My 1 month old chameleon is dying. He ate something and he can't poop it out. A small portion of his intestine is haning out with a price of cement looking fecal matter at the end. There is also blood around it. He hasn't eaten in almost 4 days. He just keeps sleeping all day. There are no vets anywhere near me for him. What can I do to help him/ remove it?? Please help! I don't want to watch him suffer and die.https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9B3z192edLdX09zWEhUWGZyb29kTTJ0eDh1Y0RIX0RNZjFz/edit?usp=docslist_api
Please help
- Thread starter Aelsar
- Start date
LundqvistNYR
Member
can you post pictures and or fill out the husbandry form?
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
It looks like a prolapse. It could be his hemipenes (boy bits) or an intestinal prolapse. If it doesn't correct itself, it will kill him. Fill a shallow dish with warm water with sugar mixed it - not too deep, you don't want him to drown. Place him in the water for a soak - it should help soften up the fecal and maybe let it drop off and let the prolapse retract.
If it does not retract on its own and there is not vet, there is not much you can do for the little guy. Is he wild caught? Could he have eaten something hard like a small stone or a piece of bark that is caught in his digestive track?
If it does not retract on its own and there is not vet, there is not much you can do for the little guy. Is he wild caught? Could he have eaten something hard like a small stone or a piece of bark that is caught in his digestive track?
Djturna4thakidz
Established Member
Any update?
Not really
He moved around and tried to escape. Then he went to sleep again. He just finished trying to escsape again and is sitting there. The prolapse has gotten far more moist though. It looks fat. Will it just fall off/out or does someone need to remove it if this works? He just shed a tiny bit my his back leg. Its very small though, like a few scales
He moved around and tried to escape. Then he went to sleep again. He just finished trying to escsape again and is sitting there. The prolapse has gotten far more moist though. It looks fat. Will it just fall off/out or does someone need to remove it if this works? He just shed a tiny bit my his back leg. Its very small though, like a few scales
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
Did the feces come out? The prolapsed area MUST stay moist or it will die. I would keep soaking him in warm water or apply some "personal" lubricant like KY Jelly. Unfortunately, if it does not shrink or retract, he may not have a lot of hope. Can you give us a clear, close up of the area?
Baby cham has prolapse
My chameleon is 5 weeks old. He has a nice roomy cage with plants and what not. He developed a prolapse a few days ago and I thought at first he was just poopin so I let him be. Today it got worse. A small part of. His intestine is hanging out and there's a little blood. I tried soaking him in warm sugerwater for 30 minutes to try and soften it up to no avail. I don't know what to do. There are no vets anywhere where I live since I'm on an island I can't go drive somewhere. What should I do. I don't want to euthanize him but I don't want him to suffer.
My chameleon is 5 weeks old. He has a nice roomy cage with plants and what not. He developed a prolapse a few days ago and I thought at first he was just poopin so I let him be. Today it got worse. A small part of. His intestine is hanging out and there's a little blood. I tried soaking him in warm sugerwater for 30 minutes to try and soften it up to no avail. I don't know what to do. There are no vets anywhere where I live since I'm on an island I can't go drive somewhere. What should I do. I don't want to euthanize him but I don't want him to suffer.
Djturna4thakidz
Established Member
Where are you located?
Lathis
Chameleon Enthusiast
I don't know that there is much else you can do without a vet. Keep him warm, keep the prolapse moist with ky jelly and warm sugar water soaks, and hope he pulls through. You should prepare yourself for the worst, though.
It sounds like he may have eaten something he couldn't digest or pass, poor little thing.
It sounds like he may have eaten something he couldn't digest or pass, poor little thing.
I honestly think I could remove it but I won't try. I can see where the feces and organ line up. If I was to sterilize a pair of tweezers and wear surgical gloves/sanitized latex gloves, I could probably remove the obstruction but it would be....uncomfortable. That's really the only thing I can think of. Its been there for 3 days and at first I thought he was just pooping since it was just poop and I never actually watched them poop so I didn't know how long it takes so I ignored it. Now.. I know I shouldn't have.
My parents and sis think its my fault. They think I handled him to much. When I first got him I would pick him up and put him on the edge of the cup to eat. Sometimes he would crawl around on my hand and arm. He never showed stressed colors when he was on my hand though. He always got lighter.
