What causes chams to have a prolapse?

[gerhartrx]

Over the past couple weeks it seems as though there have been many incidents of prolapsed intestines.
First is there one thing or many things that make a Cham more susceptible to this? Over feeding, lack of hydration, poor nutrition...???
Second if it happens I have seen two recommendations. Obviously go to the vet ASAP. Next is to keep it moist with ky or olive oil. Which is best?

 

[burnedrose]

It could happen for a variety of reasons, but the probable issue is straining while trying to pass feces. That's one of the ways it happens in humans, so I assume it's possible with chameleons...but you kind of need a sphincter muscle to strain and I dunno if chams have a sphincter muscle (birds dont).

I've heard olive oil, always. The jelly and lubes have chemicals on them that can harm the delicate tissue and can actually cause some slight tearing, which is baaaddd (I think it's more for the sticky type of lube and not the liquidy lube). It is also harder for the body to absorb the lube and pass it after the prolapse has been returned.

I'm not a prolapse expert, but I have seen, firsthand, a person's anus prolapse and olive oil was the way to go.

Now, with regard to chams, I have noooo idea what to do, but I would use my human prolapse experience to help guide me.

 

[kinyonga]

Straight from the vet..."Any prolapsed structure (hemipenes or cloaca) must be kept absolutely clean, moist, and lubricated (e.g. with saline, K-Y jelly)."...
http://web.archive.org/web/20060310030242/http://adcham.com/html/veterinary/vet-hemipenal-pare.html

Prolapses can be caused by straining to pass feces. Constant overfeeding can also cause it as can heavy parasite loads, diarrhea, calcium imbalances, or a foreign body in the intestinal tract that won't pass can cause it.

 

[gerhartrx]

Thanks. I was looking for something online. What are your references that you use? I can't find anything good.

 

[kinyonga]

What I said were reasons came mostly from experience, what I've read and what several of my vets have told me.

Here's one site that confirms what I've said although it speaks about reptiles in general....
http://www.angelfire.com/al/repticare/page8.html

More....
http://www.animalhospitals-usa.com/reptiles/snakes/snake-diseases.html
http://www.anapsid.org/prolapse.html
http://web.mac.com/hohovets/Tortois...es/Cloacal Organ Prolapse Care Guidelines.pdf

 

[fluxlizard]

calcium can also play a role as it effects ability to use muscle correctly.

And I've been told by vets that sometimes they just don't know what causes it. Probably muscle tone and a relatively sedentary captive lifestyle plays a role as well.

 

[Dez]

I recently lost a chameleon due to an intestinal prolapse.

We had been battling a coccida infestation with him for a while. Though he really showed no outward sign of being sick, coccida was present in his stool (I do my own fecals)

He had been treated twice with Ponzi but the third fecal still showed coccida present. I again dosed him with Ponzi. 4 days later he prolapsed and ultimately died

I believe it was the parasites that caused the prolapse though the vet gave me no definite answer just said it could be a possibility