Panther Chameleons and Parasites???

[Minpin1985]

Hello I am going to be getting a Panther Chameleon and am doing a ton of research into how to care for him before I get him and have heard that they can get parasites. Some people on websites seem to way over exaggerate on how often they get them though and that they can die on the drop of a dime, which, in that case, I tend to get very attached to animals and don't want my chameleon to die so can you other chameleon owners help me out by telling me exactly about what kinds of health issues to look out for more than others and what parasites are more common than others and what the symptoms are, etc? Please and thanks to everyone for always helping me out with my questions!!!

 

[sdheli420]

Hello I am going to be getting a Panther Chameleon and am doing a ton of research into how to care for him before I get him and have heard that they can get parasites. Some people on websites seem to way over exaggerate on how often they get them though and that they can die on the drop of a dime, which, in that case, I tend to get very attached to animals and don't want my chameleon to die so can you other chameleon owners help me out by telling me exactly about what kinds of health issues to look out for more than others and what parasites are more common than others and what the symptoms are, etc? Please and thanks to everyone for always helping me out with my questions!!!

take one of the chameleons fresh feces to a vet if you are worried..they will check for internal parasites..

 

[jannb]

Hello I am going to be getting a Panther Chameleon and am doing a ton of research into how to care for him before I get him and have heard that they can get parasites. Some people on websites seem to way over exaggerate on how often they get them though and that they can die on the drop of a dime, which, in that case, I tend to get very attached to animals and don't want my chameleon to die so can you other chameleon owners help me out by telling me exactly about what kinds of health issues to look out for more than others and what parasites are more common than others and what the symptoms are, etc? Please and thanks to everyone for always helping me out with my questions!!!

They can die as you say at the drop of a dime. Closed eyes and not eating it a good sign that your cham has a problem but often by the time they do that it is too late. I recommend giving the the very best care possible, regular vet visits and fecals and pray for the best. My vet tells me to enjoy every single moment that I have with them and I do.

 

[Carlton]

Hello I am going to be getting a Panther Chameleon and am doing a ton of research into how to care for him before I get him and have heard that they can get parasites. Some people on websites seem to way over exaggerate on how often they get them though and that they can die on the drop of a dime, which, in that case, I tend to get very attached to animals and don't want my chameleon to die so can you other chameleon owners help me out by telling me exactly about what kinds of health issues to look out for more than others and what parasites are more common than others and what the symptoms are, etc? Please and thanks to everyone for always helping me out with my questions!!!

First, parasites aren't completely avoidable because they are present in many of the most common feeder insects. A healthy cham can handle some and if your cham is healthy, maintaining good weight, active, etc. you may never see active signs of parasites. Don't expect the cham to ever be completely parasite free and don't expect it to just drop down dead because of them either. Really, the main issue comes up if your cham has another health issue that runs down its immune system. Then a "normal" parasite load can explode to the point it becomes a real problem. So, as part of a regular health check, take a fresh fecal to a vet for analysis.

I don't worry overly much about parasites (especially in a cbb cham) unless the cham is just not thriving over time.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Ditto what Carlton said

In well over a decade of keeping panther chameleons, I've only had one instance of pinworms (which two chameleons had in excess at the same time, likely from the same wild caught feeder source). Parasites exist, but I'd say dehydration and other poor husbandry issues are far more likely to kill captive bred chameleons than parasites. Regular fecal tests and paying close attention to the chameleons level of activity, food water intake and weight is likely to identify any issue before it becomes deadly serious. And if you're not really comfortable with your ability to recognize signs of trouble, it cant hurt to take the chameleon to a qualified vet for a check-up yearly as well.

if you're interested in reading more about parasites, this blog entry has a few links:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/168-parasites.html