New Panther Chameleon

[scs]

We just got a male ambilobe panther chameleon on June 18th. He is about 7 months old. He looks pretty skinny and is always very eager for food. The breeder did not test him for parasites, but said that he dusts crickets with panacur every 6-8 months. We are planning on getting a fecal test done.

Do you suggest a fecal test or bringing him to the vet?

Is the proactive panacur even useful or good for the chameleon? Is it reliable enough to know that he would be parasite free after that?

He gets store bought but going to be home-bred crickets and some bugs (mostly moths) from outside, so would testing or panacur be good regularly?

If panacur is good, where can I buy it?

There is nothing inherently wrong with our new chameleon but we want to have you guys check out our set up and pictures (close-ups to come) of the chameleon. (We are still debating names) So far he doesn't seem to freaked out about his new home because he doesn't run away when we tip-toe up to the cage and his colors are pretty bright.


Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - ambilobe panther, male, 7 months old, 3 days in my care
Handling - other than putting him in the cage we haven't handled him yet
Feeding - we feed him crickets and moths (the equivalent of 8 large crickets per day); we have yet to dust his food... we will start that soon; we started breeding our own crickets and give them fruits and vegetables which have a fine coating of calcium dust on them
Supplements - we will supplement like so: calcium 4 times per week, alternating D3 and multivitamin each weekend
Watering - we have a HabaMist and a ReptiRain machine which are on every 3 hours for 30 seconds but not at the same time; the nozzles are directed so that all plant leaves get wet; I haven't seen him drink yet but he was standing in front of the nozzle with a wet back
Fecal Description - his cage is huge so I haven't found fecal matter yet; he has not been tested for parasites but will be soon
History - he came from a breeder that has a lot of chameleons and goes to reptile shows

Cage Info:
Cage Type - http://www.bigappleherp.com/Colossal-Corner-Lizard-Cage
Lighting - one large growth lamp for the plants, a ZooMed UVB lamp, and a ceramic heat lamp, the lights are on from 6am-9pm
Temperature - mid-80s during the day at the basking spot and it gets closer to room temp as it gets farther away from the basking spot; I have not observed the night temperature but I'm sure it is close to room temperature; we have a sensor hanging by the basking spot which has a display outside the cage
Humidity - we have the regular misting in the cage and an indoor pond around the corner; the humidity is around 50%; the temperature sensor (at the basking spot) is also a humidity sensor
Plants - all live: many pothos, and a small (safe, already checked) ficus
Placement - we have an open living space and it is in a corner there; there is a vent in the wall and a little fan (on 4 times a day for 20 minutes) to dry off the substrate on the bottom of the cage (there is a grid over the substrate which is in a pan that the chameleon can't get to); the cage is from 0 to 75% of the height of the room (total height is about 6 feet)
Location - we are in Pittsburgh, PA

Here are some pictures:

 

[JoeVet]

I wouldn't recommend routine prophylactic panacur. Its just not needed unless there is a parasite diagnosis. And yes, there are parasites that do not respond to panacur. The first thing you need to do is start supplementing with calcium. Crickets are notoriously low in calcium and high in phosphorus. The phosphorus will interfere with calcium absorption even if he had enough vitamin D. Second he needs a multivitamin with preformed vitamin A and a vitamin D supplement. General consensus on the forums is every feeding gets calcium and twice a month with vitamins and twice a month with calcium with vitamin D. Humidity could also be a bit higher. The more experienced keepers can chime in but I would correct the husbandry first.

 

[scs]

Thanks for your help! I started supplementing today and will try to get the humidity higher.

Do all parasites show up in a fecal matter test?

Or is it better to bring him to the vet?

 

[scs]

There's another picture. I'm still trying to get a good picture of the top of his head (he still shy's away a bit when I hold a camera above him). It looks like he is shedding... white, but not the same white he has around his eyes, mouth, and stomach stripe. It doesn't look like its coming from his scales, as in its not like he is white vs red on his head, but instead its more flakey-looking. I'll try to get a picture...

Is it okay that he would be taking so long to shed if thats what it is?

 

[JoeVet]

Most parasites will show up on a fecal test and you can often arrange to drop off a fresh sample with a vet to have a fecal run without an appointment. To prescribe meds he will have to have a visit. If the animal is wild caught then there are also blood parasites and many will have parasites under the skin. The later are often obvious.

An experienced vet can give a assessment as to the health of the animal but it really is essential to get an x-ray to look at MBD and a blood panel to look at calcium levels compared to phosphorus. Also kindeys and liver can be assessed by bloodwork as can signs of inflammation.

Reptiles are notorious for taking a long time to show sickness enough for people to notice and take them to a vet. They are also slow to recover. I would never discourage you from a vet visit as they can help with assessing health and husbandry. But if your animal is bright and alert and eating you can try correcting the supplements and giving him a little time to acclimate to his new surroundings.