Hermie is sick :(

[Eric Adrignola]

Let me add this.

Veileds growth rate is partially dependant on how much food they get.
If they get mroe food, they grow faster. If they get less, they grow
slower. If they get TOO MUCH, they grow TOO FAST.

I have always fed modrate amoutns, and used repcal with d3. never
had MBD.

Well, a couple years back, I ordered two 1 month old females from a
breeder - they were huge. Bigger than my 2 month olds. they grew
faster too - in a month, they were bigger than my 4 month olds!

All the while, they were right under a new reptisun 5.0 bulb, and
recieved repcal with D3, cut with D3-free minerall, every few days.
Plus, I had them exposed to unfiltered sunlight a few times.

Before the 2 month mark was up, they went to jelly. One female was
so severley deforemd, she couldnt' eat. The other recovered, but had
complications. There was NOTHING I could have done, aside fro
mputting them outside int he sun full time.

If you fed him repcal with D3 like you said, I don't suspect overdose.
Not in such a young animal. I think he was growing too fast, and there
was little you could do.

I think this might have been the case as he was eating WAY too much,
even for a growing chameleon.

Best thing to do is get him some sunlight, and some neocalglucon drops.
UVB tubes are helpful, but not strong enoguh to set his bones quickly
enough - use them but don't count on them alone.

 

[Jam]

Well, I just wanted to give a little update on Hermie.

I had been keeping the top off of his aquarium, to help keep the air flow better, bc I figured that there was no way he could get out -- all he had was a bed of blankets and pillows at the bottom of it. There were a few pieces of rolled up paper that I put in there for him to clamp his little mittens around (he seemed much happier that way). I ended up taping one to the side of the aquarium (going about 3/4 of the way up, just bc that was how long it was) bc it was the only good angle for one of his splinted legs to hold it at. Well, upon arriving home yesterday Hermie had somehow (I still don't know how with his broken and splinted legs -- mind you he can't properly walk around his cage even with his legs splinted, bc one is splinted to the side of his body due to breaking it just below the shoulder, so he kind of crawls around) climbed his way up to the top of it, and had one little mitten attached to the top of his cage! I couldn't believe it -- it was just a piece of rolled up computer paper!

So, we surely are not out of the woods yet, but I think that might be a good sign.

His cage now has a screen top on it.

 

[Shelby]

Maybe his name should be Hermie Houdini!!! He must be feeling pretty good if he's crawling around all over the place. You go Hermie!! :^)

 

[Jam]

Hermie's silk worms came in today, and he ate about 5 of them. How many do you guys usually feed your chameleons a day??? He is not interested in crickets right now.

On the positive side he ate it off of a spoon today -- it's the first time that he's used his tounge to catch the food since he got sick. Before this he has just been opening his mouth like a little bird for us to drop the worms in.

I also noticed that he has lost weight, and is getting skinny. I'm not sure how concerned I should be about this. I mean he is eating on a daily basis -- he was eating like 7 wax worms a day (bc it was the only kind of worm that he had until the silks came in and he didn't want any crickets), and today he ate 5 silks and one wax. So, I'm not sure if I should just be remotely concerned bc he's eating and chalk it up to him being sick or if major warning bells should be going off??

 

[Jam]

Just wanted to give a new update on hermie. He went in for his recheck today and is still just plugging along. He had his splints reset, and was given some subQ fluids. Last night he started to look really pale, and I think that it's because he was dehydrated (he wont drink on his own yet, we still have to syringe water in him).

THey weighed him, and he hasn't lost any weight (it's possible he gained a few grams, but it's hard to tell with his bandaging, what is real weight gain, or what's due to bandages).

In another two weeks they are going to xray him to see if he has gained any bone density and to see how his breaks are healing.

 

[Prism Chameleons]

What a little trooper he is! And I give cheers to you for working so hard with him. Keep up the good work. I hope to hear he is all better soon and it is great he is eating.

I wonder if you should perhaps try some flies (put in refrigerator to immobilize them some so they don't fly) to add to his nutritional value in his feeders? Plus, they are small so it would be easier to help him eat them. Just a thought. I know waxworms don't have much nutritional value to them, but do help with the weight issues.

Maybe some others have suggestions for additional feeders for Hermie since he won't eat crickets to give him more nutrition? There are also flies that can't fly that you can purchase, although, I have some ordered and they are backordered right now .