pooly panther
To add to the previous post... I gave it a bit more time and it worked! Brilliant! Thank you to the people who posted that advice.
Her eyes are still sunken but I've been giving her 1.5ml of water and 1.5ml of critical care formula... and was planning on giving her more later on. Also dripper is dripping in case she feels the need to go drink herself. But she is just basking and sleeping high up right now.
She is was gasping regularly but not sure if this is a good or bad sign.. she is not bloated anymore so I'm hoping its her burping! ;0)
I'm going to take her to the vet tomoz but as these guys go down hill so quickly any short term as well as long advice is appreciated. My faith in my vet is damaged after my female who recently went in came back very dehydrated and was licking plants and glass the second she got home. She drank for hours, from a bowl, which she never had done before... she didnt make it... I dont entirely blame the vet as it was my fault she was ill but they didnt give her much of a chance by keeping her for a week with no water apart from what was mixed with dritical care formula. I let them know how obviously dehydrated she was when she got home so hopefully they have learnt from that... they thought they where giving her enough.
Also, the advice i got from the nurse at the vets was to give them (there are two females in there) 6 units... thats in a small syringe, of calcium suppliment daily... if anyone has advice on what you do that would be great. I think this is too much, they where fine until I started doing this a week ago and both my females seem poorly now.
The other female died shortly after laying eggs, the vet informed me that the reason for this was lack of calcium causing bone problems and kidney problems... I have always given my crickets and locusts the cricket food pellets which the vet advised was better than fresh fruit and veg and also dusted crickets and i give the zo-cal calcium supplient.. just unclear about the dosage. They also get a few waxworms now and again and regularly give the pheonix worms.... .and I've been trying moths recently which they seem to like.
I have also tried the bone aid drops.
After my other girl died I ordered some new suppliments that I researched online that I am waiting for to arrive cant exactly remember what but multi vitamin drops to add to water, a better suppliment for dusting crickets and another suppliment for something else... sorry I have forgotten what it was but think it was to help with digestion.
I have the zo cal calcium suppliment, bone aid drops and solar drops. Plus the crickets and locusts are gutloaded with the trex calcium plus food for crickets and recently been adding a bit of my vitamin supplients that i dust the crickets with to their bug gel.. not sure if this works but didnt think it cold do any harm. I also tried adding a bit of bee pollen to the crickets food.
Cage Info:
* Cage Type - Screen - 4ft 3ft x 3ft
* Lighting - UV and Heat bulb combined - I forgot the brand 100w. Also a Exo Terra box thingy with two UV bulbs in it. 12 hours on 12hours off. Heat mat to keep minimum temprature correct and a thermostat to check the temp. I also recently added a small spot lamp near the bottom shining onto the sand which encouraged one of the girls to lay when she didnt seem to like anything i offered her/I think it might warm the surface of the sand a little.
* Placement - Top of cage is 4ft above the floor. Lots of fake plants and vines with a large sand box at the bottom for egg laying.
* Location - Manchester UK
Chameleon Info:
* Your Chameleon - Female Panther, 18months old.
* Handling - Recently daily to give them calcim suppliments but before that... just as an when they wanted to come out... weekly.
* Feeding - Most info above, moths, pheonix worms, wax worms, crickets, small locusts. They are gut loaded with the pellet cricket food and dusted. I feed a few at a time and if they eat them all quickly add a few more. Try to vary it as much as possible. Depends what they are being fed as to how much but I do make sure its not too much or too little.
* Supplements - Crickets are dusted every time, waxworms too. Nutrobal, zo-cal, bone aid drops dripped onto the head of a locust weekly... I'm away from home so not sure of the brand of the suppliment i use for dusting but the new one i ordered comes highly reccomended.
* Watering - I use a dripper daily... also spray the foliage twice daily until there is plenty of water to drink... also use ice cubes over a water bowl which apparently can help to train them to drink from the bowl.. worth a go! ;0)
* Fecal Description - Not tested for parasites, the faeces from today after the warm bath... brilliant.... fell into the water but looked normal apart from having a bit of a green tinge to it... but that might have been the water.
* History - She was perfectly healthy three days ago and then looked fine apart from really sunken eyes two days ago. I have kept chameleons for a few years, panthers for just over one year and never seen one look so healthy apart from the eyes, and for the eyes to sink so deep... so quickly.
* Current Problem - The current problem was constipation... obvious from her lifting her tail and making an effort to pass but not getting anywhere. The warm bath worked. Not sure constipation is the full problem.. but if i have overdone the calcium then it might be a symptom of that.
She was gasping afterwards for a while but has stopped now. A trip to the vets is in order but as its a sunday anything I can do tonight to help her?
Also, can overdoing the calcium cause constipation? She was fine until the vet nurse told me to increase the dosage to daily 6units. There is only one vet in my area that deals with exotics so if someone can help with the zoocal dosage that would be great!
I think I am doing OK with the suppliments.. I know I have made mistakes in the past. I lost my first veiled chameleon due to not getting the supplients right... and have read lots about it to try and get it right with my panthers.
Having lost one female due to lack of calcium I have stepped things up allot recently but I think I'm a bit overloaded with information now.. and might even be overdoing it!
Sory for going on a bit.. tried to keep the first post short but having read the How to ask for help I think more information is better?
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
