Monty's tail may be paralyzed

SaintJimmy

Avid Member
Hello all.

Monty has not fallen since a couple months ago. There is no bruising or swelling on him. His tail is only slightly darker than the rest of him.

It hangs sort of limp with a curl at the end, but he doesn't move it at all. This maybe explains why he hasn't been moving the past day or so.

He does not react when I touch his tail. He does, however, react when I touch his foot, jaw, etc.

Please help. I may not be able to bring him to a vet on Christmas or around this time because it may be closed. I don't know. I will give my local vets a call to see if they are experienced with reptiles, or if they are even open soon.

I am very worried now. If anyone can give me a way to feed him (he is refusing food since three days ago) I would love that.

What do we suggest for the meantime?

I want to get a plastic tub, put a towel on the bottom, screen on top with some branches and things inside as well as maybe a shallow water dish if he needs it. Put his lights on top and gently set him inside.

That is my plan. Otherwise, I don't know what to do.

Here is a video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jj1U3gMPWP0

When I put him back in his cage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY-lhkbYWiQ&list=UUgrlGOCSOZIjAtlb6TSlMuA
 
Boosting this thread. I really need tips. Please help Monty and I get through this, I just need to know what to do for the next couple days until I can possibly get him to a vet.

People have looked at this problem and not replied and that disheartens me-- I just am so lost. I don't want his problems to become worse.
 
I've really never heard anything like this. I think that may be why you got no responses, which (as I know from experience) can be very worrying. I know of several chams who have had their tails removed, and recovered just fine. I really, really suggest getting him to a vet. Usually, there are emergency vets open 24/7 even on holidays, but they may not have the necessary experience. Try different stimuli on the tail in the meantime. Do not hurt him, but you could dip his tail in warm water, pinch it slightly (not enough to hurt, just more than a normal touch), and see what happens.

Feeding- Try different feeders. The food refusal could be related to the tail, or it might not. Flies are usually pretty enticing. He should be fine for about a week or so without eating, but that doesn't mean stop trying. You will probably get to a vet within the week. I think that the bin is a good idea, so that if this "paralysis" (I'm not sure what else to call it) spreads, he won't have far to fall if he does. Scratch the water bowl, set up a mini dripper. Vet needs to be top priority. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help.
 
Boosting this thread. I really need tips. Please help Monty and I get through this, I just need to know what to do for the next couple days until I can possibly get him to a vet.

People have looked at this problem and not replied and that disheartens me-- I just am so lost. I don't want his problems to become worse.

I don't know what to suggest, sorry. I wouldn't worry too much about not eating if he has good body condition overall. Just keep him hydrated and low disturbance so he's relaxed. He could have some soft tissue injury to his tail (it may not be a severe injury, but so hard to know either way) so he's not moving it around. A vet may be able to xray or scan it in some way to see if there's a fracture or a disc problem.
 
I will be gone the next couple days for christmas at my mother's. I told my dad if he notices ANYTHING strange, if monty is not using his hind legs, etc, to put him in a large bin with a soft towel and some bendy branches and such so he will not fall, and to clip his lights to it so he is able to bask.

I thank you both kindly for the responses, I am very distressed over this. Thank you for acknowledging this.
 
sorry Monty is having trouble :( I think in part no one may be saying anything because like me , we all feel bad for him, but dont really know how to help :( and dont want to make it worse -
but I also understand how upsetting it is to not be able to do anything to help your cham- do you know what caused this- or did it " just happen" for no apparent reason ?
 
I remember when Pete fell he had difficulty with his back legs which would grab onto his front legs and not let them go which is why he fell. I also seem to remember his tail not being as mobile as it had been but I am not really sure about that since I was really focused on his legs. When he fell he seemed to have hurt his back as he responded by withdrawing when ever pressure was put on it using a pinching motion. Unfortunately for Pete he did not survive his ordeal and I came to learn that he was having symptoms of MBD. If I recall correctly Monty has a history of MBD? Do you think it is possible he may have some nerve damage from this pre-existing condition? Is he falling from the improper use of his back legs? It could be an injury due to that.
I think a "hospital cage" might be beneficial with low branches etc. as you describe. Also I did not put a water dish per se in Pete's hospital cage but put a shallow dish with a sponge in it and had the dripper positioned above it. That way I could change the sponge frequently and keep the rest of the tank dry.
I am sorry you are having problems with your grumpy boy. I know how disheartening it is to do all the right things and still have things go wrong. I hope you can get him to a vet soon and the problem is something that can be fixed. Good luck and keep us posted. Also I agree that I would not worry too much about the hunger strike but do keep him hydrated.
 
I'm really hesitant to write this, but I am because you are so frantic. As others have mentioned, no one answered because we just didn't know.

I am not a vet nor a doctor, but I've bred Dachshunds and have had spinal surgery, so I know a bit about the spine and spinal impingement (pinched nerves).

Unless there is some disease that causes paralysis in chameleons, I would suggest that the paralysis you are seeing is mechanical and caused by some sort of an injury. It could even be something like arthritis.

I surmise that it is possible that if he has MBD, which will make all the bones weaker and more easily damaged, he could have fractured vertebrae as a result of a fall or rough handling (and if he has MBD, "rough" handling needn't be very rough--my mother in law broke her own ribs sneezing). I suspect MBD and osteoporosis in humans is pretty much the same disease when you get right down to it. Maybe different root causes, but not really very different to the organism affected. People with osteoporosis regularly fracture vertebrae in their spines. True, humans have a different weight load on their spines, but a simple fall or rough handling could cause a fracture. Fractures to the vertebrae will compress the spine or the spaces where the nerves leave the spine.

Does his tail have good blood flow--is it still alive? If the tail was not getting a good blood supply, it would be an emergency.

The prognosis for an animal that has paralysis caused by nerve impingement (pinching) is not very good without surgery. Anti-inflammatory meds might take the inflammation out of the area, but personally, I think once you have paralysis for more than a short period of time, it is too late and possibly permanent. No orthopedic surgeon has ever suggested to me that anti inflammatory medications would do anything to help my nerve impingement.

Decompression surgery of the spine is just not an option for a chameleon.

I doubt this is an emergency unless the blood flow to the tail is compromised. I certainly would take him in for a check up, but doubt the vet will be able to give you a lot of answers. The diagnostics available to the vet are pretty crude. An x-ray doesn't tell you much and you are certainly not going to send him for an MRI.

Unless there is an easily treated disease in chameleons that causes tail paralysis, my gut feeling is the vet will not be able to do a lot for you.

The treatment for Dachshunds with paralysis has been crate rest--basically they were confined to a crate for months. I believe the vets no longer recommend cage rest for paralysis in Dachshunds. but the area a Dachshund is affected is much higher up the spine than just the tail.

Can he use his back legs?

Good luck.
 
Poor Monty, I hope the vet can get it sorted out. Are his back legs functioning normally?

His back legs are fine, thank you for your concern. :)

sorry Monty is having trouble :( I think in part no one may be saying anything because like me , we all feel bad for him, but dont really know how to help :( and dont want to make it worse -
but I also understand how upsetting it is to not be able to do anything to help your cham- do you know what caused this- or did it " just happen" for no apparent reason ?

It just happened overnight. :(

I remember when Pete fell he had difficulty with his back legs which would grab onto his front legs and not let them go which is why he fell. I also seem to remember his tail not being as mobile as it had been but I am not really sure about that since I was really focused on his legs. When he fell he seemed to have hurt his back as he responded by withdrawing when ever pressure was put on it using a pinching motion. Unfortunately for Pete he did not survive his ordeal and I came to learn that he was having symptoms of MBD. If I recall correctly Monty has a history of MBD? Do you think it is possible he may have some nerve damage from this pre-existing condition? Is he falling from the improper use of his back legs? It could be an injury due to that.
I think a "hospital cage" might be beneficial with low branches etc. as you describe. Also I did not put a water dish per se in Pete's hospital cage but put a shallow dish with a sponge in it and had the dripper positioned above it. That way I could change the sponge frequently and keep the rest of the tank dry.
I am sorry you are having problems with your grumpy boy. I know how disheartening it is to do all the right things and still have things go wrong. I hope you can get him to a vet soon and the problem is something that can be fixed. Good luck and keep us posted. Also I agree that I would not worry too much about the hunger strike but do keep him hydrated.

I will keep you all updated. As far as I know he is hydrated and his back legs are fine.

I'm really hesitant to write this, but I am because you are so frantic. As others have mentioned, no one answered because we just didn't know.

I am not a vet nor a doctor, but I've bred Dachshunds and have had spinal surgery, so I know a bit about the spine and spinal impingement (pinched nerves).

Unless there is some disease that causes paralysis in chameleons, I would suggest that the paralysis you are seeing is mechanical and caused by some sort of an injury. It could even be something like arthritis.

I surmise that it is possible that if he has MBD, which will make all the bones weaker and more easily damaged, he could have fractured vertebrae as a result of a fall or rough handling (and if he has MBD, "rough" handling needn't be very rough--my mother in law broke her own ribs sneezing). I suspect MBD and osteoporosis in humans is pretty much the same disease when you get right down to it. Maybe different root causes, but not really very different to the organism affected. People with osteoporosis regularly fracture vertebrae in their spines. True, humans have a different weight load on their spines, but a simple fall or rough handling could cause a fracture. Fractures to the vertebrae will compress the spine or the spaces where the nerves leave the spine.

Does his tail have good blood flow--is it still alive? If the tail was not getting a good blood supply, it would be an emergency.

The prognosis for an animal that has paralysis caused by nerve impingement (pinching) is not very good without surgery. Anti-inflammatory meds might take the inflammation out of the area, but personally, I think once you have paralysis for more than a short period of time, it is too late and possibly permanent. No orthopedic surgeon has ever suggested to me that anti inflammatory medications would do anything to help my nerve impingement.

Decompression surgery of the spine is just not an option for a chameleon.

I doubt this is an emergency unless the blood flow to the tail is compromised. I certainly would take him in for a check up, but doubt the vet will be able to give you a lot of answers. The diagnostics available to the vet are pretty crude. An x-ray doesn't tell you much and you are certainly not going to send him for an MRI.

Unless there is an easily treated disease in chameleons that causes tail paralysis, my gut feeling is the vet will not be able to do a lot for you.

The treatment for Dachshunds with paralysis has been crate rest--basically they were confined to a crate for months. I believe the vets no longer recommend cage rest for paralysis in Dachshunds. but the area a Dachshund is affected is much higher up the spine than just the tail.

Can he use his back legs?

Good luck.

He can use his back legs, and his tail is not dead thank goodness. It's the third or fourth day now since it hasn't moved. It hasn't changed color since the first day. His tail has been slightly darker than the rest of him, but it is still getting blood. It is warm when he is warm and cold when he is cold. He reacts when I touch the base of it, but not the tip or middle.

Right now he is basking, and has been basking for a couple days. He doesn't move much though. He does go down to get food. I moved his food bowl up higher so he can actually see/get the food. He has attempted to get food but won't eat from my hand anymore.
 
I hesistate as I write this. Most users here know you and your history. So with this respect, I will treat you as such. I have possibly seen twice this tail lack of movement and lack of color changing. One was a jackson and the other a veil. Both passed, with no autopsy, so definitive answer is lacking. It took several weeks to a couple months to happen, but none the less they both passed. Of course, I hope for the best, but feel you should know the possible outcome. Without actually seeing him, I couldn't say for sure it is the same thing. But it sounds familiar. Both slowly, lost their appetite and moved around less and less towards the end. If this, in anyway was in upsetting or inappropriate I apologize. I just want you to be prepared rather than heart struck. Best wishes and hopes for Monty. :) (added: his left eye looks sunken in, in the second video)
 
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He was closing his eye in the video, he does that when he gets scared too. When I pick him up recently he closes his eyes and sinks them in. :(

I am not prepared fully for a possible death, but I am coming to terms with what may happen slowly. What you say isn't out of place at all, thanks for your concern again.
 
I am sorry to hear about Monty's issues. I didn't read all the post but have you took him to the vet? If not I would take him right away to find out what's going on with the tail.
 
I am sorry to hear about Monty's issues. I didn't read all the post but have you took him to the vet? If not I would take him right away to find out what's going on with the tail.

I was not able to yesterday or the day before.

Today I was setting up a little hammock I made for him so he doesn't fall, and he was irritated. He was able to move part of his tail today but the tip remained in the same position. Maybe he is regaining control over it?
 
I wonder if he did something weird to injure himself or (if you live with other people) someone maybe caught his tail in the door accidentally for a second and then was too scared to say anything.

I had a panther that cracked the end of his tail during a cross-state move, it was fine for a while with just a kink, but I believe he re-injured it later and at that point the end became necrotic. Long story short I chose to have the vet amputate the tail a little bit above where the darkness started and he did great for another 2 years until he was taken down by an intestinal prolapse. The vet didn't know how he would do without a tail but he did AWESOME, he had about 1/3-1/2 left and he used it for balance still. No motility issues at all.

I'm not saying he'll need anything amputated, but I'm saying that Monty would be totally fine if he had to live without it for some reason. But like someone else mentioned, it really could just be bruised or strained! Take him to a good reptile vet Monday or when one is available and just keep him comfy until then. The vet will tell you more. With my panther the tail really did become necrotic so it looked dark and like it was sweating - with Monty I don't see anything besides what might be some bruising. So hopefully it's just soft tissue damage and it's sore, but will heal itself in time.
 
I wonder if he did something weird to injure himself or (if you live with other people) someone maybe caught his tail in the door accidentally for a second and then was too scared to say anything.

I had a panther that cracked the end of his tail during a cross-state move, it was fine for a while with just a kink, but I believe he re-injured it later and at that point the end became necrotic. Long story short I chose to have the vet amputate the tail a little bit above where the darkness started and he did great for another 2 years until he was taken down by an intestinal prolapse. The vet didn't know how he would do without a tail but he did AWESOME, he had about 1/3-1/2 left and he used it for balance still. No motility issues at all.

I'm not saying he'll need anything amputated, but I'm saying that Monty would be totally fine if he had to live without it for some reason. But like someone else mentioned, it really could just be bruised or strained! Take him to a good reptile vet Monday or when one is available and just keep him comfy until then. The vet will tell you more. With my panther the tail really did become necrotic so it looked dark and like it was sweating - with Monty I don't see anything besides what might be some bruising. So hopefully it's just soft tissue damage and it's sore, but will heal itself in time.

Thanks for your reply- it means so much to have you all weigh in.

Anyway today he has been doing better. I made him a little hammock on the cool side and a hammock on the warm side so he won't strain himself trying to stay on the branches.
 
I am so sorry Monty is not feeling well. Judging by the many members who are very experienced keepers, who also have several animals that passed away, I think that even with the best care sometimes things are just beyond our control. These animals are not far removed from the wild and remain very adept at hiding illnesses often until the points of no return. There is much still to be learned in the hobby. When it comes down to it you have done your very best for Monty and continue to provide him with the best care and a loving home. I would forge ahead with his care, get him to the vet to rule out causes that can be fixed. If nothing is found then it sounds like you have been able to adapt your care to his needs. Good luck and keep us posted. I know what it is like to lose a precious pet without knowing where things went wrong.
 
As much as I don't like hearing about death, I guess I have accepted the fact that something bad may happen. I hope I can get some resolution to what this is, and I hope for his comfort.
 
As much as I don't like hearing about death, I guess I have accepted the fact that something bad may happen. I hope I can get some resolution to what this is, and I hope for his comfort.

Usually in life, we get the opposite of what we expect. So, prepare for the worst, so the best can happen. A vet check could reveal the answers, but due to everything I read, I don't place much faith in that. If it gets necrotic, by all means get there. Different story, for dog or cat. Here's to Monty having another 3 years. :)
 
Usually in life, we get the opposite of what we expect. So, prepare for the worst, so the best can happen. A vet check could reveal the answers, but due to everything I read, I don't place much faith in that. If it gets necrotic, by all means get there. Different story, for dog or cat. Here's to Monty having another 3 years. :)

Thanks for the good luck ;)

He seems to be doing slightly better, staying awake most of the day, moving around and such.

I am watching his tail...
 
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