Panther Chameleon - Medical Advice

[Kele]

Hello, my name is Jerrel and I own a Panther Chameleon that I've owned for about 2 and a half years now. He's been acting up these past two days. I thought to reach out to the community for some help. What are your thoughts and advice? Any would-be helpful and appreciated.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Panther, Male, and 2 and a half years in my care.
• Handling - 15 minutes once every two days.
• Feeding - Super Worms as a Staple. I feed him 1 hornworm once a month. He eats about 2-3 superworms every other day. Recently his appetite decreased to 1 a day. I purchase the superworms from Joshesfrogs. Usually they gutload with potatoes.
• Supplements - I dust feeders every time. I'm using Rapashy Vitamin and Calcium plus.
• Watering - I have a mist king that goes for 1 min every 2 hours. Yes, I see him drinking.
• Fecal Description - He has been tested for parasites in the past, which came out negative. His last fecal was moist; However, urate was yellow/orange.
• History - I brought him to the vet about a year ago for no fecal for a week. They gave me antibiotics to inject. That is all regards to history.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen Cage. 36x36x48
• Lighting - Zoo Med, Please see photos for light fixtures. On at 8am, Off at 8pm.
• Temperature - Basking spot temp is 81.0F Lowest overnight temp - How do you measure these temps? Zoomed Thermometer
• Humidity - I have a Humidity gauge that I check every day. I use the Mist King to manage my humidity. I also use towels on the sides of the cage to increase the humidity at times as well.
• Plants - Umbrella Plant and Pathos.
• Placement - Cage located in my office. There is no fans or air current.
• Location - We live in Washington State.

Current Problem - He has been acting quite sluggish lately. He has been having problems climbing and often falls off the branches due to imbalance. This has been happening for about two days now. I've been suggested to have him hydrate by putting him in a shower with a plant for him to drink more water. This morning I checked on him and he was still sleeping.

Please if you need more photos of anything I will post them ASAP. Thank you for your help I appreciate it. So does my Chameleon

 

[kinyonga]

Can you post a photo of the lights and tell us what brands etc please.
Also a photo of the supplement bottle showing the ingredients.

I don't recommend feeding only superworms....variety is important. Feeding the supers only potatoes is not good either.
You want the insects to be as healthy as possible.

 

[Kele]

UVB 10 Zoo med
Rapashy used to dust.

Thanks

 

[PabloTheCham]

The cham isn't acting up, its losing life after 2 1/2 years of eating mc donalds...

 

[Kele]

The cham isn't acting up, its losing life after 2 1/2 years of eating mc donalds...

Ouch.

 

[Chameleomom]

Your chameleon needs a vet like NOW

 

[PabloTheCham]

Your chameleon needs a vet like NOW

More like yesterday ?

 

[Chameleomom]

Well yesterday is gone.... let's focus on the here and now. @Kele you need to call a reptile vet now or your guy is not going to make it if it's not already to late

 

[PabloTheCham]

Ouch.

I'm sure thats what he's saying right now....

Most people feed a superworm once a week. They are meant to be treats due to their high fat (around 15%) this is why I compared it to McDonalds, you are feeding this cham lots of fat everyday.
Now onto the gutloading part. Gutloading needs to be done with more then just potatoes. I gutload with Kale, Collard Greens, Mustard Greens, Orange, Mango, bee pollen, and spirulina. The point of gutloading is so the cham eats bugs that are not just healthy, but full of the aforementioned fruits and vegetables so they can be passed on to the cham. Good gutloaded insects affects color drastically.
This is a properly fed ybbb panther chameleon:

Notice the color difference.

Now onto some other things.

I dust feeders every time. I'm using Rapashy Vitamin and Calcium plus.

At what frequency are you using each?

• Humidity - I have a Humidity gauge that I check every day. I use the Mist King to manage my humidity. I also use towels on the sides of the cage to increase the humidity at times as well.

So what are the numbers?? What is the daytime and nightime humidity?

• Fecal Description - He has been tested for parasites in the past, which came out negative. His last fecal was moist; However, urate was yellow/orange.

Was the whole urate yellow/orange? around a quarter is ok but no more then that. If the whole thing is orange it could mean dehydration.

 

[PabloTheCham]

Are his eyes closed during the day?

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I agree this fellow needs to see a good herp vet. If the OP needs help finding one, there are resources at the top of this forum in the green shaded area.

Hello, my name is Jerrel and I own a Panther Chameleon that I've owned for about 2 and a half years now.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Panther, Male, and 2 and a half years in my care.

Hi Jerrel, do you know how old he was when you got him?

• Feeding - Super Worms as a Staple.

I agree that supers aren't a good staple for chameleons; dubia or discoid roaches would be much better. I also agee with what's been said about gut loading.

• Supplements - I dust feeders every time. I'm using Rapashy Vitamin and Calcium plus.

Repashy makes a lot of different supplements. Can you be more specific which ones, and how often you dust with each? The pictures you took of the label are quite small (and my eyes aren't what they used to be). Can you take pictures with greater resolution so they'll zoom more readable?

• Lighting - Zoo Med, Please see photos for light fixtures. On at 8am, Off at 8pm.

Can't tell from the picture, but the UVB should be a T5HO 5.0 0r 6%, approx. 9" from bulb to basking perch.

• Temperature - Basking spot temp is 81.0F Lowest overnight temp - How do you measure these temps? Zoomed Thermometer
• Humidity - I have a Humidity gauge that I check every day. I use the Mist King to manage my humidity. I also use towels on the sides of the cage to increase the humidity at times as well.

Both these instruments should be digital with probes. Dial types can be off by as much as 20 degrees or percent. Also, what is the nighttime temperature, and what humidity levels are you maintaining day & night?

Again, I think he needs to be seen by a herp vet. Taking along a copy of this same form, filled in more completely, and pictures of your chameleon and his enclosure (top to bottom) will also be helpful for the vet.

Hopefully, this is nothing serious.

 

[jackthejellydragon]

He does not look good. You need to take him to the vet asap. Superworms are not good as a staple. Things like silkworms, black soldier fly larvae and pretty much any roach is good as a staple. Watch Neptune the chameleon '' Bugs to feed '' video for some good ideas on what's good and what you want to feed. Are his eyes closed all day. He looks and sounds kind of like he is dehydrated. He needs to go to a specialized Herp vet with chameleon experience.

 

[CharlieRae]

UVB 10 Zoo med
Rapashy used to dust.

Thanks

Is that the only supplement you are giving? is it this?

 

[Beman]

Additionally your UVB Is in the wrong placement... It is running down the side of the cage where the cham has no access to it. It should be running across the other direction where you have branches.