Decreased fat pads on casque

[tdotcham]

For sure, it was 4pm but he always used to settle down as the sun sets. He was up late last night until the lights went out, I'm not sure if that's good or bad... He was basking. He's been eating from me and is alert. I ordered reptaid today and will inject feeders to see if this helps any.

As for fecal tests I'm going to do more digging. I was able to find another herp vet but haven't phoned yet. Alot of places are a 45 minute drive and all previous attempts they require a 100 dollar consultation before administering a fecal test which blows my mind as they already charge 60 bucks to send out the sample to a lab. The place that did the last one only required him going in if treatment was necessary, however his lab runs an S.A.F film which I can't gather any information on. He also said I would have to pay for a separate test for bacteria... I just wish I had some of these experienced vets like in the states that specialize

Is it possible that he dinged his tongue to explain the random falling asleep and inability to shoot for that one day? I'm not sure what else could explain a 1 day spurt of such change to go back

 

[tdotcham]

Well just as I stepped in the door, I caught him mid poop. It was definitely a bit runny but not like diarrhea. There is an odour from it... however I'm not sure if cham poop is to supposed to have no smell at all or what the situation is.

I know I've never gone to the bathroom with no smell attached... curious what others think.

 

[tdotcham]

hi ho, hi ho, off to the vets with poop we go. I found a place very close with two vets that seem experienced.

http://www.vetpet.com/index.php?view=pageView&pageid=43

one of the vets has even done trips to madagascar... and they both have experience with chameleons from the phone call I made. Bringing a poop from monday thats been in the fridge and a fresh one today.... hoping to find out what is going on. in house fecals too... thank god

 

[sandrachameleon]

good luck!

 

[tdotcham]

thank god I changed vets...

he tested positive for coccidia. apparently they found 3 small eggs... so hes going in on friday for the checkup and to get the prescription. I asked what drug they used, as I wanted to have ponazuril... they said they used sepaton. i tried googling it but have not been able to find any further information

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Excellent news! Maybe you'll finally be able to get him on the right track for sure so you won't have to worry about him! Environment disinfection is a huge part of controlling coccidia and he could reinfected after treatment if not done right. Let us know how treatment goes!

 

[tdotcham]

Yes, cage cleaning will have to commence. I was thinking of removing all the interior stuff and making a rectangle jungle gym out of sticks glued together. This way I can easily take out everything and clean on a regular basis rather than a variety of plants, trees, etc. I'm not sure how I can mist/drip for him however with this idea

The vet tech said the drug was septra, which I couldn't find much info regarding reptile treatment online. I questioned for ponazuril but the tech was persistent saying that they will have to see him then decide if they're going to prescribe medication.... Makes no sense, I want to get him on medicine ASAP and they already concluded coccidia... Not sure how a visual examination will decide if they medicate

 

[ChromaChameleons]

The Septra is also known as sulfamethoxazole. Vets will insist on a visit for 2 reasons ... one is liability and the other is $$$$....

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The Septra is also known as sulfamethoxazole. Vets will insist on a visit for 2 reasons ... one is liability and the other is $$$$....

And the real reason is to assess the health of the animal to ensure that it can handle the medication in question. They don't know your animal's nutritional or hydration status so are prescribing a safe medication until proven that the animal can handle anything else.

Had a person request antibiotics for their puppy because it was sneezing and we were assured it was otherwise fine. We convinced them to bring the dog in and it was having full out seizures (the foam from chomping the mouth during the seizure was what they thought was sneezing) and in very bad shape. Turns out it had distemper, which is very contagious to other dogs and can't always be treated. Had we given antibiotics based on this person's request we would have done the wrong thing. You just can't trust everyone...

 

[ChromaChameleons]

I don't think this situation is the same as your puppy scenario. There was a diagnosis via the fecal test. All the vet needs from here is the chameleons species , WEIGHT and possibly gender.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Obviously it's not the same...just illustrating why an exam would be requested. What if the chameleon was really malnourished and dehydrated? Meds would be a bad idea and could potentially cause serious damage. I know in this case he's not, but the vet doesn't know that having never seen him.

 

[ChromaChameleons]

What if the chameleon wasn't dehydrated and malnourished? Could save the owner $75 and alleviate the stress of transporting the cham to and from the vet office.

A photograph would indicate the chams level of hydration and would be as indicative as a visual exam by the vet. A general exam won't determine the chameleons nutritional health any more than a photo and a few questions of the owner regarding chameleons awareness, lethargy , eating patterns and grip.

Why stress the cham by requiring a visit? If its health is already compromised, why add another factor, ( i.e. the visit), to its detriment?

 

[SageZA]

Nice Panther. Spoil him a little with the silkies as mentioned as a treat and get him to drink a little more.


His really nice, whats his name?

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

People lie, or just don't know what to look for to fully answer those questions. Then you get back to the liability issue you mentioned. I don't make the rules, there's really no point in trying to convince me since no one important cares what I have to say anyway. I was just trying to provide some perspective from the other side to answer your question.

 

[ChromaChameleons]

People lie, or just don't know what to look for to fully answer those questions. Then you get back to the liability issue you mentioned. I don't make the rules, there's really no point in trying to convince me since no one important cares what I have to say anyway. I was just trying to provide some perspective from the other side to answer your question.

rude pretzel logic

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

rude pretzel logic

Yeah I really don't know what that means...

 

[Trace]

Ok how is this for an answer: In Ontario, and maybe all of Canada, it is illegal for a veterinarian to prescribe medications for an animal that he/she has never seen. Hence the liability issue already mentioned in this thread. The practicing doctor can lose their license. A good doctor will not prescribe medications based on a few crappy pictures.

Once the vet has an established relationship with the owner and pet, for example the first in house visit, further fecals can be dropped off for testing without an appointment and meds prescribed based on those tests and the previous medical history. Vets are not out to screw anyone and are not rich by any stretch.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Thanks Trace! It is that way here as well. Legal issues trump owner convenience. But it's an ethical issue too for the benefit of the animal's health. There's no hidden motive behind practicing good medicine.

 

[ChromaChameleons]

The liability test is not defined by lawyers or legislators, it is defined by the college of veterinarians themselves.

They play the game and referee it too. Kinda suggests a conflict of interest.....

Imagine a hockey game with no officials and the players themselves make up the rules and enforce them also.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The Practice Act is a law at the state/federal level, not just a recommendation, and there's one for human doctors too. Would you really rather your doctors practice questionable medicine with unethical standards just so you can save a buck or two?