New Owner, help please, urgent

[ChuWuti]

Oh, wow, what a hopeful sign!! If you can just get him to the point that he's eating on his own, then things may really begin to look up for this guy.

I'm so glad you took him to the vet. I know it had to be hard to hear that prognosis of only 10-20% chance of survival, but with your emotional investment and work to help him, maybe you can help him beat the odds!

Good luck!

Sandy

 

[Drakonia13]

UPDATE: (I know...another one already?)
I had difficulty trying to get any food in him this morning which I told the clinic when they called to check on him. He is now in the hospital for an over night stay where they will give him another injection of fluids and feed him a few times to ensure he can get the energy and such to maybe (hopefully!) pull out of this.

 

[Fretfreak13]

Aww..this poor baby. I commend you on doing so much for him, you're a wonderful owner. We're all sitting on the edge of our seats for you, no doubt. Heck, give us ten updates a day!

Good luck, dear.

 

[Hakai]

This sounds so stressful. All the best. C'mon little fella, we wanna see how beautiful you become!

 

[ChuWuti]

Hang in there. I'm sure they will do their best. Have you/they thought of trying Bug Juice or mashed bugs fed via syringe?

 

[DavidBuchan]

Hang in there. I'm sure they will do their best. Have you/they thought of trying Bug Juice or mashed bugs fed via syringe?

Very good idea. The Chameleon is not a carnivore. It is an insectivore. I really hate to disagree with a vet, but.....crushed up bugs would be much better than that special 'sick carnivore' food.......a lot of vets are unfortunately unfamiliar with chams....they just have so many different animals to know about.....they can't specialise in all of them

 

[Psychobunny]

It looks like he needs more food. Pin heads are like nothing, at his age, he should be eating several 1/2'' cricks a day.
Also, double check your backing temps and make sure it's warm enough for
him.
Make sure he has a 12/12hr schedule and gets restfull sleep with no lights on and a night drop in temp buy at least 10F lower then the lowest temp inside his cage.
It looks like his metabolism may be a bit off whack. I am surprised you say his poop is solid!!??

 

[javsto]

The first picture is today's picture. I have sent a message to the breeder and am still awaiting a response. I've attached to this reply a picture of him on the day he arrived.

not to sound negative, since you only had him for less than a month, maybe the seller gave you a 30 day guarantee on his health and will replace him if incase he dies with a free cham and like someone said, feeding him pinheads at that age is only crumbs instead of a full portion of food. go out and get some larger 1/4" - 1/2" cricks or mealworms and gutload them and feed him properly.

 

[Drakonia13]

FINAL UPDATE:

Thank you all for your advice and support but unfortunately the hospital just called and shortly after his shot and feeding he passed away.

The vet's final opinion is that he was shipped too small and thin to start with and with the combination of shipping, new environment, and shed, the stress was too much for him. She said considering how small and thin he arrived, and all the events that occurred in short succession, he didn't stand much chance. She did test a fecal and found no parasites.

R.I.P. Hicks

 

[deadhd5]

I am so sorry for your loss. Something very similar happened to my first chameleon Gus, who I got from a reptile show.

You did everything you could have done, rest assured.

Condolences.. RIP Hicks

 

[JohnDoe]

Well you did the best you could considering the conditions. I had the same issue with my first mailed out cham. Dont give upi and try another one maybe a little older i know some of the forum members raise so good ones. Good luck and keep trying

 

[ChameleonMom]

Oh no! I am so sorry to hear of Hicks passing. I'm sure that he knew real care once in your hands so feel good about that and one thing - don't give up! The chameleon world needs more caring 'parents' like you.

RIP Hicks

 

[Tzimisces]

So sorry to hear about your loss! Thank you for being such an attentive and caring parent...I know losing a loved one is hard...

 

[Hakai]

Sorry to hear. However it's so comforting to know for you that it wasn't anything you did that caused his death. So there is no reason for you to be upset with yourself. I'm sure I speak for all of us when we say that you did the very best you could in providing him with hospitalization even though the chances of his survival were slim. It's good to know that you understand that 10-20% is plenty when it comes to a life so precious. Don't let this experience discourage you from your interest in chameleon husbandry. Although it can be devastating at times, it can also be very rewarding. I'm just getting over a loss as well and I have found sooo much comfort and peace just from everyone on this forums kind thoughts and advice. All the best!

~Ben

 

[dom1959]

as i was reading i was hoping, i feel so bad for you and the little guy.
hopefully the breeder will have an offer that makes this fair.

 

[ChuWuti]

Ah, Draconia13, we didn't want to hear that--it's such a tragedy! I wish that sellers would err on the safe side about selling and shipping when it's safest for the cham's health. Shipping is always going to be stressful, but if the cham is in excellent condition to begin with and the new owner is fully prepared, then everything should go well.

You did the best you could.

I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[Dr O]

I should mention he's 2grams.

TWO GRAMS??? good lord, the last cham i shipped out was 74!!!

i don’t know who your breeder was, but examples like this are precisely why i don’t give my chams the boot at 2-3 months. and i realize he has lost weight through the illness, but i doubt he was 72g to start with.

 

[Dr O]

ahhh….just finished the rest of the thread. i’m so sorry for your loss. it’s heartbreaking to lose a pet, whether it’s day 1 or 1000. my thoughts are truly with you at this difficult time.

 

[Drakonia13]

Thank you all for your kind words. I know most of you understand. What makes this even harder is he was the last thing my mother got for me. She passed away a week before his arrival. His name was for her. She was excited to see him, but I guess they'll have to hang out in Heaven together. To those of you who have encouraged me to not give up, I won't. It's going to take some time though. Mom and I saved up for him and shipping plus enclosure for a long time and add on these new vet bills....well...I came this close, and I will again. So again, thank you all for your support and understanding.