Update on Rescued Chameleon

[Mike08]

I know I asked a lot of questions a few weeks ago when I rescued a Male veiled chameleon. I was able to get him in at the vet last night. He has started eating by letting me hand feed him. He is well hydrated. Unfortunately he is underweight and has a broken rib & jaw as well as a mouth infection. He received a calcium injection at the vet and is taking antibiotics and pain meds. He is going to require surgery on his jaw. The vet said his outcome looks good and he is a fighter. We rescued him before he was too far gone. Thank you for all the help you have given. His name is Roz. He is really starting to lighten up as well.

 

[Gingero]

I'm rooting for you Roz!

 

[janjan20]

Nursing a sick Cham is not an easy task, kudos to you!! Keep up the good work, glad Roz is better!

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

I know I asked a lot of questions a few weeks ago when I rescued a Male veiled chameleon. I was able to get him in at the vet last night. He has started eating by letting me hand feed him. He is well hydrated. Unfortunately he is underweight and has a broken rib & jaw as well as a mouth infection. He received a calcium injection at the vet and is taking antibiotics and pain meds. He is going to require surgery on his jaw. The vet said his outcome looks good and he is a fighter. We rescued him before he was too far gone. Thank you for all the help you have given. His name is Roz. He is really starting to lighten up as well.

Well done , I was thinking of this boy last night . Hoping you would update . Sec chameleon to been left . Praying he continues a good path . Please keep the forum posted !.

 

[Ramrod]

Sounds like both of you are on the right track. Good to hear things are looking up and Roz is lucky to have you to care for him.

 

[Mike08]

Quick question. He is taking liquid calcium, but I am looking for certain foods that can he eat to help him gain weight. Any suggestions?

 

[janjan20]

Superworms are higher in fat but can be addictive.They are used more as treats. Roaches and silkworms are heartier than crickets. Personally, I feed roaches and silks as main staples.
I saw he has a broken jaw. Maybe want to stick to softer foods like silks. @Lennoncham has experience with a Cham that had a broken jaw. I tagged him. He can probably give you better advice.

 

[Lennoncham]

Stick to softer foods for a bit while his jaw heals. Silkworms , hornworms, waxworms , butter worms, BSFl, etc.

the wax worms and butterworms should help him gain some weight but don’t over do it.

make sure you are there watching as he eats. Don’t just leave the food and walk away. If you hear any pops or cracks while he’s eating stop feeding him and try and see what’s going on (this can be very difficult) you don’t want to make the break worse.

I’m guessing the vet wants some of the infection to clear up before he does the surgery?

my boy lennnon broke his own jaw during a growth removal surgery so the vet had to put a wire in to hold it it place while it healed. They are very slow healers. Was 3 months before the wire was removed. I fed him soft food the about 3 weeks to a month after and slowly introduced crickets etc until he was back to his old self.

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

Stick to softer foods for a bit while his jaw heals. Silkworms , hornworms, waxworms , butter worms, BSFl, etc.

the wax worms and butterworms should help him gain some weight but don’t over do it.

make sure you are there watching as he eats. Don’t just leave the food and walk away. If you hear any pops or cracks while he’s eating stop feeding him and try and see what’s going on (this can be very difficult) you don’t want to make the break worse.

I’m guessing the vet wants some of the infection to clear up before he does the surgery?

my boy lennnon broke his own jaw during a growth removal surgery so the vet had to put a wire in to hold it it place while it healed. They are very slow healers. Was 3 months before the wire was removed. I fed him soft food the about 3 weeks to a month after and slowly introduced crickets etc until he was back to his old self.View attachment 257823

@Lennoncham how long ago and how has he healed ??

 

[Lennoncham]

@Lennoncham how long ago and how has he healed ??

he Had the growth removal on oct 8 2019 (when he broke his jaw) since he was already in surgery the vet put the wire in right away. I took him back a month later and the vet said it was looking good but wanted to let it heal longer before taking the wire out. He got the wire out a couple weeks ago and the vet said it healed up perfectly.

long thread but this is the thread about it.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/injury-infection-mouth-rot.171449/

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

he Had the growth removal on oct 8 2019 (when he broke his jaw) since he was already in surgery the vet put the wire in right away. I took him back a month later and the vet said it was looking good but wanted to let it heal longer before taking the wire out. He got the wire out a couple weeks ago and the vet said it healed up perfectly.

long thread but this is the thread about it.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/injury-infection-mouth-rot.171449/

I’ll check it out . Thank you for the info and the link .

 

[Thehippie]

hows he looking today?

 

[Lennoncham]

Forgot to say be careful with butterworms. Some chams have allergic reactions to them.

 

[Mrs.Rocky]

Forgot to say be careful with butterworms. Some chams have allergic reactions to them.

How would you know? Like what are the reactions? Hives? Like ppl

 

[Kristen Wilkins]

How would you know? Like what are the reactions? Hives? Like ppl

I’ve heard the chameleon gets black spots . I’ve not seen it personally but I do believe there’s threads on it .

 

[Lennoncham]

How would you know? Like what are the reactions? Hives? Like ppl

I can’t say for 100% certainty but this was my experience and best guess. I believe it shows up in the form of black spots.

I had a female carpet chameleon (wild caught) I fed Her some butterworms and a day or 2 later she started to get black spots around her nostrils. At first I thought it was a burn but it was on both sides and just around the nostrils. they stayed dark for a week or so then started to slowly fade more grey and eventually went away.

as I said I’m not 100% sure but this is what I could find that it might be and the only conclusion I could come to. I believe it is due to them being irradiated before coming into the country.

 

[Mrs.Rocky]

I can’t say for 100% certainty but this was my experience and best guess. I believe it shows up in the form of black spots.

I had a female carpet chameleon (wild caught) I fed Her some butterworms and a day or 2 later she started to get black spots around her nostrils. At first I thought it was a burn but it was on both sides and just around the nostrils. they stayed dark for a week or so then started to slowly fade more grey and eventually went away.

as I said I’m not 100% sure but this is what I could find that it might be and the only conclusion I could come to. I believe it is due to them being irradiated before coming into the country.

This is very good to know. I ordered butter worms that arrive tomorrow. So I will be introducing it to her for the first time and that’s something to keep an eye on. Thank you!

 

[Mike08]

Stick to softer foods for a bit while his jaw heals. Silkworms , hornworms, waxworms , butter worms, BSFl, etc.

the wax worms and butterworms should help him gain some weight but don’t over do it.

make sure you are there watching as he eats. Don’t just leave the food and walk away. If you hear any pops or cracks while he’s eating stop feeding him and try and see what’s going on (this can be very difficult) you don’t want to make the break worse.

I’m guessing the vet wants some of the infection to clear up before he does the surgery?

my boy lennnon broke his own jaw during a growth removal surgery so the vet had to put a wire in to hold it it place while it healed. They are very slow healers. Was 3 months before the wire was removed. I fed him soft food the about 3 weeks to a month after and slowly introduced crickets etc until he was back to his old self.View attachment 257823

He is on antibiotics. . The vet actually wants wait until he gains little bit of weight and has some calcium buildup. . He was very calcium deprived and underweight about half the weight. He should be. . He can't eat by himself right now. I have to hand feed him.

 

[Lennoncham]

He is on antibiotics. . The vet actually wants wait until he gains little bit of weight and has some calcium buildup. . He was very calcium deprived and underweight about half the weight. He should be. . He can't eat by himself right now. I have to hand feed him.

ya the gas they use to put them out during the surgery is very hard on them. It takes them a long time to metabolize it so they like them to be strong enough to handle it.

my basic understanding of how the gas works is it gets inhaled, goes though the lungs into the blood stream and goes to the brain and basically puts them in a medical coma. Then it comes out of the body in the exact opposite way. From the brain to the blood to the lungs and breathed out in the same form it went in.

I don’t know how the chameleons system works for this but it seems to take a very short time for it to take effect and a very long time for it to wear off.

When I took Lennon for his surgery’s it was hours before he woke back up and he was still very very groggy. He ended up sleeping in his travel tote over night. Even for the next day or 2 he had a weaker grip and was just kinda chillin.

Sry not saying any of this to scare you just the reality of what it does and why the vet wants him stronger first. I’m glad your helping this boy out. It’s not easy.

 

[kinyonga]

How's the eating going...does he have trouble chewing the insects?
Being that he is a veiled you could use baby food such as squash or sweet potatoes as part of the food. It would be easier on his mouth and jaw. There is also a bug juice recipe that you could use...
https://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html