DanoHeinkel
Member
Your Chameleon - Male Ambilobe Panther, 3 years old. 7” N/V; 198 grams. I bought Mingo 3 years ago from Kammerflage Kreations when he was about 2 months old. I’ve had a stellar experience with Kammerflage!
◦ Handling - About once every 2 weeks.
◦ Feeding - 10-12 Crickets and every other days and a few Dubia Roaches and horn worms once per week. Cricket and Dubia Gut loading using cricket crack, Oranges, Melon, Zucchini, Carrots, Apples, sweet potatoes, dandelion, kale and spinach. I try to have cricket crack, one veggie and one fruit in the cricket enclosure at all times.
◦ Supplements - Repashy CalciumPlus (with every feeding), Fluker’s liquid vitamin supplement (one per week for the last 2 weeks; vet reccommended). I’ve had a tenuous relationship with supplements due to Mingo’s history with Gular Edema (read more below)
◦ Watering - 1 nozzle Mist King system set to shower 10 minute at 8:30; 3 minutes at 12:30, and 4:30.
◦ Fecal Description - Stool is firm with white urate. Had a smear and float done last week: negative for bacterial infection and parasites.
◦ History - Mingo had a long bout with Gular Edema about 2 years ago (at age 9 mo.). His edema and subsequent tongue issues lasted for about 8 months. In that span of time, I took him to 4 vets until I found one that has had experience with herps. We did a blood test, altered his lighting, gave him antibiotics, and finally a regimen of calcium and Fluker’s Reptile Vitamin Supplements. After a few months on supplements, the edema and tongue issues subsided. My best guest (and the educated guesses of many on this forum) was that he had Hypovitiminosis A. Still can’t tell for sure though. Here are the threads detailing those issues:
#1: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/difficulty-treating-edema.162932/
#2: https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...dema-and-tongue-problems.164159/#post-1418590
He was perfectly healthy for about a full year.
Cage Info:
◦ Cage Type - 24x24x48 all screen enclosure. Pictures below.
◦ Lighting - 100 watt zoo-med basking bulb; 12” zoo-med t5 HO 5.0 UVB bulb. Lighting is on a 12 hour timer (7am-7pm).
UV bulb is 12” from his highest perch.
◦ Temperature - Cage floor sits about 75°, with the basking spot at 88° (Measured using digital thermometer and laser thermometer). Lowest overnight temp is 72°.
◦ Humidity - Humidity ranges from 45% to 65% after mistings. Measured using a digital hydrometer.
◦ Plants - 2 Pothos, 1 Croton Nervia, 1 Schefflera.
◦ Placement - Mingo’s enclosure is located in a large laundry room that that doesn’t receive much foot traffic. The air vent is across the room, about 6’ away. The top of the enclosure is 7’ from the ground.
◦ Location - Nashville, TN.
Current Problem - For the last 8 months, Mingo has shown signs of increasing weakness. It's gotten worse in the last month: he doesn’t like to traverse his cage as much, he is slow to react to visual stimulus, he slowly slips down his sleeping branch at night, and he has been laying on his stomach during basking with his legs dangling from the branch (pictured below). He stays pretty dark in color. He is still eating well, though not with the strong appetite he has had in the past. Mingo looks thinner than he ever has (with ribs and spine visible). All of this has me very, very concerned. I'm afraid if something doesn't happen soon, he may not make it.
I have been to the vet 3 times in the last few months to search for answers but the vet (who has been very helpful and knowledgeable in the past) has been unable to help. He keeps saying that his best guess is that Mingo is going into brumation. Fecal floats at each appointment yielded negative results for bacterial and parasitic infections. At my first appointment, he gave me liquid calcium supplements to be given to Mingo twice per week and recommended I begin supplementing with the Fluker’s Liquid Vitamin Supplement again. I continued through the 2 week regimen that he prescribed and stopped. I started him on the same regiment about a week ago.
Clarifying questions are welcome; any help you could offer would be so appreciated!
◦ Handling - About once every 2 weeks.
◦ Feeding - 10-12 Crickets and every other days and a few Dubia Roaches and horn worms once per week. Cricket and Dubia Gut loading using cricket crack, Oranges, Melon, Zucchini, Carrots, Apples, sweet potatoes, dandelion, kale and spinach. I try to have cricket crack, one veggie and one fruit in the cricket enclosure at all times.
◦ Supplements - Repashy CalciumPlus (with every feeding), Fluker’s liquid vitamin supplement (one per week for the last 2 weeks; vet reccommended). I’ve had a tenuous relationship with supplements due to Mingo’s history with Gular Edema (read more below)
◦ Watering - 1 nozzle Mist King system set to shower 10 minute at 8:30; 3 minutes at 12:30, and 4:30.
◦ Fecal Description - Stool is firm with white urate. Had a smear and float done last week: negative for bacterial infection and parasites.
◦ History - Mingo had a long bout with Gular Edema about 2 years ago (at age 9 mo.). His edema and subsequent tongue issues lasted for about 8 months. In that span of time, I took him to 4 vets until I found one that has had experience with herps. We did a blood test, altered his lighting, gave him antibiotics, and finally a regimen of calcium and Fluker’s Reptile Vitamin Supplements. After a few months on supplements, the edema and tongue issues subsided. My best guest (and the educated guesses of many on this forum) was that he had Hypovitiminosis A. Still can’t tell for sure though. Here are the threads detailing those issues:
#1: https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/difficulty-treating-edema.162932/
#2: https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...dema-and-tongue-problems.164159/#post-1418590
He was perfectly healthy for about a full year.
Cage Info:
◦ Cage Type - 24x24x48 all screen enclosure. Pictures below.
◦ Lighting - 100 watt zoo-med basking bulb; 12” zoo-med t5 HO 5.0 UVB bulb. Lighting is on a 12 hour timer (7am-7pm).
UV bulb is 12” from his highest perch.
◦ Temperature - Cage floor sits about 75°, with the basking spot at 88° (Measured using digital thermometer and laser thermometer). Lowest overnight temp is 72°.
◦ Humidity - Humidity ranges from 45% to 65% after mistings. Measured using a digital hydrometer.
◦ Plants - 2 Pothos, 1 Croton Nervia, 1 Schefflera.
◦ Placement - Mingo’s enclosure is located in a large laundry room that that doesn’t receive much foot traffic. The air vent is across the room, about 6’ away. The top of the enclosure is 7’ from the ground.
◦ Location - Nashville, TN.
Current Problem - For the last 8 months, Mingo has shown signs of increasing weakness. It's gotten worse in the last month: he doesn’t like to traverse his cage as much, he is slow to react to visual stimulus, he slowly slips down his sleeping branch at night, and he has been laying on his stomach during basking with his legs dangling from the branch (pictured below). He stays pretty dark in color. He is still eating well, though not with the strong appetite he has had in the past. Mingo looks thinner than he ever has (with ribs and spine visible). All of this has me very, very concerned. I'm afraid if something doesn't happen soon, he may not make it.
I have been to the vet 3 times in the last few months to search for answers but the vet (who has been very helpful and knowledgeable in the past) has been unable to help. He keeps saying that his best guess is that Mingo is going into brumation. Fecal floats at each appointment yielded negative results for bacterial and parasitic infections. At my first appointment, he gave me liquid calcium supplements to be given to Mingo twice per week and recommended I begin supplementing with the Fluker’s Liquid Vitamin Supplement again. I continued through the 2 week regimen that he prescribed and stopped. I started him on the same regiment about a week ago.
Clarifying questions are welcome; any help you could offer would be so appreciated!
