Dehydration?

[Syn]

Well today got a little hotter than anyone expected so we didn't have the fan on the chameleons.

I came home to my Nosy Be on the bottom of the cage, completely white, and eyes sunken. Both eyes were closed at the time. (Now only one is.)

I quickly moved him to the shower. He drank and drank and drank. Now occasionally I squirt some water into his mouth.

Now there are white spots appearing on his head. I'm worried. It doesn't come off, and it doesn't look like shed. I will be uploading pictures momentarily.

Upon taking him out of the shower and returning him to his cage he goes back to his normal coloring, but not much else changes.

I had just pulled him out of the shower in this picture and he was doing this..?

 

[Syn]

Here's the other.

You can see how sunken his eyes are, and the white spots on his head I was talking about.

 

[jojackson]

Oh No! I hope no serious damage has been done. It may recover if kept well hydrated and cool. I suspect overheating aswell.
Vet visit may be required if its current state continues for more than a few hrs.
Best Wishes

 

[Syn]

Well it's Friday! I'll have to wait unless the vet I visit would be open tomorrow.

I'm hoping this isn't serious as well... I'm keeping him cool as possible.

 

[ColorCham427]

How hot was it in the room he was in? Did you have his basking bulb raised enough?

It looks to me he is all pale from being really stressed. Probably overheated but not certain.

Offer him lots of water and keep the humdity at a consistent level.

Offering him a hornworm or silkworm would be good.

Don't try handling him or looking at him for too much time, that will just add more stress.

 

[jojackson]

Incidently, Its worth a mention that a fan on the cage, Even in the room, for any length of time, will actually decrease the moisture in the cage by evaporation (less opportunity to drink/dry leaves) and have a cooling effect.
What kind of water deleivery system do you have in the cage? What was the ambient room temp today? what was the ambient cage temp?

 

[Syn]

How hot was it in the room he was in? Did you have his basking bulb raised enough?

It looks to me he is all pale from being really stressed. Probably overheated but not certain.

Offer him lots of water and keep the humdity at a consistent level.

Offering him a hornworm or silkworm would be good.

Don't try handling him or looking at him for too much time, that will just add more stress.

Basking bulb is where it has always been, a 5 inches up from the highest point he can get at.
I don't have hornworms or silkworms. I'll ask around, though.
I'll stop handling him except to put him in the shower, as well.

Incidently, Its worth a mention that a fan on the cage, Even in the room, for any length of time, will actually decrease the moisture in the cage by evaporation (less opportunity to drink/dry leaves) and have a cooling effect.
What kind of water deleivery system do you have in the cage? What was the ambient room temp today? what was the ambient cage temp?

I have a drip cup that lasts about two hours. If I put on a fan I would have virtually no humidity, so I don't have a fan on him. Room temp was about 80 when I got home so probably 85-90 during the day. We will be turning on the swamp cooler or vents. Cage temp was 79.

 

[ChrisnLisa]

Syn- Your answers are seeming a bit vague, and I suggest you provide more info to get some SENIOR advice on here.

I am confused as to how his cage was only 79 but the room was 85-90. You said the room was 80 when you got home, so even then, underneath lights, his cage must have been hotter than 79...what was the temp? How long was it possible he was exposed to these temps today, how long were you out of the house for?

Can you take a closer pic of the spots on his head, or crop it so it appears larger, as I cannot zoom in on it.

Also, please be careful when giving water so as to not cause asphyxiation.

 

[jojackson]

I have a drip cup that lasts about two hours. If I put on a fan I would have virtually no humidity, so I don't have a fan on him. Room temp was about 80 when I got home so probably 85-90 during the day. We will be turning on the swamp cooler or vents. Cage temp was 79.

Well today got a little hotter than anyone expected so we didn't have the fan on the chameleons.

??? So you have the fan on them when?

What time do you start the dripper Syn, two hours is woefully inadequate, not much opportunity to drink. You need a larger resevoir so it can drip all day and a sufficient catchment/drainage plan, which incidently will boost humidity.

85 dosent sound too hot. Whats the basking temp?

 

[Syn]

I said it could have been 85-90 during the day. 80 when I got home, yes, 79 in the cage, the only explanation I have for that is the thermometer is by the hanging pothos and that may have caused inaccurate readings. I am out of the house 7AM-3PM everyday for schooling and coaching. The weather got warmer around 11AM and cooled off around 2PM.

He's sleeping right now. I will repost the link of the larger version of that picture in a minute.

I carefully use a syringe with a rounded tip and slowly drip it on his tongue.

 

[Syn]

??? So you have the fan on them when?

What time do you start the dripper Syn, two hours is woefully inadequate, not much opportunity to drink. You need a larger resevoir so it can drip all day and a sufficient catchment/drainage plan, which incidently will boost humidity.

85 dosent sound too hot. Whats the basking temp?

I don't have a fan on them, the vent/swamp cooler cools the whole house.

I start the dripper at 7AM before I leave, my mom comes home at about 12 to eat lunch and refills it (I use a "Big Gulp" cup, it drips too fast imo). I use a pan below the cage to catch any run off, normally the dripper goes into the plants.

 

[Syn]

http://i42.tinypic.com/2ivxojd.jpg Is the larger picture. I have to go in a while.

I will be calling Richard Funk's office tomorrow, if anyone knows of any better Arizona vets please PM me.

 

[jojackson]

its certainly oddly colored. couldnt hurt to ph the vet.
good luck

 

[Syn]

Vets around here are ridiculous and love to say "oh just come in I can't see it from a phone" or stuff like that to get extra money. *sigh*

Hopefully he's better by tomorrow.

Goodnight everyone.

 

[ColorCham427]

His colors just seem washed out.

When I brought my very first chameleon to the vets... his colors were nearly white... with a shade of light orange on his belly.

He was in a shoe box during the 30-45 min trip to the vet.

It was a very hot summer day. I'd say between 90-95.

If it's that hot it needs to get somewhere to cool off fast.


I would really be careful watching the temps in the room.

The ambient temp should be between mid 70's to 80 tops.

I think he'll be OK if you continue to be extra careful with the temps.

I hope he wasn't under serious heat for too long.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Basking bulb is where it has always been, a 5 inches up from the highest point he can get at.

Why do you have a basking spot?
If the ambient temps are going into the eighties, it's going to be way too hot under a basking bulb.
What lights are you using?

-Brad

 

[Sang]

hey sabrina,

today was a warm day, and the humidity being @ about 10% makes it very difficult to maintain humidity.

your best bet is to give him cover, i do keep a fan on in my room to help circulate cooler air into my room to help with the temperature.


i will be upping my mist sessions with the increasing heat when the time comes, your guy definatly looks like he got very much so to warm.

*im not sure if i need a basking lamp during the day, if the ambient is @ about 80-85, i know it is difficult to maintain a cooler temperature in arizona especially with just a swamp cooler*



best ways to keep your temps down, is to make sure windows/lights are off except for his UVB, basking* depending on temperatures this should probably be off too, i can't give much advice here*


we live in a very dry, hot place. and unfortunatly maintaining good humidity/ cool temps is difficult for us. it may help to add a plastic layer on 2-3 sides of his enclosure to help increase his humidity, find a way to have at least 1 -2 mist sessions automated for when you can't be there. with out a mister that would be difficult.


but i am sure there is other ways you can keep the humidity up. usually a small house fan with a small tub of water in front of it. it will pull water into the air creating more humidity. a sonic cool air humidifier may be required as well.


vicks does make one that will blow a cool air with about a 50% humidity . providing cooler temperatures within a spaced of his enclosure.

this may be vital to keeping temperatures cool in teh summer, when we get into the 115's and 120's ..and a houses ambient temps can reach as high as 90.

 

[jojackson]

Syn, you want better than a dixicup for a dripper. Heres what I use, along with drip trays underneath. The dripper runs all day.
As you can see, the resevoir last 3 days before refilling.
Its turned on at lights on, off at lights off. I keep the trays beneath empty because humidy is not scarce here, but if you have water in the catcher trays, As you would all the time, It will boost the humidity.

Note what Brad says, I didnt convert F to C. You want the ambient cage temp quite lower than the basking spot. If you can create a gradient from top to bottom of 15f atleast.

pics..

The resevoir is a 10 litre water dispenser.

The Aquarium valve controls the flow...and on/off.

A regulator helps control flow, fits inside the outlet tube.

Your cham has opportunity to drink all day.

 

[Julirs]

I guess I am a little confused here? That Panther should certainly be able to handle a few hours of temps in the 90's.
The pics make it look near death-you often see that spotting on dieing chameleons.
Could something else have happened?

 

[Vegas Chad]

Syn, it looks like he got way too hot. Are you sure that he did not get over 90? I would get him too a vet; keep him cool, lots o water... Just keep an eye on him, if he makes a turn around he might not have to go, but better safe than sorry.

Other than the really bad color and closed eyes he looks good. Good size, head not sunk in or anything, which is why I think it was something that came on quick to sent him to the bottom... Try to keep him cooler from now on.