Weak Grip in Front Leg

[AMarra]

I got my 1 year old panther chameleon two months ago, after a few days I realized he doesn't grip well with his front leg. He does use the leg, just no grip. There is no swelling and he lets me touch it, he doesn't appear to be in pain. I read sometimes panther chameleons will do weird things, but after two months I know something is wrong.

 

[elizaann2]

Hello and warmest welcomes to you! 2 questions that would be helpful to know. What is your supplementation schedule and what kind of UVB lights does your little guy have?

 

[Lindasjackson]

that is strange. There doesn’t appear to be any swelling or anything that would indicate why he won’t use it. It doesn’t look broken either. Let me tag in a couple people that have more experience with panthers than I.
@Beman @MissSkittles @kinyonga

 

[Lindasjackson]

That arm does look skinnier than his other.

 

[AMarra]

Hello and warmest welcomes to you! 2 questions that would be helpful to know. What is your supplementation schedule and what kind of UVB lights does your little guy have?

Zoo Med Repti Calcium without D3 and then Zoo Med Repti Calcium with D3 twice a month. The Light is an Arcadia 6%.

 

[AMarra]

That arm does look skinnier than his other.

I think that may be the camera angle. Both appear to be the same size in person.

 

[AMarra]

that is strange. There doesn’t appear to be any swelling or anything that would indicate why he won’t use it. It doesn’t look broken either. Let me tag in a couple people that have more experience with panthers than I.
@Beman @MissSkittles @kinyonga

It's almost like he has no feeling in the leg. Every once in a while it takes him a couple tries to put it on the branch, and I have seen him grab it with his back legs like he thought it was a branch.

 

[kinyonga]

The look of the way he holds the leg bothers me.

You said…”Every once in a while it takes him a couple tries to put it on the branch, and I have seen him grab it with his back legs like he thought it was a branch.”…this is most often an indication of MBD.
What supplements are you using and how often and heavily for each? I’m particularly interested in the calcium, phos, D3 and the form of vitamin A in any of them. Also, what UVB light are you using? Brand and is it long linear of the short folded over or twisted type?

 

[Beman]

Hey there. I would get him into a reptile vet and have an xray done on that arm. There may be a fracture from prior to you that is not healed up or did not heal correctly. Are you using any multivitamins or just the calcium without D3 and the Calcium with D3? Are you using just the zoomed repticalcium with D3 or the reptivite with D3? Can you post a pic of it for me.

 

[AMarra]

Hey there. I would get him into a reptile vet and have an xray done on that arm. There may be a fracture from prior to you that is not healed up or did not heal correctly. Are you using any multivitamins or just the calcium without D3 and the Calcium with D3? Are you using just the zoomed repticalcium with D3 or the reptivite with D3? Can you post a pic of it for me.

I am looking for a vet in my area that is knowledgeable on chams. I use Repti Calcium with D3 two days a week and without D3 every other day.

 

[Beman]

I am looking for a vet in my area that is knowledgeable on chams. I use Repti Calcium with D3 two days a week and without D3 every other day.

So the supplements are being given at the wrong frequency. D3 is fat soluble and should not be given more than 2 times a month. It can cause all sorts of complications in the body including weakening the bones because the body pulls the calcium out of the bones to compensate for too much D3 in the body. So it can create MBD in the chameleon. The calcium without D3 should be given at all other feedings. You should not skip supplementing the insects. We do this to balance the phosphorus to calcium level of the feeder.

But you also are not providing a multivitamin with A. The easiest way to do this is by using repashy calcium plus LoD version. it has a Jacksons chameleon on the label. This would replace the calcium with D3 supplement you are using. It too would only be used 2 times a month. A and D3 are both fat soluble so you need to keep them on this twice a month schedule. Vitamin A is needed for eye health.

 

[AMarra]

That was a typo, the D3 is only twice a month, and I gut load my feeders with vitamin a and calcium without d3. I do believe the pet store I got them from was only using Calcium with D3. When I told them I needed some calcium, that is what they gave me. I didn’t realize until I got home.

 

[AMarra]

So to make it even more weird, he was hanging out in an artificial tree I link to his enclosed occasionally. I closed the foot he does not use a round a branch and now he is using it a lot more.

 

[kinyonga]

You said…” I gut load my feeders with vitamin an and calcium without d3”…what vitamins? Please post a photo of the container showing the vitamins.

 

[AMarra]

I feed them carrots, potato’s, and apples dusted in calcium

 

[kinyonga]

So no vitamin supplements with D3 and prEformed vitamin A?

No calcium dusted on the insects?