heartbroken, my other baby passed away

[aksdgff]

i dont know how many of you have followed my troubles with my two chams that i bought from a pet store at repticon about a month ago. first, i bought a female, who i absolutely fell in love with the second i met her. then after some thinking, decided that i wasn't up for the egglaying and wanted her to go to someone with more knowledge than me. so i went to the pet store and turned her in for a male. well, my male was nothing like cam. he was skinny, pale, and not active. after just a few hours with him, i determined that he had to have an URI, and got him to a reptile vet immediately. the vet said he had never seen a cham this small, but that he didn't think it was an URI. he shot him with fluids and sent me on my way. lokni died the next day. this broke my heart, but i had kind of seen it coming.. the pet store did nothing to help me. said it could have been the vets fault.

now, a few days ago, i noticed my female (cam) keeping her eyes closed. in those few days it went from every now and then to keeping them completely shut and not eating/drinking as much. when she did this, i quickly found a different reptile vet that i felt very confident about taking her to. her appointment was today at 3. I came home from work at 7 last night to find her laying in the back of her cage, not moving, and all purple colored.

i wish i had gotten her vet attention sooner. i posted on here about here and did what was recommended as far as raising her heat.

ever since i brought her home, i noticed her eye looked kinda funny. when she looked backwards, her left eye seemed to almost have a bubble near the front of her. since she was so healthy and active, i figured that it was just normal. is this a sign of an infection?

im so angry with the pet store and myself. and this has unfortunately ruined chameleons for me. only for the fact that cam was so special to me. i dont want another, i just want cam back.

 

[mcbdz]

If the eye didn't look right then it could have been I sign of illness.
Sorry you have had such bad luck. I wouldn't give up totally but, would step back and see all that has gone wrong. Since they died so quickly they were either ill before you got them or something is seriously wrong with their encloser. Start from scratch and do lots of research. Post all your info on here for review. Most important would be, if you decide to get another one get it from a breeder on here and have everything perfect before it arrives. Post lots of pics of setup and all brands.
So sorry this has happened to you. You really sound like you could make a great keeper if you had a healthy one to start with. Keep us posted with whatever you decide.

 

[aksdgff]

thank you! i would definitely go through a reputable breeder if i were to get another. i've posted my set up on all of the sick-help! posts, and for the most part, i got good feedback. a few tweaks here and there were needed. and i didnt have my live plant in there yet.

 

[slinko9]

Sad story indeed!!!
I agree with mcbdz,,,start over and get everything perfect,,research till your eyes bleed,,then find a breeder for your next cham!!!
Similar situation happened with my first cham(RIP Jimmie),,,bad advice from unknowledgeable pet store knowitalls,,,and too long to find a vet that sounded like they even knew what a chameleon was!!!!
I must say,,,,I still love my Jimmie,,,,and my Guber is not a replacement,,,but a whole new set of challenges,,,which I have become more schooled at to deal with!!!!
Found a vet that i believe has a good amount of knowledge,,,and joined the best forum on the whole internet to learn about and deal with chams and their special needs!!!!
Dont quit on them,,,,If you loved one you can love another and keep Cam close to your heart!!!!
Good Luck!!! And Look Forward To Meeting The New Love Of Your Life Soon!!!!

 

[MollyT]

I am so sorry to hear about Cam! I was really hoping she was going to pull through. I had a similar experience with my first cham that you had with Lokni. He was so small! I couldn't believe it. The breeder said he was 'almost' 3 weeks. I think he was closer to 1.5. Anyway, he only lived 10 days with me. Never really ate. It's heartbreaking, I know. I hate to think of you being ruined with chameleons over this. I just got my new guy a week ago and it is a world of difference. I can't feed him enough! A good breeder makes all the difference in the world(but from your last post you already know that). You were a great cham mom. I could tell that by reading your posts about you little ones. I hope you will have a change of heart, but I can understand if you don't. It is awful going through that. Again, I am so sorry little Cam didn't make it.

 

[Elizadolots]

I"m so sorry.

 

[ChameleonMom]

So sorry to hear of your losses, they are devestating! When I lost my first veiled after 3 years...I was away at the time and the person I hired to look after her didn't give her water for 5 days during the hottest time ever recorded in Vancouver!! By that time, it was too late, her kidneys were shot from severe dehydration and I had the misfortune to see her quickly go downhill once I arrived home. Some 'welcome home', eh? It took me a long time to get over losing her as it was my fault for hiring such a lame brain who wasn't qualified to care for her. Trust me, that knowledge HURT and still does if I dwell on it but I waited till my heart could handle it, and only then did I dive in and get my male veiled, Camo who I've now had for 4 years. I also found a wonderful couple who run a reptile boarding business out of their home and trust them completely to care and love my chams when I'm on vacation.

Don't give up! Learn from your mistakes...do more research and when you can handle it emotionally, go ahead and get another. Chameleons need those of us who are dedicated and care about them....and most of all, love them!

 

[aksdgff]

thank you all so much! it means a lot. after having a good cry, i thought about it and i hope to be able to own another chameleon in the future. in the meantime, i will continue to grow my live plant and purchase more. ill tuck all of her supplements and stuff away until then.