Possible gout, dehydrated and maybe parasites

[Lglizard man]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 16-17 months old
Handling - only to put on his tree by the window, which has a heat source and UVB set up
Feeding - picky eater, only eats wax worms every other day, however recently introduced to hornworms
Supplements - zoo med repti calcium without d3 every feeding, zoo med reptivite with d3 twice a month, zoo med reptisafe in water
Watering - fogger and dripper always on while he's awake, mist twice daily and shower 10 minutes daily no contact with the shower water. Since sight of dehydration misting has increased
Fecal Description - firm with yellow urate and recently diarrhea

Cage Info:
Cage Type -screened cage;
Lighting - zoo med daylight blue 60w a UVB 10 on from 7:50 am to 8:45 pm
Temperature - 77 in basking, trying to figure out how to increase. Unsure of the rest of the cage. At night time house temp is 74 at the lowest, unsure about in the cage
Humidity - unsure
Plants - 3 live parthos, fake Vines and one small fake plant
Placement - In a corner of the front room
Location - Boise Idaho

Current Problem - stinky runny poop, dehydration, and one of his legs has become firm feeling and swollen. Squirt still tried to use it but has no strength in his grip. He has all his claws, none has been tore off. I'm concerned he has gout and have taken him to a vet who spent very little time diagnosing the issue and basically said "yep it's swollen" he was prescribed metacam. Unfortunately I don't trust hear opinion and he has an appointment with another vet today...I'm just not sure if this vet will be any better because we have a lack of herp vets in Idaho. I just want to get him feeling better, pain free and on the right path

 

[Joseph 1233]

First you cant feed a chameleon only wax worms and expect it to live a normal life that is probably causing Health issues as they have all fat and no nutrtion feeders need to be gutloaded with fruit and vege hornworms are a bit better but still u need other hard bodied feeders crickets or dubia also you said that you give repti calcium everyday and one with d3 every 2 weeks but infact it should be plain calcium with no added vitamins or minerals everyday then multivitamin no d3 and multivitamin plus d3 twice a month on different days.and to increase basking temperature get a stronger bulb or move it closer not so close chameleon can burn tho put your hand and a thermometer too check .

 

[Joseph 1233]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 16-17 months old
Handling - only to put on his tree by the window, which has a heat source and UVB set up
Feeding - picky eater, only eats wax worms every other day, however recently introduced to hornworms
Supplements - zoo med repti calcium without d3 every feeding, zoo med reptivite with d3 twice a month, zoo med reptisafe in water
Watering - fogger and dripper always on while he's awake, mist twice daily and shower 10 minutes daily no contact with the shower water. Since sight of dehydration misting has increased
Fecal Description - firm with yellow urate and recently diarrhea

Cage Info:
Cage Type -screened cage;
Lighting - zoo med daylight blue 60w a UVB 10 on from 7:50 am to 8:45 pm
Temperature - 77 in basking, trying to figure out how to increase. Unsure of the rest of the cage. At night time house temp is 74 at the lowest, unsure about in the cage
Humidity - unsure
Plants - 3 live parthos, fake Vines and one small fake plant
Placement - In a corner of the front room
Location - Boise Idaho

Current Problem - stinky runny poop, dehydration, and one of his legs has become firm feeling and swollen. Squirt still tried to use it but has no strength in his grip. He has all his claws, none has been tore off. I'm concerned he has gout and have taken him to a vet who spent very little time diagnosing the issue and basically said "yep it's swollen" he was prescribed metacam. Unfortunately I don't trust hear opinion and he has an appointment with another vet today...I'm just not sure if this vet will be any better because we have a lack of herp vets in Idaho. I just want to get him feeling better, pain free and on the right path

The fogger is not needed maybe a proper sized enclosure yours looks small.

 

[Lglizard man]

I know the wax worms are not a good choice but he refused to eat anything else. I have reintroduced crickets and roaches to him multiple times after long periods but he no matter how long he goes without them he still refuses them after reintroduction, I even tried not feeding him for a few days a couple of times than reintroducing them but he won't touch them.

 

[Joseph 1233]

I know the wax worms are not a good choice but he refused to eat anything else. I have reintroduced crickets and roaches to him multiple times after long periods but he no matter how long he goes without them he still refuses them after reintroduction, I even tried not feeding him for a few days a couple of times than reintroducing them but he won't touch them.

Well there' still other things you can fix like I listed also try silkworms they are very good and bsf larvae those two are your best bets

 

[Joseph 1233]

I know the wax worms are not a good choice but he refused to eat anything else. I have reintroduced crickets and roaches to him multiple times after long periods but he no matter how long he goes without them he still refuses them after reintroduction, I even tried not feeding him for a few days a couple of times than reintroducing them but he won't touch them.

Oh and superworms they are hard bodied and can be gutloaded with fruit and vege make sure they are real superworms

 

[Joseph 1233]

I know the wax worms are not a good choice but he refused to eat anything else. I have reintroduced crickets and roaches to him multiple times after long periods but he no matter how long he goes without them he still refuses them after reintroduction, I even tried not feeding him for a few days a couple of times than reintroducing them but he won't touch them.

If u cant get him to eat anything besides wax worms im sure u can feed those phoenix worms or bsf larvae they look the same and silkworms arent that much bigger it should eat the smalll One's my chameleons have never eaten wax worms as they are useless almost except to make chameleon gain weight or fat u should find another way asap

 

[Lglizard man]

I'll give it a try, I can get the super worms from the pet store as far as the others do you know a reputable seller online?

 

[Fireborn]

Wax worms are like crack for reptiles. I know you feel bad when he refuses other food but he will eat when he's hungry if you continue to refuse feeding wax worms. It's a struggle and a fight but it's worth it in the end. Wax worms are not very healthy for them.

 

[Chameleomom]

I know the wax worms are not a good choice but he refused to eat anything else. I have reintroduced crickets and roaches to him multiple times after long periods but he no matter how long he goes without them he still refuses them after reintroduction, I even tried not feeding him for a few days a couple of times than reintroducing them but he won't touch them.

It can tale a lot more than a couple days.Just make sure he is drinking. By the way his poop looks he is dehydrated. try silks,hornworms,and butters

 

[Lglizard man]

If I would of known they were like crack I would of never gave them to him. Unfortunately though he has only ate 2 wax worms and nothing else this whole week and has become dehydrated as well as currently has diarrhea. He is progressively becoming less active and he has lost the ability to grip with his rear leg. He still tried to use it but is unable to not to mention the tissue from his kneecap down is more firm than the rest of his legs. I'm just hoping it's not a down hill battle from here. He does have an appointment today in 4 hours, I'm hoping they can properly diagnose the leg issue before it's too late. I can work on his nutrition from there. Unfortunately all the research I've done online and in these forms point to gout which is horrifying

 

[Lglizard man]

It can tale a lot more than a couple days.Just make sure he is drinking. By the way his poop looks he is dehydrated. try silks,hornworms,and butters

Yes, he is dehydrated. Unfortunately he's currently not eating anything. The most he's ate this whole week was two small wax worms. He's I'll and suspect in pain, im keeping him as hydrated as I can. His vet will determine if my guess of gout is correct today or at least I hope he will be able to determine. It will be the 2nd vet I have taken him to since Saturday

 

[Lglizard man]

The fogger is not needed maybe a proper sized enclosure yours looks small.

We actually have a custom built enclosure but it's huge. His enclosure is

The fogger is not needed maybe a proper sized enclosure yours looks small.

We have a custom one that was built that is at least twice it's current size if not more. His current cage size is 24 x 24 x 48. I'm not sure if it is ok to move him to the larger cage or not. But for the time being (during this illness and loss of use on one of his feet) I think I don't want to risk a fall from any higher

 

[Graves923]

Definitely needs a vet visit. That rear leg is very swollen and his urates definitely indicate dehydration.

I would add a multivitamin to his supplement schedule. Make sure both your plain calcium powder and D3 powder are phosphorous free. Personally I use Rep-Cal products so I am not familiar with the brand of calcium you listed.

I agree with the above about wax worms. They are a good treat but chams can get addicted to them lol. Hornworms will be good to help his hydration.

Make sure you bring a fresh stool sample to the vet so they can run a fecal exam and make sure there are no parasites. There are alot of illnesses and conditions that can cause leg swelling like this, gout being one of them and gular edema is another to watch for if you notice swelling or fluid retention around the neck and joints.

 

[Lglizard man]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - veiled chameleon, male, 16-17 months old
Handling - only to put on his tree by the window, which has a heat source and UVB set up
Feeding - picky eater, only eats wax worms every other day, however recently introduced to hornworms
Supplements - zoo med repti calcium without d3 every feeding, zoo med reptivite with d3 twice a month, zoo med reptisafe in water
Watering - fogger and dripper always on while he's awake, mist twice daily and shower 10 minutes daily no contact with the shower water. Since sight of dehydration misting has increased
Fecal Description - firm with yellow urate and recently diarrhea

Cage Info:
Cage Type -screened cage;
Lighting - zoo med daylight blue 60w a UVB 10 on from 7:50 am to 8:45 pm
Temperature - 77 in basking, trying to figure out how to increase. Unsure of the rest of the cage. At night time house temp is 74 at the lowest, unsure about in the cage
Humidity - unsure
Plants - 3 live parthos, fake Vines and one small fake plant
Placement - In a corner of the front room
Location - Boise Idaho

Current Problem - stinky runny poop, dehydration, and one of his legs has become firm feeling and swollen. Squirt still tried to use it but has no strength in his grip. He has all his claws, none has been tore off. I'm concerned he has gout and have taken him to a vet who spent very little time diagnosing the issue and basically said "yep it's swollen" he was prescribed metacam. Unfortunately I don't trust hear opinion and he has an appointment with another vet today...I'm just not sure if this vet will be any better because we have a lack of herp vets in Idaho. I just want to get him feeling better, pain free and on the right path

UPDATE: After the vet saw him they decided to do an X-RAY, unfortunately he would not sit still enough for it and had to be sedated which was horrifying. The X-RAY ruled out MBD and gout but it was found that he has a bone infection in his leg. He was prescribed Metacam and Clindamycin for thirty days. Squirt still seems to be out of it from the sedation. But the vet seemed to have high hopes of recovery. However we have to keep him strong enough for the process, force watering and force feeding. My questions are how much should I force water at a time? & Is anybody familiar with carnivore care or is their a better option for force feeding? I also hate using the word "force" when it comes to Squirt

 

[kelly_girl199]

I know the wax worms are not a good choice but he refused to eat anything else. I have reintroduced crickets and roaches to him multiple times after long periods but he no matter how long he goes without them he still refuses them after reintroduction, I even tried not feeding him for a few days a couple of times than reintroducing them but he won't touch them.

You need to do this for more than a few days. It will not kill him to go without a mela for a week. Stop feeding him wax worms. I had a problem when mine was addicted to supers. He went without eating for several days and finally accepted other food items. Now I only offer supers once or twice a week. Like today is a Saturday, so I let him have a super. But I normally offer him other bugs first so he doenst get full on a super. And a lot of time when they are refusing food items....well being picky. They are not even hungry. Just overfed and so now they can go a few days without getting the food of their choice.

 

[kelly_girl199]

UPDATE: After the vet saw him they decided to do an X-RAY, unfortunately he would not sit still enough for it and had to be sedated which was horrifying. The X-RAY ruled out MBD and gout but it was found that he has a bone infection in his leg. He was prescribed Metacam and Clindamycin for thirty days. Squirt still seems to be out of it from the sedation. But the vet seemed to have high hopes of recovery. However we have to keep him strong enough for the process, force watering and force feeding. My questions are how much should I force water at a time? & Is anybody familiar with carnivore care or is their a better option for force feeding? I also hate using the word "force" when it comes to Squirt

Just open the lip up a little and squirt some into his gums. Should get his smacking his lips so to say and then drop it into his mouth

 

[kinyonga]

Don't squirt stuff into his mouth...he may aspirate it/get it in his lungs. Ease it in a little at a time to give him time to swallow.
When his mouth is opening and shutting while he's drinking/chewing/etc...stick a cricket or other (not waxworm) insects between his teeth some will bite it. He may eat it. Being that he's a veiled you can also offer him thin slices of apple, melon, squash, zucchini, etc. Forcing his mouth open should be a last option.

You said his basking area is 77F...this is part of the problem. It's too cool for him to digest food properly so he's taking the wax worms which are like candy over anything else. It could be part of the reason for the stools too. It should be in the mid 80's F.

Not sure the leg will go back to normal size or....if it is an infection that it will be cured at all because chameleon pus is thick like cottage cheese and can't be penetrated by antibiotics....so it usually. Needs to be cleaned out.

 

[Lglizard man]

Don't squirt stuff into his mouth...he may aspirate it/get it in his lungs. Ease it in a little at a time to give him time to swallow.
When his mouth is opening and shutting while he's drinking/chewing/etc...stick a cricket or other (not waxworm) insects between his teeth some will bite it. He may eat it. Being that he's a veiled you can also offer him thin slices of apple, melon, squash, zucchini, etc. Forcing his mouth open should be a last option.

You said his basking area is 77F...this is part of the problem. It's too cool for him to digest food properly so he's taking the wax worms which are like candy over anything else. It could be part of the reason for the stools too. It should be in the mid 80's F.

Not sure the leg will go back to normal size or....if it is an infection that it will be cured at all because chameleon pus is thick like cottage cheese and can't be penetrated by antibiotics....so it usually. Needs to be cleaned out.

I will give that a try with the water and cricket, but how much water and how often should I do this because I know he needs to stay hydrated. I also heard the same thing about chameleon puss, I'm not sure it will go away or not either I'm not a vet. All I know about his antibiotic is it's specifically for bone infections. I'm still a little worried because he was sedated at 7:30 pm last night and now it's 11 am. His color is like none I've ever seen on him I don't know if I should call him pale or neon yellow. He's loopy and lethargic, im trying to see if there is a way to speed up recovery from his sedation because until he's got normal colors or acting somewhat normal I'm nerveous to medicate

 

[kinyonga]

He should have been back to normal by now from the anesthesia. Was he given clindamyacin already?