Burn? If so, what are the implications...

[Amanda1801]

Hi,

I've had my veiled cham for approx 9 months now, he's about a year and a half old. I've recently moved house, and was floating around for 3 weeks between tenancies, so I boarded Colin the Chameleon at a small animal and reptile boarding place. He was very well cared for there, they even injected his worms daily with his liquid calcium and stuff, no complaints about how he was looked after.

He seems to however, have a burn on his casque? I'm not sure if it is a burn (he's my first chameleon, I'm still learning!), but it wasn't there when he went!

If it is a burn, what are the implications and potential complications associated with it?

I've attached a photo below.

Thanks in advance.

Amanda & Colin

 

[Carlton]

It could certainly be a burn. Right at the top of the casque where it would get closest to the basking bulb, and where there is probably not a lot of flesh or circulation. A fairly common problem.

The discolored area may be dead and will slowly dry out and peel away from healthy tissue underneath. Kind of hard to say how deep the damage goes. But, if the border between live and dead tissue doesn't get infected, it will not spread any farther. To prevent infection and protect newly exposed tissue as the burned area falls away, get some Silvadene ointment from a vet (its readily available...don't really need a specialist) and coat the area. There will be a scar on his casque that will change the shape slightly, but that may be all.

To prevent this happening again, check the temps right under the basking light and watch to see how long he tends to sit under the light. Burns result from higher temps AND the cumulative time the cham sits in a hot spot, not just the temp alone. Raise your light higher off the cage too. One major difference between basking in full sun in the wild and basking under a light indoors is the focused intensity of the heat. A wild cham would move into the shade before getting burned, but in a small focused beam of heat it is harder for them to judge when they are getting too hot.

 

[Amanda1801]

It could certainly be a burn. Right at the top of the casque where it would get closest to the basking bulb, and where there is probably not a lot of flesh or circulation. A fairly common problem.

The discolored area may be dead and will slowly dry out and peel away from healthy tissue underneath. Kind of hard to say how deep the damage goes. But, if the border between live and dead tissue doesn't get infected, it will not spread any farther. To prevent infection and protect newly exposed tissue as the burned area falls away, get some Silvadene ointment from a vet (its readily available...don't really need a specialist) and coat the area. There will be a scar on his casque that will change the shape slightly, but that may be all.

To prevent this happening again, check the temps right under the basking light and watch to see how long he tends to sit under the light. Burns result from higher temps AND the cumulative time the cham sits in a hot spot, not just the temp alone. Raise your light higher off the cage too. One major difference between basking in full sun in the wild and basking under a light indoors is the focused intensity of the heat. A wild cham would move into the shade before getting burned, but in a small focused beam of heat it is harder for them to judge when they are getting too hot.

Thanks for the reply. I've had a look online, and I cannot find Silvadene (or the same thing under any different name!). Is there a similar alternative?

 

[Carlton]

Thanks for the reply. I've had a look online, and I cannot find Silvadene (or the same thing under any different name!). Is there a similar alternative?

Sorry, I just realized you are "across the pond". I'd suggest getting a description of Silvadene and asking a local vet for the equivalent. I'm sure there is one. It was originally developed to treat human skin burns in the military. But, there are probably other anti-infective ointments that would do the same.

 

[SonTigerPantherCham]

silver sulfadiazine is the name you want to ask for. your Vet will probably use a product that is the same as silvadene, just a diff name.

The burn on the side of my cham went COMPLETLY away, no sloughing, scarring peeling. Silvadene is a great product and all of us should keep some in our cham med cabinet!
anne
hope this helps!

 

[Amanda1801]

Sorry, I just realized you are "across the pond". I'd suggest getting a description of Silvadene and asking a local vet for the equivalent. I'm sure there is one. It was originally developed to treat human skin burns in the military. But, there are probably other anti-infective ointments that would do the same.

Yeah, was gonna do that, I've gotta call into work today and pick up some vaccines so I'll have a look and see what I can get.