Could i get some help again

[Mayybbee]

im just super worried about him. He was doing good last week, he was eating about 5 silkworms a day, (just last week) he had his medicine for cocilida (that intestine parasite) on Thursday, ate 6 silkworms Friday and hasn’t eaten since. Then had the medicine again Saturday, his poop looked okay, the urate was small but white looking and otherwise normal.Will post pictures below. And now he is closing his eyes again, my husbandry is on my profile if anyone wants to know the . Not sure if its from the meds. Im not seeing him drink so idk if he is dehydrated. Going to use the fogger a bit more since the humidity drops fast in the day to keep it around 40-50. I can take him back to the vet if need be, but if anyone has a suggestion let me know please, his eyes are open in that picture since i walked by, but from a far he will sleep

 

[kinyonga]

Is his left wrist swollen? Different than his right?

 

[elizaann2]

Did they say how much his parasite load was? Mild, moderate, high?

 

[Beman]

Do you mean coccidia? If so you will have to strip his cage down. This one is highly re infectious so that even though you medicate them they can recontaminate themselves by licking off the surfaces in their cage. Then the parasite cycle starts all over again. So you have to strip the cage down and properly clean it. This is one of the harder ones to properly clean for as the oocysts do not just die off with soap and water. This means a bare bones cage through out treatment and then roughly 6 weeks after. You have to test them 2-3 times after treatment has ended over that 6 weeks period. If no oocysts are found in the fecal then they can get their cage put back together. Look up Coccidia in the forum search. You want to follow those guides to strip the cage, toss stuff that can't be cleaned, and clean the entire inside of the cage with the proper cleaning solution.

 

[Mayybbee]

there was no exact amount said just that he was concerned about it, so I assume it was mild to high. He had one drop Thursday and one drop Saturday. Hoping he is okay. And i think his wrist just looks like that from the way he is sitting. Looks normal otherwise. And okay thank you for that info, doctor didn’t tell me that. I think everything that’s happening is a combination of trying to acclimate him, taking medicine, as well I don’t think he’s drinking enough. There is plenty of water at the times ive been told to spray and a water dripper for most of the day so he has access to water. I think he’s just a little stressed from everything going on and not drinking.

 

[GrannyK]

I dealt with coccidia and it was terrible I am sorry to say. My guy went on hunger strike. Could only get him to eat superworms. Maybe 1or 2 every few days. (He was only 9mos old so he should have been eating a lot more) It was a long time before I tricked him back into eating staple feeders. I was worried sick because he was not eating and some days lethargic. The meds we were prescribed were hard on the cham so that did not help. What med did they give you if you don’t mind me asking? I think most coccidia meds are harsh on their system but some are worse than others. Hydration is super important while on the meds though too. Make sure he get enough drinks if needed, I’m so sorry your dealing with that.

 

[GrannyK]

Jacksjill has a blog on the forum here of several steps for cleaning up after an episode with this parasite. I used it to guide me in my journey of cleaning the enclosure. I can’t say I followed step by step it’s thorough, but definitely followed her directions.

 

[Mayybbee]

Yeah i am concerned because the poop i say the other day was like super dry, not sure if that was cause I didnt see it for a day or do because it was hiding in the leaves, ir because he is dehydrated. I’m going to assume the ladder because i have also noticed his skin looking dry (wrinkly/folding skin) but yeah, it could also be the medicine making him not drink. The name of the medicine was Ponazuril. I have a question, at what point should I start force feeding/hydrating him. And also, if so, would it be better to syringe feed water or force feed hydrating bugs?

 

[Mayybbee]

This was the email about the fecal

 

[GrannyK]

Yeah i am concerned because the poop i say the other day was like super dry, not sure if that was cause I didnt see it for a day or do because it was hiding in the leaves, ir because he is dehydrated. I’m going to assume the ladder because i have also noticed his skin looking dry (wrinkly/folding skin) but yeah, it could also be the medicine making him not drink. The name of the medicine was Ponazuril. I have a question, at what point should I start force feeding/hydrating him. And also, if so, would it be better to syringe feed water or force feed hydrating bugs?View attachment 362604

Ok I was not given that med but I think that one is also kind of tough on them. I didn’t have to force feed so I’m not sure about when to begin. I know chams can go a good week or more without food but when you mix low hydration I’m not experienced enough to recommend. Have you tried hornworms? They are very hydrating (but very fatty, treat only) but hey if he’ll eat it give it right now.
Also if you use a syringe , aim for the back of the mouth on the side ish. If you go in the front they could aspirate. Not sure if you knew that so just being cautious.

 

[Mayybbee]

Yea i have watched and read lots of information about syringe feeding. Ive only done it for two days twice a day and just 2-3 drops in the back of his mouth. Have stopped tho since im scared to do it again haha and want him to recover on his own. He seems good this morning, hanst ate but after what you said it would make sense he is just dealing with the meds also he ate 5-6 silkworms all of last week. So taking it by year at this moment.

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

I’m sorry you’re going through this, it’s stressful. When my guy had coccidia I put him in a temporary cage with minimal perches, he had to do multiple rounds to clear the infection and I had him in a minimal cage with no cover for like half a year and it was terrible.

 

[Beman]

Yea i have watched and read lots of information about syringe feeding. Ive only done it for two days twice a day and just 2-3 drops in the back of his mouth. Have stopped tho since im scared to do it again haha and want him to recover on his own. He seems good this morning, hanst ate but after what you said it would make sense he is just dealing with the meds also he ate 5-6 silkworms all of last week. So taking it by year at this moment.

Unfortunately he will not recover without the meds. They have to be given at the interval the vet has prescribed. And without the cage being properly stripped he will likely recontaminate himself.

How old is he, Did they tell you how much he weighed? His body condition looks good. I would not start force feeding yet. Make sure you have a dripper going throughout the day.

 

[Mayybbee]

Sorry to clarify, im not syringe hydrating him anymore i mean, he has finished his first course of meds and will go back for a fecal in a month. Im going to look into getting another cage to set it up as a like temporary one, minimal branches but enough plant coverage. And use this as his sick cage so it will be easier to clean and less stuff for him to recontaminate as mentioned above. He is just over 11 months, they did weigh him but i cannot remember what the weight was. He is a smaller cham, out of the three i got to pick he was the smallest one.

 

[Mayybbee]

any thoughts on this discolouration on his head. Is it from the shed? That has been there for a few weeks now, the shedding.

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

Sorry to clarify, im not syringe hydrating him anymore i mean, he has finished his first course of meds and will go back for a fecal in a month. Im going to look into getting another cage to set it up as a like temporary one, minimal branches but enough plant coverage. And use this as his sick cage so it will be easier to clean and less stuff for him to recontaminate as mentioned above. He is just over 11 months, they did weigh him but i cannot remember what the weight was. He is a smaller cham, out of the three i got to pick he was the smallest one.

Temporary cage is definitely the move. Even a 18x18x36 since it’s temporary is fine. Easier to sanitize a smaller space too.any plant cover should be high up where he has no way of pooping on it, plastic plants are usually a no go but I used some for cover in my quarantine set up.

A huge thing is to make sure the perches aren’t over each other you want the poop to fall straight to the floor without anything obstructing it to contaminate.

For administering meds what I found to be a life saving technique if he’s taking solid food is to gutload the bugs with the medication via syringe. Easier then giving with a syringe straight up orally and no risk of it going down the wrong place.

Also, side note, I’m surprised the vet was able to dose out the medication without knowing how much he weighs, it’s usually dosed out based on weight, so maybe it’s worth going to an alternate vet if he’s just guessing on dosage.

 

[Mayybbee]

No no lool, the vet weighed him. I just can’t remember the weight haha. He was very light since the medicine was only a drop. Giving it to the bugs to give to him is actually very smart, ill keep that one in mind

 

[IrohtheVeiled]

No no lool, the vet weighed him. I just can’t remember the weight haha. He was very light since the medicine was only a drop. Giving it to the bugs to give to him is actually very smart, ill keep that one in mind

It’s honestly the best move to do so. Having to force their mouth open to administer meds is stressful on you and the animal, it’s better if they just eat it without realizing they’re taking meds

 

[elizaann2]

Ponazuril is a great medication for coccidia. Other meds that treat coccidia are sulfa based and are quite hard on the chameleon's little body. I'm glad he was prescribed this one. Do you fog at night? This would be an excellent way to keep him hydrated while he is going through this. Getting hydrating bugs like hornworms and silkworms to feed would also be helpful. My guy was treated from coccidia not too long ago, its a bummer to go through but if you do it right they should be ok. LMK if you have questions about sanitizing or anything. Happy to help in this stressful time.