Think my Cham is Sick, Please Help!
- Thread starter marleyminerva
- Start date
marleyminerva
New Member
It's been six days and she hasn't eaten a thing. She's also been drinking very little and I'm positive she's somewhat dehydrated. I got meal worms and wax worms - a week ago, I dangled a meal worm in front of her and she ate it without hesitation. That's the last time that trick worked. I tried placing a variety of worms and crickets in a cup and placed them in her enclosure...didn't eat a single one. Tried holding her and letting her lean on the cup overlooking the bugs...didn't eat a single one. Tried placing a worm on the ground and letting her crawl to it...she didn't move, but went to sleep. She's sleeping almost all day now and hardly ever moves from one spot. There is no substrate in her enclosure, her temp is 80 degrees, 90 degrees basking, and the humidity stays at 60. I'm too afraid to "force feed" her as I think she is only about 3 mos. if that and obviously she's already stressed. I'm at a loss for what to do at this point.
Lovereps
Avid Member
She is surely ill/unwell if she is sleeping during the day and not moving, whether it is parasites or infection or both or another internal problem --no one here can say for sure.
As I recall she had a substrate on the bottom of her cage and if it had been staying damp/wet, then I would suspect a respiratory infection, as that often happens with chams kept in those conditions.
Your vet would need to prescribe an antibiotic if the problem is an infection. There are antiparasitics to combat parasites.
Hydration is crucial to all living creatures so that has to be addressed too.
For dehydration, people will often take a plant into the shower and allow the warm, not hot, water to bounce off the shower wall to create a very humid/misty environment.
Doing this a few times a day until she is hydrated should help and it will also be helpful in thinning thick mucus if respiratory infection is the issue ---but antibiotics would still be needed to cure an infection.
At this point she hasn't been eating and is getting progressively weaker so forcefeeding her a bit each time she gets a dose of medication--and it may be as simple as dropping a waxworm into her mouth -- would reduce the number of times she is handled.
Wishing you success.
As I recall she had a substrate on the bottom of her cage and if it had been staying damp/wet, then I would suspect a respiratory infection, as that often happens with chams kept in those conditions.
Your vet would need to prescribe an antibiotic if the problem is an infection. There are antiparasitics to combat parasites.
Hydration is crucial to all living creatures so that has to be addressed too.
For dehydration, people will often take a plant into the shower and allow the warm, not hot, water to bounce off the shower wall to create a very humid/misty environment.
Doing this a few times a day until she is hydrated should help and it will also be helpful in thinning thick mucus if respiratory infection is the issue ---but antibiotics would still be needed to cure an infection.
At this point she hasn't been eating and is getting progressively weaker so forcefeeding her a bit each time she gets a dose of medication--and it may be as simple as dropping a waxworm into her mouth -- would reduce the number of times she is handled.
Wishing you success.
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