Karma TheChameleon
New Member
My sweet, little baby died on Oct. 3rd. Karma had been going through bouts of not eating in the last few months. Thanks to this forum, I received great tips on what to do. I followed them and he started to eat again only to eventually stop eating. It was odd because he would look at the food and seemed interested but he just wouldn't eat no matter what insect I put before him.
He was drinking more than usual and I figure that was due to his lack of protein. I noticed Karma was becoming a bit lethargic and at times, even a bit dizzy. I could see he was getting weaker and a visit to the vet was imminent.
At the vet, I must say I was unimpressed how he handled my baby. The moment the vet took him from my hands Karma immediately reacted aggressively. It took everything in my being not to grab Karma back and leave.
The vet asked if Karma was throwing up and I looked at him in bewilderment because Karma never had. I knew, instinctively, that there had to have been something with his stomach or digestive track that Karma knew himself and he must have known that eating was no longer an option.
Anyway, the vet did notice that Karma had the beginning stages of a mouth infection which the vet said could be due to too much moisture. I figured that was because he wasn't eating and was drinking more and more and staying in the cage when misting, which I had increased, hoping that the water would somehow make him get better.
The vet insisted that his not eating was due to the lack of UVB rays, which I know was not the case. Again, advice given to me here I know he had plenty of UVB which I changed regularly every 3-4 months. The vet gave us some "Sunshine" (vitamin D) and some food supplements as well as an antibiotic and two different creams for his mouth.
The moment we brought Karma home, we followed the vets instructions and not even an hour after, poor Karma had threw everything up. He threw up again the next day and he immediately had become so lethargic he wouldn't even move. I made a little bed for him with a pillow case so he could sleep in because he was so weak, he couldn't hold on to his branches strong enough anymore. By day 3, Karma succumbed and left us. He hadn't been able to swallow anything. I also was wondering why the vet gave us chicken stuff...it was on one of the labels...don't ask me now because I threw everything out hastily in my grieved state.
I was left so heart broken, my partner was unable to console me. It has been 16 days and I still cannot function properly. I am grateful that Karma knew he was loved. He let us do what the vet said we needed to without aggression or any resistance.
Karma was only one and a half years old but I swear we had bonded so close. He trusted me and knew me and would climb onto my hand with trust. He was happy, he had the most beautifully, protected free range room and was the happiest little guy in the world. On beautiful hot days he would get direct sunshine outside for hours at a time and on other days would hang out in front of his window for hours. That was his favorite spot.
I do not even know why I am writing this, I guess I need to talk about him or maybe I am looking for some answers as what could have possibly gone wrong with my baby. Could he have had cancer or something? Could he have been sick and no matter what I did, it was only a matter of time? Did I do something wrong? Was bringing him to the vet the worst thing I could have done? He declined so rapidly after the vet that I wonder if all that stuff they gave us made him worse?
He died in my hands that Saturday morning, in his little pillow case bed. We tried feeding him that morning and he started to turn black around his face. I immediately picked him up and tilted his head downwards where the food ran out of his mouth. He couldn't swallow and he had been suffocating. Colour came back and he was still alive but we could tell his breathing was not regular. Every now and then he would open his mouth for air. Then he let out this tiny little sound, like a whimper and then he was gone. I will never forget that soft, desperate sound.
I cry now even as I write this, just thinking of him slipping away right before my eyes and nothing I could do to stop it. I knew I wasn't going back to the vet, that was for sure. I just wanted him to be calm, comfortable and close to me so he knew he was not alone. That I was there with him, we both were.
I guess I am writing here today because I know that you all understand the depth of love one could have for these beautiful and amazing creatures. But I know that people look at me with this confused look when they see how affected I am over his passing. As if they cannot understand how I could be so attached to a "lizard". But I was and they ask me if I am going to get another one and say, "No". I don't think I could go through that pain again. I also don't think that I want to "replace" Karma, because he is irreplaceable. He had a personality. He was the joy in my life.
Even going in his room is hard. I took down mostly everything because it was too hard seeing everything and not seeing him. They ask me why I don't just get another one because of all the thousands of dollars I spent creating such a rainforest for him. But my heart is still broken. I think I am also afraid of getting another chameleon because I take responsibility for him and his death. As if I could have done something more. My partner says I am just beating myself up and that I did everything and more for him but there you have it.
He was young, I had expected to have my Karma for seven years and even said to my partner that Karma is so happy, I bet he would live till he was nine. I did the research, I asked the questions but he still faltered by simply not eating. I am sure he was ill. But Karma was smart and strong and fought till the end. We buried him and he lies with us, here still.
Here is his final resting place.
One more question...has anyone else lost a chameleon under two years old?
He was drinking more than usual and I figure that was due to his lack of protein. I noticed Karma was becoming a bit lethargic and at times, even a bit dizzy. I could see he was getting weaker and a visit to the vet was imminent.
At the vet, I must say I was unimpressed how he handled my baby. The moment the vet took him from my hands Karma immediately reacted aggressively. It took everything in my being not to grab Karma back and leave.
The vet asked if Karma was throwing up and I looked at him in bewilderment because Karma never had. I knew, instinctively, that there had to have been something with his stomach or digestive track that Karma knew himself and he must have known that eating was no longer an option.
Anyway, the vet did notice that Karma had the beginning stages of a mouth infection which the vet said could be due to too much moisture. I figured that was because he wasn't eating and was drinking more and more and staying in the cage when misting, which I had increased, hoping that the water would somehow make him get better.
The vet insisted that his not eating was due to the lack of UVB rays, which I know was not the case. Again, advice given to me here I know he had plenty of UVB which I changed regularly every 3-4 months. The vet gave us some "Sunshine" (vitamin D) and some food supplements as well as an antibiotic and two different creams for his mouth.
The moment we brought Karma home, we followed the vets instructions and not even an hour after, poor Karma had threw everything up. He threw up again the next day and he immediately had become so lethargic he wouldn't even move. I made a little bed for him with a pillow case so he could sleep in because he was so weak, he couldn't hold on to his branches strong enough anymore. By day 3, Karma succumbed and left us. He hadn't been able to swallow anything. I also was wondering why the vet gave us chicken stuff...it was on one of the labels...don't ask me now because I threw everything out hastily in my grieved state.
I was left so heart broken, my partner was unable to console me. It has been 16 days and I still cannot function properly. I am grateful that Karma knew he was loved. He let us do what the vet said we needed to without aggression or any resistance.
Karma was only one and a half years old but I swear we had bonded so close. He trusted me and knew me and would climb onto my hand with trust. He was happy, he had the most beautifully, protected free range room and was the happiest little guy in the world. On beautiful hot days he would get direct sunshine outside for hours at a time and on other days would hang out in front of his window for hours. That was his favorite spot.
I do not even know why I am writing this, I guess I need to talk about him or maybe I am looking for some answers as what could have possibly gone wrong with my baby. Could he have had cancer or something? Could he have been sick and no matter what I did, it was only a matter of time? Did I do something wrong? Was bringing him to the vet the worst thing I could have done? He declined so rapidly after the vet that I wonder if all that stuff they gave us made him worse?
He died in my hands that Saturday morning, in his little pillow case bed. We tried feeding him that morning and he started to turn black around his face. I immediately picked him up and tilted his head downwards where the food ran out of his mouth. He couldn't swallow and he had been suffocating. Colour came back and he was still alive but we could tell his breathing was not regular. Every now and then he would open his mouth for air. Then he let out this tiny little sound, like a whimper and then he was gone. I will never forget that soft, desperate sound.
I cry now even as I write this, just thinking of him slipping away right before my eyes and nothing I could do to stop it. I knew I wasn't going back to the vet, that was for sure. I just wanted him to be calm, comfortable and close to me so he knew he was not alone. That I was there with him, we both were.
I guess I am writing here today because I know that you all understand the depth of love one could have for these beautiful and amazing creatures. But I know that people look at me with this confused look when they see how affected I am over his passing. As if they cannot understand how I could be so attached to a "lizard". But I was and they ask me if I am going to get another one and say, "No". I don't think I could go through that pain again. I also don't think that I want to "replace" Karma, because he is irreplaceable. He had a personality. He was the joy in my life.
Even going in his room is hard. I took down mostly everything because it was too hard seeing everything and not seeing him. They ask me why I don't just get another one because of all the thousands of dollars I spent creating such a rainforest for him. But my heart is still broken. I think I am also afraid of getting another chameleon because I take responsibility for him and his death. As if I could have done something more. My partner says I am just beating myself up and that I did everything and more for him but there you have it.
He was young, I had expected to have my Karma for seven years and even said to my partner that Karma is so happy, I bet he would live till he was nine. I did the research, I asked the questions but he still faltered by simply not eating. I am sure he was ill. But Karma was smart and strong and fought till the end. We buried him and he lies with us, here still.
Here is his final resting place.
One more question...has anyone else lost a chameleon under two years old?
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