You can do humane euthanasia with a vet should he go into full decline. Hopefully he will bounce back though.
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5-yr-old Veiled not looking so great
- Thread starter Chloe Chameleon
- Start date
janjan20
Chameleon Enthusiast
I hope he’s just having a geriatric day. I agree with @Beman about what to look for with a true decline in health. You may want to add more branches/vines to fill up the empty space. Try to get some that are appropriate to the size of his hands so he can grip them well. I also have a 5y/o and he can sometimes lose his balance while walking. I added more vines and branches for easy access to where he wants to go.
Chloe Chameleon
Member
I'm worried - Edgar continues to act strangely. He is eating when I put food out every 2-3 days (1 cricket yesterday, wax worms two days before that). He's had one urate since I last posted. It did not have much orange in it (wish I'd taken a pic). He seems weak and I am finding him in super-odd positions where he's completely still and his eyes are closed. Not seeing him drink much water - put his dish (that he's used to drinking from) up high near his basking area thinking that it was getting hard for him to get to it after seeing him in the positions in the attached pics.
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You really need to take him to a reptile vet.... They should run blood work. If his organ function is compromised this could be why he is shutting down this way.
We can do a complete husbandry review as well but this would just point out husbandry related concerns which you could then correct. But with a cham that is acting like this I always feel a vet visit and tests are in order.
I wonder if his odd positioning could be from some neurological mishap? Stroke maybe? He looks to be in pretty good condition for 5 years old.
You said…”I switched to a larger humidifier about a half hour ago (see pic) and a few minutes later, he'd become very pale”…could maybe be from the temperature combined with the additional humidity.
You said…”I switched to a larger humidifier about a half hour ago (see pic) and a few minutes later, he'd become very pale”…could maybe be from the temperature combined with the additional humidity.
Chloe Chameleon
Member
Thanks as always - I'll get him to a vet. Not much choice here but there's one about an hour away. Fingers crossed.
Chloe Chameleon
Member
Hi all. Just a sad update: Due to living in a small town with overwhelmed vets that kept passing me off to one another due to packed caseloads, I have been unable to get Edgar to a vet for testing despite trying for weeks. He was able to see a reptile vet about 3 weeks ago who prescrived liquid calcium, but she is not one of the two vets in a 4 -hour radius who does bloodwork/fecal testing. Edgar finally has an appt with one of those vets this Thursday. I tried to get fecal testing done in advance as he was worsening but no luck. This means that process would begin on Thursday. In the meantime, we've been admnistering liquid calcium, water and food every day - I'd say he's been on that regimen for a month now. Despite this he is still not able to extend his tongue and has become increasingly weak. Today he tipped over when lightly touched and was not able to right himself. He also fell from his basking area to the bottom of his enclosure twice today - we found him lying there on his side, completely immoblile. He can no longer really go anywhere - for the first time ever he is sleeping at the bottom of his enclosure tonight (I pulled leaves around to give him a sense of security). To me it is clear he is suffering and that it may be time to let him go. Of course I wonder if its some sort of vitamin deficiency or desease (thanks to this forum I feel pretty confident about the husbandry), but he is at least 5 and a half years old (we got him at 6 or 9 months old). I've got a mobile vet ready to come when I give the word, but couldn't pull the trigger without posting here one last time. Thoughts?
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CalamityCrow
Avid Member
You're going to be the best one to make that choice since you know Edgar best. It sounds like it's been a nightmare to find a vet - I'm so sorry about that!
I think it's a good possibility that he's just getting old and getting ready to leave this world. It's also POSSIBLE there's something going on with him that can be helped, it's really hard to tell without a vet who can dedicate time to you. Do you happen to have pictures of your guy currently? Sometimes it's easier to tell what's going on with pictures. Chams have a certain look about them as they're on their way to passing, which can be difficult to ID if you see your cham every day.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’m so sorry for all that you are going thru with Edgar. My heart goes out to you. If I may offer my perspective…
Although he is overweight, you’ve cared for him for all of his life and no other issues have come up. He’s made it to five years old, which for a chameleon is considered old, so I don’t see that anything in your husbandry would be an issue now.
The decision you have is only one which you can make and there is no ‘wrong’ choice. When faced with the same, I look at my animal’s quality of life and if they have given up.
Although he is overweight, you’ve cared for him for all of his life and no other issues have come up. He’s made it to five years old, which for a chameleon is considered old, so I don’t see that anything in your husbandry would be an issue now.
The decision you have is only one which you can make and there is no ‘wrong’ choice. When faced with the same, I look at my animal’s quality of life and if they have given up.
Chloe Chameleon
Member
Chloe Chameleon
Member
Thank you so much for your kind words.
Chloe Chameleon
Member
Chloe Chameleon
Member
Would a dying chameleon still be hungry? He can hardly lift his head, but was motivated to move an inch and somehow eat a large silkworm that I put practically under his nose. He's had some food (wax worm, horn worm, silkworm) I would say 12 days out of the last 14, still getting fluid calcium (and on food) - also had D3-powdered food twice in last 2 weeks.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I don’t know, but ability to eat was the criteria I used to measure when it was time to let one of my sweet chameleons go. She had lost most of her ability to support her weight because of excessive bloating (from cancer), so I made a platform for her out of close together branches and vines to prevent her from falling. Poor girl still fell on occasion, but I had hung fabric below her as a safety net, so she never fell far or got hurt. She hadn’t given up so I had to respect her desire to fight. Slowly she was only able to eat less and less, until she wasn’t able to eat at all. That was the day I made her last vet appointment.
Lindasjackson
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’m so sorry this is happening to your sweet boy! God bless him and you!
