Parasites

Or be showing some signs because I'm going to get a wc caught chameleon at the reptile show in a few weeks and I need to look for some signs
 
If it is wild caught it probably has parasites. If it is healthy and the enclosure is kept clean there is a good chance it's immune system is able to keep them in check and there will be no signs until something happens to impact health otherwise.

The only way to know for sure is to have regular fecal exams by an experienced vet.
 
Its a mellers chameleon and he looks to be the healthy but wants to escape (digging). When I saw him he had yellow and green strips and small black spots so he was a little stressed. Is there any way you can look and tell or by the way they are acting?
 
There are many indications of overall health. I am not an expert but I would check for general activity and alertness, I would make sure the eyes are clear and the turrets look healthy. Make sure the mouth looks good, the feet have all their claws and toe. If you can see the poo it shouldn't be too smelly and should be relatively firm with a nice white cap. I would ask to see him eat personally if concerned.

I'm sure an expert will come around and give some better indications eventually...
 
Hes wild caught, hes exposed to other wild caughts, and possibly other captive breds, HE HAS PARASITES. But don't let that scare you away. Alot people on these forums are comparable to the guys that give their shelby cobra's an oil change every 500 miles with $180 of synthetic oil, and would highly suggest not getting a wild caught because of the risk. Dont get me wrong, doing something you enjoy, with the most possible motivation and dedication will benefit. But if the lizard looks healthy and acts healthy, he is most likely healthy. All WILD animals carry parasites. Just like you carry E. coli in your intestines. They are designed for it and they deal with it. The average life span of a wild chameleon is around a year, but mostly because of predators (birds). Treating lizards for parasites is very easy, and affordable. Most vets will charge approx. $50 visit fee. I suggest you buy the lizard you want, when he is about 3-4 months old, I forget how old you said he was, take him to your local vet that KNOWS HERPS, have him checked out for signs of disease and have a fecal sample analyzed. What we used to do in the clinic was shoot a syringe (plastic tip, no needle, duh!) full of luke warm water into the vent, over a petri dish, and then checked out the liquid under a microscope, usually aliens vs. predator battle fields are present. this can be treated with Flagil or other similar de-worming drugs. Most of the time Flagil is just a shot of white creamy liquid down the throat, one or two times depending on the age and seize of the animal. But there is a few de worming/ parasite medications available. I have raised tons of animals that had parasites when i got them. Obviously there are some parasites out there that are like cocaroaches when it comes to survival, and there are some out there that are extremly hard to get rid of. But for the most part, they are easy to get rid of. Not as easy as giving a puppy a drop of liquid on his fur or a pill once a year, but its doable. FOR SURE. good luck to you. If you can do 1 thing out of all the stuff suggested to you, a good 200 point inspection at the local penske herp would be the best. and no, 3 months is not enough time to kill a lizard with parasites, unless its got the gnarly ones, but you would be able to tell because it will be emaciated (ribs showing, narrow legs, weak movement, lazyness, laying head down, etc) All wild animals live with parasites. Its like having a baby i guess. more to feed. I actually caught some pretty bad parasites when i was in the jungle in southern mexico and they treated me with flagil too, 6 months later, after bloody stool showed up and sever stomach pains and loss of approx. 20 pounds of body weight. Parasites suck. Its like having coors light aftermath for months. Good luck. Let us know what happens please. I love to hear underdog stories.
 
Hey man, I was there over the weekend and seen said melleri... the larger one, was on his deathbed. The younger one seemed much better than that one but.. a few things to consider...
The two melleri were both housed in a tiny cage with an ousteleti.. all of the were stressed, and theyve probably been kept that way(in multiples) since day one. Parasites are pretty much for sure.
If his care has not been good in the 3-4 months he has had them, like supplementing, and gutloading the animal could be doomed for the future. And by the care ive seen from this guy, i highly doubt hes been doing all that... He has been feeding them feeder anoles every time ive seen them(too much animal protein can lead to gout).
I went there this month with the intentions on picking both of them up, until i seen the condition of the larger one... Malnourished, dehydrated, bringing a chameleon home in that condition is setting yourself up for failure, and trust me.. Ive learned the hard way.
Just my. 02...
 
When I went there he had 3 mellers in the one cage. The one had small black dots and the other two didn't look so good but right now I'm still undecided yet
 
Oh wow I thought it was a really depressed mellers. but did you see the one that was digging trying to escape what did you think about him?
 
Thats the one that seemed pretty much on its deathbed... it just kinda sat down in the corner not moving much at all when i seen it
 
Me, personally.. I would not.. It is your own choice for you to decide, and if you decide not to, be patient... and a healthy one will show up sooner or later :)
I honestly do not think those two melleri will make it to see next months show:(
 
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