Veterinarian Care
- Thread starter kratom
- Start date
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
I believe in regular checkups. My Chameleon's vet recommends twice a year. Fecals are an absolute must. If your chameleons eats they can get various parasites from the feeders. If you wait to go when they become sick it could be to late. It's also best to have a good relationship with your vet so that when your chameleon does become ill you will know and trust your vet.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
While I am new to chameleons, I am not new to exotics (parrots). Finding a good vet who can deal with your exotic is really important and you want to find that vet well before you need them.
I'm lucky that I already have an avian vet who also does reptiles. In general, birds have a lot more in common with reptiles than they do with mammals, so many avian vets--unless they completely limit their practice to birds--will also treat reptiles. Birds, after all, are the last of the dinosaurs. Seriously.
If you don't already have a relationship with a vet that you believe is competent to work with your chameleon, my suggestion would be to find one now and take your chameleon in for a wellness exam. Other than the fecal, I personally think a wellness exam on a healthy chameleon is a waste of time and money, but the important thing is to find your vet and start developing a relationship with him or her before you have an emergency. Vets are a lot more accommodating to their clients than they are to a stranger at the end of the phone on a Saturday night.
I don't take my parrots in to the vet unless I have a problem, and surprisingly, the parrots have never gotten sick in the 15 years I've had them, and one of them is pushing 30 years old. Various chickens I have, on the other hand, have been to the vet countless times.
Monitoring stool is really important. That will tell you a lot about the general health of your animals.
When deciding to go to the vet, sooner is always better than later. Like birds, if you notice your chameleon is not right, it is probably really, really sick. They can be close to death, but if you try to handle them or catch them, they will try try to escape and struggle as if they are well.
I'm quick to go to the vet and don't begrudge him his consult fee, even if it is a lot more than the value of the animal I am bringing to him. I've even taken favorite chickens to the vet to be euthanized even though I will slaughter extra males. Go figure.
I'm lucky that I already have an avian vet who also does reptiles. In general, birds have a lot more in common with reptiles than they do with mammals, so many avian vets--unless they completely limit their practice to birds--will also treat reptiles. Birds, after all, are the last of the dinosaurs. Seriously.
If you don't already have a relationship with a vet that you believe is competent to work with your chameleon, my suggestion would be to find one now and take your chameleon in for a wellness exam. Other than the fecal, I personally think a wellness exam on a healthy chameleon is a waste of time and money, but the important thing is to find your vet and start developing a relationship with him or her before you have an emergency. Vets are a lot more accommodating to their clients than they are to a stranger at the end of the phone on a Saturday night.
I don't take my parrots in to the vet unless I have a problem, and surprisingly, the parrots have never gotten sick in the 15 years I've had them, and one of them is pushing 30 years old. Various chickens I have, on the other hand, have been to the vet countless times.
Monitoring stool is really important. That will tell you a lot about the general health of your animals.
When deciding to go to the vet, sooner is always better than later. Like birds, if you notice your chameleon is not right, it is probably really, really sick. They can be close to death, but if you try to handle them or catch them, they will try try to escape and struggle as if they are well.
I'm quick to go to the vet and don't begrudge him his consult fee, even if it is a lot more than the value of the animal I am bringing to him. I've even taken favorite chickens to the vet to be euthanized even though I will slaughter extra males. Go figure.
ZiggyStardust
New Member
Agree with Jan 100% on this.
I took both of my chams to the vet for a checkup a few months ago, just to make sure that she thought that they were healthy, had no signs of the dreaded MBD and just to get her opinion that I had their husbandry okay.
I am lucky enough to live 10 miles away from one of the most respected and experienced herp vets in the North West of the United Kingdom, and I really do appreciate all her help and advice. I have a great relationship with her and she has had our two tortoises under her care for the last 14 years.
Lpsouth1978
Avid Member
I try to take my chams to the vet every 6 months for check ups. I am blessed to have an amazing herp vet who is also a moderator on this site (ferretinmyshoes). I would rather be sure that everything looks good by having a qualified vet check them out regularly, than to find out that I missed something and it was too late to do anything about it.
Scoobthenoob
Member
Possibly most important..
Before you get a chameleon, locate a vet in your area who can offer care for it...
Before you get a chameleon, locate a vet in your area who can offer care for it...
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Before you get a chameleon, locate a vet in your area who can offer care for it...
I agree completely and another thing is to have a chameleon savings account so when you need a vet, you can afford it. I couldn't count the times I've seen sick and dying chameleons on here and the owners say there's no vet anywhere around with chameleon experience or they don't have any money for a vet or both.
