jaimeerosko
New Member
Hi everyone.
Lucki passed away today. He had been fragile and delicate since the day I picked him up. I almost lost him on day one, he slept most of the Friday and Saturday after the Thursday night I brought him home. He was dehydrated when he arrived and uninterested/afraid of the water and food offered at first; he was so tiny that the smallest cricket I could find to feed was still too big for him. I found fruit flies and some small worms for him after receiving suggestions from members here. I followed the "Panther Chameleon Care Sheet" from this website almost exactly. I'm not really sure if his health had already been compromised when I got him or if something else happened while in my care.
A week ago, he closed his right eye for good. We went to the vet the next day and they flushed the eyeball and gave me some eyedrops to take home. The vet said his health and activity was great overall. His alertness, appetite, tailcurling, and general vigor for life seemed enthusiastic and promising. A few days after our visit, his energy seemed to decline. I'm not sure if it was the stress of the visit, the eyedrops, or something else altogether.
I want to thank the few people who have taken the time to read and respond to my questions that I have posted here. I know that a lot of people want new forum users to use the search button (which I do), but it was much appreciated to get real time responses to my specific questions versus generic or incomplete solutions.
I hope whatever happened to Lucki wasn't something I did to him. I consider myself a Doolittle and take care of people's pets for a living. I have a Great Dane and two specialty breed cats that I rescued and nursed back to health after their former owners had given up on them. I've nursed newborn reindeer when their mothers rejected them, I have kept successful aquariums of unusual fish and have helped others save their fish from the verge of death. I now have an absolute newfound love and interest in chameleons and I hope to one day parent another, though the thought of losing one again sounds pretty horrible.. Especially at such a young age.
Lucki was (allegedly) 3-4 months old when I brought him home. He was less than an inch long and weighed about as much as a paperclip. At the vet, at 4-5 months old, he weighed exactly one gram and was hardly any longer, but certainly hardier. The vet estimated his age at 3-4 weeks due to his tiny stature; no one in the office had ever seen a chameleon so small, they all took photos with him while they warmed him up after we arrived from the drive there.
For such a little bitty guy, he certainly made a big difference in my life. He had so much personality, and had been my whole world during the time he was here. I had a tremendous amount of love for this tiny little lizard that came to me for such a small amount of time. He brought me so much joy; he was so brave and inquisitive. Seeing my baby chameleon eagerly hunt tiny fruit flies was probably one of the cutest and most joyous experience I have had as a mom.
I am so, so sad and heartbroken over this.. Lucki left a tiny hole in my heart today. When you see your lizard loves today, give them a few more moments of extra appreciation, and an extra mist and a cricket or two, from me. <3
I will be burying Lucki somewhere nice sometime tomorrow. :'(
Lucki passed away today. He had been fragile and delicate since the day I picked him up. I almost lost him on day one, he slept most of the Friday and Saturday after the Thursday night I brought him home. He was dehydrated when he arrived and uninterested/afraid of the water and food offered at first; he was so tiny that the smallest cricket I could find to feed was still too big for him. I found fruit flies and some small worms for him after receiving suggestions from members here. I followed the "Panther Chameleon Care Sheet" from this website almost exactly. I'm not really sure if his health had already been compromised when I got him or if something else happened while in my care.
A week ago, he closed his right eye for good. We went to the vet the next day and they flushed the eyeball and gave me some eyedrops to take home. The vet said his health and activity was great overall. His alertness, appetite, tailcurling, and general vigor for life seemed enthusiastic and promising. A few days after our visit, his energy seemed to decline. I'm not sure if it was the stress of the visit, the eyedrops, or something else altogether.
I want to thank the few people who have taken the time to read and respond to my questions that I have posted here. I know that a lot of people want new forum users to use the search button (which I do), but it was much appreciated to get real time responses to my specific questions versus generic or incomplete solutions.
I hope whatever happened to Lucki wasn't something I did to him.
I consider myself a Doolittle and take care of people's pets for a living. I have a Great Dane and two specialty breed cats that I rescued and nursed back to health after their former owners had given up on them. I've nursed newborn reindeer when their mothers rejected them, I have kept successful aquariums of unusual fish and have helped others save their fish from the verge of death. I now have an absolute newfound love and interest in chameleons and I hope to one day parent another, though the thought of losing one again sounds pretty horrible.. Especially at such a young age. Lucki was (allegedly) 3-4 months old when I brought him home. He was less than an inch long and weighed about as much as a paperclip. At the vet, at 4-5 months old, he weighed exactly one gram and was hardly any longer, but certainly hardier. The vet estimated his age at 3-4 weeks due to his tiny stature; no one in the office had ever seen a chameleon so small, they all took photos with him while they warmed him up after we arrived from the drive there.
For such a little bitty guy, he certainly made a big difference in my life. He had so much personality, and had been my whole world during the time he was here. I had a tremendous amount of love for this tiny little lizard that came to me for such a small amount of time. He brought me so much joy; he was so brave and inquisitive. Seeing my baby chameleon eagerly hunt tiny fruit flies was probably one of the cutest and most joyous experience I have had as a mom.
I am so, so sad and heartbroken over this.. Lucki left a tiny hole in my heart today. When you see your lizard loves today, give them a few more moments of extra appreciation, and an extra mist and a cricket or two, from me. <3
I will be burying Lucki somewhere nice sometime tomorrow. :'(
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