veiledjedi
New Member
My chameleon is having a hard time staying hydrated because she is sick. any tips on ways to get water into them?
advice for hydrating
- Thread starter veiledjedi
- Start date
MSMorgan
Avid Member
VJ,
Your question in regards to hydration spurs more questions. I'd love to know a little more about your cham's situation. What is your current watering/misting schedule. Do you have an automated mister. A dripper? Was your veiled diagnosed by a vet? What treatment, if any was prescribed? For me, I adjust my Mistking to cycle longer watering sessions throughout the day if I believe Lucky is not drinking enough. Some folks recommend showering. A quick search will yield 6 pages of posts on the subject. Please let us know.
Your question in regards to hydration spurs more questions. I'd love to know a little more about your cham's situation. What is your current watering/misting schedule. Do you have an automated mister. A dripper? Was your veiled diagnosed by a vet? What treatment, if any was prescribed? For me, I adjust my Mistking to cycle longer watering sessions throughout the day if I believe Lucky is not drinking enough. Some folks recommend showering. A quick search will yield 6 pages of posts on the subject. Please let us know.
You can also try using a syringe or tube ,straw,fill with water n slowly drip on her nose ,usually she will start licking the drops as long she is not too sick,other than that , please bring her to go see a chameleons specialist vet,so u can find out why is she sick,keep us updated so we can give you our opinions to keep her well.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
Are you medicating orally?
I add water to any oral medication I give. Just be careful you get the dose of medication correct. The little marks on a syringe include the amount of fluid that is still in the syringe after the plunger is completely pushed in. If you pull up water into the syringe, you also pull up the medication that would not normally be administered, so you end up giving a slightly higher dosage of medication. It depends on the medication whether that slight overage is an issue, and a sick dehydrated chameleon has less tolerance for a higher dosage.
I gavage it down their throats being careful not to damage their tongue and throat structures but going past the opening to their respiratory system so I don't aspirate them.
veiledjedi
New Member
She was diagnosed with pneumonia almost two weeks ago.
i have taken her back to the vet for fluids twice now but in between visits i try to do what I can from home. i have a humidifier next to the cage which keeps humidity around 70% and I warm mist 2-3x a day. She is being injected with Fortaz every 3 days as treatment for the pneumonia but is very dehydrated from the medicine and illness.
veiledjedi
New Member
Shes been to the vet 4 times in the last 2 weeks she has pneumonia but is still only 3 months old and having a really hard time getting through this
She is on Fortaz which is to cure the pneumonia but it is known to dehydrate.
veiledjedi
New Member
I know... Im doing everything humanly possible to help her out because I love her so much. She just looks so miserable all the time I was hoping that if i could find a way to hydrate her I wouldnt have to stress her out by taking her to the vet so she can at least be comfy in her cage
veiledjedi
New Member
Just continue to give her fluids and food shots...or he can hospitalize her but its still a very small chance it will help her recover since shes aleady being treated with the medication
veiledjedi
New Member
does anyone have experience with bathing chameleons in pedialyte? could this help hydrate through the skin if she wont drink?
RedsPantherChameleons
New Member
I'm so sorry your are having this challenge.
I've had to go to extremes to hydrate a chameleon before. I know it can be hard when they are sick because they don't have the strength to drink on their own. Soaking in a bath (depending on your chameleons temperament) can be relaxing and help them hydrate a small bit. They can not absorb much through their skin, but they can absorb through their Vent. ( I was instructed to do so by Texas A&M Veterinary University)
When I have a sick Chameleon that will not drink, I hold them in my hand under warm water ( De-chlorinated) with their head above (usually resting on my finger) . If your chameleon is calm I would do this every 3 hours for 20 minuets.
Now this will not be sufficient for her to get better, but it will help keep her alive. I'd suggest talking with your Vet about how to syringe feed her . They can give you powered food and supplements that you can mix with water and feed her through a syringe that can sustain her until she will eat and drink on her own. You will most likely have to water her this way five times a day if you do not want to have to keep going to the Vet for shots. Your Vet will instruct you on how much she can have at a time based on her weight.
Good Luck.
If you go to Instagram and look up the #prayersformochi it follows one of my chameleons journey to recovery and may have other tips there you might like. I recommend to read not just the post , but the comments as well.
I've had to go to extremes to hydrate a chameleon before. I know it can be hard when they are sick because they don't have the strength to drink on their own. Soaking in a bath (depending on your chameleons temperament) can be relaxing and help them hydrate a small bit. They can not absorb much through their skin, but they can absorb through their Vent. ( I was instructed to do so by Texas A&M Veterinary University)
When I have a sick Chameleon that will not drink, I hold them in my hand under warm water ( De-chlorinated) with their head above (usually resting on my finger) . If your chameleon is calm I would do this every 3 hours for 20 minuets.
Now this will not be sufficient for her to get better, but it will help keep her alive. I'd suggest talking with your Vet about how to syringe feed her . They can give you powered food and supplements that you can mix with water and feed her through a syringe that can sustain her until she will eat and drink on her own. You will most likely have to water her this way five times a day if you do not want to have to keep going to the Vet for shots. Your Vet will instruct you on how much she can have at a time based on her weight.
Good Luck.
If you go to Instagram and look up the #prayersformochi it follows one of my chameleons journey to recovery and may have other tips there you might like. I recommend to read not just the post , but the comments as well.
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