What to do about Mitchell Meller

[ChamAllen]

Hi all,

Mitchell, photos attached, is very ill.

I didn't expect him to survive this long. While his condition doesn't seem to have worsened over the last 4 months it hasn't gotten any better.

He is past the point of taking him to a vet.

The thing is, he keeps on hanging in there.

I force feed him mixed insects and water every other day.

Is there some "quality of life" set of guidelines for chameleons?

He wakes up every morning and his eyes are very alert. He hardly moves at all except to get closer to his heat lamp. He does interact with a Panther that he finds annoying but is most of the time completely relaxed.

How much pain do you think he is in?

Should he be euthanized?

If so, what is the best way to euthanize him?

Any feedback would be appreciated.

 

[MelissaB]

I'm confused as to why you haven't taken him to the vet if he's been ill for four months. Is there something wrong with him, that the vet said was untreatable?

 

[ChamAllen]

No. I've never taken a chameleon to a vet that didn't end up dying, never once.

I've spent $10,000 plus on vet bills for my chams at the slightest hint of a problem and never with any avail.

 

[MelissaB]

Oh, that's awful. I'm sorry Mitchell is ill.

 

[Olimpia]

Can you describe his symptoms a little more, please?

I understand what it's like to not have a good reptile vet but without the kind of tests a vet could run I'm afraid we're kind of blind here. At the very least some bloodwork? Surely any vet can get a little blood without causing the death of the animal.

If it's something like organ damage (as a guess) then there may not be much you can do, but if it's something like a heavy parasite infestation that's causing him stress then that could be relatively simple to treat. But without knowing I don't know how much good we can do for him.

Edit - And before anyone says it (because it always comes up in euthanasia threads) do NOT freeze him. Either go to the vet to get the shot administered or crush his head in one fell swoop, because freezing is horrendous and something like a CO2 chamber won't work on reptiles.

 

[Trace]

I usually try and bite my tongue but I can’t in this situation. Just because you had a bad experience with a particular vet doesn’t mean you should make this animal suffer for it. There are plenty qualified reptile veterinarians in Southern California. Find a new one.

Those pictures are not the best but those grey areas look like the start of serious burns. You said it yourself he likes to hug the heat lamp. If those are burns, he is probably in pain and needs treatment.