Sick Baby Rescue

[globug]

Hi...Gloria here. Canadian woman living in Northern China. I was picking up new heating lights for my Chamies today. I noticed a baby in the baby enclosure today that looked on death's door. Being in China, pets are often considered somewhat disposable so often little care is given, survival of the fittest. I tried not to look at it but I thought about it all day.

I just contacted the guy from the store, as he can speak a little English, and he will let me go there tomorrow and pick up the baby and care for it. It was laying on a leaf and very, very skinny. Because i just bought two new big enclosures for my boyz,I have two small enclosures for the baby. Any advice about this?

My biggest ideas are to provide tiny creatures for it to eat, as there were no small bugs in the tank, and just a plastic bowl at the bottom with medium sized cockroaches in it. Also heat. Just 'light bulb' at top of their tank, not heat light. And cause it was so weak no way to get up there for heat. So my idea is heat and food. What else?

NO, there are no Vets here for small animals like this. I'm gonna give it a go and see if I can save this baby, and in the future more.

 

[camimom]

water water water.

if hes so weak he cant climb, he may be so weak he cant catch food either.

you may want to try to make some bug juice, and force feed it.

how young is it?

 

[globug]

Thanks for responding. It's about the size of a hmmmmm, about the size of my pinky finger. No way to know or ask them. They get their Chams shipped in from Beijing and I have no idea how they do it. Train? Who knows.

It's body is about 2 inches long. Not a tiny, tiny baby. Just very thin and sprawled out on a leaf. I can figure out how to feed it liquid juice. If you say do this, I'll do it. It's easy to buy syringes here. I was a nursing assistant for 5 years in America and have cared for pets my whole life and here in China for 9 years.

What fruits for juice? I assuming crush fresh fruit for juice? I think probably not citrus.

Great first step of advice. It's 10pm and I'll go in the morning to save it.

 

[camimom]

Sounds like hes maybe 3 months old, if that.

for bug juice- get crickets, silkworms, any bugs you can (preferably the staple bugs) and put in ablender.. add a bit of water, and turn the blender on.
strain it, so that the big chunks are out, and your left with just liquid. then, put a very very tiny amount in his mouth. you dont want him to aspirate it, so very tiny, and very slowly.... i would aimfor putting it towards th front of hte mouth, so it cant go down his throat until hes ready to swallow it.

i would also look into some liquid calcium. and try to get a drop or two in him every other day..

if/when you get him home, post photos so we can see his condition.

after bug juice, water. water, water. hes probably very dehyrdated.

i dont want to get your hopes up, as he could be too far gone to save.. but this is the best chance you have of saving him.

good luck.

post photos, and any questions you have

 

[globug]

ha ha ha....not fruit juice..bug juice. I'm not squeamish so i'll do anything i can do to save the little soul. Who knows maybe too late but I gonna give it my best try. I'm a rescuer and I'll gonna do it!

 

[camimom]

oh yea, bug juice, the awesome nastiness we do for chammies.

i know the feeling. i rescued a male panther with a prolapse problem... hes my special needs boy.

good luck!!!

 

[laurie]

If you have powdered calcium I would also add a bit of that to the bug juice. Liquid is easier, but I go with what I have. Best of luck. I am glad you are taking him as you are his only chance.

 

[globug]

Prolapse...poor boy. Terrible condition but yes we have our big hearts to care for all.

yes I have calcium powder and multi-vitamin powder too. I, of course, also have a UVB bulb I will put on him to help absorb the vitamins.

You guys are great to suggest stuff to me. Although I've had pets for about 30 years doing this here in China has made me learn more in 9 years than in my whole life time. i must heal and care for all my babies with little or no help from the people who sell these animals. The fact that I found a tiny shop that has all the powders and lights and things I need is awesome. And the fact that he can speak some English is great. He seems to care enough to just let me take the Chamie home.

But there are animals in his shop which are awful looking and sad and I just have to divert my eyes and focus on these little darlings. I can't save all them and it's a real heart-breaker the things that happen, but, grain-of-salt. I do as I can when I can.

 

[camimom]

You cannot change the world for every animal, but for that one animal, you can change their entire world.

 

[laurie]

You cannot change the world for every animal, but for that one animal, you can change their entire world.

And that is really the only way to look at it. You can win a battle but you can never win the war against ignorance and neglect all on your own. You are doing what you can, be very proud of that.

 

[globug]

Thank you for your encouraging words. There is a lot of ignorance here, especially in the far, far North where I am. I love my life and the changes I've seen over the last 9 years but this whole world has a lot further to come. I can't blame them for what they do as it's very traditional here.

I join forums such as this to feel encouraged and support and help in a place where it's not available so I really, really appreciate your words and help and advice. I will do my best and save one at a time. I will keep a close relationship with this fellow who runs the shop and maybe do this more.

I can't imagine the people here buying these animals and caring for them properly as they are pretty expensive compared to most creatures you buy off the street. I've given him a lot of money in the last few months of having my boyz and I'm sure he wants to continue this relationship. Perhaps he doesn't care if I take it. Maybe he thinks he'll just throw it away tomorrow so why not feed-into the crazy foreigner. My other foreign friends are so in love with my Chameleons. They are better to watch than TV.

 

[laurie]

Thank you for your encouraging words. There is a lot of ignorance here, especially in the far, far North where I am. I love my life and the changes I've seen over the last 9 years but this whole world has a lot further to come. I can't blame them for what they do as it's very traditional here.

I join forums such as this to feel encouraged and support and help in a place where it's not available so I really, really appreciate your words and help and advice. I will do my best and save one at a time. I will keep a close relationship with this fellow who runs the shop and maybe do this more.

I can't imagine the people here buying these animals and caring for them properly as they are pretty expensive compared to most creatures you buy off the street. I've given him a lot of money in the last few months of having my boyz and I'm sure he wants to continue this relationship. Perhaps he doesn't care if I take it. Maybe he thinks he'll just throw it away tomorrow so why not feed-into the crazy foreigner. My other foreign friends are so in love with my Chameleons. They are better to watch than TV.

We are all here for you and I am only a pm away.

 

[mcbdz]

What kind of encloser do you have for it? If it is screen turn it on it's side. Will make the light closer if it can;t climb. Also, you didn't mention UVB? Do you have one for it. Very important. Hope it come back to health for you. If you frequent this pet shop maybe you could print out some chameleon care sheets and give to the owner. Couldn't hurt and maybe even help.

 

[globug]

Chinese...I'm in China. Can't give him a care sheet but I think I can speak Chinese enough and he English enough and seems to care a bit. Perhaps I can give him and EDGE and help about animal love and care. Perhaps not as much care given.

The baby enclosures I have from my two boyz are little plexi-glass things about 13 inches high by 9X9. Yes I have a UVB and heat lamps that I was able to find here in the land of not-believing-in-animals-having-UVB bulbs-and special-equipment.

I thing the gross advice about bug juice, which I will do, and heat and uvb and water and love...if it's still alive tomorrow I have high hopes. In fact, if there are others I'll take them too. He won't be there but his mom will. I am willing to bring the Chameleon back to them and them make more money from selling them but I just can't let these little babies stay there and die.

 

[globug]

Okay I got the baby. It's a little girl. She wasn't looking on deaths door when I got there today but I still wanted to take her. The man wasn't there, his mom was. She was under the impression that I was taking a tiny, tiny baby but i took from the tank the one i saw yesterday so she let me take her. I have some baby meal worms from my last batch that turned to beetles and layed eggs so I was able to fish out 20 or so and put them in a dish on the floor of the tank.

She's sitting on the edge of the dish but hasn't eaten yet. So skinny but seems not as bad as yesterday. When i took her from their tank she was ice cold. I have a hot water bottle on the top of her little enclosure now to warm her up.

I don't think I'll have to hand feed her. I think she just needs food that she can eat which is small enough.

I'm gonna watch her all day as I have the day off. I'll keep you informed. I need to figure out how to post photos here. It's been a few years since I was a member of a forum where I posted photos so it might take me a while to figure it out.

 

[rsepiphyte]

When i had weak chameleons i fed them Gerbers baby food like pureed turkey or beef. To this i always added just a little bit of fenbendazole to help with the parasites. I used a small bird feeding needle, the type they use to hand feed baby hatchling parrots. You can get these mail order from Dr.Fosters and Smith. I hope your rescue chameleon makes it. Ruth

 

[laurie]

Just one more thing, you talked about a glass or plex glass enclosure, you do know the uvb will not pass through glass or plastic correct? the light will go through but the uvb rays will not.

 

[globug]

About the plexiglass and UVB. i do know that. It has some slots in the side where I place the lights. Unfortunately these plexi-glass enclosures are the only options here. My new big enclosures for the boyz have a screen top so i have the heat lights and UVB up there.

She has already eaten some baby worms. I guess she just needed some personal TLC and heat and 'little' food which she can actually eat. I wanted a female so no matter what I think I'll keep her and give the guy some money later.

now I wanna take all his babies.

maybe in the future i can be his supplier for baby chameleons and sell him nice big fat healthy babies.

This is a heartbreaking place to love animals but prehaps i can help them all just a little.

I'll try to post some photos.

 

[globug]

Baby hasn't eaten the last two days but this morning she seems to be moving towards the two containers of worms. Fingers crossed. At least she seems to be more mobile today. I have to work all day so I won't be able to keep my eye on her.

 

[camimom]

Maybe try some bug juice.