Poorly chameleon (with PICS)

[Trinacham]

Vet reckons it's not MBD as no fractures and jaw is normal. I saw him fall from the top of his 6ft cage so vet reckons he hurt his back. But I understand chameleons don't fall unless there's an underlying problem.
Symptoms - constipated, dry vent (see pic), won't eat or drink on own, back bends to the left, can't climb as back legs not working properly (front are fine), he can move them but not position them correctly and the pincers are usually closed (see pic).

Any ideas?

 

[Shimpy45]

Poor guy!

 

[Trinacham]

Yeah he's shedding at the mo which just adds to his misery!

 

[Shimpy45]

I wish i know what to tell ya but considering im kinda new to keeping charms myself i can only wish you and your charm the best of luck hope he better soon enof..

 

[Julirs]

WIth the fall he might have hurt his back-but did the Vet do anything about his vent? He needs some serious attention-looks like it is or could easily become infected and he looks impacted which could be causing his leg issue.

 

[jannb]

I would try a second opinion from a different vet ASAP. You could soak him in some warm water and keep that dry vent moist with some KY jelly until you can get him to a different vet.

Also if you fill out this form we can make sure that you are doing everything corrct for him.

How to ask for help

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Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information, you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful

 

[Pure]

That looks a lot like other pics we've seen on here of impacted sperm plugs. Do as Jann said, and definitely get this guy to another vet. The fact that your vet missed this impaction really speaks volumes about his/her lack of expedience with cham.

This is a good resource for finding a good herp vet http://www.herpvetconnection.com/. You still need to research the vet you choose, just because they are listed on this, doesn't mean they have much experience dealing with chameleons. You can research them by googling them or post your decision here and see if anyone has dealt with them. Also you can call ahead and ask cham specific questions to see if you can get a feel for if they know what they are doing or not.

 

[Dave Weldon]

Howdy Katrina,

As was spotted by "Pure", part of the problem looks to be seminal plugs:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/swollen-vent-issue-31387/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/vent-trouble-31030/

https://www.chameleonforums.com/umm-maybe-problem-help-2279/

 

[Trinacham]

Thanks for the link Pure. Yeah I see his vet is actually listed on the website. He's actually the only vet listed in my area! Looking on the internet it seems like this particular vet has good reviews from beardie owners and other species, not chams.

Just to update, Calvin's right back leg today has been working normally. I will fill that form out jannb tomorrow (bed now)

 

[Carlton]

Any cham can fall once in a while, after all, chams in the wild do too. I've had completely healthy ones misjudge a grip and land on a floor. A healthy cham with enough time can inflate itself to soften the impact and walk off without getting hurt. But, this guy does need attention. That vent looks very painful! He may have been trying to avoid moving his hind legs normally because of that and he may have bruised or strained his back as a result.

 

[Trinacham]

I sorted out his vent before I went to bed. If I didn't come on here and talk to you guys who knows how long he'd have been like that for. Thanks again!

 

[Miss Lily]

What did you do to help him? Is it looking better now? Was it a sperm plug or poop?

 

[espinozaa]

Hope This help

The same thing happened to my Cham about three months ago he fell from about 6 ft his vent popped out and it was like he was paralized so I put him in a 10 gallon tank for about 2 wks so he wouldn't fall to far down . Thus make the injury worse about a week in his legs started to work a little more each day but about three months now and he's about 90% back to normal !!!

 

[Trinacham]

Ah wow thanks, that's reassuring! Hope your cham makes a full recovery. I was told that back injuries do take a long while for chams to get over.

Yes he had 2 nasty sperm plugs. I pulled them out gently, was no problem getting them out.

Edit - He's eating by himself!!!