Stray chameleon please help!

[alyssapena21]

Hello! I’m very new to this but I’ve been researching a lot however would like some help. Sadly there are no vets around my area that specializes in reptiles. This past Saturday I found a chameleon on the pavement (very random) I decided to take him in because he looks awful. I tried to feed him crickets and worms but he hasn’t been responding to it because he can’t see them. I weighed him and he’s 52 grams a veiled chameleon I think it’s a boy. I just started giving him the reptoboost and have been misting like crazy i bought a small cage with the mesh and the basking light. His eyes are pretty sunken too not sure if that’s from dehydration but I don’t know how to help that. Any help would be great thank you.

 

[bbyoda]

This poor guy is not doing well. Thank heavens you're helping him out. Sunken eyes can mean pain/stress from an illness or parasites, not just dehydration.

How is his grip? How does he respond to misting? If you put a cricket in his mouth, does he chew and eat it?

Where are you located? @jannb can make recommendations for trusted chameleon vets.

 

[jannb]

Give the reptaboost in small amounts three to four times a day. If you tell me where you live, I might be able to recommend a good reptile vet.

 

[alyssapena21]

This poor guy is not doing well. Thank heavens you're helping him out. Sunken eyes can mean pain/stress from an illness or parasites, not just dehydration.

How is his grip? How does he respond to misting? If you put a cricket in his mouth, does he chew and eat it?

Where are you located? @jannb can make recommendations for trusted chameleon vets.

His grip looks a little weak when he tries to climb onto the branch it looks like he has trouble but when I get him he holds on pretty firm. He doesn’t really do much when I mist him. I turned on the shower head and put him in the corner where he gets a bit of a mist and he kept opening his mouth (not sure if he was trying to drink the mist) I haven’t tried the cricket but I did try a worm and he just kept it in his mouth he tried to chew but again he struggled. Located in south texas specifically Brownsville tx.

 

[alyssapena21]

Give the reptaboost in small amounts three to four times a day. If you tell me where you live, I might be able to recommend a good reptile vet.

3-4 times a day, okay. I’ve only been doing once a day I just received the box yesterday. I was scared to overdo it but I’ll do the 3-4. Located in south texas specifically Brownsville tx.

 

[jannb]

Just do a small amount at the time. Their little bodies can absorb a small amount better than a large amount. The best of luck with her.

Here’s a list of TX reptile vets. Hopefully, one of them will be within driving distance for you.

Dr. Lauren Thielen Texas Avian & Exotic Hospital	2700 W State Hwy 114, Building 2 Suite A, Grapevine, TX 76051	07:30 to 17:30	(817) 953-8560
Dr. Sue Chen Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists	8042 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX 77024	08:00 to 18:00	(713) 693-1111
Dr. Patrick Choyce All Pets Animal Hospital	24221 Kingsland Blvd., Katy, TX 77494	07:00 to 20:00	(281) 392-7387
Dr. James Davis Arlington Heights Animal Hospital	1712 Montgomery Street, Fort Worth, TX 76107	08:00 to 17:30	(817) 735-1381
Dr. Taryn Pena North Austin Animal Hospital	5608 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78756	07:00 to 18:00	(512) 459-7676
Dr. Jill Hobbs Hawkins Pet & Exotic Animal Clinic	1129 N Beaulah, Hawkins, TX 75765	07:30 to 18:00	(903) 769-2331
Dr. Sarah Goodyear Veterinary Medical Center of the Woodlands	26947 Interstate 45 N, Spring,TX 77380	07:00 to 19:00	(281) 298-6000

 

[bbyoda]

His grip looks a little weak when he tries to climb onto the branch it looks like he has trouble but when I get him he holds on pretty firm. He doesn’t really do much when I mist him. I turned on the shower head and put him in the corner where he gets a bit of a mist and he kept opening his mouth (not sure if he was trying to drink the mist) I haven’t tried the cricket but I did try a worm and he just kept it in his mouth he tried to chew but again he struggled. Located in south texas specifically Brownsville tx.

I can't blame him for having a weak grip. Reptiboost will help. You can mash up bugs into a juice and feed that way. Be careful not to aspirate him as the airway is at the front of their mouth.

Take him outside for sun (short supervised outings), they need UVB, sounds like you only have a basking bulb for warmth which does aid digestion.

If he makes it through the next few days, a vet visit, and shows a will to live we can help you with the proper chameleon cage setup. Right now it might be easier to handle him with less in the cage. But remove the moss from the bottom, that's an impaction risk if he manages to eat some. Better to use paper towels.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."This past Saturday I found a chameleon on the pavement (very random) I decided to take him in because he looks awful. I tried to feed him crickets and worms but he hasn’t been responding to it because he can’t see them"... Have you tried putting a cricket in between his teeth when his mouth is open?

You said.."I think it’s a boy"...look at his heels...are there tarsal Spurs there?
https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/glossary/tarsalspur.html

You said..."I just started giving him the reptoboost and have been misting like crazy i bought a small cage with the mesh and the basking light"...is he accepting the reptiboost? Are you being careful he doesn't aspirate it...get it into his lungs?

You said..."His eyes are pretty sunken too not sure if that’s from dehydration but I don’t know how to help that"...you can drip water on the very top of his nose at the rate of one or two drops per second and see if he'll take it. Are his urates white?

Is he sitting a lot with his nose in the air and eyes shut?

 

[alyssapena21]

You said..."This past Saturday I found a chameleon on the pavement (very random) I decided to take him in because he looks awful. I tried to feed him crickets and worms but he hasn’t been responding to it because he can’t see them"... Have you tried putting a cricket in between his teeth when his mouth is open?

You said.."I think it’s a boy"...look at his heels...are there tarsal Spurs there?
https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/glossary/tarsalspur.html

You said..."I just started giving him the reptoboost and have been misting like crazy i bought a small cage with the mesh and the basking light"...is he accepting the reptiboost? Are you being careful he doesn't aspirate it...get it into his lungs?

You said..."His eyes are pretty sunken too not sure if that’s from dehydration but I don’t know how to help that"...you can drip water on the very top of his nose at the rate of one or two drops per second and see if he'll take it. Are his urates white?

Is he sitting a lot with his nose in the air and eyes shut?

Hello I have not tried putting a cricket in his mouth because I’m scared he won’t have the energy to chew I’m not sure if choking can be a possibility in that?

I don’t see tarsal spurs, the worker at petco advised me it’s a boy because of the horn on his head? Not sure how accurate that is.

He is accepting the reptoboost and yes I read about that so I’m doing it by drop

He moves a bit through the day not too much but yes he sleeps most of the day it looks like.

He barely urated today and I took a picture is this a bad sign?

 

[Beman]

I think you have a female. We tell gender by the spurs on the back of the back feet. If they don't the back of the back feet are smooth. Females and males have the casque on the head in this species.

Poor thing looks very very sick.

 

[kinyonga]

She looks very sick to me too....and she has a bump on her nose/forehead that looks like it could be an infection.