FREAKED OUT! Opinions

[Tanya77]

So, Many of you may remember me from when I first got my chameleon Spike, He's a Jackson Chameleon and turned 1 year old this past June! He has been doing really well, happy as all get out, does his famous escapes and all, ate as normal until something strange about him struck! I was horrified and couldn't even bare to look at him because how heart broken I was because he looked horrible, it happen fairly fast! I immediately put a call into the exotic veterinarian but the doctor was out on vacation and finally got a call back today saying that they wanted me to bring him in tomorrow at 11:00! I am in the middle of moving to Michigan. Being I am moving, it's a 10 hour trip to where we're going and I was worried about him being without his lighting but they told me, he'd be fine for a few hours without and if he's in a car, he will get the sun he needs.

He has a lump on the side of his face under his eye and his lower jaw is sort of sagging. I don't understand this because I give him his calcium DAILY and once a month give him the D3. I however am not sure how much this is going to cost, and def worried that it may be something that he's stuck with and will gradually get worst in time. I am really nervous to take him in scared as to what kind of news I am going to get! Please, Please let it be nothing more then JUST an infection! I also have him sitting in front of the window so that he does get some extra sun on top of his light, I also take him outside and we do walks together! I just don't understand what happen to him! I did stop feeding him the older crickets and put him back on the younger crickets as they are smaller and softer and easier for him to eat, I put 5 to 6 of those smaller ones in his cage to ensure he's getting enough! His bulbs have been changed and it CAN'T be a issue with a Calcium deficiency!

Have you all seen this before in Chameleons? What is it? He can still eat/drink and does open his mouth when doing those things so he doesn't have a fracture to his jaw!


Tanya

 

[nobrate]

I don't understand this because I give him his calcium DAILY and once a month give him the D3.

Unfortunately I'm not sure what is happening to poor Spike, but I might suggest that you actually reduce the calcium to 1-2 times per week. While it is normal to supplement a Panther or Veiled that much, Jackson's, are more sensitive to oversupplementaion. Hope you find out what's going on

 

[Seiryu]

Looks like a very serious temporal gland infection. He needs to see a vet ASAP. The usual medicine administered for this is Baytril. You will need to keep him hydrated and fed on this.

My Jacksons had a temporal gland infection, although not nearly as bad as this. He did pull through. Baytril ended up not working in his case, another drug did. I can't recall the drug off the top of my head, but will try to remember it.

As far as him not getting UVB for 10 hours, that is fine. They can go days without UVB with no issues as long as it isn't a recurring thing. UVB doesn't pass through windows, so he won't get any uvb in the car unless he's sitting in sunlight through an open window.

I am in Michigan, if you need a reptile vet recommendation I can try to help! Depends on where you're moving to!

 

[carol5208]

Yes, I agree with the above and it does appear to be an infection.Jackson's seem to be prone to them. Looks like it might have spread up into his jaw. Vet is a must or he is gonna go downhill.

 

[Seiryu]

Ceftazidime was the medicine that eventually helped rid of him his infection. It might be worth mentioning to your vet to see their opinion. Hopefully they can culture it and find out which will work best! He was on this for 6 weeks. These were injections, not oral. I alternated back legs.

Good luck at the vets, hoping he pulls through!

 

[pigglett79]

Unfortunately I'm not sure what is happening to poor Spike, but I might suggest that you actually reduce the calcium to 1-2 times per week. While it is normal to supplement a Panther or Veiled that much, Jackson's, are more sensitive to oversupplementaion. Hope you find out what's going on

It is very hard to over do plain calcium as it is water soluble. I dust all feeders that have a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio such as crickets and roaches. My Jackson is very healthy. It does appear to be an infection that needs a vet asap.

Calcium supplementation is not necessarily about how many times a week, but more about what feeders you are giving. You could possibly overcome the ratio w really good gut loading, but plain calcium dusting is fine. If you don't want to give calcium daily you could give another feeder that doesn't have a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio such as silk worms.

 

[nobrate]

It is very hard to over do plain calcium as it is water soluble. I dust all feeders that have a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio such as crickets and roaches. My Jackson is very healthy. It does appear to be an infection that needs a vet asap.

Calcium supplementation is not necessarily about how many times a week, but more about what feeders you are giving. You could possibly overcome the ratio w really good gut loading, but plain calcium dusting is fine. If you don't want to give calcium daily you could give another feeder that doesn't have a poor calcium to phosphorus ratio such as silk worms.

I still would dial down calcium supplementation for a jacksons, even if it won't build up and is less likely to cause toxicity it's still having to be processed by the body and oversupplementation just hastens "aging" or in better terms organ failure. And agreed it is absolutely about the C ratio (Incase anyone reading doesn't know, ideally you're looking for a 1:1 but Phosphorous levels always tend to be high naturally except in the case of some things like silk worms.) With crickets and roaches it's still always better to gutload well instead of dust. SOURCE: I work in a zoo closely with both reptiles and nutrition research.

 

[Video Master]

Here is the supplementation part of the Jackson care sheet. It only says to supplement a couple times a week.

Supplementation:
Calcium and other vitamins are very important to your chameleon's health. Feeder insects should be lightly dusted with powdered supplement before being fed to your chameleon. As a montane species (native to higher altitudes) Jackson's have decreased supplementation requirements compared to tropical species due to metabolism differences. Use calcium (without D3 or phosphorus) twice a week, a multivitamin once a month, and calcium with D3 once a month.

 

[Tanya77]

Spike doesn't have an Calcium deficiency and is healthy other then the infection in his mouth from being injured during eating of a cricket! The doctor told me, things looked fine and to keep him on the antibiotic for 10 days and that the side of his face where the shot was given will turn black which it has! His eye is still swollen, put a call into the doctor this morning and he said, that would be expected because the shots were administered below the eye, along the jaw line - he said the swelling should go down a little at a time, however keep a eye on it! Spike is a little under weight due to the infection and not wanting to eat due to it being painful, I had changed over to the baby crickets and drop 4-5 in and check on him 10 minutes later and what's left over, I take out and put back in my cricket container - he also said, beemoth worms, those are also soft without a shell, he said avoid shelled crickets ALL TOGETHER! I was thinking of pulling the legs off the crickets and taking the wings/shell off the top of them but that would be too much work!

At the moment I am going to continue to do what I was doing all a long with Calcium - how however said the D3 is provided with the lighting, so I really didn't need to provide that monthly AS I was directed on this site to do so!

Spike has been sleeping quite a bit, but I am sure it's because he's got an infection and is not very well! I am sure he will beginning to move around more as soon as the infection is taken care of! I tell you this it's VERY challenging dispensing medicine into his mouth by pulling down on his chin flap, being careful that I don't break the bone in there that controls the tongue! But Spike and I manage!

Spike a doo is my baby - Will go to the limits for him!

 

[Yak]

glad to read your baby is doing fine.

I was told calcium is only 2-3 week.
I give them sun daily

let me know how it goes.

 

[deadhd5]

Good luck getting Spike well.

As you realize this has nothing to do with plain calcium.

Keep us updated,you guys will be in my thoughts.

 

[pigglett79]

I'm glad you were able to get help from the vet. I hope he has a speedy recovery.

 

[Seiryu]

What antibiotic did your vet prescribe? And only 10 days, seems weird to me. Infections like this can take many weeks to get rid of.

Make sure you are getting food and water into him. The medicine needed for this kind of infection takes a toll on them.

 

[pigglett79]

I still would dial down calcium supplementation for a jacksons, even if it won't build up and is less likely to cause toxicity it's still having to be processed by the body and oversupplementation just hastens "aging" or in better terms organ failure. And agreed it is absolutely about the C ratio (Incase anyone reading doesn't know, ideally you're looking for a 1:1 but Phosphorous levels always tend to be high naturally except in the case of some things like silk worms.) With crickets and roaches it's still always better to gutload well instead of dust. SOURCE: I work in a zoo closely with both reptiles and nutrition research.

Just to clarify, my Jackson gets plain calcium about 3 times a week. This is because some days he does not eat and some days he eats food that does not have a poor C ratio. My point was that its not a set day/week equation, its more complicated than that. Just like D3 isn't just a # of times per month equation, you also need to consider other factors such as time in natural sun which may reduce this supplementation to 0. Gut loading can also reduce need for multivitamins. I just hate to see the # times parroted without considering the various other factors that might change that schedule.

 

[deadhd5]

Just to clarify, my Jackson gets plain calcium about 3 times a week. This is because some days he does not eat and some days he eats food that does not have a poor C ratio. My point was that its not a set day/week equation, its more complicated than that. Just like D3 isn't just a # of times per month equation, you also need to consider other factors such as time in natural sun which may reduce this supplementation to 0. Gut loading can also reduce need for multivitamins. I just hate to see the # times parroted without considering the various other factors that might change that schedule.

Exactly...