studiocham
New Member
Several keepers over the years have witnessed the melleri baby die-off phenomena, but no solid leads beyond signs of an unknown but rapid general infection.
So I was following a link from a keeper looking for help with parasite meds, and this struck me:
http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/product_coccicare.mgi
Juveniles dying at 10-12 weeks of age
If your adult birds become infected during the breeding season, you will most likely start loosing your juveniles at 10-12 weeks of age. The nestlings are infected very early on and degeneration of the liver begins. At 10-12 weeks there is so little liver function left, that the juveniles begin to drop weight and "waste away".
Granted, chameleons do not raise their young inside the nest, thus the young are not exposed to the parent chameleon's feces/vent area. My thought is, during egglaying, can coccidia in the lower GI adhere to the eggs? Then, when they hatch, do neonates become infected by contact with the other shells around them?
The symptoms above and the age of death are frighteningly familiar. Asymptomatic parents could be carriers, but exactly how far can it be carried live on an eggshell? Or worse, inside an eggshell?
So I was following a link from a keeper looking for help with parasite meds, and this struck me:
http://www.ladygouldianfinch.com/product_coccicare.mgi
Juveniles dying at 10-12 weeks of age
If your adult birds become infected during the breeding season, you will most likely start loosing your juveniles at 10-12 weeks of age. The nestlings are infected very early on and degeneration of the liver begins. At 10-12 weeks there is so little liver function left, that the juveniles begin to drop weight and "waste away".
Granted, chameleons do not raise their young inside the nest, thus the young are not exposed to the parent chameleon's feces/vent area. My thought is, during egglaying, can coccidia in the lower GI adhere to the eggs? Then, when they hatch, do neonates become infected by contact with the other shells around them?
The symptoms above and the age of death are frighteningly familiar. Asymptomatic parents could be carriers, but exactly how far can it be carried live on an eggshell? Or worse, inside an eggshell?
