Possible spinal injury

Jakehd

Member
Hello everyone and thank you for adding me to the site.
I have 2 vailed Chams, Cookie, a male that I’ve had for over a year now who is thriving and basically has his own room in my house.
The second is Lilly who I’m looking for some input on. She is a rescue from a pet store chain that is about 6 months old. She was given to me and I’ve had her less than a week. Apparently she was placed in the same enclosure with a much larger Cham. It didn’t work out well for Lilly, she has two distinct sets of scars on her back. To me they look like she was grabbed. They seem to be healing and she is currently shedding and they are lest Noticeable now than they were when I first got her.
My concern is her hind legs. She doesn’t seem to have control over them and when she walks she grabs her front legs or clamps onto her sides with her hind legs and is a bit wobbly on a level surface. Also she does not seem to have full control of her tail. I have seen a slight improvement in the few days that I’ve had her but this being only my second Cham, I’m just wondering if anyone has seen this before. She was taken to the vet by the pet store twice for the problem and they told me it was a wait and see kind of thing. Also I was told that it’s not metabolic bone disease, but I’m not sure. Her appetite is very good since I’ve had her she’s eating crickets and hornworms her excrement seems OK as far as I can tell. Currently She’s being kept in a 10 gallon glass tank until her new screen enclosure arrives. She is truly a sweetheart and would sit in my hand all day and my seven-year-old daughter loves her. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
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There does appear to be a deformity/curve to the spine. Did they say that when they got her she was already not using her legs properly and grabbing herself with the back legs? She is also quite plump and I'm wondering if she has eggs inside her that need to be laid. If her legs, tail and spine weren't like this when they got her then it might be pressure or she might have had an accident. She really needs a good exotics vet ASAP. IMHO if she was like this when the store vet saw her then I don't think she/he knows much about chameleons.
 
There does appear to be a deformity/curve to the spine. Did they say that when they got her she was already not using her legs properly and grabbing herself with the back legs? She is also quite plump and I'm wondering if she has eggs inside her that need to be laid. If her legs, tail and spine weren't like this when they got her then it might be pressure or she might have had an accident. She really needs a good exotics vet ASAP. IMHO if she was like this when the store vet saw her then I don't think she/he knows much about chameleons.
 
Thank you, I will check directly with the vet they say saw her. I’m currently looking for a reptile vet. The store told me she was fine when first sold but I don’t know anything other then what I’ve been told. Are eggs a possibility at 6 months +\- old?
 
Is this not the same vet that allowed her conditioning to worsen in the first place? If so, should consider a new vet.
Is this not the same vet that allowed her conditioning to worsen in the first place? If so, should consider a new vet.

I’m going to contact the store vet directly to gain as much information as possible, then calling the Herpetologist vet in the next county that I know has been reliable in the past with other chameleons.
 
I’m going to contact the store vet directly to gain as much information as possible, then calling the Herpetologist vet in the next county that I know has been reliable in the past with other chameleons.
 
How is her walking and what is she being housed in currently. I fear that without full mobility of her hind legs she may fall and worsen the possible spinal injury.
 
Her walking is varied, she does okay walking up my hands and arms, but I also try to block her hind legs from grabbing her front legs or torso. This is done by me just blocking the forward motion of the hind leg with my finger and she will generally grab downwards from that point. As far as the enclosure, she is currently in a 10 gal glass tank with a piece of soft matting material lining the floor and her climbing vines are no more then 6” high off of the enclosure floor.
 
Good to hear you know what you're doing. The biggest risk to a weak cham is a fall from a great height. Does the tank have any heat source or uvb source?
 
Good to hear you know what you're doing. The biggest risk to a weak cham is a fall from a great height. Does the tank have any heat source or uvb source?


Yes, I’m monitoring both heat and humidity and she has a 25 watt mini daylight blue halogen light on a timer that came from a different set up that wasn’t going to work for her. She also has approximately 5 hours of natural sunlight through a screen at her present location.
 
Yes, I’m monitoring both heat and humidity and she has a 25 watt mini daylight blue halogen light on a timer that came from a different set up that wasn’t going to work for her. She also has approximately 5 hours of natural sunlight through a screen at her present location.
Great!! Although is the sunlight coming through a window because Windows block uvb
 
Yes, Thank you. The widow is open with the direct sunlight coming through the screen.


The profile picture is Cookie... the Cham in question is a new one that was given to me. Her name is Lily... this is her. The hose has been removed,
 

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