Reduce the Stress of Medical Treatment

[RBCam]

I was just at the vet my Jackson has a skin infection very week and not eating. Apply external medications of Neosporin and Lotrimin. Before we can apply the external medications we have to clean off the old medication and dead skin and rinse with betadine. I also have 2 oral medications to give and try and feed him some Flukers Repta+Boost which most of the time I have to force his mouth open to do. That is an awful lot of touching and handing for a little guy that hates to be handled. For as weak as he is he still puts up a decent fight when you have to mess with him.

Does anyone have tips on how to treat a sick Chameleon and keeping the stress of being handled to a minimum?

 

[BKO Overdrive]

Im also curious as of what to do, i made a post asking almost the same thing, my vieled hates being handled and sometimes if i have to clean her cage i have to almost either trick her with food or just scoop her up and she sometimes panics and just trys to run off my hand

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

The best you can do is be efficient and have everything ready so you minimize the time you're actually messing with them. If they can be coaxed then that's great and will help. But if not, you basically have to reach in and just grab them quickly. If you're tentative and they start running around the cage and you are chasing them trying to grab them you are creating a lot more stress than just grabbing them. They don't particularly appreciate being grabbed, but they really hate being pursued and scrambling to get away from you before being grabbed. Once you do have them don't let them escape because then you're starting over. Sometimes they feel more comfortable being wrapped in a little towel like a taco so they can hold to something with all their feet.

Have medications, swabs, food, whatever you need premade, in syringes, as ready to go as you can before you get your cham. If they hiss because they're stressed then use that opportunity to squirt meds in along the sides of the tongue or back of the throat so you don't have to force their mouth open. The airway is at the bottom of the mouth so ideally try to avoid that area. If you have to give liquid food them force a small amount in (even a drop or two can be enough) and as they're swallowing they open their mouth just a little - kind of looks like a mini lick with the tongue. When they do that squirt more on the tip of the tongue/lips and they'll keep drinking. Then they're doing it of their own accord and are less likely to aspirate or choke and you're not forcing it and causing more stress.

Q tips soaked with dilute betadine can be used to both scrub and clean skin wounds/problems.

Here's some more tips and pictures: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/health/vet/