eye issues??

[SKITTLES]

Went to a vet to check for eye issues, because he had his eyes closed and and turrets werent full. I have been giving him showers and vit A supplement. I also replaced the mercury bulb with a 5.0 tube and heat bulb. Today he had both eyes open with both turrets full (after 1 day of everything corrected).
The vet suggested eye medication other than the terramyacin (which I have yet to use) and said that skittles had nematoads and pin worms that should be treated. Should I be worried about the parasites and should I use the terramyacin, gentamicin sulfate, or nothing for the eyes? Thanx guys!!

 

[ChromaChameleons]

I won't comment on the eye medication, since your vet had a first hand look and has 6 years more training than me, ( I have zero..haha), but regarding the parasites, i would treat them .

I assume your vet will prescribe Panacur also known as Fenbendazole(sp). It is effective and very mild as far as toxicity goes . Better to treat for parasites than to leave them alone.

Good article om Panacur...http://www.chameleonnews.com/year2002/july2002/panacur/panacur.html

 

[PardalisGirl]

Good Vet Visit......

I'm glad you took him to the Vet. Finding the parasites is important. Did he give you Pancur medication to treat them? That would be standard for nematodes. Did the vet see anything in the eye that concerned him? They have a special scope to look at the surface of the eye. He may have seen something you can't see yourself. Gentamicin is good too. I suggested the Terramycin because it is over the counter. Gentamicin is prescription only. Save the Terramycin. It's handy to have it on hand. I would put the Gentamicin in as instructed. It stings a little so he will close the eye after you put it in. Drops can be a bit hard to get in there so good luck on that. You may need some patience. Keep up the showers since they seem to have helped too. Did he suggest a follow-up fecal check after the parasite treatment?

 

[SKITTLES]

To be honest with you, the doctor tried to charge me $150 for all the treatment, visit, vit a shot,gram sample, and fecal sample. He is the type of herp vet in it for the money and is known for this. I did not even ask for a gram sample and he tried to charge me for it. On the form a read a post where some one had the same situation as me and they were giving him supplements of V-A already and the doc gave him a shot and he died. So I refused to inject him. He also manhandled I felt bad. I have been to this vet before for my female that got so sick she died and I think he messed her up.I got into an arguement with the vet saying he was trying to charge me to much and that the parisites were found in all chameleons and is becuase I feed him crickets and the shot was unnecessary also becuase I was supplementing him. So I left and didnt pay for anything. I am going to make an appoint me for a different vet. Should I use the Terramycin ointment in the meantime on his eye? Also do you agree that the parasites will come and go? Also those eye drops I have are from my past away female can these be infected?

 

[dodolah]

parasites won't go without treatment. they get worse.
so, you need to take care of that.

 

[MWheelock]

Skittles,

Wow, what can I say.

If the vet didn't tell you how much you were looking at for a bill beforehand, he should be more considerate.

As to him being in it for the money, he's obviously not doing a very good job. Instead of seeing your reptile, that generally takes twice the time as a dog or cat, he could have generated $600-$700 by seeing two other patients. (My guess is that a plumber would charge you more for his time than was charged by that vet.) Most vets that see herps do it because it is interesting, not because it is profitable.

I was not there, but I should tell you, that if you alienate a herp vet, breeder, or forum member, you should be aware that the community is quite small.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

This is not directed at anyone....just something I feel like I need to say, and this thread seems an appropriate location for the comment.
Contrary to popular belief, vets are not millionaires. running a medical operation for animals is a very expensive endeavor. There are exceptions to every rule, but for the most part I believe these professionals keep the welfare of animals a priority and aren't out to gouge you.
As the operator of a small business myself, I am acutely aware of the cost of doing business, and my mission to offer my clients the best value/service for their $. My margins are very small and I'm still having to charge $160.00 + for a haircut and highlight.
Unfortunately, having an animal like a chameleon means you have to go to a somewhat specialized professional and cannot take advantage of a low cost clinic.
It is one of the things to be considered when deciding to keep these animals.

-Brad

 

[PardalisGirl]

Hmmmmmmmmmm......

If one has financial concerns about the cost of a vet visit, it is definitely best to discuss this early on. This applies to dogs, cats and reptiles. The cost you stated for this visit was very reasonable. An initial visit for each individual always cost more because it takes time to establish the history of the new patient. Add on an eye issue and fecal check and you quickly get up to the amount you stated.

As for your female dying previously. Treating reptiles is always and iffy business even with the best vets. They are not as hardy as a dog or cat. Their life span in the wild is not all that long. They are naturally prone to a number of serious issues. The practice of treating reptiles in general is not as well established as it is for dogs and cats. And when you get to less common reptiles, like chameleons, that base of knowledge is even smaller. You don't know for sure that the vet was responsible for your females death. I have what I consider is a most excellent vet. He has not been able to save quite a few chameleons I brought to him, simply because they had a condition that could not be corrected. We always tried though. Owners often contribute to the death by not taking the animal to the vet soon enough. That happens a lot.

I am a bit upset that you would leave the office and not pay him anything for his time and effort. He is owed something. I am though extremely concerned about your chameleon. You CAN NOT leave the parasites alone. They must be treated with Panacur. Animals in the wild do have these parasites. But they have a greatly shortened life span too. I hope you can can put your feelings about this vet or the cost of things aside for a moment and put your chameleon's health first. It is completely dependent on you for it's very life. It can't help itself. If you do not want the responsibility of caring for it, then tell us were you live. I'm sure someone on this forum would be happy to take it and do what is necessary. I will, myself, pay you to ship it to me. I will get it the care it requires myself if you will not. I am sorry to be so hard on you. I never intentionally try to hurt anyone. I just hope you will put the chameleon first.

 

[lonomac]

I only paid about 150 for the same exact problem you are having. Cham had eye issue plus Nematodes. That was all for the antibiotic/Panacur/and worm removal. I thought it was a decent price considering. Of course my cham died hours later, but still...

 

[SKITTLES]

Matthew Wheelock "DVM", I did not ask you for your opinion of the vet, if you are so knowledgable answer the ? posted on the forum....Hear let me help you Should I use the Terramycin ointment in the meantime on his eye? Also do you agree that the parasites will come and go? Also those eye drops I have are from my past away female can these be infected?

 

[PardalisGirl]

Answer..........

The parasites will not come and go. They may cause weight lose and a lowered immune system. Secondary issues like the eye issue may continue to crop up as a result. You also risk infecting other chams and other pets within your household. They need to be treated with Panacur. Go ahead and use the Terramycin.

 

[SKITTLES]

I would also like to comment that he asked me to leave and not waste his time anymore so I would have payed but he insisted I left. He left me waiting in the room for an hour while he intervewied someone for a desk job. I am located in Gainesville, FL if you have a problem with my actions go there yourself All Creatures Vet. and I bet you will find yourself overpaying for someone to overdose your cham with vit a shots. This forum is not about the vet visit, rather the healther of my chameleon. I am waiting to get a fecal sample to take him to the next vet and get him treated for his parasites.

 

[kinyonga]

You asked..."Should I be worried about the parasites"...they can lead to "purulent, ulcerative, and inflammatory lesions and different sites of the body due to larval migration"...and can lead to malnutrition, blockage, etc. depending on the species to some extent.
http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:...ematodes+AND+damage&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=26&gl=ca

You asked..."should I use the terramyacin, gentamicin sulfate, or nothing for the eyes?"...if your chameleon has an eye infection then it should be treated. If you don't know if it has an infection then you should find out...and if it does you should treat it.

 

[SKITTLES]

Thank you for all your posts every comment helps. I am starting the terramyacin ointment with a shower today. Also my friend owns a repti store and is ordering me pancur. So we will see if this is sufficient. Does anyone think I should disinfect his cage? Also the vet told me to put him on a rotation of dusting, he said dust twice a week and switch of every week using Multi, Vit-d, and Calcium. Whats your opinions on the best diet?

 

[PardalisGirl]

Disinfect cage.....

You will be treating with Panacur for three days in a row. Then you have to disinfect the entire cage, including plants. Then you wait two weeks and treat with Panacur three days in a row again. Then you disinfect the whole cage again. This process usually solves it. Severe infestations require a third round but it does not sound like your situation is severe. Also Pancur comes in a huge syringe tube that is meant to treat a horse. You are going to have to dilute it to the proper amount/strength for a tiny chameleon. Let us know when you get the Panacur so we can help you with the dosing. You also need a syringe (no needle) to administer the dose.

 

[SKITTLES]

Thank you! I have a a syringe that I used on the sick female is it ok to use if I disinfect? I should be gettin the panacur in the next three days if you know of any online source please let me know.