Urgent help

[Raffi]

I Just saw my cham all of a sudden become way tooo active, hes eyes started moving like crazy then all of a sudden, he rolled into a ball fell all the way down to the cage and was spazzing and getting all rigamortised.
I quickly ran to his aid, picked him up, i literally was watching him die, took him outside to the sun and he began to come to. Now i have a heat lamp directly on top of him. He is his normal color and his eyes are sunk in. YDAY he was fine. actively eating, drinking. I did see white gew come out of his butt when all this was happening. His to looks all weird and crooked now. please anyone. do you have any clue on what this could be? can chams have seizures?

 

[Raffi]

JACKSON CHAM
1 1/2 HRS OLD
SCREEN CAGE 3X18
REPTISUN 5.0, 100 WT HEAT LAMP BY ZOOMED
HUMID 50-60 TOP, 60-70 BOTTOM
TEMP 80-90 TOP, 70-80 BOTTOM
REAL PLANTS, MONEY TREE, POTHOS,
FEEDING HORNWORMS CRICKETS SILKWORMS (ALTHOUGH HE HAS NOT ATE HIS FAV,(Hornworms, silkworms) recently
dusting sched. once a week reptical w/o d3
and minerall once a month.
he goes out in the sun once a week for 4-5 hrs.
misting 3 times or more, drinks water off leaves.

 

[Lathelia]

Hi, it sounds terrible. I don't know how to help you, but I'm sure someone will give you some advice. In the meantime, please fill out this form to make sure there's nothing wrong in your husbandry:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/

 

[Raffi]

he is laying in that position and has not moved since. hes very aggressive now and he never was prior.

 

[Kate]

I believe chams do have seizures but I don't think it is that common. It would be helpful if you could fill in form.

 

[Sohumvet]

The first two things I would be concerned about would be hypocalcemia and second, seizures. Calcium is neccesary for muscle contractions so a lack of it can cause seizure like activity. How old is your UVB light? If its older than 6 months then change it out. I would recommend seeing a good reptile vet as well.

 

[squeekz1992]

I would definitely say vet visit I'm sorry he's not feeling great

 

[ChameleonMom]

How shocking that must have been! Poor guy! From his pictures he looks like he was generally healthy - he doesn't look 'too' bad. Could you post a recent picture of 'before', for us to compare how he looks now?

Of course this is all moot, as the only proper advice would be for you to get him to a vet as soon as you can. Fingers crossed he's okay.

 

[kinyonga]

I think you have the cage temperature way too high. Also you don't seem to be dusting with calcium at most feedings. You also didn't mention what you are feeding/gutloading the insects with.

 

[rsepiphyte]

What type of vitamins is he ingesting? Sometime odd neurological things happen when an animal is low on B vitamins such as B12, B6 and B1. Ruth

 

[pigglett79]

I think you have the cage temperature way too high. Also you don't seem to be dusting with calcium at most feedings. You also didn't mention what you are feeding/gutloading the insects with.

I agree that the temps are a little high, but Jackson's do not require calcium at most feedings like other chams.

I don't let my basking temp go over 82 and the ambient is in the low 70's. Jackson's prefer cooler temps.

What are you gut loading with? You should be giving him calcium WITHOUT D3 twice a week, calcium with D3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month. Along with gut loading your insects well. You can also gut load the silks and horns.

Were his eyes sunken in before? Has he been drinking?

 

[ataraxia]

Jacksons should be supplemented more than once a week. With plain calcium, you can dust lightly every feeding or at most feedings. A multivitamin and d3 lightly dusted 1-2 times a month.

I dont have any experience with seizures in reptiles to speak from. Your chameleon could have some sort of organ failure, growth, virus or some sort of disorder that is now causing this. Your only hope to solve this or to even get a solid answer is to visit a vet that knows chameleons. Note: I personally think if it was a calcium deficiency we would have seen other outward signs but anything is possible.

 

[kinyonga]

Sunken eyes are a sign of dehydration or illness....more likely illness IMHO.

 

[Raffi]

he keeps having the seizures. 3rd time since morning. he knows its coming on too because he becomes so aware right before it and boom. its so hard to watch. i have made a calcium solution for him. d3 mixed with water. at this point its the best i can do overnight. im doubtful that he will make it till morning. i have uvbs all around him in hopes that the calcium water will be absorbed. hes very dehydrated as his eyes do tell and just yday he was fine. im using a droplet to administer the calcium water. any remedies by some of the forums experts would help. tnx guys. heres more pics.

I do use repashy, cricket crack, and an assortment of homemade gutloads consistant of potato, apple, butternut squash, yam, chard, mustard greens, peas, on and on.
the last pic is prob 5 minutes before the 1st incident

 

[Raffi]

The pics above are updates....

 

[Turningdoc]

I would stop with the extra lighting and especially the red lamp seen in your pic. You are likely just increasing his fluid losses when he looks critically dehydrated. With a single uv source within 18 in of him and sun an hour a week, vit D is not likely the problem.Seizures are common with calcium deficiency. Agree w above to dust DAILY w plain calcium and use D3 once a week. You could try making bug juice and supplementing w liquid calcium but this is a misery try to get to feed. Would focus more on rehydration for now w freshly dusted feeders in frequent small amnts.

 

[Raffi]

how long till he absorbs the liquid calcium im administering through his mouth. not sure if hes getting any of it bc his jaws are tightly shut. here and there ill catch him w/his mouth open and quickly get the droplets in. i had seen minor progression since yday. took him outside for sun and he had another seizure. now i just have the 1 uvb above him. he is resting on his stomach at the bottom of the cage.

 

[squeekz1992]

Are you able to get him to a vet? If so, I would do it ASAP. I don't remember if you said you had one or not, so I apologize if this is an obvious statement.

Have you given him water? He looks very dehydrated as mentioned about.. I'm sorry about him

 

[Sohumvet]

You need to take him to a vet right now. He needs to be rehydrated immediately via intracoelemic fluids or he will die from organ failure. I am a veterinarian with many years of treating and owning chameleons. Go now!

 

[Raffi]

just gave him liquid calcium. im closely monitoring Yabu's recovery.