Help!!! Baby chameleon hind legs bleeding.

[rango32]

There were three of them in the same cage? Your larger female could turn on the smaller one at any moment and do the same thing. Just because they've been fine doesn't mean they are going to stay that way. It really is safest for each chameleon to have their own enclosure!

Yes, I was told they would be fine by the previous owner (obviously not) so I took the other baby out and put her in a separate cage also just to be safe.

 

[jajeanpierre]

Thanks everyone. After he was bit we put him in a separate cage we already had but we put him in with our other chameleon who is about 8 months (I was told my baby is about 4 months but to me he seems younger) because it is a larger cage and the person we bought him from said they would be fine (which was obviously very bad advice). I didn't think they were broken because he can move them just doesn't use them much. Does he need to go to some kind of exotic reptile vet? I live in a small town in Texas not too many vets around with chameleon experience. I will upload some pics.

I live in Texas. Where in Texas are you? Your poor baby needs to see a vet. There obviously was a lot more damage than you at first thought.

 

[rango32]

south texas I found one on the north side of San Antonio its called Ten West Bird And Animal Hospital

 

[jajeanpierre]

Use my vet. I'll PM you.

 

[JaniP]

Oh gosh, poor baby
Please separate that other baby now! Do not buy more chameleons than cages!
Good luck. I hope you make it to the vet in the morning

 

[rango32]

Oh gosh, poor baby
Please separate that other baby now! Do not buy more chameleons than cages!
Good luck. I hope you make it to the vet in the morning

Thanks I'm calling first thing in the morning and headed that way. They are all in separate cages already.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

ferretinmyshoes, Is it povoiodine or povidone iodine? Is Neosporin safe for him?

Povidone iodine is probably the right name to look for. The other one is a brand name I think. Neosporin is okay but not my favorite being a petroleum based product - it doesn't allow the wound to breath very well.

 

[bobcochran]

I thought current thinking was open wounds didn't need to breath, hence super glue as a bandaid?
What are your thoughts?

Povidone iodine is probably the right name to look for. The other one is a brand name I think. Neosporin is okay but not my favorite being a petroleum based product - it doesn't allow the wound to breath very well.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

I thought current thinking was open wounds didn't need to breath, hence super glue as a bandaid?
What are your thoughts?

A clean uninfected wound can get sealed over. These are not clean uninfected wounds most likely and as such when you seal them over with something like a petroleum jelly substance you are creating an anaerobic environment which then allows some pretty nasty bacteria to grow. So something that "breathes" will not promote that kind of environment.

 

[jajeanpierre]

A clean uninfected wound can get sealed over. These are not clean uninfected wounds most likely and as such when you seal them over with something like a petroleum jelly substance you are creating an anaerobic environment which then allows some pretty nasty bacteria to grow. So something that "breathes" will not promote that kind of environment.

What are your suggestions? Would the same product in a cream be better? (Please recommend something I can put on birds as well as chameleons! I had a hawk tear up a hen of mine very recently and she has an open spot on her back about the size of my hand exposing muscle, fat and one spot down to the bone. Lucky hen. Really really lucky hen.)

 

[Pascal28]

I really hope he is ok good luck man

 

[jpowell86]

Thank you so much you have been so much help hopefully we can find an open vet ASAP.

Hey @rango32, any updates on the little one??

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

What are your suggestions? Would the same product in a cream be better? (Please recommend something I can put on birds as well as chameleons! I had a hawk tear up a hen of mine very recently and she has an open spot on her back about the size of my hand exposing muscle, fat and one spot down to the bone. Lucky hen. Really really lucky hen.)

The neosporin cream (I forget they had a cream version) would be better than the ointment. My favorite is silver sulfadiazene - antibacterial, antifungal, promotes wound healing.

 

[jajeanpierre]

The neosporin cream (I forget they had a cream version) would be better than the ointment. My favorite is silver sulfadiazene - antibacterial, antifungal, promotes wound healing.

Thanks Dayna. I'll try to get some to keep on hand. The hen still lives and has even laid eggs. Chickens are incredibly tough. Lucky lucky lucky hen.

 

[Spags]

WOOW. That does not look good. It looks like the entire lower part of his body is bruised. And from the look of the wound afterwards I would say it might be infected. I would def follow what Ferret has to say

Ouch. Unfortunately you learned the hard way why chameleons have to be kept by themselves. She did a number to him. Even if she didn't cause the open wounds she still did a good amount of damage. The open wounds are either the direct result of her bite and it just took a day or two for the full damage to show its ugly head because of damage to the blood supply or infection, or crickets nibbled on him too. I'd be leaning toward the first to at least some degree. He needs to be on antibiotics asap. In the meantime you can use povoiodine that you can find at your local grocery or pharmacy store and dilute it with water until it just looks like tea. Dip a qtip in that and gently clean the wounds to try to keep them from getting any more infected. Can he use his back legs? If not then it doesn't look good for the little guy.