Help!

[clefyo]

My vieled chameleon's tail has become really hard and dry at the tip...It's turning blackish and I'm really worried...I changed the lights and feed him a wide variety of worms, crickets, fruit, and some veggies. He's about 2 and half. I hope someone has some advice- I'm really worried
P.s I attatched a picture, it's a little blury- but I tried the best i could to get a good shot.

 

[sharkey]

sounds like it is time for a vet visit - especially if you are worried that the tip is dying. could become infected.

 

[jannb]

A vet check up would be a very good idea.

 

[Kat77]

Yeah, you've really got to get to a vet. It is extremely debilitating for a chameleon to lose part of his tail but if it gets infected, he could lose the whole thing. A vet visit, tomorrow, is really necessary. Make sure it is with a vet who is familiar with chameleons, or at the VERY least, herps genearlly.

 

[chamlover]

It's really hard to tell by the picture. Can u get a better one? I've had a couple with necrosis either from shedding or burning, but with that pic i can't see anything. Of course i think old age is getting to me as well.

Debby

 

[Dave Legacy]

Is that a burn? Looks like it could be one.

 

[Dave Weldon]

My vieled chameleon's tail has become really hard and dry at the tip...It's turning blackish and I'm really worried...I changed the lights and feed him a wide variety of worms, crickets, fruit, and some veggies. He's about 2 and half....

Howdy,

I've seen this type of "tail tip necrosis" before. One was with a Meller's (I took it to the vet to help a fellow keeper) and another was with my ~6-7yr-old male Veiled. In both cases, the necrotic portion of the tail was surgically removed, under local anesthetic, by a vet. After all of the dead tissue was removed, the remaining healthy end was notched, leaving two tiny flaps of healthy skin that are folded over and glued with medical grade super-glue. In both cases, healing was rapid. Here’s one source of information pointing to a lack of vitamin A in the diet as a cause for tail tip necrosis (talk about your controversial subjects!) http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=17&cat=1796&articleid=3027

If your vet agrees that a lack of vitamin A is the cause of the tail necrosis then some sort of vitamin A dosing would be required. The latest edition of Dr. Mader's reptile vet book has a table listing dosages for treatment as well as dosages for maintaining normal levels. I listed those dosages from the book in several vitamin A threads on this site.

Here's one thread: https://www.chameleonforums.com/help-my-chameleons-tail-11481/

What part of the world are you located?

 

[arkist]

Listen to Weldon, get him to a vet.