Need Help Fast, Not Looking Good

[CGFlyer]

Well, I saw pretty much a give away add on CL for a Chameleon and Set-up. Suspecting that things were amiss I called and asked a few questions. It was clear that the Cham had not been cared for properly...I couldn't turn my back, and as of last night I adopted a female veiled.


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - 1 year old veiled female, under my care for 1 day
Handling - This Cham is indiferrent to handling, unlike my panther.
Feeding - I feed gutloaded/dusted crix and worms, though the previous owner simply provided feeder crix. She has not eaten since I've had her.
Supplements - RepCal and Sticky Tongue Farms from me...nothing previously.
Watering - A dripper/msiting. I saw a spit consistency slime coming from her mouth.
Fecal Description - Unknown, Not tested for parasites.
History - Came from a teenager whose parents spent a lot of money on a proper habitat...but I think was inadvertently malnourished.

Cage Info:4X2X2
Cage Type - Aluminum screen
Lighting - She has been under 3 CF zoo med UV Bulbs...I know these have gotten bad wrap.
Temperature - 70-85ish
Humidity - 45-55%
Plants - All Fake
Placement - In the our Sun Room, raised off of the floor about 2 feet.
Location - North Carolina
Current Problem - It looks as though she might be gravid with eggs, though she hasn't had interaction with a male...is this possible? I immediately went to Lowes and got a bucket and sand so she could drop her eggs...f that is the case. Though I doubt she has any energy to complete such a demanding task. I don't see signs of MBD. Her eyes are slightly sunken though. She is in POOR condition. She will not hold on to a vine, she is currently on the floor of the cage, very lethargic, not eating, and possibly gravid for who knows how long. Is she a lost cause? HELP!!!

Here is a pic of her mid section when she was able to hold on to the vine earlier today.

Any help is greatly appreciated. I'm trying my best to help her out. I think the father of the owner recognized that the cham wasn't doing well and wanted it out of the house so his teenage girl wouldn't have to deal with its death. Sigh......

 

[hallenhe]

A female veiled can become gravid, with or without male contact (mine did, as have several others' on here). When they're ready to lay, they may go off their food for a time. You can put her in the laying bin with moist sand, and give her some idea of what to do by starting a hole. Forum member jannb's blog contains much more thorough info than I can give you regarding the laying bin, and I encourage you to check it out.
I wouldn't be terribly worried about her not eating since you've only had her for a day. Possible dehydration and the "spit consistancy slime coming from her mouth" don;t sound very good, and I'd try to get her to a reptile vet if possible; a vet could also x-ray for eggs, help determine whether she's eggbound, etc.
Best of luck; I know you're doing the best you can for an animal that came to you in a sorry state, and I wish you a happy ending!

 

[kinyonga]

Can you post a couple more pictures of her please?

Are her eyes shut all the time?
It would be best if you could get her to a vet right away IMHO.

 

[Manik6]

oh im sorry, that pic does not look good. could be parsites/eggbound. if she is too weak even laying the eggs can kill her. kudos for trying though. i hope she is able to turn around for u.

 

[laurie]

Ok let's see what we can do. Yes she could be carrying eggs without a male. If she doesn't have a place to lay she could become egg bound and die. She needs a laying bin where she has complete privacy. It will stress her to see people. The CF lights could be a problem. I would get a reptisun 5.0 long tube light. Get a cheap fixture at home depot or lowes, even Walmart.

The biggest problem may be the saliva in her mouth, that could indicate an Upper respiratory infection ( URI), could you hold her close to your ear and see if you hear a wheezing or popping noise? If so she most likely has a URI, that means she needs a vet right away. He could also tell you if she is carrying eggs and give her fluids to hydrate her.

I would say if you want to save her you need to see a good reptile vet. i don't know who the have in North Carolina, but I can check the list we have. I have no idea if this is close to you but if not maybe they could tell you who to see.

Ginny Grant, DVM; All-Pet Animal Hospital.
828-645-5252
7 Reynolds Mountain Rd
Asheville, NC 2880

Let us know what happens

 

[jannb]

She looks like she had eggs and if the previous owner did not provide her a place to lay she may be egg bound. Get her to a good chameleon vet asap.

 

[Lancecham]

It is hard to tell by the picture, but it looks like she has eggs. There appears to be a lot of lumps in the stomach.

 

[jannb]

If you are close to Charlotte, NC Dr. Wheelock is a good cham vet there.

 

[CGFlyer]

Thanks for all of the quick responses.

I placed a 3 gallon bucket with moist sand in her enclosure and set vines with an entry/exit. The sand has a hole started for her. When in the cage she simply just goes completely lethargic...my wife tried to convince me she's OK (in denial) as she took her out of the cage and watched her perk up a little. I noticed that her reflexes are extremely slow. My other cham is hyper vigilent, eyes always on the move and very active. When I move my hand/arms around the vieled, I get zero response from her eyes until about 5 seconds or so. She still isn't eating...which may or may not be normal at this point.

I double checked the CF bulbs and I mis-spoke...they are Exo Terra 10.0 UVB. Any word on these?

Asheville is no where near me...I need to find a reputable vet anyways...may as well start looking...ASAP.

 

[jannb]

Thanks for all of the quick responses.

I placed a 3 gallon bucket with moist sand in her enclosure and set vines with an entry/exit. The sand has a hole started for her. When in the cage she simply just goes completely lethargic...my wife tried to convince me she's OK (in denial) as she took her out of the cage and watched her perk up a little. I noticed that her reflexes are extremely slow. My other cham is hyper vigilent, eyes always on the move and very active. When I move my hand/arms around the vieled, I get zero response from her eyes until about 5 seconds or so. She still isn't eating...which may or may not be normal at this point.

I double checked the CF bulbs and I mis-spoke...they are Exo Terra 10.0 UVB. Any word on these?

Asheville is no where near me...I need to find a reputable vet anyways...may as well start looking...ASAP.

Where do you live in NC?
Normally they stop eating before laying and if she's past the time to lay and weak she may not be able to lay own her own and needs a vet now.

 

[CGFlyer]

Also, she was observed with her eyes both open and closed throughout the day. I am in Elizabeth City, NC. Most good vets are north in VA...Chesapeake or VA Beach...looking now.

 

[jannb]

There's one here in Elizabeth City. http://www.herpvetconnection.com/nocarol.shtml

 

[CGFlyer]

Thanks Jan...we'll give them a shout in the am. We just moved to E-City and are still getting acquainted.