NEED HELP

[aszert]

So I have a veiled chameleon Azula, very healthy, beautiful, and has laid eggs. But now I recently (as of today) have picked up a chameleon from a friend who could not properly take care of him!!!! He's also a veiled and has white rock hard formations on his tail, was dehydrated as they only put standing water, and I believe had a broken tail at one point. It's healed but has a crick in it. I managed to have him scarf down water like a beast, but from the idiot I picked him up from he has yet to eat in 4 days, this being the 4th. I left crickets in his cage in hopes of him feeding but I want clarification on if the scabs are indeed shed skin that got infected or what. also mind the cage they kept him in was glass terrarium like for dart frogs.... People hurt my head. Note his tail has 2 concerning areas, one on the side an one around the tail. Any further pictures I will happily provide

 

[Theveiled]

It definitely does not look good but I am notpositive about what it is or what it is from. Are their any vets that treat chameleons near you?

 

[aszert]

Sadly there is not! Closest one is 2 hours away and they have a 59 dollar examination fee for exotic pets which I don't have time nor money for. I had to prepare for Azula and he eggs to hatch, 28 of them..

 

[Theveiled]

I want to say it almost looks like a calcium or mineral build up but it most likely is not figuring the area where it is. When you misted him did it get wet? If it did, did it soften?

 

[aszert]

Yes it did soft and flake off a bit but part of in, on the side of his tail, is still hard like a rock. I'm letting him stand on a branch in shallow Luke warm water as I watch him so his tail is submerged. Hopefully it will start to flake off

 

[Andee]

Have you tried offering him worms? I have no advice on the tail. He might not realize the crickets are food? What were they feeding him?

 

[aszert]

The guy also only fed him super worms and had no calcium or anything so he's kinda skinny and weak at the knees

 

[Nursemaia]

I'd put him in the shower to see if the water helps to soften it and slough it off. It may be a fungal infection though. He looks terribly skinny to me too. Poor guy

 

[Theveiled]

Since it softened I starting to think it is dried calcium or minerals but have no idea how it would have gotten there.

 

[aszert]

The worms he said he wouldn't eat for 4 days but I'll try again with a worm

 

[Theveiled]

It could be somthing else though!

 

[aszert]

Well my best guess is yours. I'll see what I can do.

 

[Andee]

I wouldn't worry at the moment getting him on a better diet/varied diet. You just need to get weight on him. So if all he'll eat at the moment is worms, try some soft bodied worms and supers. That usually is ok. Gutload the supers really well. I would find a way to get liquid calcium. If he's not had calcium this long, I would start him on a some. Probably like .02 of a 1 ml syringe. I would do it daily too, this way you can get ahead of any bone disease before it happens. I would also take him outside, if you can put in him in a screen cage outside, when it's sunny, and let him bask for a couple hours. Put him near a bush or small tree so he has some shade and let him have some natural uvb. Natural sun may also make him eat.

 

[aszert]

He's not eating at all now but yeah I have a reptibreeze for my other Cham, I may put Azula on the indoor tree and then have him sit outside for 15 mins and then in shade for 30 for about 3 hours

 

[Lathis]

It could be retained shed from too low humidity that has turned crusty and hard. Be very careful about picking it off - you don't want to create an open sore. Definitely treat him to some long, warm mistings (30 to an hour). The long exposure to warm water may soften it up. Plus extra hydration would be good for him right now. It could be a fungal infection, but the crustiness of it and the way it's lifting along the edges make me suspect retained shed. Could also be a fungal infection that is preventing proper shed. Fungals are nasty infections that are difficult to treat and can be fatal. The only way to know for sure is to have a biopsy and culture done by a vet. Start with the showers and see if the dead crusty skin lifts off and what the condition of the skin below is.

For now, practice ABSOLUTE and RIGOROUS quarantine. Work with your cham first always. No sharing of vines, plants, or food cups. Wash your hands after touching him like you are scrubbing down for surgery. Ideally, have him in a separate room from your cham until you know for sure what the issues are.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/quarantine.36078/

 

[Andee]

As an outdoor cage, since I also reccomend practicing good quarantine, you can use a simple cloth hamper from walmart or something, look for one that has a handle or stands up on it's own. Then place either a plant in it or tie some vines/branches in it with some fake foliage. You can get a plenty big enough outdoor cage and for the cage itself it usually costs about 5 bucks. For the stuff inside it, that's around 30 or so, 35 dollars for everything instead of buying a reptibreeze for another 80-100 dollars and then all the stuff inside. If you get one that needs to be supported, shepards hooks are a great way to do it and make them semi-mobile.

 

[aszert]

Well go further update, he still hasn't eaten anything and now refuses to drink, he's gotten a lot more aggressive so I guess he has some energy left but I don't think he's Gona make it much further if I can't even open the cage door with out him getting flared up and lunging. I left crickets in the cage and a few worms in a dish they can't climb out and he hasn't touched anything

 

[Nursemaia]

Well go further update, he still hasn't eaten anything and now refuses to drink, he's gotten a lot more aggressive so I guess he has some energy left but I don't think he's Gona make it much further if I can't even open the cage door with out him getting flared up and lunging. I left crickets in the cage and a few worms in a dish they can't climb out and he hasn't touched anything

I took in a very aggressive male a few months ago. Thankfully he was in good physical shape but to this day I never see him eat or drink. I know he does because he's still alive and I monitor his poop. Set this guy up with a nice enclosure and give him some time to relax and maybe he'll start eating and drinking. Look for poop.

 

[aszert]

No poop, and now becoming sluggish. But also I am in need of help with hatching eggs, I am very close to having 29 baby chams around and want to be prepared

 

[brownie64]

It looks like shed to me that hasn't come off and is restricting his tail circulation. It will kill that part of his tail if you don't get it off. If you don't want to do then you'll need to seek the help of a vet. Seeing as it appears he has other issues with his not eating, drinking, and his sluggishness sounds like a vet visit is in order anyway. Good luck hope it all works out for you both.