)

Dave Weldon and I were doing the math and you can get a microscope to do the job for about 225-275 on ebay.... then you need the little bits.

We added it up to just about $300 for the scope and the trimmings.

 

[Murrdox]

We have a vet in Richmond that does exotic work, and he knows quite a bit about chameleons, lucky for me!

I don't take my chameleon in for regular check-ups... honestly other than a fecal and weighing him I'm not sure what a vet would DO for a regular checkup.

When I had to take my panther in for his sperm plug issue last month, it was $50, and he threw in some liquid calcium just because I made an off-hand remark about how dusting superworms is difficult, and I was sometimes concerned he wasn't getting enough supplements (my chameleon is a really picky eater, he won't eat anything but superworms)

 

[Danicuteeyes]

I have an excellent chameleon vet in Orlando that I drive two hours to see. He recommends well checkups every 6 months. The charge for both my chameleons....if I'm going I always take both....and sometimes my dog, is usually under $100.00 and I buy other stuff gutload and all while I'm there which is included in this charge. They always have fecals which are very important.....you never know what they have until you have a fecal.

Man! You're vet sounds so good...but I live all the way down in Miami...Kendall area...

I wish someone had a vet down in miami who could recommend me to them...I don't want to play around with different vets xD

 

[awh53]

welshoneemma next time you need fecal tests done check this site

http://www.palsvetlab.co.uk/index.html

 

[WelshOneEmma]

HONESTLY.... go to the vet and explain to them you expect free fecal from here on out..... 125 quid would have gotten you a microscope and some extra spending would get you the slides and fecosol (spelling).

that is a SERIOUS rip off and unless this vet is good i would never go back unless he is going to give you your money back.

They don't do them themselves, they say they don't have the equipment and it gets sent to a central lab. I agree it is expensive, but we had it done at a time when Hugo had a small amount of blood in his poop and i didn't want to take any chances, so it was rushed straight in. I think I will actually look into getting a microscope and start doing them myself. Only thing is, if I did find something, the vets wouldn't give me any treatment until they had sent their own sample to the vet and confirmed the diagnosis. They do seem to know their stuff, but at the same time they know us well (we have a lot of animals and are always in there every few months) but there is very little give with them. That's what vets are like over here.

 

[tkilgour]

125 quid is what? 25o US dollars almost? (sorry not hip to the conversion....)

Dave Weldon and I were doing the math and you can get a microscope to do the job for about 225-275 on ebay.... then you need the little bits.

We added it up to just about $300 for the scope and the trimmings.

Summoner you are so right. I got a microscope back in my college days, off ebay for $250 shipped. It came with a nice case, slides, and all kinds of goodies. Granted this was a while back, but I would assume the prices are still the same. I took Dave's advice and bought a nice book on parasites and learned a lot.

 

[justjumpit621]

My vet I know personally because she used to work at my job, she charges $45 per visit and $20 for fecals.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Fecals should be done at least once a year. More often if you use wild caught feeders. Fecals are generally less than $40.

Check-ups and blookwork every couple years, or AS NEEDED based on the chameleon (is it loosing or gaining weight, is it eating and drinking more or less than expected, is the poop abnormal, is it acting abnormally...)
Cost will range dramatically between vets and dependant on what is checked.

I set aside $1000 per animal up to 5k max total for vet emergencies, and I recommend everyone do similarily so if the animal is ever in distress you dont hesitate to go to the vet over money concerns.