respiratory infections

mike brandt

mike brandt

New Member
i did a search and nothing was mentioned about treatment of URI. only symptoms. im convinced my panther has an URI. the other threads state too low temps can cause it, but i dont think that is it im my cham's case as i watch his temps closely. are there any other causes for this? his eating and drinking has not declined but he does gape and makes a sort of gasp sound every 3-5 minutes.

also im in the st louis area, if anyone knows any good vets that have dealt with chameleons i'd like to know. i love my chameleon and im really worried about him.
 
Sorry to hear that. What temps and humidity levels are you keeping him at? I've treated URI in the past with baytril but you should discuss it w/ a licensed vet first.
 
URI can be caused by low temps. It can also be caused by poor ventilation, excessive humidity, and bacterial/fungal infections. Treating URI begins with a trip to a qualified veterinarian. They can offer medicine and advice on your cham's specific condition. Jenfur posted some good links. You might also want to try arav.org.
 
watch the cleanliness of the cage closely. Line the bottom with paper towels or newspaper so you can pull it out daily. Dead insects can also be a breeding ground for bacteria
 
i keep him at 80-85 daytime, and 70-75 at night. humidity is between 60-70% and i mist him 3-4 times daily, and he has a dripper for drinking water that is dripping for 1 hour per day.
 
jenfur427 said:
This is a list that I found for STL vets. I don't have any experience with them though.

http://www.herpvetconnection.com/missouri.shtml

There is also the STL herp society, maybe contact them and see what they can recommend?

http://www.stlherpsociety.org/

Where in STL do you live? I live about 20 minutes outside of STL at Scott AFB.
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i live in south county, lindbergh-tesson ferry area. i have an appointment scheduled for monday thats the soonest i could get. hope thats soon enough, how long does it take before this could cause him to stop eating or reach the point of no return?

anything i can do to help the situation between now and the doctor's visit on monday?
 
Sadly I have a lot of experience with this. Mine usually respond well to Baytril. I always take mine to see the vet first though before I start the Baytril. Before you can see the vet it is a good idea to increase the temperature in the viv to the acceptable maximum for Panthers. URI can be a secondary symptom to something else though. All of mine, but one, have made a full recovery from this so I know it can be done. I do wonder if you are over spraying him, just an idea.
 
i have airflow for my veileds because i read that stale,stagnant air could kill them very fast.i move the air at least once every 24htrs.
 
mike brandt said:
i live in south county, lindbergh-tesson ferry area. i have an appointment scheduled for monday thats the soonest i could get. hope thats soon enough, how long does it take before this could cause him to stop eating or reach the point of no return?

anything i can do to help the situation between now and the doctor's visit on monday?
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what is his basking temp. it should be around 90-95
 
i actually found another vet that i could get him to, she has treated many reptiles but never a chameleon. he was given an atibiotic shot and i have 6 more doses to give him every three days. he is no longer gasping after i had taken him to the vet. he is eating like a champ and physically still looks great. after all the possibilitys mentioned above my guess would be either poor ventilation, or not having removed some dead insects and stool from the cage. both have been corrected.
 
jenfur427 said:
Can you describe your set up? Info needed can be found here...

https://www.chameleonforums.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66

I won't even pretend to know what's wrong with him, but maybe some of the more experienced keepers can help you figure out what's going on.
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24x24x36 screencage, artificial plants and branches top to bottom, 1 flourescent uvb, 1 ceramic heat bulb, and 1 daytime heat light, water is supplied with a dripper and spray bottle. no substrate. all on a timer, ceramic bulb is used day and night, also have a humidity guage and air temp thermometer.
 
mike brandt said:
i actually found another vet that i could get him to, she has treated many reptiles but never a chameleon.
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Take caution. Chameleons aren't as forgiving with medical treatments as other reptiles. Slower and more cautious proceedures usually need to be taken.
 
Will Hayward said:
Take caution. Chameleons aren't as forgiving with medical treatments as other reptiles. Slower and more cautious proceedures usually need to be taken.
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yes, i agree. i just thought the sooner i took action the better. i didnt want it to set in longer before he received any treatment. i was afraid monday could have been too late for my little buddy.

i just wonder if the stress from giving him a shot every 3 days isnt going to cause more harm than good, since he is still eating good and is now acting normal.
 
how do you give them baytril and where do you get the stuff? not that my chameleons need it yet i just intrested in knowing where you get it.
 
Fate X said:
how do you give them baytril and where do you get the stuff? not that my chameleons need it yet i just intrested in knowing where you get it.
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If its the same as Canadian Law, it needs to be perscribed by a registered veteranarian.
 
I have used baytril a couple of times now on two different chams. My panther got really sick, and I believe it probably saved his life. I gave it to him orally once a day at the dosage recommended by the vet. It was a pain and pretty stressful for him, but I did it at the same time that I force fed food and water. Personally, if he ever needs it again, I will go with the shot. It seems that would be less stressful. He improved a few days after starting it, and was doing pretty well by the end of the 14 days that he took it. It still took several months for him to make a full recovery, though.

The second chameleon I used it on was a WC female leaf cham. She is so small, the baytril had to be carefully diluted for her size. My vet did it for me, and I also gave it to her orally. She improved rapidly and made a full recovery in a short period of time.

The big thing to remember is that baytril needs to be prescribed based upon your reptile's weight. Otherwise, you could be either under medicating or over medicating your animal. It also causes dehydration, etc. and can damage the kidneys, so it is important to only use it when the chameleon really needs it and only for the specified period of time.

I believe in a "first aid" kit for my animals, but baytril isn't one of the items I stock for emergencies. I go to the vet for that assistance because they know what dosage my animal will require.

Heika
 
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