Sick veiled- should I take it on?

[Smiley]

So one of the stores I dog train at has a very sick chameleon. 2-3 weeks ago I saw him/her, took him out, and noticed that both eyes were shut and he was lethargic. I brought it up to the GM and he said it was due to a bad shed and that they had been soaking it and giving eye drops.

This morning I was in again, and they had finally taken him to the vet and put him in the back room. The vet had prescribed baytryl and said that he probably got an infection from something he ate. I spoke to the companion animal department manager and she told me that she could try to adopt him out to me. I was just wondering if I should even try; the vet gave him a bad prognosis. He's not a baby, probably juvenile. I'm worried because I doubt he's had much to eat or drink lately, but I could probably provide a better healing environment for him than a hot, glass cage in the back.

 

[Cait0420]

If you can afford to take the time and money to help the little guy that would b great, or if not do u know anyone else who could take him?

 

[jannb]

I agree. If you can you should try to save him.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

Save him! Save him!

Any updates? Pictures?

 

[Cait0420]

He obviously needs someone who cares and just the fact that you posted this shows you care!

 

[Alan12013]

I don't at all regret buying my chameleon when he was sick. Chances of a vet visit over 150 dollars I think is slim since that's what I paid and mine had to have an abcsess lanced and I got antibiotics. I feel like he knows I helped him too because he's pretty tolerant of me and friendly when he knows I'm not opening his cage to harass him. I think that you should do it if you can take care of him long term. The way I see it is that it's a living pet so getting one that's in need is all the better because you're giving him/her a long term home and saving them from a bad life.

 

[ir0k]

take on me.......(take on me) take me onnnnnnnnnnn (take on me).........

sorry your title sounds like a 80's song.

i'd say go for it. its nice to help out little guys that need some help. good luck if you get him. keep us updated on his/her health!!

 

[misshissingroaches]

take on me.......(take on me) take me onnnnnnnnnnn (take on me).........

sorry your title sounds like a 80's song.

i'd say go for it. its nice to help out little guys that need some help. good luck if you get him. keep us updated on his/her health!!

I love that song

 

[Smiley]

Hahaha I didn't think of the song when making the title.. Thanks all for the words of encouragement. He's seen the vet and they will send him home with me with his meds. Any tips or good articles to read when I get home? I'm going to use Nigel's outdoor enclosure for him until I get paid Friday and can afford yet another cage lol.

I'm just stressed about how to get him food and water since he hasn't had much of either for two weeks. I'll feel really bad if I bring him home and he doesn't make it (just assuming male but you guys can tell me otherwise when I get pictures posted.

I'll update with pictures when we get settled in; still at work now.
Below is the haphazard attempt to decorate the outside enclosure.

 

[Smiley]

Force fed some carnivore care and gave him his meds. Wasn't a happy camper about it but at least it's some form of nutrition and hydration. He actually started to get lighter in color now. Will his eyes get better? He's still able to grasp, but since he's totally blind at the moment, I don't trust him not to fall in the large enclosure (he's slipped up on my hand twice and was seen on the floor of his enclosure at the store a few times today.

 

[Djturna4thakidz]

Did the vet give you any mess for the eyes? Oral or drops?

 

[Smiley]

Did the vet give you any mess for the eyes? Oral or drops?

Not that I'm aware of. The department manager who gave me the okay to take him home had left before I was finished with my 5 hours of back to back classes for dog training T_T. I will probably run by the vet and see what's going on tomorrow morning and I'll see my manager on Friday. He did open one eye briefly and it drained some. Made a makeshift enclosure out of a wicker basket, airy, easy to climb, and not a death fall for the little one with a weak grasp. Humidity really helps the eyes (when he opened the one it was after a misting, so I have the automatic mister set for every 6 hours for 30 seconds atm (would be more frequent if it wasn't so loud and people weren't in close proximity sleeping. I finished fussing with him a while ago; he needs to get his strength. Would you recommend keeping the heat lamp on him or give him total darkness?

 

[little leaf]

I think its very nice of you to take him on - even if he should not make it , at least he knew the care of a kind soul - I hate when these little guys die in tanks at a shop - if he should pass, dont let it discourage you from helping other ones - he looks pretty bad, but you are giving him a shot he would not have otherwise ~ good luck with the little one and thank you for caring

 

[zsazsa85]

I'm just guessing but I think MBD is much bigger problem... I think that's the reason he is lethargic and unhappy! Proper husbandry and vet will do it's job and he will be fine!
Did the vet give him anything for mbd?
BTW I am also very happy that you adopted him! Good luck and just come here if you had questions!

 

[Cait0420]

I'm so glad you took him home and got him to the vet, you are a good person for caring so much and taking him on even in his condition. I think you have really helped him already just by saving him from the store and getting him some veterinary care, hopefully he will make a full recovery! Good luck and thank you for saving him!

 

[Smiley]

Okay, so we did our feeding and misting this morning, and she seems to be doing somewhat better so far; we survived night one. She didn't fall all night, and climbed to the top of the wicker basket and perched up there. She was quite active earlier, also. I'm assuming it's a girl now because I don't see heel spurs. Her grip is stronger, and she's more reactive. Going to head to the vet soon to pick up some meds. I'll bring her with me and ask about MBD; nothing was brought up about it until you guys.

What can I do for that? We are running the shower and I brought her basket in with bathroom, hoping the warm humidity might help with her eyes (which too, are looking minutely better; you can actually see the eyelids on both eyes now)

Here is a video of her being a champion! And I've moved her under a UV light as well for daytime (she borrowed Nigel's since he's outside lol)

 

[laurie]

A couple ideas, you need the vet to give you something for her eyes and a liquid Calcium Glubionate. that is to help with the MBD, you can't reverse MBD but you can stop the progression any further.

Keeping her in a basket so she doesn't fall it a good idea. When you are home and have time, some natural sunshine does wonders for them. Make sure she can get out of the sun if she wants to, and keep her misted so she does not get to hot. She will require a UVB light all the time her regular light is on. Basically morning to night. Lack of UVB is most likely what caused her MBD.

Here is a link to MBD

https://www.chameleonforums.com/wha...ase-mbd-looks-like-how-happens-how-fix-95071/

 

[Alan12013]

That poor girl. I'm so lucky my guy didn't have mbd. From the pictures it looks like she has it but not as bad as one I saw on you tube that a lady rescued. I'll be following your posts on the road to recovery with her. You can probably expect all sorts of changes as she gets better. The dude acts and looks much different now from when I got him. At first I mistook his lack of care and easiness to handle as him being nice but it was that he was so sick. Now he gets upset easy, is very active and opens his mouth at me which another member on here kindly told me is their way of flipping you the bird. I'm curious how long it will be before you get her grip stronger and the mbd effects subside. I think my guy gets healthier all the time but his eyes, coloration and grip took a couple weeks to really start doing better. I'm not sure what others with more experience would recommend but I gave my guy calcium dusted crickets every day, I'd hand feed about ten a day every day for a couple weeks and now he's eating less and I dust less frequently. I'm sure you know this and probably know more than me but I would also seek out dusting with vitamin a in it to help with her eyes. I hope the best for you guys!

 

[junglefries]

Quick tip: remove the green carpet from cage bottom. Go with nothing. Carpet is bad for the nails and if he is lethargic, he can easily get hooked. Also, any chance you have, get him outdoors. After a couple weeks outside, you will see a big difference. Proper gutloading the feeders, when he starts eating will help also. I would first start him off on silkworms. Super nutritious and they invoke a feeding frenzy. They will also keep him hydrated. I would expect him to have diarrhea for a week a two, upon feeding. So i probably wouldn't freak out there. Good luck.

 

[Alan12013]

Good point on the silk worms! Definitely worth investing in if you are worried about hydration. My guy probably wasn't as bad off as I thought considering they had him drinking from a stale dirty bowl but silk worms were awesome for us and helped me worry about hydration less and his poop was and is crazy with how hydrated he is! I've read the poop blog and his looks very healthy and extremely hydrated and I've only seen him drink back when I used to basically force a dripper in his mouth.