Probably purchased an unhealthy Panther Chameleon

[GrayMadder]

Hello Everyone, let me 1st say that I do have a vet appt. but they couldn't get me in until tomorrow.

I have been looking at chameleons online & looking into purchasing one from what seemed to be a reputable breeder or a local rescue. However my family, knowing that I was researching them & looking forward to getting one, purchased a ReptiBreeze set-up kit & a panther chameleon from a pet store, for my birthday. I believe that he is very sick, dehydrated & of course stressed. I'm hoping to get help to get him through until his vet appt.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Panther, pet store said 1.5 years old. He was purchased the evening of 1/17/21.
• Handling - Have only handled him to put him in the cage.
• Feeding - I have crickets, but he hasn't eaten them. I am currently using a cup to try to track what he's eaten.
• Supplements - Nothing so far. But do have what came with the cage kit. (Repti Calcium without D3 (sample) ReptiVite with D3 (sample))
• Watering - The 1st night & next day, I sprayed the plants with water. Since Monday I've had a misting system in there. And I put a cup on top of the cage to drip down on the leaves. No I have not seen him drink.
• Fecal Description - He did poop the 1st full day. It was wetish, the urates were bright white with a tad bit of brown on the opposite end from the poop.
• History - The pet store claimed he was eating roaches & crickets, prior to the family purchasing him. Family says that he was lying on the bottom of the cage with his head in the corner, when the lady brought him out for them to hold.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - ReptiBreeze Screen 16x16x30
• Lighting - Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb (60 watt) ReptiSun® 5.0 Mini Compact Fluorescent (13 watt) (Came with the kit) I know I need the long bulb.
• Temperature - We only have the temp prob that came with the kit. Basking is 87+/- but he's never been up there. Bottom of the cage usually reads 69.
• Humidity - I do not have a humidity gage yet. I've had a misting system in the cage since Monday night. I also put a cup on top of the cage so it drips down the leaves.
• Plants - 1 large pathos, the rest are silk & have 2 lizard vines. The plastic plant that comes in the kit, is not in there. I know he needs more horizontal branches.
• Placement - The cage is in our living room. Yes, it's in a high traffic area.
• Location - Michigan

Current Problem - He looks very skinny & after looking at many of the "Neptune the Chameleon" videos, I believe he is dehydrated. He never goes into the plants. He doesn't bask. He is typically on the bottom of the cage leaning against the screen or on a vine that is just over 1/2 way up the cage. He hasn't eaten and I haven't seen him drink. Many years ago I had a flapneck chameleon & know that they do the leaf walk. But he is not doing it that way, he stands & rocks back & forth, not front to back. A couple times I thought he was going to fall. I watched the don't freak out video & have just left him alone hoping he would adjust after the first few days, but every morning I am afraid I will wake up & he'll have passed.

The 1st pic is of the cage prior to having the misting system. The next 2 are him on the same night within just a few minutes. I have a short video of the rocking, but couldn't attach it.

Poor guy! I hope everything goes well at the vet. ❤

 

[Tige21v]

......Either way, please file a complaint with the BBB about the store, because this is ridiculous. Good luck, we are here to help you.

the BBB is not enough, and will not reach the people who need to know to avoid this store.
Relate your experience INCLUDING the store's name on any social media site you are involved with. Just state the facts. And provide a link to this thread.
Let the potential customers decide for themselves.
Honestly, all in all, I am against the whole social media thing. That being said, if there was ever a time for the negativity that it seems to be able to generate, this is it.
This scum took advantage of your family's naivety and good intentions to unload an abused animal. They should have their license pulled.

Rant over.

 

[NikkiA]

I'm in Michigan too. I'm not sure what part of Michigan you're in, but a local chain, Pet Supplies Plus, has 24 inch T5HO fixtures with 5.0 UVB bulbs available in store. If you order online and do curbside pickup you can use a 30% off coupon that can be found on their website.

Good luck at the vet! I'm very sorry to see that your birthday gift turned into heartache for you and your family, who were being sweet.

I would call the pet store even though a form was signed. I would explain you realize that a form was signed but you took pictures after he came out of the box and that his condition was not one of a healthy chameleon that should have been sold.

As @Tige21v has suggested I would also use social media to warn others about this store. I do not love social media but in this case it may help others. This store is either ignorant to proper husbandry or sold a sick animal to make money, either way, this store needs to change or go out of business.

 

[Michiganrottmom]

Hello Everyone, sorry about not responding to the other posts, I didn't get a notification for them.

An update on Dempsey,

I found a T5HO fixture & 5.0 UVB bulb. When I got home he was at the top of the cage drinking from the drip cup! I saw him take 2 drips. I could have cried! I put the new lite on the cage. He was a little grumpy about that, puffed up & hid inside the pathos. He stayed there until just before lights out, when he climbed the screen to the top cage corner he has been sleeping in.

The vet said that he is very under weight, 30grams. And that I need a gram scale because he will want daily weights for him. He said his hydration was "ok," because there was no tenting when his skin was pulled up. Since he hasn't pooped again, I couldn't take that in yet. The vet gave me some liquid meds because he said Dempsey has a "film" in his mouth & he is afraid infection will set in. He also told me that I needed to get some colostrum for cats, mix it with the powder he gave me so it's like a toothpaste consistency & give him 2 drops (1 at a time) 2x per day. Also to keep offering him crickets & roaches. He also said that he was cold, that the temps in the majority of the cage were not high enough. (Basking spot was fine, but he never goes there.) He put Dempsey in the insulated bag that I brought him in, with one of those rice things people put in the microwave for muscle aches, two towels on top of that & covered him. Once he warmed up, he was fast. At least compared to how I've seen him move. Finally the vet said that he is not out of the woods yet & that he wants daily check ins with weights, & food updates.

Once we got home, I added a 75 watt white bulb to the fixture that the compact UVB light was in. I sprayed everything down with water & then got Dempsey out of the bag & put him on the plants. He crawled up to the vine and stayed there. While at the office the vet had asked if I tried to hold a cricket for him, so it made me want to try after he had been basking a little. It was a tiny cricket, but he did eat it.

Considering I was afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night, I am very happy with these tiny victories.

I will be putting out some reviews on the pet store with Yelp & Google. I do not do social media.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm attaching a picture of Dempsey after he took the cricket from me.

 

[Beman]

Hello Everyone, sorry about not responding to the other posts, I didn't get a notification for them.

An update on Dempsey,

I found a T5HO fixture & 5.0 UVB bulb. When I got home he was at the top of the cage drinking from the drip cup! I saw him take 2 drips. I could have cried! I put the new lite on the cage. He was a little grumpy about that, puffed up & hid inside the pathos. He stayed there until just before lights out, when he climbed the screen to the top cage corner he has been sleeping in.

The vet said that he is very under weight, 30grams. And that I need a gram scale because he will want daily weights for him. He said his hydration was "ok," because there was no tenting when his skin was pulled up. Since he hasn't pooped again, I couldn't take that in yet. The vet gave me some liquid meds because he said Dempsey has a "film" in his mouth & he is afraid infection will set in. He also told me that I needed to get some colostrum for cats, mix it with the powder he gave me so it's like a toothpaste consistency & give him 2 drops (1 at a time) 2x per day. Also to keep offering him crickets & roaches. He also said that he was cold, that the temps in the majority of the cage were not high enough. (Basking spot was fine, but he never goes there.) He put Dempsey in the insulated bag that I brought him in, with one of those rice things people put in the microwave for muscle aches, two towels on top of that & covered him. Once he warmed up, he was fast. At least compared to how I've seen him move. Finally the vet said that he is not out of the woods yet & that he wants daily check ins with weights, & food updates.

Once we got home, I added a 75 watt white bulb to the fixture that the compact UVB light was in. I sprayed everything down with water & then got Dempsey out of the bag & put him on the plants. He crawled up to the vine and stayed there. While at the office the vet had asked if I tried to hold a cricket for him, so it made me want to try after he had been basking a little. It was a tiny cricket, but he did eat it.

Considering I was afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night, I am very happy with these tiny victories.

I will be putting out some reviews on the pet store with Yelp & Google. I do not do social media.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm attaching a picture of Dempsey after he took the cricket from me.

So they gave antibiotics for the mouth then?

Take a look at this for giving meds... Their airway is in the front of the mouth so you have to point towards the back so you do not aspirate him. http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2014/05/how-to-give-different-medicines.html

To give you an idea of how underweight this baby is... An adult male is typically about 120-140 grams when they are approximately 16 inches in total length tip of nose to the end of the tail. Some are larger but this depends on their total length.

Hopefully you will be able to get him to turn around and it sounds like your vet is knowledgeable too.

Start reading through every module here for the correct husbandry. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
And here is species specific info https://chameleonacademy.com/panther-chameleon-care/

I will give you some feedback on the help form as well now.

 

[GrayMadder]

Hello Everyone, sorry about not responding to the other posts, I didn't get a notification for them.

An update on Dempsey,

I found a T5HO fixture & 5.0 UVB bulb. When I got home he was at the top of the cage drinking from the drip cup! I saw him take 2 drips. I could have cried! I put the new lite on the cage. He was a little grumpy about that, puffed up & hid inside the pathos. He stayed there until just before lights out, when he climbed the screen to the top cage corner he has been sleeping in.

The vet said that he is very under weight, 30grams. And that I need a gram scale because he will want daily weights for him. He said his hydration was "ok," because there was no tenting when his skin was pulled up. Since he hasn't pooped again, I couldn't take that in yet. The vet gave me some liquid meds because he said Dempsey has a "film" in his mouth & he is afraid infection will set in. He also told me that I needed to get some colostrum for cats, mix it with the powder he gave me so it's like a toothpaste consistency & give him 2 drops (1 at a time) 2x per day. Also to keep offering him crickets & roaches. He also said that he was cold, that the temps in the majority of the cage were not high enough. (Basking spot was fine, but he never goes there.) He put Dempsey in the insulated bag that I brought him in, with one of those rice things people put in the microwave for muscle aches, two towels on top of that & covered him. Once he warmed up, he was fast. At least compared to how I've seen him move. Finally the vet said that he is not out of the woods yet & that he wants daily check ins with weights, & food updates.

Once we got home, I added a 75 watt white bulb to the fixture that the compact UVB light was in. I sprayed everything down with water & then got Dempsey out of the bag & put him on the plants. He crawled up to the vine and stayed there. While at the office the vet had asked if I tried to hold a cricket for him, so it made me want to try after he had been basking a little. It was a tiny cricket, but he did eat it.

Considering I was afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night, I am very happy with these tiny victories.

I will be putting out some reviews on the pet store with Yelp & Google. I do not do social media.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm attaching a picture of Dempsey after he took the cricket from me.

Thanks for the update! You did the right thing and hopefully he gets back to health. It's a shame they handed him off in the condition he was in. But glad to hear he's making a recovery and that you got some answers.

 

[Arpretty]

Hello Everyone, sorry about not responding to the other posts, I didn't get a notification for them.

An update on Dempsey,

I found a T5HO fixture & 5.0 UVB bulb. When I got home he was at the top of the cage drinking from the drip cup! I saw him take 2 drips. I could have cried! I put the new lite on the cage. He was a little grumpy about that, puffed up & hid inside the pathos. He stayed there until just before lights out, when he climbed the screen to the top cage corner he has been sleeping in.

The vet said that he is very under weight, 30grams. And that I need a gram scale because he will want daily weights for him. He said his hydration was "ok," because there was no tenting when his skin was pulled up. Since he hasn't pooped again, I couldn't take that in yet. The vet gave me some liquid meds because he said Dempsey has a "film" in his mouth & he is afraid infection will set in. He also told me that I needed to get some colostrum for cats, mix it with the powder he gave me so it's like a toothpaste consistency & give him 2 drops (1 at a time) 2x per day. Also to keep offering him crickets & roaches. He also said that he was cold, that the temps in the majority of the cage were not high enough. (Basking spot was fine, but he never goes there.) He put Dempsey in the insulated bag that I brought him in, with one of those rice things people put in the microwave for muscle aches, two towels on top of that & covered him. Once he warmed up, he was fast. At least compared to how I've seen him move. Finally the vet said that he is not out of the woods yet & that he wants daily check ins with weights, & food updates.

Once we got home, I added a 75 watt white bulb to the fixture that the compact UVB light was in. I sprayed everything down with water & then got Dempsey out of the bag & put him on the plants. He crawled up to the vine and stayed there. While at the office the vet had asked if I tried to hold a cricket for him, so it made me want to try after he had been basking a little. It was a tiny cricket, but he did eat it.

Considering I was afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night, I am very happy with these tiny victories.

I will be putting out some reviews on the pet store with Yelp & Google. I do not do social media.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm attaching a picture of Dempsey after he took the cricket from me.

Tiny victories are absolutely worth celebrating! Stick with him, learn, and act fast. You will receive great guidance here and immersing yourself the Chameleon Academy is also a game changer! Very hopeful for you and Dempsey.

 

[Michiganrottmom]

So they gave antibiotics for the mouth then?

Take a look at this for giving meds... Their airway is in the front of the mouth so you have to point towards the back so you do not aspirate him. http://www.muchadoaboutchameleons.com/2014/05/how-to-give-different-medicines.html

To give you an idea of how underweight this baby is... An adult male is typically about 120-140 grams when they are approximately 16 inches in total length tip of nose to the end of the tail. Some are larger but this depends on their total length.

Hopefully you will be able to get him to turn around and it sounds like your vet is knowledgeable too.

Start reading through every module here for the correct husbandry. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
And here is species specific info https://chameleonacademy.com/panther-chameleon-care/

I will give you some feedback on the help form as well now.

@Beman I really appreciate your help. I believe he said they were antibiotics. The paperwork is at home, so I will check when I get there.

Thank-you for all the links! I have been finding them very interesting & helpful. I am about 1/2 way through the Chameleon Academy's husbandry posts.

That makes me so sad about what his "typical weight should be." Since he so under weight, I wonder if his growth has been stunted. For supposedly being 1.5yrs, I would think he would be longer than he is. He's only just over 11".

 

[Beman]

See feedback in red bold.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Panther, pet store said 1.5 years old. He was purchased the evening of 1/17/21.
• Handling - Have only handled him to put him in the cage.
• Feeding - I have crickets, but he hasn't eaten them. I am currently using a cup to try to track what he's eaten. See feeder image. and Gutload image for your bugs.
• Supplements - Nothing so far. But do have what came with the cage kit. (Repti Calcium without D3 (sample) ReptiVite with D3 (sample)) These supplements will work. So the reptivite is a multivitamin with calcium D3 in it. This is given two times a month say the 1st and the 15th. The calcium without D3 you will use at every feeding except when you use the reptivite. You will be feeding him every single day so he starts putting weight on. Work with your Vet on this for when you need to go to every other day feeding.
• Watering - The 1st night & next day, I sprayed the plants with water. Since Monday I've had a misting system in there. And I put a cup on top of the cage to drip down on the leaves. No I have not seen him drink. Misting morning and evening only. anywhere from 2-5 minutes. Keep the dripper running for daytime.
• Fecal Description - He did poop the 1st full day. It was wetish, the urates were bright white with a tad bit of brown on the opposite end from the poop. Get a fecal done when you can just to make sure there is not a parasite issue.
• History - The pet store claimed he was eating roaches & crickets, prior to the family purchasing him. Family says that he was lying on the bottom of the cage with his head in the corner, when the lady brought him out for them to hold.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - ReptiBreeze Screen 16x16x30... Once he becomes a bit more active and healthier you will want to get him into a 2x2x4 ft enclosure. Read through the chameleon academy link for how to set up a proper enclosure.
• Lighting - Daylight Blue Reptile Bulb (60 watt) ReptiSun® 5.0 Mini Compact Fluorescent (13 watt) (Came with the kit) I know I need the long bulb. You already upgraded the T5HO fixture and 5.0 linear bulb. Closest branch below it should be 9 inches. This will give a 3 uvi level which is perfect for him.
• Temperature - We only have the temp prob that came with the kit. Basking is 87+/- but he's never been up there. Bottom of the cage usually reads 69. So with adding the higher wattage bulb... You will want to raise this off the top a bit make sure you have a good 9-10 inch drop to the branch below it. Because if he moves up under it you do not want to risk a thermal burn. 85 is the max basking temp. unless your vet specified something else but thermal burns are a real issue with stronger wattage bulbs and even bulbs that sit too close. putting clear duct window film on the back and a side or back and both sides will help with temp control and humidity. Here is the link for that product https://www.amazon.com/Duck-5-Windo...1611250829&sprefix=duct+window,aps,210&sr=8-5
• Humidity - I do not have a humidity gage yet. I've had a misting system in the cage since Monday night. I also put a cup on top of the cage so it drips down the leaves. This is a good one just make sure it is not in a direct spray path. Your looking for a daytime humidity level of 50-60% at night when it is cool up to 100%. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07R586J37/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
• Plants - 1 large pathos, the rest are silk & have 2 lizard vines. The plastic plant that comes in the kit, is not in there. I know he needs more horizontal branches. Get a taller plant to fill out the cage more. Either a ficus or umbrella here is a link for cham safe plants. https://chameleonacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Chameleon-Plants-122819.pdf
• Placement - The cage is in our living room. Yes, it's in a high traffic area. May not be the best place if people are constantly moving in and out.
• Location - Michigan

Start reading through every module here for the correct husbandry. https://chameleonacademy.com/chameleon-husbandry-program-getting-started-with-chameleons/
And here is species specific info https://chameleonacademy.com/panther-chameleon-care/

I like this feeder run in the 3 inch size. https://www.fullthrottlefeeders.com/feedercups

or this one in the large size. https://tkchameleons.com/collections/accessories/products/shooting-gallery

Dragon strand cages are amazing. But they also make drip pans and dragon ledges to work with other cage types. See this link for more info. www.dragonstrand.com

 

[Beman]

@Beman I really appreciate your help. I believe he said they were antibiotics. The paperwork is at home, so I will check when I get there.

Thank-you for all the links! I have been finding them very interesting & helpful. I am about 1/2 way through the Chameleon Academy's husbandry posts.

That makes me so sad about what his "typical weight should be." Since he so under weight, I wonder if his growth has been stunted. For supposedly being 1.5yrs, I would think he would be longer than he is. He's only just over 11".

So for his size just getting him up to 90-100 grams is going to be good. We don't want him to be fat either so watching and tracking weight is important. If he is in fact a year and a half then yes he would be done with growing. Does not mean he can not get to a good weight for his size though.
I will say his pic looks better today. The mouth is concerning so more then likely your vet did put him on antibiotics and that will help alot. Get him feeling better.

Try anything for feeding. A feeder run, hand feeding and cup feeding. See what he prefers and just get him to eat this will be really important especially with medicating him. Some meds can make them feel crappy and lower appetite.

I am happy to help. I really hope this boy makes a full recovery.

 

[Joeskier]

Hello Everyone, sorry about not responding to the other posts, I didn't get a notification for them.

An update on Dempsey,

I found a T5HO fixture & 5.0 UVB bulb. When I got home he was at the top of the cage drinking from the drip cup! I saw him take 2 drips. I could have cried!
I put the new lite on the cage. He was a little grumpy about that, puffed up & hid inside the pathos. He stayed there until just before lights out, when he climbed the screen to the top cage corner he has been sleeping in.

The vet said that he is very under weight, 30grams. And that I need a gram scale because he will want daily weights for him. He said his hydration was "ok," because there was no tenting when his skin was pulled up. Since he hasn't pooped again, I couldn't take that in yet. The vet gave me some liquid meds because he said Dempsey has a "film" in his mouth & he is afraid infection will set in. He also told me that I needed to get some colostrum for cats, mix it with the powder he gave me so it's like a toothpaste consistency & give him 2 drops (1 at a time) 2x per day. Also to keep offering him crickets & roaches. He also said that he was cold, that the temps in the majority of the cage were not high enough. (Basking spot was fine, but he never goes there.) He put Dempsey in the insulated bag that I brought him in, with one of those rice things people put in the microwave for muscle aches, two towels on top of that & covered him. Once he warmed up, he was fast. At least compared to how I've seen him move. Finally the vet said that he is not out of the woods yet & that he wants daily check ins with weights, & food updates.

Once we got home, I added a 75 watt white bulb to the fixture that the compact UVB light was in. I sprayed everything down with water & then got Dempsey out of the bag & put him on the plants. He crawled up to the vine and stayed there. While at the office the vet had asked if I tried to hold a cricket for him, so it made me want to try after he had been basking a little. It was a tiny cricket, but he did eat it.

Considering I was afraid that he wouldn't make it through the night, I am very happy with these tiny victories.

I will be putting out some reviews on the pet store with Yelp & Google. I do not do social media.

Thanks everyone for your help!

I'm attaching a picture of Dempsey after he took the cricket from me.

Please keep us updated to his progress! Good luck- he is lucky to have landed in your home at least he will have a chance!

 

[Michiganrottmom]

Dempsey was back at the bottom of the cage when I got home last night, the temp was 80.1 & but he was black. We gave him his food slurry & two drops of water, each a drop at a time, while holding him in that rice thing, that I had mentioned before. He returned to his bright colors. It took him a while to actually swallow each drop, but he eventually did. Then came the meds (Baytril) from the Vet. The Vet warned me to hold him securely because "they tend to not to like this stuff." Boy was he right!! If he had not warned me to how to hold that little guy, I'm certain we would have dropped him.

This morning he was snuggled under the leaves of the plant, but had good color. He was grumpy about the feeding, but ate a little faster.

I'm thankful that I will have the weekend to monitor him more closely. It's been very hard to get any work done, when I can't get Dempsey off my mind!!

 

[Mrjamwin]

Dempsey was back at the bottom of the cage when I got home last night, the temp was 80.1 & but he was black. We gave him his food slurry & two drops of water, each a drop at a time, while holding him in that rice thing, that I had mentioned before. He returned to his bright colors. It took him a while to actually swallow each drop, but he eventually did. Then came the meds (Baytril) from the Vet. The Vet warned me to hold him securely because "they tend to not to like this stuff." Boy was he right!! If he had not warned me to how to hold that little guy, I'm certain we would have dropped him.

This morning he was snuggled under the leaves of the plant, but had good color. He was grumpy about the feeding, but ate a little faster.

I'm thankful that I will have the weekend to monitor him more closely. It's been very hard to get any work done, when I can't get Dempsey off my mind!!

Thank you for what you're doing and not giving up on him.

 

[GrayMadder]

Dempsey was back at the bottom of the cage when I got home last night, the temp was 80.1 & but he was black. We gave him his food slurry & two drops of water, each a drop at a time, while holding him in that rice thing, that I had mentioned before. He returned to his bright colors. It took him a while to actually swallow each drop, but he eventually did. Then came the meds (Baytril) from the Vet. The Vet warned me to hold him securely because "they tend to not to like this stuff." Boy was he right!! If he had not warned me to how to hold that little guy, I'm certain we would have dropped him.

This morning he was snuggled under the leaves of the plant, but had good color. He was grumpy about the feeding, but ate a little faster.

I'm thankful that I will have the weekend to monitor him more closely. It's been very hard to get any work done, when I can't get Dempsey off my mind!!

He is lucky that he's fallen into your hands! ❤

 

[Michiganrottmom]

Dempsey was back at the bottom of the cage when I got home last night, the temp was 80.1 & but he was black. We gave him his food slurry & two drops of water, each a drop at a time, while holding him in that rice thing, that I had mentioned before.

Well, Now I feel even worse than I did. Apparently I misunderstood the vet, because I just got my butt chewed. The food slurry I am actually supposed to keep force feeding him, many times throughout the day. I will be leaving work shortly so I can start doing that ASAP.

I'm sorry if I don't get to reply to everyone, after I leave work, I won't have access to the internet. Hopefully, it will be back up & running today.

I truly appreciate all the advice & support.

 

[absolutbill]

Don't feel badly - you had a ton of information about an entirely new subject thrown at you while stressing out about your new chameleon. You are doing the best you can, and we are all pulling for you both. Keep up the progress and let us know if you have any questions.

 

[kinyonga]

What's the temperature where he's sitting at the bottom of the cage? You want him to be warm enough but also don't want him to be too warm.
Will he drink water if you drip it on the tip of his nose at the rate of about one or two drops per second?
If he does, you could try sticking a cricket head first into his mouth as its opening and shutting to drink...but make sure he bites down on it so the cricket will not bite him.
I'm trying to suggest things to try that won't stress him out too much.
When he's just sitting there does he keep his mouth open at all?

What's the slurry??

 

[Michiganrottmom]

Sadly, Dempsey past away yesterday morning.
We are all sad & very mad about the situation. I just don’t understand how the people at that store could do that to any animal & then sell them. But if you spend just 5 minutes looking at the reviews about them (obviously my family didn’t ) you can see that they have been doing it for a long time!
I appreciate everyone’s help.

 

[ERKleRose]

Sadly, Dempsey past away yesterday morning.
We are all sad & very mad about the situation. I just don’t understand how the people at that store could do that to any animal & then sell them. But if you spend just 5 minutes looking at the reviews about them (obviously my family didn’t ) you can see that they have been doing it for a long time!
I appreciate everyone’s help.

I’m so sorry for your loss! You made the last days of his life the best ever!

 

[Kam0408]

Poor thing! That’s so sad, he is beautiful though, just very ill and thin!