Help, Cham needs help!

Anilr16

Anilr16

New Member
Okay people, so im almost positive my male Red Rudis has an upper respiratory infection. He OCCASIONALLY makes the cracking noise when he opens his mouth. It doesnt seem too bad yet, so im in luck that I caught it at an early stage. Here's my question, when I took my female Rudis last year to the vet, the vet gave me "Silver Sulfadiazine". Will that clear up the infection? He doesnt have mouth rot or anything, but seems to have lost his appetite:(
Another thing is his grip is alot less tighter, but still tight. He walks easily but somewhat slowly and more carefully. Anyone know what could be the peoblem? He has proper lighting and feeding etc. He's a WC too:eek:
Anyone know whats the deal with these two problems???
 
Oh and the Silver Sulfadiazine did help my female but I was wondering if anyone knew more about it? Thanks! All comments appreciated!
 
How are you going to use a topical cream to treat a respiratory infection? He needs oral or possibly even injectable antibiotics, not a cream. You'll need to see a vet so they can proscribe some meds for it.

Are you allowing their cage to dry out between mistings? Is their good airflow but no draft?

Chris
 
Chris, the way I use the Silver Sulfadiazine cream is as followed by the vets instructions: I am supposed to open his mouth with a q-tip and place it under his tongue and then take another q-tip without cotton on one side, then dip that side into some some silver sulfadiazine and basically place it under his tongue. Could the vet have mislead me?!?!?! Help!
Also, this is where I may have went wrong, I think back to when I first got him, and sometimes I wouldnt allow the whole area to dry out, thanks for that note Chris, ill keep that in mind!

And Chris, what do you mean "is there good airflow but no draft"?
He gets very good airflow with his cage, the screening is alot more wider than the cages from Exo-Terra, and other screen cages. Its a home made cage. I just dont get the draft part.
 
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This is how the vet told you to treat a respiratory infection? Respiratory infections need to be treated with something better then a topical cream applied to the oral cavity. To be honest, I've never heard of a vet recommending oral use of a topical cream like that, particularly for treating a respiratory infection. Silver Sulfadiazine cream is typically used to treat skin infections and burns, not respiratory infections, mouth rot or other internal infections. Who is your vet?

Chris
 
What Chris is trying to tell you is that the cream that is applied topicaly ( on your skin) will not do anything for bacteria that is within the body. This is why you should go back to the vet and get an antibiotic and a professional opinion.

You can't apply one perscription for another animals unless it is exactly the same, in which most cases it is not. Take your little guy into the vet please, it won't take much or long for him to go down hill fast.

What did your female have that needed Silver Sulfadiazine? I think you are talking apples and pears here. A draft is a current of air as oppose to still air. A good air flow is when you have a combination of the two.
 
The vet works at a Banfield at a petsmart on Alafaya here in Orlando. I know petsmart is not recommended but he is specialized in "Exotic animals" apparently. I only went there last year because he was all I knew in my area. The only reason I am asking sir, is because I still have some s.sulfadiazine left so thought id atleast ask questions now that im more aware.
 
AJA said:
What Chris is trying to tell you is that the cream that is applied topicaly ( on your skin) will not do anything for bacteria that is within the body. This is why you should go back to the vet and get an antibiotic and a professional opinion.

You can't apply one perscription for another animals unless it is exactly the same, in which most cases it is not. Take your little guy into the vet please, it won't take much or long for him to go down hill fast.
Click to expand...

I know AJA. Im looking for a vet in my area as we speak.
 
To answer your question, no, you should not use it for a respiratory infection. You didn't tell me what the vet was treating by having you apply a topical cream orally. I personally would never go back to this vet if that is how he is trying to treat internal infections and is supposedly an exotics specialist.

Chris
 
Chris Anderson said:
To answer your question, no, you should not use it for a respiratory infection. You didn't tell me what the vet was treating by having you apply a topical cream orally. I personally would never go back to this vet if that is how he is trying to treat internal infections and is supposedly an exotics specialist.

Chris
Click to expand...

I know I wont.
And last year when I had went to him, Mike Monge down at FL Chams told me "it sounds like a respiratory infection based on how your describing it". And my female also had problems shooting her tongue. I told the vet she had problems with the tongue and breathing..and he gave me s.sulf.
Ughh. Mike told me I needed something like Baytril?
Im so pist now that I look back on it. I cant believe the vet wrongly prescribed me meds!:mad::mad::mad:
 
Oh yeah, she also had some mouth rot, that he showed me. So I guess he was right giving me the silver sulf. for that infection. But I wanted to treat the respiratory infection too! He never said anything about that!
 
Wow...I'm very surprised the vet prescribed that treatment for a tongue issue and mouth rot. Very poor advice on his part. Did that animal survive?

Baytril is one of the meds that could be used to treat a respiratory infection. It can be given orally or by injection. You'll have to have a vet prescribe it and decide with you which is best.

Chris
 
Anilr16 said:
Oh yeah, she also had some mouth rot, that he showed me. So I guess he was right giving me the silver sulf. for that infection. But I wanted to treat the respiratory infection too! He never said anything about that!
Click to expand...

the Silver Sulfadiazine cream is for the skin. not for mouth rot, RI, not to be use internal.
 
I have had sternfeldi in the past and I had an issue with the same thing that you are going through. That is one of the reasons I stopped trying to keep them. I'm pretty sure that it has to do with not enough humidity and low airflow. You really need to see a vet that knows something about chameleons since these are not a commonly kept species. I have only used Silver Sulfadiazine cream to treat bites or wounds in the past, never these types of issues. You will probably be prescribed an antibiotic, but you need to find out what it is first.
 
Thank you very much Chris, and im surprised now that I know what I really need. And my poor ol' female was gravid, still had the infection but I forgot to change her lightbulb(uvb). She slowly had small black dots on her body, then I came home one day to find her on the bottom of her cage slowly dying:/
I felt so dumb that she had died because I forgot to change her bulb. I thought your supposed to change her bulb in 12 months like it says on the exoterra packages but now I change it every 6-7 months for safety measures. Sorry if I come as a bad keeper, ive learned quite alot from the past. Like the difference between Hoenhelli and Sternfeldi! :p:p haha
thanks chris. and do you know if the black marks on her body days before death, were like stress marks???
 
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