Thank heavens for that !!!

[sallyb]

You may remember i posted the other day unsure whether Gizzy was ill or not. I then noticed that she had not been to the toilet for a couple of days which is really unusual for her. She last went on Thursday last week. So up i jumped at 7am and came downstairs to find Gizzy with her chin puffed out and opening her mouth as though she were in pain. As it was too early to call the vet i took her for a shower and much to my relief she finally parted with it !! Who knew a cham could carry that much

Thank goodness for this blog as it helped me to work out the problem and resolve it. Not to mention Gizzy has a new found love for the shower and really enjoyed it.

http://chamworld.blogspot.com/2008/01/health-section-c-impaction.html

 

[Miss Lily]

Hehe! I'm so glad that Gizzy is OK and that you found what was wrong! Tommy dropped one yesterday having not been for 2 weeks! Dunno where they put it all, lol! I always found that if Lily hadn't pooped for a few days a spell of warm sun in the garden used to work wonders for her! Sadly it's too cold here still to put them outside!

 

[laurie]

Yeah!! It is great to hear that Gizzy is ok, they do know how to worry & scare us to death don't they? David is sure I keep chameleons so I have stress in my life.

 

[ZippiesPal]

Specificaly, what did you do?

I have read about taking chams for a shower, but never bothered to consider the specifics.

One post seemed concerned about the potintial chemical exposure a cham could get from cleaners used to clean the shower.

Do you bring the cage into the bathroom?

Do you simply have the cham in your hands as you actualy take a shower?

Do you have a perch above the shower stall where the cham could sit while you take a shower?

Do you just turn the water on and not really take a human shower, but get steam to the cham?

Specificaly, what is the best and safest method for showering your cham?

 

[sallyb]

LOL - poor Tommy. I can`t believe he has 2 weeks between. Gizzy usually goes every couple of days. I was just so relieved (not as relieved as Gizzy mind) that the shower trick worked as i had my doubts.

Laurie - I think you`re right about the stress - my life would be very strange without her ladyship to stress about, lol. She had me so worried for a little while that it was related to her op. I have been in touch with the vet and the last resort was the shower before taking her in.

Zippiespal - I took Gizzy in the shower on her fiscus and i read on the blog that you need to direct the shower onto the tiles so that it deflects onto the cham as putting the cham in like a human would be very stressful. It also says you should not use this method for a cham under 5 months as if their nostrils get water in they could drown. Thankfully Gizzy thought it was wonderful and even decided that grabbing the water would be fun if only she could reach Apparently the humidity and warm water relax the chams muscles and encourage a bowel movement. I can definitely say it works a treat.

 

[Carlton]

I had a newly arrived wc verrucosus who didn't pass anything for 2 weeks. Talk about worries! He was eating but still stressy from the shipping and I didn't know him at all. I was so afraid I would lose him after all his travels on top of my usual guilt at buying wc.

I put him in a big houseplant in a south window on a sunny day and he let go. Even if it isn't outdoors, moving a cham to a warm sunny windowsill can do wonders. A bit of stress from the new "view", the warmth, the bright light can loosen things up.

 

[hallenhe]

Another potential option in these circumstances is to offer the cham fruit if it will accept it, and this will work as a laxative. Grapes are said to work well. Glad Gizzy (and Tommy) are okay!

 

[draetish]

I have read about taking chams for a shower, but never bothered to consider the specifics.

One post seemed concerned about the potintial chemical exposure a cham could get from cleaners used to clean the shower.

Do you bring the cage into the bathroom?

Do you simply have the cham in your hands as you actualy take a shower?

Do you have a perch above the shower stall where the cham could sit while you take a shower?

Do you just turn the water on and not really take a human shower, but get steam to the cham?

Specificaly, what is the best and safest method for showering your cham?

Alot of people take a houseplant and place the cham on it and aim the showerhead at the wall so the water isn't blasting the cham, just getting the mist. I have a small bird cage that has limbs in it that I put the cham in and aim the water at the wall so that get a fine mist. I also place a washcloth over 1/3 of the top of the bird cage so the cham can get out of the direct mist if he wants. Also, warm water to us is hot water to them, remember they are cold blooded not warm blooded. You want the water temp just barely above cold, not warm.