Dexter’s Mom
Established Member
Thank you so much for the info! No, he wasn’t doing that at all. My only original signs of illness were him hanging at the bottom. The night before the vet I just happened to hear him making a sighing/hissing sound in his sleep. It was like every 10-20 minutes.You said…”I read some research about chams not getting fevers so raising basking temp can help fight illness. Anyone else?“…my vet always recommended raising the temperature just a bit when they were sick…and I’m sure it was for this reason.
“Although reptiles cannot generate a fever themselves when unwell or fighting off an infection there is evidence to show that reptiles will seek out additional heat. This process termed behavioural fever will see a reptile seek out heat and raise its body temperature above its normal range. It is thought that this process aids the animal in fighting off pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, which can cause infections. The process of behavioural fever is used in place of the animal generating a fever itself.”…
https://vethelpdirect.com/vetblog/2021/04/18/can-reptiles-get-a-fever/
You might want to read this too…
https://coasttocoast.co.uk/for-the-sake-of-our-chameleons/
Has he been sitting with his mouth open at all since he’s been sick?