Please Help!

[surfingcham6]

Just leaving the vet after Mel’s annual check-up. Vet said he’d lost 5grams and was looking a little pale so suggested we ran bloodwork. Here’s the results. She’s concerned about the UA levels and thinks he’s either super dehydrated or something is wrong with his kidneys.

Also, I was given this recovery stuff to sprinkle on his food. Thoughts?

Please help. Praying nothing is wrong, but I want to do everything I can to make sure Mel continues to thrive.

I did a husbandry review before, but it’s been a while so I will do a new one if someone can copy and paste the questions for me to answer.

Thank you all and keep Mel and I in your prayers

 

[nightanole]

That recovery is garbage. Just look at the first 3 ingredients, soy, sunflower oil, and sugar. The rest of it is a general multi vitamin.

In terms of "kidneys" that is normally due to protein ratios and types. Feeders fed too high of a protein diet (crickets raised on fish flakes/soy hulls for example) or the lizard only fed high protein feeders. Its kinda morbid, but i can cut a beardy's or veils life in half by feeding it a fuzzy or two a week.

Finally as just a general panacea, removing all supplements for two weeks (even plain calcium powder) cure alot of "we are not sure" issues. Yes i wouldnt do this if the lizard had known bone issues, but most lizards are over supplemented vs under. This can be due to just the surface area of the feeders. 2-3 queen dubia have a lot less surface area to powder vs 3 dozen medium crickets.

 

[MissSkittles]

Here you go. Sorry your guy isn’t doing so well. I agree about that recovery product. While many/most exotics vets will see/treat reptiles, often their knowledge is pretty basic and lacking with regards to the very many different species. This is especially true when it comes to chameleons.
Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[surfingcham6]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Veiled Chameleon. He's 2 years and 5 months old. I got him when he was about 7 months old.
• Handling - I handle him about three times a week. I never force him out of his cage, but will lure him out with a bug.
• Feeding - I was feeding him crickets and superworms but have recently switched to discoid roaches. I feed him about 10-20 every two-three days. I was using a calcium block and had cricket quencher in there, and occasionally repashy bug burger. I will now be gutloading with solely sweet potatoes and carrots.
• Supplements - I use calcium without D3 every feeding, then every two weeks, I'll do one feeding with calcium with D3 and another with reptitivite.
• Watering - I have a mistking that mists throughout the night (2min @8pm, 2min @ midnight, 2min @4am, 30sec @9pm, 30sec @1am, 30sec @5am, and 1min @6am). I've seen him drinking before when I occasionally spray him during the day or use a big dripper.
• Fecal Description - He has solid brown poops and solid white urates with clear liquid around (which I think is because while I was waiting for a shipment of discioid roaches, I fed him a few hornworms last week). He has been tested for parasites twice (last summer and the summer before, and both tests were normal).
• History - I got him from Petco (yikes), but don't know anything else.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - I have the Reptibreeze XL mesh enclosure (24 inches x 24 inches x 48 inches).
• Lighting - I use a 7w watt basking bulb and a 22in T5 HO UVB. Both lights are on from 6:30am-7pm and off 7pm-6:30am.
• Temperature - His basking spot has him around 82 degrees when he's sitting in it and the bottom of his cage is around 67 degrees. I haven't monitored the overnight temp, but I'm assuming around 70ish (we keep our house at 75 degrees). I have a handheld infrared thermometer.
• Humidity - I don't have a way of measuring humidity. I rely on the mistking and the super occasional dripper to keep proper humidity.
• Plants - I'm using fake plants (bad, I know). I didn't have a grow light and all of my real plants died. I've had horrible luck with real plants in the cage and find that fake plants provide more coverage.
• Placement - My cage is hidden behind a wall in a room near our front door. This is not a high traffic area. There's an AC vent about 6 feet to the left of the cage. The top of the cage is about 6.5 feet from the floor.
• Location - I am in Florida.

Current Problem - Mel is acting fine, but during his annual checkup, the vet was concerned that he had lost 5grams, was a bit pale, and had raised uric acid (UA).

I've attached a picture his cage setup, his bloodwork from the vet, and him in his cage after the vet.

 

[nightanole]

"had raised uric acid (UA)."

• Feeding - I was feeding him crickets and superworms but have recently switched to discoid roaches. I feed him about 10-20 every two-three days. I was using a calcium block and had cricket quencher in there, and occasionally repashy bug burger. I will now be gutloading with solely sweet potatoes and carrots.

Yea i think you just need to lower the protein content of the gut load. Discoids/dubia store excess protein as uric acid just like we store excess fat as fatty acid.

Personally i just treat the roach bin as a compost heap and all the left over human veggies go in and get rotated out in a day or two. At worst i will add some Alfalfa/dog food that i ran through the mortar and pestle as a dry mix.