Advice please, panther chameleon healing/lethargic

[Hillary anne]

I took my 3.5 year old male panther chameleon to the Vet last weds because he had a foot injury that couldn’t heal. The vet instructed me to give him water therapy 2x a day with a thin layer of silver sulfadiazine.

While his wound is looking as the vet said it should, he has been lethargic and for the last few nights falling from his perch spot and sleeping on the ground. He is drinking but not eating now. I’m concerned because of these drops at night to the ground, during the day he holds his grip but he is more clumsy. I’ve never had a medical issue such as this and am not finding any information on the process of healing for these guys in similar situations. I’m wwaiting for a response from my vet but my heart is breaking that he is more ill than the vet discovered. (He checked his heart, eyes, mouth, feet, fecal exam and it all checked out just 6 days ago).

His wound is intense and in such a spot that it’s hard to perform sutures on. He hasn’t bled out and the wound seems to be improving since water therapy and the silver cream, but everything else about him is worrying the crap out of me. I am truly hoping it’s his weakness/drowsy/clumsiness from stress and that he will get back to himself again but I’m very alarmed at him resting on ground, not eating.

 

[Hillary anne]

 

[Daesie11]

Can you get a better picture of him? That first picture kinda looks like he may have MBD

 

[Hillary anne]

Taken over a week ago

 

[Daesie11]

View attachment 242971Taken over a week ago

Pictures of his profile and from above would be a bit more helpful, as well as as recent as possible especially after his falls. It can wait until morning or if you can get a clearer picture of him sleeping on the ground that would be good too

 

[Hillary anne]

View attachment 242971Taken over a week ago

He’s gotten weaker since the vet visit/doing water therapy with silver cream treatment.

Pictures of his profile and from above would be a bit more helpful, as well as as recent as possible especially after his falls. It can wait until morning or if you can get a clearer picture of him sleeping on the ground that would be good too

These were the last week, foot from 1 week ago and the original post photo was today. I’ll get better pics of his profile when I’m home tomorrow after work. But yeah, definitely has become weeker within a week since treating him for his foot/ loss of appetite . I have a liner 5.0 reptisun uvb on top his cage, 75watt heat/basking bulb via a dome light. Use d3 dusting his cricket or super worms once every 2 weeks and He usually eats every other day.:/

 

[Daesie11]

He’s gotten weaker since the vet visit/doing water therapy with silver cream treatment.

View attachment 242972These were the last week, foot from 1 week ago and the original post photo was today. I’ll get better pics of his profile when I’m home tomorrow after work. But yeah, definitely has become weeker within a week since treating him for his foot/ loss of appetite . I have a liner 5.0 reptisun uvb on top his cage, 75watt heat/basking bulb via a dome light. Use d3 dusting his cricket or super worms once every 2 weeks and He usually eats every other day.:/

So based on the image of him in the tank which I'm assuming you used for transpo to the vet, it looks like he might have MBD. It's still hard to tell, and by no means am I an expert, just what it looks like to me. Others can chime in as well. Are you giving him calcium without D3 at every feeding? What sort of fixture do you have your repticon in?
What caused the initial injury?

 

[kinyonga]

Did the vet not put him on antibiotics?

I think his toe/toes on the injured foot is/are swollen and may be infected...but it might also be swollen from the injury. Can you post another closeup photo of he injured area and the toes please. (I'm not a vet and just telling you what I think from past experience. I've kept chameleons since the mid 80's.)

How did he accident happen?

 

[Hillary anne]

Update- I dropped him off this morning for overnight care. They called me a few minutes ago. Along with the initial foot injury there were liaisons on his feet, they believe it to be fungal and have him on antibiotics, pain relief and some anti fungal cream. They’re keeping him until Friday evening at no additional charge and his temporary tub is adequate in lighting/heat/feeders/water.
The initial foot injury I am still at a loss for what happened, I was out of town and came home to him having a dark scab that’s busted open. I am thinking it may have been from a fall, or for the 3 yr old crepe myrtle branch in his cage. I believe the toe ones could Be from that as well, or from his screen mesh cage as he often would get stuck on it and need assistance. Since the initial visit he’s lost 1g of weight but they aren’t so alarmed by that as every other vital and exam on him has checked out.
Thanks for yalls responses, I got really spooked by the MBD comments and went straight to the vet, I have been giving him adequate calcium and lighting since raising him as a wee one, so nope. His clumsiness and falling were most likely due to pain gripping with small liaisons under his toes, and one on his heel.

 

[Hillary anne]

Was advised to make him a similar habitat(but taller) while he heels.

 

[Hillary anne]

Photo of liasons on his other foot

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

View attachment 243142Photo of liasons on his other foot

My boys would eat me for lunch if I handled them like that. Totally understand why you are and it's justified here of course. But man... I'd need welding gloves to do that lol. Glad he's getting better!

 

[Hillary anne]

My boys would eat me for lunch if I handled them like that. Totally understand why you are and it's justified here of course. But man... I'd need welding gloves to do that lol. Glad he's getting better!

This was the vet, lol! Lou is an odd chameleon, for sure.

 

[SharpShooter]

This was the vet, lol! Lou is an odd chameleon, for sure.

Phew... I thought you had really hairy hands and bad nails lol.

Hope everything goes well for you.

 

[JoXie411]

Phew... I thought you had really hairy hands and bad nails lol.

Hope everything goes well for you.

You don’t like a girl with hobbit hands? I’m guessing the feet is a no go as well

Hope your little one gets better soon

 

[SharpShooter]

Reminds me of the mother in law. Just popping off to be sick now.

 

[JacksJill]

Just a side note if he is being given an oral or injectable antibiotic like Baytril, enrofloxacin, it can be hard on the kidneys. Keeping them well hydrated during certain antibiotic therapies is vital. Make an effort to get him to drink during misting and if he is eating offer soft bodied juicy worms like hornworms or silkworms.

 

[Hillary anne]

This was the vet, lol! Lou is an odd chameleon, for sure.

Just a side note if he is being given an oral or injectable antibiotic like Baytril, enrofloxacin, it can be hard on the kidneys. Keeping them well hydrated during certain antibiotic therapies is vital. Make an effort to get him to drink during misting and if he is eating offer soft bodied juicy worms like hornworms or silkworms.

Good advice, and i will be giving him an injection once a day once I have him back. Hornworms/Silkworms are his favorite.