Sick Cham Went to Vet no help

sccrstr870

New Member
Cage Info:

Cage Type - All Screen 24''X24''X48

Lighting - Rsptisun 5.0 75W incandescent

Temperature -floor 70 basking 90 Lowest overnight temp 60 i use a Digital temp gague

Humidity -Mist in the mourning before work and when i get back he also goes in the shower atl east once a week humitity tends to be low

Plants - 1 Schefflera

Placement - Corner of my room about 3 feet off of the floor top of cage is about 1 foot from the ceiling

Location - Long island Ny

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Male Veiled Purchased In September from fl chams at 3 months old

Handling -Just moving him into the shower once and a while and now since going to the vet i have been taking him out everyday to feed and give eye drops and a shot every three days

Feeding - Mostly gut loaded crickets he eats supers as well but couldn't ever get him to eat a silk worm

Supplements - Rep cal no phosphorus no d3 and repcal herpitive vitamins once a week when he was eating

Watering - Mist in the Am a whole spray Bottle but dont really see him drinking too much he drinks more from the shower

Fecal Description -

Current Problem - He started to keep his eyes closed about 2 weeks ago and not eating... i brought him to the vet March 30th and she told me he looked like he had a respiratory infection she gave me gentacin opthalmic drops for his eyes some yellow powdery stuff called carnivore rx i have to mix it with warm water and fill a syringe with it and open his mouth and squeeze it in also she gave me needles i have to give him one every three days the medicine is called fortaz....well my problem is although he looks nourished now his eyes arent open and he cant hunt without his eyes so the only way to feed him is use the powdery yellow stuff she gave me i really dont know what else to do im going to call her up tomorrow and tell her nothing has changed any help would be great
 
I would try changing the bulb to a long linear one if the one you are using is a compact. I don't know if that one is one of the ones that has caused problems or not....just thought it might be worth a try.
 
the carnivore RX? can you go into detail, i recall another member explaining that it is bad for chameleons.
 
Sang yeah that was a recent thread. Got a picture or a link you can show us, Sccr?
 
I would find a different vet.

I agree.
This one seems to be doing a kind of shot gun treatment hoping one of the meds will hit the target and cure whatever is wrong.
Too much medication and force feeding can be worse for the chameleon than the original issue.

-Brad
 
theres not too many vets on the island if anyone has a recommendation let me know ill keep you posted and will be calling today
 
Here's a list of vets in NY: http://www.herpvetconnection.com/newyork.shtml

I'm not saying they have chameleon experience but you could check them out. I know there are other members here from NY you should start a new thread "Need VET in NY" and the NY members may notice it. A personal recommendation would be best. You may have to drive a ways to a good chameleon vet. I have to drive 2 hours. Jann
 
If you need to force feed for the short term, smash up some bug juice instead of using that carnivore stuff.
It may be dehydrated. (wild guess) Misting once a day isnt enough. Try adding a dripper after you get him back to health
 
While not a certainty, Vitamin A deficiency is a reasonable possibility with the info given.

thats what i was thinking, but doesnt that normally show up about 6 months+ 3 months i would think his Vitamin A store from birth should be good enough?

post pic of the chameleons eyes please also the tip of the tail, and any fat store places. You iphone will take much better pictures in direct sunlight on the chameleon so if its daytime try taking him out side, and doing a photo shoot. you will get pretty decent pics, and the sun may help his condition
 
Time for new vet....

Yeah, time to find a new vet. Your lighting is not the problem. Vitamin A like Jim said is a better bet. I'm not sure what the Carnivore RX stuff is. But chams are not carnivores. I bet the stuff is too high in protein. There is a powdered product made to force feed birds that is closer to what a chameleon would need. Can't remember the name but it is made for birds that are insect eaters. My vet gave me some years ago when I needed to force feed a female that did not eat after egg laying. Insects are nutritionally very different from meat. While you are waiting to get your cham to the vet you can buy some cod liver capsules. Prick the gel capsule with a pin. Lightly dab a Q-tip in the oil and dab it in the chams mouth. Only the tiniest or tiny amounts is needed. A full drop is way to much for a cham that size. Just a swipe inside the mouth with a Q-tip is needed. The vet can give him an injection later on. Best wishes for your little one.
 
:D
thats what i was thinking, but doesnt that normally show up about 6 months+ 3 months i would think his Vitamin A store from birth should be good enough?

Well, you did have to use the words "normally" and "should", and the answer would be "Yes, but not always". The upside is that proper vitamin A supplementation will not harm the animal, and is an inexpensive option.

Thanks Kathy. I had PM'd the OP the full Monty on it, so as not to leave them hanging, but its nice to see all the efforts made to help ;)
 
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Yeah, time to find a new vet. Your lighting is not the problem. Vitamin A like Jim said is a better bet. I'm not sure what the Carnivore RX stuff is. But chams are not carnivores. I bet the stuff is too high in protein. There is a powdered product made to force feed birds that is closer to what a chameleon would need. Can't remember the name but it is made for birds that are insect eaters. My vet gave me some years ago when I needed to force feed a female that did not eat after egg laying. Insects are nutritionally very different from meat. While you are waiting to get your cham to the vet you can buy some cod liver capsules. Prick the gel capsule with a pin. Lightly dab a Q-tip in the oil and dab it in the chams mouth. Only the tiniest or tiny amounts is needed. A full drop is way to much for a cham that size. Just a swipe inside the mouth with a Q-tip is needed. The vet can give him an injection later on. Best wishes for your little one.

I wouldn't use cod liver its too sporadic in concentration clusters. Actual Vitamin A capsuals from a vitamin store would be best in the lowest dosage of IU's possible. ( to make supplementation the most accurate) PM jim from FL chams he has a structured supplement schedule of Vit A

Flukers makes a supplement for that as well. remember though chameleons will eat small lizards / mammals if the chance arises. They are omnivores though i would rather stick a bug in its mouth and have it chew it up like i did before than to put some type of cocktail in the lizard
 
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