Emergency 911 DEHYDRATION!!!

[xoiceox]

So I went to a local pet store today and found what they told me to be a baby flap neck completely dehydrated, he or she is about 3 months old... I cried and told the owner that if he didnt let me take him there would be serious problems... So I left the store with the baby cham and some extra stuff to help him.

I have electrolyze and reptivite. I also have powdered calcium.

Right now he's in a plastic container with a 50 watt bulb and he's laying on a towel. What should I do to hydrate him immediately without killing him!??!?!

 

[Champhibians]

I would do a steam shower. With no water hitting him just the steam in the room.

 

[Jam]

get to a vet. You can start him on subq fluids. They really aren't very expensive, especially if you can learn to do your own. If needed, the vet could do IP fluids as well.

Jamie

 

[xoiceox]

I held him under running water and he seemed to be drinking alot. Hes under the light now and he popped out his eyes a little bit, I HOPE THATS A GOOD THING! I'll keep u updtaed please keep giving me advice!

 

[xoiceox]

Thank you. I only have experience with Veileds and Panthers, I was told he was flap neck so I assumed... How do u know it's female and senegal?

 

[Trace]

My mistake, you may be right about her being a Flapneck - the flaps are VERY small so she is probably one of the locales that aren't seen to often for sale.

That chameleon is definitely a female because there is no hemipenal bulge. The male Senegals and Flapnecks all have marked "man areas".

There is an article on the Flaps on the ezine too: http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=49

 

[Chris Anderson]

Like Trace said, its most definitely a female and it is in fact a member of the flap neck complex but it is not the nominate subspecies Ch. dilepis dilepis. Ch. dilepis dilepis has large occipital lobes and this individual has very small lobes. It is very difficult to differentiate between the rest of the dilepis complex, however, especially without locality data but I suspect this is probably Ch. roperi. Also, this animal is not 3 months old but is a large WC female that in addition to being dehydrated also appears to possibly have an upper respiratory infection and probably high internal parasite loads. You'll definitely need to see a reptile vet. Finally, holding her under running water, as in holding her under the faucet is a horrible idea, don't do it! You can try a shower but don't hold her under running water from the sink.

Chris

 

[xoiceox]

Wow then I guess the pet store really knows shit.... This stuff makes me so mad! Why even sell animals?!?!

Thanx for the advice and input!

 

[Sporkthedork]

Xoiceox:
Wow looking at the pictures seems like she's getting better in your care. The two pictures look like she's sighing with relief.

Chris A.:
Just out of curiosity why is it bad to hold a chameleon under running water. Don't worry I wouldn't do it myself. Just wondering what's the reason behind it.

 

[Chris Anderson]

Holding a chameleon under the faucet is similar to someone holding your head in a waterfall and expecting you to drink. A shower with water bouncing off the wall and the cham sitting on a tree in the shower itself is much more similar to rain then holding the cham under the faucet. In the photos you can see the cham is gasping which is probably partially a result of too much water entering the mouth too fast while being held under the faucet. There is a good chance she aspirated water which will not help an existing URI and could help cause one if she didn't have one already.

Chris

 

[opihiman]

you can also consider feeding silkies and other High moisture content feeders to help with the dehydration.

Hope she starts to make the turn.

OPI

 

[xoiceox]

This is how she looks today! Much better I think

Ive given her pedialyte and she's had 2 steam showers today.

This was the poop I found when I got home

 

[ciafardo 4]

is it really fowl smelling if so that with the combo of how runny it is im no expert in parasites but it looks like shes got a load wheres c. anderson boy genius when you need him hes the one that needs to see the dropping

 

[SoCaliSon]

All of the orange in the Urate means Dehydration... Keep giving her long mist sessions. As far as the look of the feces part of the doo... I wouldn't know what to think, but I do know it is supposed to be more brown. Has a vet done a Fecal? That would be the perfect specimen!

 

[Justin Carl]

Yay!
It looks like your over the hump.
Is she still keeping the one eye closed?
Can she hold herself up?

 

[xoiceox]

I have a friend whos a vet that can get a fecal done for me on friday or saturday. I just got to keep her alive till then!

 

[xoiceox]

Yay!
It looks like your over the hump.
Is she still keeping the one eye closed?
Can she hold herself up?

Well she sleeps alot, but now if I go to wake her up, she does use both eyes and she does prop herself up. I tried putting her on her side to make sure she had a reflex and she turned over and layed on her belly like in the pix u see

 

[kinyonga]

IMHO you should have a suitable place in her cage to dig to lay eggs.

 

[Justin Carl]

Well she sleeps alot, but now if I go to wake her up, she does use both eyes and she does prop herself up. I tried putting her on her side to make sure she had a reflex and she turned over and layed on her belly like in the pix u see

Well, maybe she isn't over the hump, but she has significantly gotten much better.

IMHO you should have a suitable place in her cage to dig to lay eggs.

Ditto.
The only problem is that she's incredibly weak.
If she is gravid, then it could be difficult for her to lay.

 

[BocaJan]

When you give her a laying bin, start a hole for her. It might help her out a little. Make it big enough for her body to go down about 6 inches. She will be happy to make her her own by moving plenty of dirt around.