PLEASE HELP my chameleon

Just so everyone is aware, the OP is in South Africa.
He or she certainly did not intend to step on the cham--it is an unfortunate accident.
Chippy, I don't think that anyone besides a vet could even possibly help him after a crushing injury, so I hope that you take him to a vet in the morning, if they told you to wait and see if he survives the night.
At the very least, please be humane and let them euthanize him if his injuries are severe enough (a veterinarian's assessment is a must).
It would be cruel to just wait and see without a vet's examination of him.

Until then, the only thing that I suspect might help at all is if he gets plenty of water to drink and perhaps a bit of diluted Gatorade (though he and you may well be sleeping now).

I would not be trying to get him to eat so soon after such a severe trauma.

As far as I can tell, you have 2 vets in your city, though I don't see anything on their websites to indicate that either place treats reptiles.
Hopefully, you know of someplace else that does or that one of these does but failed to put it on their website.


http://www.scvc.co.za/contact.html

http://www.mountcroixvet.co.za/index.php?p=10
 
Shocking really that a Cham can be stepped on but yes, accidents happen! So sad to hear the little guy isn't doing well but I do agree that a vet is required immediately and if he can't be saved, humane euthenization is needed. Best of luck Chippy!
 
Chippy said:
Yes he is stil alive ,but his middle turned darkish brown he walks alot now after a long sleep n,is there anything i can feed him because he doesnt want to eat his crickets or mealworms and he feels a bit weak,i think its after fomiting his food ,he has better coordination now and his eyes are also looking better nany help please?:(
Click to expand...

How is he! I'm sorry that happened
 
I have to admit that I once too almost stepped on my chameleon, so I truly feel for the OP. I let my chams free range on my patio outside. One of them had ventured down off the ropes and branches I have for them to climb on. I walked through my sliding glass doors to go out and check on them and I actually felt something as I started to take my next step. I was barefoot. I stopped in my tracks and there was my chameleon sitting there!! I was SO lucky. Ever since that day I always check in front of the glass doors before I open them, ALWAYS. When they are out there I warn everyone in my family to check the ground if they are going out there. It is sad, but weird accidents do happen.
 
Hey Chippy, so sorry to hear about the accident, but like its always said, accidents DO happen.

From your avatar I can see that you have some sort of bradypodion. I hope he (from the pic it actually looks like a girl) will turn out fine.

Did you find the chameleon somewhere around where you live or did you buy it from someone?

And for everyone else... you guys need to atleast check a persons profile before making assumptions, a persons location is the FIRST thing I look at before even thinking of giving advice! Because their location makes all the difference. I mostly message and reply to threads by South Africans because they cannot get the actual useful advice from overseas people.

I am betting my money that Chippy doesnt have a vet that is qualified to treat small reptiles, or any reptiles for that matter. The reptile keeping hobby is slowly growing and so there arent many reptile vets around.

Chippy what I reccommend you do is inspect your chameleon for any signs of bone breaks or fractures, he may walk funny or having potrusions coming from the skin. There is a new product that I found in a petstore made by exo terra, it is an electrolyte + D3 liquid supplement, it will help him recover. Also keep him at comfortable temperatures and keeping him in a screen cage under some tree shade will do good.

I really hope your little guy pulls through for you. Keep us posted

-Tyrone
 
chameleonneeds said:
And for everyone else... you guys need to atleast check a persons profile before making assumptions, a persons location is the FIRST thing I look at before even thinking of giving advice! Because their location makes all the difference. I mostly message and reply to threads by South Africans because they cannot get the actual useful advice from overseas people.

I am betting my money that Chippy doesnt have a vet that is qualified to treat small reptiles, or any reptiles for that matter. The reptile keeping hobby is slowly growing and so there arent many reptile vets around.
-Tyrone
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Just to be clear, I wasn't passing any judgement. I gave the OP what advice I could with the information given. I didn't understand how a chameleon could be stepped on, and have never heard of it until this thread, but I understand accidents happen. Any judgement that i gave was directed at the vet not at the OP. My first and only concern was for the chameleon.
As for telling us not to make assumptions, I would urge you to do the same thing, because assuming only leads in one direction, whereas actually requesting information and showing concern is completely different from passing judgement.

I was and still am worried about internal bleeding, which can only be dealt with by a veterinarian. As far as broken bones, since I am doubtful that it is not an arm or a leg ( i believe if it were just an arm or a leg a makeshift brace could be made but that is just my belief), it would as require immediate medical attention. My only focus has really been on the chameleon, so please don't cast judgement as if I am not here to help.


To the OP

Chippy,

I apologize if I came across as harsh, I didn't intend to at all. My first and foremost concern was for your little chameleon. I understand that accidents do happen, and I sincerely apologize if it seemed that I was harsh or judgmental. How is your cham doing?? Did he make it through the night? Also, do you see any obvious breaks and has the dark spot gotten any bigger? I would focus on keeping his body temperature from getting to extremes and push fluids, if he won't take water do you have any gatorade or maybe some fruit juice?? Is there any way you can post pictures of your cham? I think you may have answered that question already but I can't remember atm.

Best of Luck,
Courtney
 
I understand the situation very well :( Calais free ranges most of the time and I my boyfriend isn't very careful when he walks around the house and has hit him with doors and punted him across the room. Luckily he has never been hurt, he seems to brace for impact :eek: So I hope he is okay. Seems like if there is bruising you stepped down a little harder than you though, especially to make him throw up. But don't beat yourself up about it, s**t happens and the best you can do is find, or at least talk to, a reptile vet.
 
To be fair, in situations where there is only so much that can be done or when the owner declines diagnostics like x-rays, sometimes the best advice is to put them in a warm dark place to reduce stress that could push them over the edge. The very first thing I do with exotics that come in having some distress (as long as they're not dying or obviously needing a particular treatment) is put them in a dark, quiet area (preferably with oxygen supplementation) until they're a little more relaxed and therefore more stable and able to tolerate the stress of a physical exam. And many times I have to stop in the middle and put them back in the quiet area and let them calm down again before being able to finish the exam or diagnostics. It is not at all unusual to talk about all the possible concerns that have been mentioned already and still have owners decline to do anything because x-rays cost this much or bloodwork costs that much. I don't know what was offered here or what the OP chose based on that. Some clinics don't even have x-rays, so if they didn't then sometimes the best advice is to limit stress and allow them to just rest in their own environment instead of adding on to it by being in an unfamiliar environment. Everyone knows how stressful even good vet visits can be on chams. It's not ideal, but sometimes it's all that can be done. There may not even be a reptile vet in his area at all. Like I said, I don't know the specifics of this particular situation. Just wanted to try to offer some insight.

To the OP - broken bones and internal tissue damage are definitely a concern. An x-ray would be a great diagnostic tool to help determine if there's obvious damage, however can't see everything.
 
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So aside from the bickering that alot of these posts end up turning into...
I am really interested on a update on the guy! I cant believe what i would do if this happened to me so keep us updated please :D
 
Wow,,,such a horrible situation to be in!!! I hope your Cham is doing better!!
I fear stepping or sitting on my guy and CATS!!!!!
 
Wow. It almost seems miraculous! I'm sure you're greatly relieved to have him in top shape again, though!

Sandy
 
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