Icefyre's dead!

[BIGGUN]

I came home from my son's baseball tourney to find Icefyre dead. He's been fine with no signs of any trouble at all. He's been fed crickets and dubias for quite a while now. I've been supplementing cal/no D3 M,W,F and rotating cal/w D3, Minerall and Herptivite on Saturdays. He has been hunting and eating regularly and has been drinking every time his dripper is on.

I've noticed nothing unusual at all.

After looking closer he had a cricket in his mouth when he died?????? Doesn't that seem a little sudden?

HOW FRUSTRATING!!!!

AAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!

It's so disheartening

Kevin

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Kevin. How shocking. I am so sorry for your loss.

Hopefully someone here with experience in sudden unexplained chameleon death can help figure out what happened.

Did it look like the cricket was caught in his throat? Was it a large adult cricket?

 

[BIGGUN]

It was a 5/8 to 3/4" cricket feeds on larger dubias and never even flinched.
It was bit in half and fully in his mouth but not down his throat.

Thanks,
Kevin

 

[mczoo]

sorry to hear that man.....how old was he?

Sean

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I know it can be maddening. He was a beautiful animal too. Don't you have some offspring from him? That doesn't help with the shock and pain right now, but perhaps it will be a comfort to you in time.

 

[BocaJan]

I am so sorry to hear of your loss. These little guys really pull your heart strings.

 

[royden]

I've watched headless crickets live for a day. Maybe a squirming, half bitten, cricket lodged itself into his airway in the lower part of the mouth. Chameleons really only need to get their food passed that spot in the mouth to avoid choking. I think it's definately a sign that he died with a cricket in his mouth.

Sorry man!

 

[BIGGUN]

I do have 78 viable eggs from him and one of my females. She just layed the last 30 last Sunday. I hope that his wonderful genes show through and I come up with another vivid blue and red male.

Thanks again,
Kevin

 

[Justin Carl]

Wasnt he a wild caught?

 

[BIGGUN]

No. My other male, Rhocasygoth, is the W.C. male. Icefyre was CBB.

Kevin

 

[jannb]

So sorry to hear about your loss.

 

[VerteX]

I'm sorry to hear. It sucks when it happens so suddenly.

 

[Kat77]

Wow, Kevin, I am so sorry. He was gorgeous. I definitely hope that you hatch one with his same gorgeous characteristics.

 

[dodolah]

Sorry for your loss, man.
Biggun, if you have the gut to do it, i say this warrants for necropsy.

 

[mary prefontaine]

vet

maybe you can ask your vet what happened to him? ya think?

 

[BIGGUN]

My vet isn't very good with chams.....It took multiple visits and a lot of arm twisting to get the female that was having problems treated right.

As for the necropsy he was too much of a pet to do that......it gave me the heeby-jeebies just touching him when he was dead. He's already buried with the rest of the pets.

Kevin

 

[reptimom]

Sorry to hear about Icefrye but I know he's in Chameleon heaven without a care in the world and all the bugs he can eat!!

 

[Menton]

I am so very sorry to hear of your loss, truly upsetting.

 

[Dean Pulcini]

Sounds like he choked on the cricket that will happen chameleons are pigs and don't chew like they should.

 

[gregdabender]

Im really sorry to hear about that....