Reptile specialist needed ASAP

#Chams4life

#Chams4life

Avid Member
I am looking for a reptile specialist in PA, ASAP my little girl has gout and my vet said I need a specialist to get meds and other help because they aren't as specialized in reptiles as needed for my problem. Looking for one close to Harrisburg PA
 
#Chams4life said:
I am looking for a reptile specialist in PA, ASAP my little girl has gout and my vet said I need a specialist to get meds and other help because they aren't as specialized in reptiles as needed for my problem. Looking for one close to Harrisburg PA
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Are you sure you want to treat it? Gout is usually caused by kidney failure. Their prognosis is very very poor.

Kidney failure, often caused by chronic low level dehydration or one serious dehydration episode, is a leading cause of death in chameleons. Another reason I think every single chameleon should have an automatic misting system, even the single veiled from PetSmart.

I'm sorry our chameleon is not doing well.
 
jajeanpierre said:
Are you sure you want to treat it? Gout is usually caused by kidney failure. Their prognosis is very very poor.

Kidney failure, often caused by chronic low level dehydration or one serious dehydration episode, is a leading cause of death in chameleons. Another reason I think every single chameleon should have an automatic misting system, even the single veiled from PetSmart.

I'm sorry our chameleon is not doing well.
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I have read a lot on it and I think it is due to dehydration because when she had a bad case of worms she stopped eating and drinking I mist 2-3 times a day for 20-30 mins each (it's really dry right now because of winter so trying to bring humidity up) and I misted more and longer when she had worms but she never drank anything and her unrated were yellowish. I would love to try and treat I don't want to give up on her, she uses her feet still but little. I am really pushing fluids right now and I have given her some water in the syringe I used for the worm meds and the vet gave her some fluids today. I would like to get a specialists opinion before I make a decision on what to do because my vet wasn't sure and couldn't help me anymore than give fluids. If this cannot be treated I will make the best decision for her. I also plan on getting a mistking in the coming month but vet bills have set me back on funds for that and her health comes first.
 
#Chams4life said:
I have read a lot on it and I think it is due to dehydration because when she had a bad case of worms she stopped eating and drinking I mist 2-3 times a day for 20-30 mins each (it's really dry right now because of winter so trying to bring humidity up) and I misted more and longer when she had worms but she never drank anything and her unrated were yellowish. I would love to try and treat I don't want to give up on her, she uses her feet still but little. I am really pushing fluids right now and I have given her some water in the syringe I used for the worm meds and the vet gave her some fluids today. I would like to get a specialists opinion before I make a decision on what to do because my vet wasn't sure and couldn't help me anymore than give fluids. If this cannot be treated I will make the best decision for her. I also plan on getting a mistking in the coming month but vet bills have set me back on funds for that and her health comes first.
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Oh, it can be treated but as far as I understand it can only controlled for a limited time and with with very poor response to meds. Sometimes nothing works. Vets will give you the options and one will be treating regardless of the low odds of success. (I am not an expert in the success or failure of treatment of gout--I have only scanned a chapter on gout in a reptile vet text some time ago and that was my take away. I could be completely wrong.)

It's all a trade off. I won't treat an animal that will not have a good quality of life and I question whether any chameleon can have a good quality of life, let alone a long one, after a gout diagnosis.

I am a bit of a realist and am always astounded by the different attitude between my horse vets and my pet vets. My horse vets are honest about prognosis and weighing the value of the animal against the cost of treatment. They do not hesitate to suggest euthanasia. I've ended up regretting treating pet animals and spending a lot of money (thousands) in the process. Two were for kidney failure that ultimately killed them and I am still furious at myself that their last days and weeks and probably months were bad, really really bad. Treating kidney failure is a steady drip. If you treat today with subcutaneous fluids, why would you not treat next week. If you treat today and next week, why would you not treat again three days later.

If I have a moment, I will read up on gout tonight and at least give you some questions to ask the vet so you get a realistic picture of what you are dealing with. I'll PM you.
 
Here's a good vet that sees chameleons about 45 minutes north of Philadelphia.
Dr. Achrel at Exeter Veterinary Hospital. My best for your little girl. My daughter had a female Panther with gout about 12 years ago and it was a very painful condition. They probably have some new drugs out for gout by now.
 
Thank you guys. I'm thinking it's pseudogout? But can't find much about treatment for charms, She always has salt crystals coming out of her nose I'm also thinking she got it from the antibiotics she got and didn't need at all, she got 4 doses and at the time wasn't hydrated at all to flush out everything, they were also giving her vitamin shots and later worm medicine and I think it was to much for her body to flush out with what little water she was getting. She seems to do better one day and then others struggle. Thank you I am going to be calling the vet, hope they can help, they last vet I had her at I called and they told me they could treat it, we got there and they said they didn't think it was gout and they didn't even have the amount to get it, so even if they said it was gout I wasted a trip.
 
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