well my pork chop is about 8 months old. he is a blue bar. last week he started leaving his 1 rear leg just hang off the branches(it kinda looked swollen) well now its like his front is doing the same thing. i took him to vet could not find anything really wrong. he thought that he was in good health and that maybe he was not metabolizing calcium properly. told me to give these 3 doses of metacam, and give him a few showers. well i have not given him any cal on his cricketts for awhile. so this morning i found him on the bottom of the cage with him tail wraped on a branchs. it did not seem that he ate anything so i hand fed him several cricketts.. i really do not want to to die.. and this is not like him to sit in one place all day with his head resting like hes asleep. don
help with pork chop please!!
- Thread starter bentvalve
- Start date
Julirs
New Member
Wow-his name is pork chop? Please answer the following using brand names and pics if possible...
Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.
pork chop
i called him pork chop because at 4months he was bigger that the one i had for a year and half.. so he is eight months. he is a blue bar ambilobe. i got a huge all screen cage for him(its the 1 that zips up and the frame is made of pvc pipe.)i have a zoo med 10.0 uvb light and a 100w sun glo tight beam baskin light.im sure i need to change it cause it was colder in the winter.cause the temp are up abit. but usually they are 80 at basking site then he can move all of to cool off if he needs too. at nightit will drop around 70ish.the only way i guess i can help with the humidity is when i mist him. when i mist him he will drink from the leaves and branches. i have no live plants or bushes at this time.. (i need to direction on that). location of cage is in my computer room, not really a high traffic room,no fans..i turn the uvb light out at night. and i guess that when i changed ovewr to the sun glow i did not get a night light(im sure that would help..)i usually feed him12-15 cricketts at a time.(i use the cal dust, and yes i think im using to much i was dusting every day)i gut load the cricketts with bee pollen, and the flukers gut load and use the water stuff too. as far as watering goes i mist him several times a day, i have a habba mister(i think its junk) makes a bigger mess than its worth.he pooped at the vets office the other day and he said it looked normal other than he said it looked like he didnt fully digest a crickett. he has not had any problems for the last few months always on the move till night time. then he would curl up and sleep and i would turn lights on at 6 in morning lights out at 7-8.
my concern with him is that he has a swollen leg and he has fallen off of branches, and sleeping on the bottom of the cage,not sure he was eating.(i hand fed him 10 or so today. and the doc gave me stuff called metacam. don
i called him pork chop because at 4months he was bigger that the one i had for a year and half.. so he is eight months. he is a blue bar ambilobe. i got a huge all screen cage for him(its the 1 that zips up and the frame is made of pvc pipe.)i have a zoo med 10.0 uvb light and a 100w sun glo tight beam baskin light.im sure i need to change it cause it was colder in the winter.cause the temp are up abit. but usually they are 80 at basking site then he can move all of to cool off if he needs too. at nightit will drop around 70ish.the only way i guess i can help with the humidity is when i mist him. when i mist him he will drink from the leaves and branches. i have no live plants or bushes at this time.. (i need to direction on that). location of cage is in my computer room, not really a high traffic room,no fans..i turn the uvb light out at night. and i guess that when i changed ovewr to the sun glow i did not get a night light(im sure that would help..)i usually feed him12-15 cricketts at a time.(i use the cal dust, and yes i think im using to much i was dusting every day)i gut load the cricketts with bee pollen, and the flukers gut load and use the water stuff too. as far as watering goes i mist him several times a day, i have a habba mister(i think its junk) makes a bigger mess than its worth.he pooped at the vets office the other day and he said it looked normal other than he said it looked like he didnt fully digest a crickett. he has not had any problems for the last few months always on the move till night time. then he would curl up and sleep and i would turn lights on at 6 in morning lights out at 7-8.
my concern with him is that he has a swollen leg and he has fallen off of branches, and sleeping on the bottom of the cage,not sure he was eating.(i hand fed him 10 or so today. and the doc gave me stuff called metacam. don
Dave Weldon
Avid Member
Howdy Don,
Going down the list first...
1.) Mfgr and model of your UVB 10.0 and in particular is it a linear tube or a compact?
2.) Many keepers have found that flood rather than spot basking light perform their intended task better. 50W-100W will work depending on the distance. Use a Temp Gun to measure actual skin temp whenever possible to better understand heat levels. (Ex: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93984)
3.) Misting/hydration is often a critical issue. Be sure that he drinks all that he wants. You may have to mist more heavily and longer and maybe directly with warm water to be sure that he is fully tanked-up.
4.)For live plants, I like Schefflera (Umbrella Plant).
5.)Run your UVB and basking lights together for about 12 hours a day.
6.) No nighttime light or heat is necessary. You may consider a ceramic heater if the nighttime temp is going to be below 60F.
7.) What brands and types of dusts are you using. We usually use Ca w/D3, w/o D3, and vitamins.
8.) You'll want to add fresh veggies from one of the gutload lists...
9.) How long do you mist?
10.) One reason that a cricket might not be fully digested is low body temp.
11.) Post a few good photos of the leg. I'd like to see what this swelling really looks like. (Broken, gout, infection, MBD...)
12.) "Metacam is classified as an NSAID (Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory) and in the US is indicated for management of pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis in Dogs." So basically the vet gave him a pain reliever.
What part of the world are you located?
hey
well i changed the way i light the cage. night light and day light(so he got to bed at a decent hour) but this morning i found him on his branch upside down. im getting ready to mist him with the warm water..im going to take him out side to sit in the sun for a bit and mist him out there. don
well i changed the way i light the cage. night light and day light(so he got to bed at a decent hour) but this morning i found him on his branch upside down. im getting ready to mist him with the warm water..im going to take him out side to sit in the sun for a bit and mist him out there. don
man!!
this guy sure does not look good to me.he is dark right now. i have not seen him eat today or drink. i did have him outside sunin then i hooked up my mr. mister.. that thing is a joke.. anyway i filled the bucket with nice warm water and had it on for like 1/2 hour.. brought him back inside and he has been in the same spot all day now he has 3 legs off his branch..i really do not know what to do..help don
this guy sure does not look good to me.he is dark right now. i have not seen him eat today or drink. i did have him outside sunin then i hooked up my mr. mister.. that thing is a joke.. anyway i filled the bucket with nice warm water and had it on for like 1/2 hour.. brought him back inside and he has been in the same spot all day now he has 3 legs off his branch..i really do not know what to do..help don
From your description of this chameleon he is not well at all and you need to take action ASAP or I don't think he will be with you long.
If the vet thought that the chameleon might not be metabolizing its calcium properly did he tell you that you needed to address that issue ASAP? Did he test to see if that is the problem?
If the vet thought that the chameleon might not be metabolizing its calcium properly did he tell you that you needed to address that issue ASAP? Did he test to see if that is the problem?
hmmm.
no he did not tell me what to do. he gave me 3 doses of metacam told me to give it to him every other day and charged me $50. and he told me not to dust the cricketts everyday (yes that is my ignorance), he also told me to make sure my uvb lights are good. make sure he is drinking enough water. i know i sound pretty freaked out,but this guy was all active at the vets office. i hope its the metacam that makes him so lathargic. don
no he did not tell me what to do. he gave me 3 doses of metacam told me to give it to him every other day and charged me $50. and he told me not to dust the cricketts everyday (yes that is my ignorance), he also told me to make sure my uvb lights are good. make sure he is drinking enough water. i know i sound pretty freaked out,but this guy was all active at the vets office. i hope its the metacam that makes him so lathargic. don
The vet is concerned about the chameleon not metabolizing the calcium well but he tells you to cut down on the dusting??
To use the calcium in its diet its important to have the appropriate basking temperatures to allow for proper digestion, the appropriate exposure to UVB so that the chameleon can produce D3 and appropriate amount of calcium in its diet. I don't know if there can be other causes for chameleons not to metabolize the calcium or not...I'm not a vet.
As for the swelling in the leg, its not normal for the leg to look like that and I don't understand why the vet didn't deal with it.
I do know that his symptoms (swollen leg, hanging upside down, sitting on the bottom of the cage, falling, three legs off the branch are indications that something is seriously wrong (as I have already said)....and I do think that he won't be with you for very long if nothing is done.
To use the calcium in its diet its important to have the appropriate basking temperatures to allow for proper digestion, the appropriate exposure to UVB so that the chameleon can produce D3 and appropriate amount of calcium in its diet. I don't know if there can be other causes for chameleons not to metabolize the calcium or not...I'm not a vet.
As for the swelling in the leg, its not normal for the leg to look like that and I don't understand why the vet didn't deal with it.
I do know that his symptoms (swollen leg, hanging upside down, sitting on the bottom of the cage, falling, three legs off the branch are indications that something is seriously wrong (as I have already said)....and I do think that he won't be with you for very long if nothing is done.
shedevil7953
New Member
In a situation like this, would it be humane to freeze the cham if getting to a vet is not an option?
Thanks.
Thanks.
chamlover
New Member
How familiar is this vet with chams? Or reptiles? I wouldn't wait another day, he may not be around. Call and get an emergency visit, if need be with another vet would be my suggestion. Chams go downhill really, really fast, and that is what it sounds like to be happening with him. If you cannot afford or for whatever other reason to immediately get him to the vets, maybe you can let someone on the forum that lives next to you and would be willing to take on the expense and challenge, adopt him. At this point doing nothing for another day may be too late!!!!
Debby
Debby
