Possible gular edema...Poor Zuri!!

[christineacero]

Zuri JUST got over her RI about a week ago, and I've noticed shes now got a lump between her front legs and some swelling around her neck...looks like gular edema to me. This poor girl just can't catch a break!



Can anyone chime in on what I can do to potentially reduce the swelling? I've read a bunch of other posts on this condition but not really gotten any definitive answers on how to treat/ prevent this from happening. Does anyone have any advice at all? The strange thing is, my two females are housed together and so they get the same water/ feeders etc but Asha is fine. So confused!!

 

[Cait0420]

I'm so sorry to hear about zuri! She just can't cut a break! Perhaps she was sick when you got her and it just wasn't showing? I hope she's ok!

 

[Action Jackson]

It looks to me she has some other issues going on also. What's up with the bulge on top of her head? Also are you using a red light? And if so when is it on?

 

[christineacero]

cham info

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon -Female T. Sternfeldi, approx 15 months old. Been in my care since March of this year.
Handling - Used to be almost daily (her choice), but not since I finished her Baytril...she doesn't trust me anymore.
Feeding - Free range feeders everyday. I eyeball how many to put in, and they're usually gone come nightfall. Crickets are gutloaded with fresh fruits and veggies (arugula, carrot, peppers, orange, romaine, cucumber, strawberry...or whatever else I have on hand) as well as a dry gutload. Recently bought Bug Burger so have added that along with the fresh vegs and fruit. Shes got a very healthy appetite!
Supplements - Repashy calcium-plus at most every feeding.
Watering - 2 drip cups run twice daily, as well as 3-4x misting daily. Usually mist for around 60 seconds (or until everything is saturated and dripping). I haven't noticed her drinking on her own so i've been giving her water through an eye dropper (she'll take 2 or 3 drops maybe 3 times a day?) Tap water (need to purchase tap water conditioner)
Fecal Description - fecals are a tad runny as she just finished 10 days of Baytril for an RI. Urates are white with a bit of orange (She's most likely dehydrated).
History - Just got over 10 days of Baytril .05ml twice daily. Finished her final dose on sunday morning. Also gave birth to a clutch of 8 babies last monday.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - Large reptibreeze (18x18x36). Back and 2 sides are tarped off with a clear drop cloth.
Lighting - lights on usually around 8am, and off around 8:30 currently. Some days are earlier than others for lights on depending on schedule I have that day. I have repti-sun 5.0 UVB (not coiled).
Temperature - temperature is the same as our house (around 22 degrees celcius)
Humidity - Humidity is okay. I have a reptifogger that I run for increments during the day, as well as my misting and drip cups. Also the relative humidity in our house is fairly high right now (VERY humid in canada right now!)
Plants - 2 ming aralia trees, 1 shefflera, 1 pothos. Just added a fake fine for the big dripper I just purchased to try and get her to drink on her own.
Placement - In the far corner of our kitchen. Fairly low traffic area. It's only my husband and I in the house so the traffic is only created by us.
Location - Ontario, Canada


Current Problem - See above post ^^

 

[christineacero]

It looks to me she has some other issues going on also. What's up with the bulge on top of her head? Also are you using a red light? And if so when is it on?

I think thats either the angle of the camera, or the lighting of my camera, because she doesn't actually have a bulge there. Her casque looks normal. The red light is her basking light, and its only on during the day. This is what I was told to do by my local reptile guys. Is this wrong?

 

[christineacero]

While at the vet the other week, he had a look over her and said besides the RI (which was caught at a very early stage) that she looked like she was in really great health...i'm confused.

 

[christineacero]

I'm so sorry to hear about zuri! She just can't cut a break! Perhaps she was sick when you got her and it just wasn't showing? I hope she's ok!

It's quite possible that this is the case. Asha seems to be doing great besides the fact that she absolutely hates my guts (LOL). Now it's questionable whether or not my two were actually captive bred or wild caught. I'm not too impressed with that one, as I was told that they were captive bred. I'm not really sure what to do, and I feel like I don't even know what questions to ask if I were to bring her back to the vet at this point.

 

[Juliaf3]

There are several different causes of gular edema in chameleons. It is a common condition in them. Too much vitamin A supplementation is the most frequent cause. It is recommended to dust crickets and other prey with only plain calcium (no vitamin D3) every day, and to give a multiple vitamin, such as Reptivite, only once every other week. If the excessive vitamin A is removed early in the course of the problem recovery is likely. When the excessive supplementation continues damage to the kidneys and liver occurs, and recovery is more difficult, though not impossible.

Dehydration can also be a factor. I'll give you a first aid measure to take. Get an electrolyte solution (such as Pedialyte or Lectaid) and prepare a shallow warm bath consisting of 1/2 electrolyte and 1/2 warm water. Soak your chameleon twice per day for 20 to 30 minutes each time.

http://www.veiled-chameleon.com/weblog/archives/000229.html





(I found this info and link for you, thought you might find it helpful, well I was hoping anyway. Especially when it mentioned dehydration. With your girl just finishing baytril. I have read numerous cases of baytril causing dehydration. I'm pretty sure gulgar adema is a issue in chameleons kept in captivity and not wild caught, I could be wrong though)

 

[christineacero]

There are several different causes of gular edema in chameleons. It is a common condition in them. Too much vitamin A supplementation is the most frequent cause. It is recommended to dust crickets and other prey with only plain calcium (no vitamin D3) every day, and to give a multiple vitamin, such as Reptivite, only once every other week. If the excessive vitamin A is removed early in the course of the problem recovery is likely. When the excessive supplementation continues damage to the kidneys and liver occurs, and recovery is more difficult, though not impossible.

Dehydration can also be a factor. I'll give you a first aid measure to take. Get an electrolyte solution (such as Pedialyte or Lectaid) and prepare a shallow warm bath consisting of 1/2 electrolyte and 1/2 warm water. Soak your chameleon twice per day for 20 to 30 minutes each time.

http://www.veiled-chameleon.com/weblog/archives/000229.html





(I found this info and link for you, thought you might find it helpful, well I was hoping anyway. Especially when it mentioned dehydration. With your girl just finishing baytril. I have read numerous cases of baytril causing dehydration. I'm pretty sure gulgar adema is a issue in chameleons kept in captivity and not wild caught, I could be wrong though)

Thanks for the information! I tried the soak thing with her this afternoon (just plain water without pedialyte) and it seemed to be okay for her (she didn't like it, but she didn't pitch a fit or anything.) I noticed though that the water cooled really quickly. How do I keep the water warm? Also, where would I purchase pedialyte? I've heard about it often on here but I've never seen it in stores... then again I've never looked for it!

 

[BrucenBruce]

Look for Pedialite in the babies & children section of your local grocer's - it's used to rehydrate sick children.

~B.

 

[Cait0420]

Any shoppers drug Mart carries it

 

[christineacero]

thanks guys! I'll definitely have a look for it!