Please help :( Pedro is sick!

He needs to be seen by a vet if he hasn't already been. I'm guessing there's something going on with him that's deeper than just something you can fix by improving his husbandry. He will most likely need antibiotics. Has he ever had a fecal exam done? It may be a respiratory infection, it may be a parasite.
 
I highly doubt that. Where are you located? It's unlikely that there's absolutely no vet that is familiar with reptiles. Maybe on a small island...
 
Yes, as stated, there are reptile vets in most cities. People on the forums also drive hours to have their animals seen. It is part of the responsibility of owning a chameleon. I would do everything in my power to get my animal to the vet.
 
I have heard use of a solution you can get in a pet store for pink eye in kittens. It was some kind of mild irrigation rinse to help flush debris out of eyes and remove infection.
You might try this as a last resort with a q-tip just to flush the eye then with fresh water. But taking him to the vet is best. Where I am there is no herp vet in a reasonable distance so I do tend to keep these things I read in mind
Hope this helps
 
Worst case scenario, if there are absolutely no reptile vets because you live in a deserted, rural area, go see any licensed vet (dog, horse). They, at least, will be able to perform any diagnostic tests or prescribe medication that may be necessary. They also have the connections to be able to have a consult with a reptile vet, to get recommendations on treatment, medication dosage, etc.

Nonetheless, let us know where you're located and I'm sure we'd better be able to give you vet resources.
 
symphonica said:
Sorry, but I see a lot of problems with your care.

1. 15 seconds of misting every 12 hours is definitely not enough. This would explain why your cham seems so dehydrated. Most people do a minimum of 5 mins two to three times a day. Get a hydrometer to get accurate readings of your hydrometer. Also, you turn off the mister an hour before the lights go off, right? The tank should be completely dry before lights off and he goes to sleep, and mistings while he's sleeping will disturb his sleep cycle, so definitely a big no no. Humidity should be 60-70% at it's highest, and then let it drop down to 30-40% before misting again.

2. Get the soil out of his cage ASAP!!! Especially if he's eating mealworms out of it!!! Chams will very easily ingest any substrate by accidentally sticking their tongue to it when they go after their feeders, and these substrates with cause imp actions and other GI problems. GET RID OF THE SUBSTRATE!!! Chams should have a bare bottom enclosure.

3. If you're a beginner, a screened enclosure is highly recommended. Glass can tend to get too humid, foster bacteria, and not have enough air flow. These can contribute to respiratory infections, which may need antibiotics to clear up.

4. Like stated before, no red night bulb. Pitch black at night, with a ten degree temp drop.

5. Coiled Bulb doesn't tell me much. What is the UVB output of it? It should be 2.0, 5.0, or 10.0. Coiled bulbs aren't recommended. You should get a ReptiSun (not ReptiGlo) T8 tube bulb, 5.0 UVB.

6. You really need to know humidity and temperature. I'm not actually sure how you can take care of them properly without knowing. Get a good thermometer & hydrometer. Digital is better than dial/needle, and temp gun is even better.

7. Temp should be about 85-87 degrees in basking spot, about 2" below heat lamp. The rest of the tank should be 75-80. There needs to be that gradient of about ten degrees throughout different parts of the enclosure.

8. Those green jellies for crickets do absolutely nothing for your chams. They merely keep your crickets alive. You need to gutload your feeders properly with fruits and veggies. Without proper gutloading, they're not getting any nutrients. You might as well starve them.

9. You don't feed the crickets the calcium, you dust the crickets themselves with it. And make sure that the powder is PLAIN CALCIUM WITH NO D3 or PHOSPHATES. They should get this plain calcium every day (by dusting their feeders with it). They should only get D3 twice a month. Any more will cause more bad than good. Too much D3 will cause a ton of health problems that mirror MBD. Also, don't throw in more crickets than your cham will eat. Crickets will gnaw on chams while they're sleeping.
Click to expand...
Hi Mickey
I read as much as I can in the posts. I will try to put my 2 cents in but I see you are already overwhelmed.

My first male cham was sold to me with a "minor" defect in his spine. This "minor" defect lead to him having MAJOR problems as he grew. I had all the best. Light, watering, foods, habitats suppliments etc. That didn't matter. The original problem was already there.
He could not climb, would fall and had trouble chasing crickets just problems.
I ended up having to really learn to care for him like a nurse.

He got hand treatment to keep him well.
I hand fed him at times. Still give him water with an eyedropper when he needs it and watch him closely.
Your animal needs a few basic things
A good screen cage, no sand, no plastic, no glass
Plants that he can climb, hide under their leaves and drink water droplets from
Water more than 15 sec a day
Crickets dusted with a non D3 calcium right before they are fed to him
If you see watery poop a/ mainly just the white(urates) he didn't eat. There is no brown that was the cricket. Hand feed him, just like you did. Write down how many he eats so you don't overdo it
If he doesn't drink on his own. You give him water with an eye dropper. He may not like it but he must stay hydrated to live.
These are emergency measures mind you. Once he is well enough he should be given opportunity to drink and eat on his own.
? Respiratory infection? Does he sneeze?? Can you feel congested breathing when you hold him or hear it? Symphonica had some really valid suggestions too
So I hope this helps
By the way my first cham is alive and well But only because I never gave up on him

Take care
 
Fleet, would you happen to have any pics of that cham? Would be very interested in seeing one with a spinal deformity. Was it like a curvature you could see, or something more on the inside? Probably would have been a death sentence in most people's care.
 
If you decide to force feed or water him by hand, be careful that you do not "drown" him by getting anything down their airway. That's a definite cause of respiratory infection.
 
i was pretty shocked to actually see this happen, he was gasping for air, froze, started turning black and he fell over :(

what i would like to do is.. prepare my setup, 100% PROPERLY, and start over..
hopefully i can get some help from you guys, if you don't mind.
 
The question still remains: where are you located? We'll try to find a suitable vet for you within a reasonable distance for the future.

I think throughout this thread, we've hit upon the basic husbandry and highlighted some important concepts.

The care sheet here is also a great, thorough resource created by people with first-hand experience with chams.
 
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