Hi everyone, This last week Ive been really worried about my Fischers cham (Ceaser Geezer) He had been having trouble getting about & kept hanging by his front feet for really long periods, also from half way down his back to his back legs & tail he was much darker in colour! I thought he may be constipated so gave him a couple of warm baths over 2 days also gave him a tiny bit of cod liver oil but this didnt seem to help. I took him to the vet yesterday & had an xray done & have found my poor boy has arthritis in his spine in 2 vertebrae in the middle it was very painfull when the vet touched him there,also has it in his feet & tail about the last third. His right back leg is very bad in his knee it has totally fused so he has no movement there, about 21months ago he had an abcess removed from there which was caused by a bacteria called arizona thankfully healed ok but wonder if this trauma led to the arthritis setting in? The vet has put him on Metacam for the pain & inflamation & he does seem a little happier he is using his backlegs a bit. Does anyone know how safe this drug is with chams, also anyone with any other ideas I can do for him. Im so upset for him Heatherxxx
Poor Ceaser has Arthritis!
- Thread starter dartfrog
- Start date
Are you sure its not gout??
http://chamworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/health-section-f-gout_28.html
http://chamworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/health-section-f-gout_28.html
Hi Kinyonga, The vet didnt think gout he has no swellings anywhere,also dosnt hurt him when you touch the affected parts only his back makes him flinch he has 2 vertebrae in the middle that are damaged there is one between them which looks ok. He isnt drinking anymore than normal but I have been giving him extra fluids with a syringe because of the meds. Someone has suggested Septic Arthritis as he had this abscess on his knee a while back (21 months ago) Ive read that this can affect the spine & hands & feet as well as the smaller joints in humans but not sure if its the same with reptiles? Do you think he should be on antibiotics as well just in case?
Thanks for your help Heatherxxx
Thanks for your help Heatherxxx
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy Heather,
Metacam is pretty standard stuff and I've used it with chameleons before. In fact, it was used to determine if one of my chameleon's symptoms was from arthritis etc. or a neurological problem (possible stroke). Since there was no change in his symptoms, the vet crossed-out arthritis. This particular Veiled chameleon has since continued to have partial paralysis in his back legs for over a year with no change. In your situation, if he is responding to the Metacam then it is reducing inflammation thus increasing his mobility.
Gout might also show-up in his feet. See if you can spot any swelling (gouty deposits) like in these necropsy photos that I took of a friend's panther:
Metacam is pretty standard stuff and I've used it with chameleons before. In fact, it was used to determine if one of my chameleon's symptoms was from arthritis etc. or a neurological problem (possible stroke). Since there was no change in his symptoms, the vet crossed-out arthritis. This particular Veiled chameleon has since continued to have partial paralysis in his back legs for over a year with no change. In your situation, if he is responding to the Metacam then it is reducing inflammation thus increasing his mobility.
Gout might also show-up in his feet. See if you can spot any swelling (gouty deposits) like in these necropsy photos that I took of a friend's panther:
Hi Dave , Ive just tried to speak to the vet again, the one I saw isnt there but spoke to another who is going to have a look at the radiograph to see what he thinks. I said could it be gout but he says def not. Ceasers symptoms sound very similar to your poor guy as it seemed to happen so quickly he was fine last Monday, then when I got home Tuesday he was like this. Im not sure if the Metacam is helping or not now & again he uses his back feet to grip with. Ive just taken him outside for 10mins to get a bit of sun, sadly thats all we had in the hope that the warmth may ease it for him. He grips me really well with all feet but as soon as he tries to move seems to have difficulty & just drags the back ones. He is also much darker in the bottom half of his body still, starting from where the damaged vertebrae are. Really appreciate your help Heatherxxx
in the hope that the warmth may ease it for him. He grips me really well with all feet but as soon as he tries to move seems to have difficulty & just drags the back ones. He is also much darker in the bottom half of his body still, starting from where the damaged vertebrae are. Really appreciate your help Heatherxxx
Carlton
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hi Dave , Ive just tried to speak to the vet again, the one I saw isnt there but spoke to another who is going to have a look at the radiograph to see what he thinks. I said could it be gout but he says def not. Ceasers symptoms sound very similar to your poor guy as it seemed to happen so quickly he was fine last Monday, then when I got home Tuesday he was like this. Im not sure if the Metacam is helping or not now & again he uses his back feet to grip with. Ive just taken him outside for 10mins to get a bit of sun, sadly thats all we had
But, I would be concerned that neither gout or arthritis would show up suddenly as you described. Unless there was some type of inflammatory disease process going on that just reached a critical level in his spine?
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy Heather,
Just to confirm my thoughts about what may have happened with my Veiled; his symptoms came on fast and never went away. My vet thought that it isn't gout or arthritis but maybe neurological. He can more strongly resist me pulling his back legs downward than pushing them upward.
Watch him some more to see if the Metacam helps. At least that'll give you a hint of what might be going on.
Hi Carlton, Its all very confusing, Im wondering if perhaps the arthritis in his spine could be pinching a nerve & affecting his back legs? Dave your Yemens problems do sound very similar. When Im holding Ceaser he has his back legs behind him & grips me really well, but as soon as I put him back he cant move them forward properly to climb so just gives up. Does your Yemen show any darkness in colour in his lower half as this dosnt seem to be improving? Was this the only problem he was showing? Im speaking to the vet again tomorrow to see if he thinks he may need antibiotics as well. Thankyou both Heatherxxx
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy Heather,
No darkness in color.
I adopted him years ago. He wasn't kept in optimum conditions but it could have been worse. He's never been a long shooter and that has shortened since his leg problems began.
