Dehydrated? Help!

[Kaylee1]

My poor Rosee is very dehydrated I'm afraid. I've read on signs of dehydration and she has it. I have a dripper, I spray in her cage, and I have a mister machine and she just doesn't use any of it! Please help me and what I can do, I don't want to loose her/have her be unhealthy.

 

[Chameleon+Cody]

do you have any real plants in the cage? i know from experience i spray my plants and she eats the plants so that helps.

 

[jpowell86]

My poor Rosee is very dehydrated I'm afraid. I've read on signs of dehydration and she has it. I have a dripper, I spray in her cage, and I have a mister machine and she just doesn't use any of it! Please help me and what I can do, I don't want to loose her/have her be unhealthy.

If she is truly dehydrated and unwilling to hydrate willfully, then you need to get her to a vet. Sometimes, chameleons are shy drinkers and sometimes they are picky...but when a chameleon is just dehydrated, they are going to go for water with exuberance.

It sounds like there may be more going on and dehydration is a side effect of the real issue. Regardless, a vet can give her fluids to replenish her body. That step alone is of great importance. If you wait too long, renal issues can occur, if they haven't already.

 

[Andee]

I agree with the above post, she may have gotten to the point of dehydration from sort of illness where she is too far gone to drink anymore. She definitely sounds like she needs vet attention. Intravenous fluids should perk her up right away and then you can focus on what made her like that. Until you can get her to the vet try putting her in a warm shower for about 30 minutes. It might help her.

 

[Kaylee1]

If she is truly dehydrated and unwilling to hydrate willfully, then you need to get her to a vet. Sometimes, chameleons are shy drinkers and sometimes they are picky...but when a chameleon is just dehydrated, they are going to go for water with exuberance.

It sounds like there may be more going on and dehydration is a side effect of the real issue. Regardless, a vet can give her fluids to replenish her body. That step alone is of great importance. If you wait too long, renal issues can occur, if they haven't already.

Thank you! How can I get her to the vet, as in what should I take her in, and how canI do so without stressing her out so much? I was kind of thinking of taking her to the vet if she hadn't gotten better, but thank you for clearing it up for me. She's my first chameleon and I'm trying my best to make sure she's okay.

 

[Kaylee1]

do you have any real plants in the cage? i know from experience i spray my plants and she eats the plants so that helps.

Not in her cage, but I have an umbrella plant that she climbs on when I take her out! I'll have to try and spray it. Hopefully here soon well be getting a bigger cage that I can fit her umbrella plant into. Thank you!!

 

[Kaylee1]

I agree with the above post, she may have gotten to the point of dehydration from sort of illness where she is too far gone to drink anymore. She definitely sounds like she needs vet attention. Intravenous fluids should perk her up right away and then you can focus on what made her like that. Until you can get her to the vet try putting her in a warm shower for about 30 minutes. It might help her.

How do you usually put them inside the shower? Just let them crawl around the bottom? Let the water hit them? My chameleon is fairly young (6 months) so I don't want to stress her. I can take all the advice you guys give thank you!

 

[Andee]

You can take her in a box, ideally it would be something she can't see out of so she will just go to sleep. And preferably you would be able to wedge something like a branch or stick in it to let her grab onto it

 

[Andee]

How do you usually put them inside the shower? Just let them crawl around the bottom? Let the water hit them? My chameleon is fairly young (6 months) so I don't want to stress her. I can take all the advice you guys give thank you!

Put a plant inside the shower and place her on the plant. Then bounce the water off the wall next to her.

 

[Kaylee1]

You can take her in a box, ideally it would be something she can't see out of so she will just go to sleep. And preferably you would be able to wedge something like a branch or stick in it to let her grab onto it

I was just in my room when my mister went off and she finally saw the water and she drank from it for a good 5 minutes. I'm so glad she finally recognized it. She drank from the water droplets on the screen top as well for a couple minutes. I will check tomorrow to see if my vet can take reptiles in still. I'll keep a watch on her hopefully she can actually utilize it now. And thank you! Makes sense to have it dark for her to sleep.

 

[Kaylee1]

Put a plant inside the shower and place her on the plant. Then bounce the water off the wall next to her.

Thank you for that as well!