chameleon wound

[Blackyna1979]

Please my chameleon have bloody wound from cricket can I clean it with Dettol please ?

 

[carol5208]

what is Dettol?

 

[Kaianuanu]

Dettol is toxic to certain animals so I would say no, i have heard of it being used to kill invasive cane toads in south florida. So I would say no.

Betadine is usually recommended to flush out wounds, and neosporin on it after.

 

[LazardLizard]

THUMBS UP!!! Neosporine and superglue are must haves for reptile keepers.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Can you post a picture of the wound? Where is it located. Do not use superglue as that will just seal in infection.

 

[LazardLizard]

yes, the superglue is for emergency use only to keep out bad stuff till an animal is taken to a vet. (like on the weekend)should have said that... like pythons and boas. Pack the wound with neo and close.

 

[Blackyna1979]

Hi finally It was not wound only It was filaria, I am attaching photograph, please do you think that my chameleon going to die? I red that If you found such a big filaria there are definitelly many of them in his blood. Thanks for advice

 

[StreetMoggy]

oh my god that is scary. Keep the worm and show a vet, so they can make a positive ID.

 

[Kate]

I really don't know much about the worm you found but I would keep it and make an appointment with a vet ASAP . I would also try to obtain a stool sample to take. Hope your little one gets better soon.

 

[Blackyna1979]

I went to see her, but she told me this is ok she even didnt want me to take it out, so I dont know

 

[Psychobunny]

Oh no!! that's a nematode all right, but I don't know what species it is!!??

You must have a wc cham??

You need to take the worm + your cham to the vet ASAP!!!

Your cham is probably loaded with these things!!

 

[Blackyna1979]

yes, I show it to the doctor and she told me it is ok, can not be treated because otherwise when these worms going to die in his body it is more worse than they are alive, so I dont know :-(

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

It is a foleyella worm, which is a parasite of wild caught chameleons. You can see the worms under the skin. Often the only thing you need to do is remove the parasites when you see them. Some vets have tried dewormers in addition to manual removal but it may not be needed and like your vet correctly stated it could do more harm than good if there is a large die off (anaphylactic shock) so a lot don't. Your chameleon is not going to die from the worms.

 

[Blackyna1979]

thanks a lot, funny thing is that they told be that this chameleon was grown chameleon but he looks weak now,

 

[Blackyna1979]

and please what can I do for him? how can I help him

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

He's not weak from the worms, more likely from being a wild caught chameleon. Make sure he is well hydrated and has appropriate temps, humidity and setup. Here's an excellent blog about acclimating wc chams: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/trace/776-dealing-wild-caught-chameleon.html

 

[Blackyna1979]

thanks a lot, please so he can not get rid off these worms? Thanks

 

[Psychobunny]

The worms may or may not cause a big problem.
I agree the cham is full of them, and if they all died at once, it would be
to much for your cham to handle.
They tend to pass out of the body, like the one you collected, and often come out in the stool, or sometimes will wriggle out of his vent (very gross) and you can pull it out (need strong stomach).

They get under the skin, and you can see them moving around.

I don't know they life span, but they die off one by one and you cham
will likely be okay

 

[Blackyna1979]

Yes it is terrible, I need strong stomach, If I imagine how big it is and how small body he has, uffff , do you think I can catch this from my chameleon?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

No, it is not zoonotic (pass from animals to humans) or even contagious to other animals. They require a certain biting insect as vector to spread from cham to cham. As far as I know these worms do not pass through the feces, just live in the bloodstream and under the skin. Other types of worms pass through the feces.