Help Chameleon Sperm plug

[RoryLikesChameleons]

Hi, I noticed my chameleon stopped pooping for a day or 2 now and then i check his butt and saw a what i think looks like a sperm plug i tried to take it out as it looked dried up but when i did there it was still attached inside and there was blood in the part that was not exposed from the anus and he pulled it back in my chameleon has been healing from a burn for awhile now hes been on silver sulfadiazine and it looks to be healing quite well now, but my question is this something i should take to the vet or is it possible to get it out at home?
I will attach a picture below the burn is on top of the anus

(My chameleon is a 2 year old male veiled chameleon)

 

[Beman]

If it were me this would be a trip to the vet... Normal sperm plugs that they expel are quite small. Almost look like a thick hair when they get stuck in the vent. Those come out without issue. But when you see thick chucks like this it could mean a partial prolapse... or an impacted sperm plug from not shedding them normally. Either way these are not things I would mess with on my own. Get normal KY jelly. The plain kind and smear it all over that so it moistens up. You do not want this drying out and creating more issues. And get him into a reptile vet.

 

[RoryLikesChameleons]

Ok thankyou i will take him tommorow

 

[RoryLikesChameleons]

do you know any alternatives to KY jelly?

 

[RoryLikesChameleons]

If it were me this would be a trip to the vet... Normal sperm plugs that they expel are quite small. Almost look like a thick hair when they get stuck in the vent. Those come out without issue. But when you see thick chucks like this it could mean a partial prolapse... or an impacted sperm plug from not shedding them normally. Either way these are not things I would mess with on my own. Get normal KY jelly. The plain kind and smear it all over that so it moistens up. You do not want this drying out and creating more issues. And get him into a reptile vet.

do you know any alternatives to KY jelly?

 

[Beman]

do you know any alternatives to KY jelly?

You can do a sugar water solution and hold the cotton pad to it to see if it softens and shrinks. But it looks pretty dry right now which is why I would lean to the KY.

@kinyonga do you know the mixture ratio for the sugar water?

 

[RoryLikesChameleons]

You can do a sugar water solution and hold the cotton pad to it to see if it softens and shrinks. But it looks pretty dry right now which is why I would lean to the KY.

@kinyonga do you know the mixture ratio for the sugar water?

what is the worst case scenario that will happen from this? (The sperm plug)

 

[Beman]

what is the worst case scenario that will happen from this? (The sperm plug)

I do not know that it is an impacted sperm plug... IF it is an impacted sperm plug they will soften it and remove it carefully.
If it is a partial prolapse then that is much worse. It means the tissue that is supposed to be on the inside where it stays moist is now on the outside where it dries out and dies off. Typically resulting in surgery to remove the dead tissue so it does not cause further die off.

 

[RoryLikesChameleons]

I see i will take him to the vet to get him checked out

 

[kinyonga]

You can do a sugar water solution and hold the cotton pad to it to see if it softens and shrinks. But it looks pretty dry right now which is why I would lean to the KY.

@kinyonga do you know the mixture ratio for the sugar water?

I think it's a saturated sugar solution that is used. Make sure it's not hot when you use it. It's only good for decreasing swelling although being a liquid would likely soften too.

If it's not a sperm plug pulling it out without a vet would not be a good idea IMHO. It might be something that is not supposed to be coming out.

 

[MzLaurie11]

Below are pics of a large sperm plug that my boy had. It feels like maluable wax except the exposed part which is hard. On the day it appeared, i sent pics to the vet cause i had chemo and couldnt bring him in immediately. she said not to worry it was not an emergency. I put ky on it vasaline
May work too and wrapped the tail At sleep time so it wont dry out till i was well enough to travel ti the vet. i removed the wrap the next morning and got things ready to go to the vet. when i went to get him he held into a branch for dear life and it popped out on its own! Males cham penis has two heads. Each one lays on each side of the vent and as you can see from the pic, both heads seep sperm so a plug can form rather quickly. only the rounded top was exposed at the vent and it is the biggest part. The rest is flat and tapers. You may be able to work it out slowly but if i saw blood i would be apprehensive. After its out it shrinks and hardens. also he had no urates only liquid till it was out then all returned to normal. Please keep us posted.

 

[RoryLikesChameleons]

hi guys luckily it was actually a sperm plug and it wasnt a prolapse and the vet removed it. Thank you guys for the help i really apreciate it

 

[Beman]

hi guys luckily it was actually a sperm plug and it wasnt a prolapse and the vet removed it. Thank you guys for the help i really apreciate it

Good to hear. So now ensure hydration is on point. Sperm plugs can build up like that when a chameleon is not properly hydrated. They have to be able to shed them each time or you get the large plug that they can not expel.