Hello everyone. I've only posted here very few times. Mostly I will lurk and read what's going on in the lives of others and their chameleons, rarely every posting.
Last night, my veiled chameleon Toby decided he could fly. Literally. I've had him for over a year now. I'm not sure his age when I got him. He was still a small baby though. He's never done anything like this before. Normally he does enjoy coming out and walking around, but yesterday afternoon he leapt from my arm at open air and landed on his back.
After the ordeal he turned dark, closed both his eyes and was laying sideways. His right back leg was clamped onto his front leg. His left front leg was limp. He was gasping with his mouth. I thought he had broken his back and was dying. I called his vet and we drove him up there right away. This all happened at the worst time: rush hour. We got to the vet's office in about 15 minutes. Thanks to my dad's speeding when he got the chance. The only way I knew he was still alive was he would clamp onto my finger with his left back leg. He was also doing this thing with his tongue. He would open his mouth and insert it straight into the air, then retract it back. It would be hanging a little bit out of his mouth afterwards though.
Got to the vet and they took him in right away. The vet took him and he finally retracted his tongue completely in his mouth. The vet told me he was going to give him an anti-inflammatory injection and some fluids. They gave him the shot through his tail vein. The doctor then put him in an incubator for awhile and he came and got me so I can sit with him.
He looked like he did a 180. He was sitting on a towel on all four legs. Both eyes where open and alert. He was a nice green color. The only thing he was doing was opening and closing his mouth in a drinking fashion. Soon after the doctor put a branch in the incubator for him and he climbed up. Slowly and kinda wobbly, but on his own. He did take some water from the vet.
I took him home awhile later and put him in his cage. He moved around a bit, but appeared to be disoriented. I finally got him to go to sleep. We were scared he was going to fall in the night, so I shoved a bunch of towels under him on vines. He did ok during the night. The only thing that bothered me was he kept opening his mouth. Usually chameleons do that when they are warm. So I got the temperature down a bit to about 78. Throughout the night I kept checking in on him. By morning he had slipped a bit off the vine and had his back end resting on one of the towels. Glad I did that now.
After I got ready for work about 5:30 AM, I woke him up and removed the towels. Put food in his dish and offered it to him. He wouldn't eat. That always scares me. So I sat on my bed for awhile with him, and he walked slowly over to the front of the cage and climbed on my hand. I sat with him for awhile. He did climb around a bit, but extremely slowly and still a bit unstable. I decided to stay home today, incase something happened. I'd rather take him ASAP, instead of waiting until I get off work.
The morning thus far has been alright. He's still doing that thing with his tongue. Where he opens his mouth and does a licking of sorts. I offer him water. He doesn't want it. I'm afraid to mist him. He usually freaks out and runs away. I don't need that. He also keeps opening his mouth, like he's hot, but its about 85 where he's sitting. He's also stayed fairly still most of the morning. Sitting under his basking light, moving away from it, and wander over to the front of the cage. Never climbing down. Just staying up high. He also seems like when he reaches for a vine he is over reaching or under reaching. I have to help him find it with his front feet or eventually he'll grab it after stumbling for it.
Anyone have any suggestions? Advice? I need to call his vet in a bit and update him on the situation. I'm just glad my baby is still with me.
Note: I believe the doctor also gave him a steroid, but don't quote me on it.
EDIT: After reading through some of the forum's threads about falling, Toby's crickets do get dusted twice a week with a calcium power and multi-vit. both Rep-Cal brand. The vet has taken X-rays of him before (back when he was constipated) and showed no issues with his bone developement.
Last night, my veiled chameleon Toby decided he could fly. Literally. I've had him for over a year now. I'm not sure his age when I got him. He was still a small baby though. He's never done anything like this before. Normally he does enjoy coming out and walking around, but yesterday afternoon he leapt from my arm at open air and landed on his back.
After the ordeal he turned dark, closed both his eyes and was laying sideways. His right back leg was clamped onto his front leg. His left front leg was limp. He was gasping with his mouth. I thought he had broken his back and was dying. I called his vet and we drove him up there right away. This all happened at the worst time: rush hour. We got to the vet's office in about 15 minutes. Thanks to my dad's speeding when he got the chance. The only way I knew he was still alive was he would clamp onto my finger with his left back leg. He was also doing this thing with his tongue. He would open his mouth and insert it straight into the air, then retract it back. It would be hanging a little bit out of his mouth afterwards though.
Got to the vet and they took him in right away. The vet took him and he finally retracted his tongue completely in his mouth. The vet told me he was going to give him an anti-inflammatory injection and some fluids. They gave him the shot through his tail vein. The doctor then put him in an incubator for awhile and he came and got me so I can sit with him.
He looked like he did a 180. He was sitting on a towel on all four legs. Both eyes where open and alert. He was a nice green color. The only thing he was doing was opening and closing his mouth in a drinking fashion. Soon after the doctor put a branch in the incubator for him and he climbed up. Slowly and kinda wobbly, but on his own. He did take some water from the vet.
I took him home awhile later and put him in his cage. He moved around a bit, but appeared to be disoriented. I finally got him to go to sleep. We were scared he was going to fall in the night, so I shoved a bunch of towels under him on vines. He did ok during the night. The only thing that bothered me was he kept opening his mouth. Usually chameleons do that when they are warm. So I got the temperature down a bit to about 78. Throughout the night I kept checking in on him. By morning he had slipped a bit off the vine and had his back end resting on one of the towels. Glad I did that now.
After I got ready for work about 5:30 AM, I woke him up and removed the towels. Put food in his dish and offered it to him. He wouldn't eat. That always scares me. So I sat on my bed for awhile with him, and he walked slowly over to the front of the cage and climbed on my hand. I sat with him for awhile. He did climb around a bit, but extremely slowly and still a bit unstable. I decided to stay home today, incase something happened. I'd rather take him ASAP, instead of waiting until I get off work.
The morning thus far has been alright. He's still doing that thing with his tongue. Where he opens his mouth and does a licking of sorts. I offer him water. He doesn't want it. I'm afraid to mist him. He usually freaks out and runs away. I don't need that. He also keeps opening his mouth, like he's hot, but its about 85 where he's sitting. He's also stayed fairly still most of the morning. Sitting under his basking light, moving away from it, and wander over to the front of the cage. Never climbing down. Just staying up high. He also seems like when he reaches for a vine he is over reaching or under reaching. I have to help him find it with his front feet or eventually he'll grab it after stumbling for it.
Anyone have any suggestions? Advice? I need to call his vet in a bit and update him on the situation. I'm just glad my baby is still with me.
Note: I believe the doctor also gave him a steroid, but don't quote me on it.
EDIT: After reading through some of the forum's threads about falling, Toby's crickets do get dusted twice a week with a calcium power and multi-vit. both Rep-Cal brand. The vet has taken X-rays of him before (back when he was constipated) and showed no issues with his bone developement.
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