Sleeping

[Gbetts1986]

@jannb . I got one more question. My female veiled chameleon. The one I feel is having issues with something doesn't seem to fully close her eyes at night. I turned on the light so I can get a picture. But they look partially open. I have a larger healthy female in a separate room and her eyes appear fully closed when sleeping . Is this abnormal looking?

 

[jajeanpierre]

This chameleon is in real trouble.

Did you get her in to the vet?

She looks very dehydrated. Dehydration can cause all kinds of problems with the eyes which become too dry to open and close properly.

 

[Gbetts1986]

This chameleon is in real trouble.

Did you get her in to the vet?

She looks very dehydrated. Dehydration can cause all kinds of problems with the eyes which become too dry to open and close properly.

I've taken her to the vet twice. So I'm not sure what is going on. The last vet didn't seem very knowledgeable and didn't diagnose her with anything. He said a "possible virus" so prescribed baytril. For him being an exotic pet vet I just felt like he was not very helpful. Tested her stool twice and it came back negative for any parasites

 

[jajeanpierre]

I've taken her to the vet twice. So I'm not sure what is going on. The last vet didn't seem very knowledgeable and didn't diagnose her with anything. He said a "possible virus" so prescribed baytril. For him being an exotic pet vet I just felt like he was not very helpful. Tested her stool twice and it came back negative for any parasites

It sounds like the vet hasn't a clue what is wrong. I don't know what to suggest. I would think something like coccidia which can be hard to diagnose. Baytril is an antibiotic and won't touch a virus. There are so many things that can be the reason for her decline. She could have parasites that they haven't been able to find. She could have kidney failure from a bout of severe dehydration before you got her. She could have some sort of illness. You may never know, but she is declining and declining chameleons are really hard to turn around, especially when the vet hasn't a clue and they are in the hands of a novice.

Did he give her subcutaneous fluids? Make sure you up her hydration big time.

In a previous post, you mentioned blood in the stool. Every time you get a stool, take it out and really examine it for blood on the surface of the stool. Blood will be different from the orange end of the urate. Use a damp white paper towel so anything that comes off the surface (blood) shows up on the white paper towel.

I have a similar situation with a young wild caught that is just not doing well. I've had him to see two different vets. I've made an appointment for a new vet (who I believe is board certified) for Tuesday the earliest I can get in. I have my ideas of what is wrong but I'm going to wait to bounce it off this new vet first. I'll take another stool sample in on Tuesday. At this point, I think I will lose him unless I can find out what is wrong with him. There might be nothing I can do to save him because he might be suffering from something that happened to him around import, such as severe dehydration before I got him.

Good luck.

 

[Gbetts1986]

ive had her since May and she has never been quite right in my opinion. I bought her and another female a few days a part. I just figured at first it was the stress from the new enclosure. I'm probably taking her to another vet, she is slowly deteriorating. She's been sleeping most of the morning :/ she usually will eat a few crickets, not today though.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Your little girl doesn't look good. She looks like she is dehydrated and malnourished from not eating and probably has a vitamin deficiency. She needs to get some nutrition in her and quick!
As a last result You might try gently force feeding some crickets or hornworms. I mix a little honey ( great for energy and appetite stimulant) , vitamin A from a liquid vitamin capsule, Liquid Vitamin E capsule and liquid Vitamin omega 3 capsule. Then I roll the cricket around in the mixture it to coat it. Then I dust the cricket with calcium over the liquids I rolled it in.
Also you can give your Cham unflavored pedialyte mixed with watervia a dropper. You can add it to her dripper and it is fine to spray it on her if she drinks when misted. Do this every day until you see her health improve.

 

[Gbetts1986]

What is the gentlest way to force feed her? I will give the pedialyte a try, thank you. She has not eaten much today and a few minutes ago she just threw up what looks like a cricket. Scared the heck out of me! I didn't know what she was doing her mouth was wide open and she moving her head back and fourth. Yesterday I opened her mouth a bit and had my gf drop a tiny amount of water in her mouth via a syringe

 

[Gbetts1986]

The strange thing is she loves flies and will eat as many as I put in, I just don't do it much because I don't know what they have been eating. That's why I got those BSF larvae, I got some blue bottle fly larvae as well. I have silk worms and my other female loves them but this little girl doesn't seem to keen on them.

 

[JaxyGirl]

I know how picky a Cham can be believe me! I breed BSF. My female panther loves the flies and larvae but my male doesn't like them as much. I have a Dubia colony and neither of my chams like them. Such a pain!!!

Sorry to hear your girl is having such a hard time. Sometimes it's hard to tell why they are sick. It could be anything from genetic to kidney failure.
Unfortunately the only way to force feed is to open up their mouth as gently as possible and sometimes they will just clamp their jaw down and it's a struggle. Either way it's stressful but it could save their lives.
I wrap my Cham in a towel with just their head out so they cant move. I then hold their upper lip right where their lips meet at the corner of their jaw. Apply just a tiny bit of pressure with one hand and then gently pull down on the skin right under their lower jaw. Usually with a little patience you can get them to release. If you have another person to help then they can pop a cricket into your chams mouth. (It's easier with the back legs removed) If you don't have help you have to try and maneuver it one handed. Don't shove the feeder down it's throat. Place it in the mouth and let your Cham chew and swallow it. If your Cham tries to spit it out try offering smaller pieces of crickets or other feeders.

When giving liquids don't squirt it down your chams throat because your Cham can aspirate it into their lungs. Wrap your Cham in a towel. Then gently spread its lips on the side of its mouth until you see its teeth. Then place the lliquid in. The liquid will seep between the chams teeth and give the Cham time to swallow. It's frustrating because it will seem like a lot of liquid isn't getting in but it's safer for your Cham. It takes patience and persistence to nurse a Cham back to health.

 

[Gbetts1986]

Thank you I will give it a try. Yeah I hate putting all the stress on her when she's already not feeling well. She just ate a cricket so that's good. i'm gonna try and hydrate her and hopefully she pulls through.

 

[Gbetts1986]

Oh and she wants nothing to do with Dubia roaches either! My other female eats whatever I put in front of her.

 

[JaxyGirl]

Thank you I will give it a try. Yeah I hate putting all the stress on her when she's already not feeling well. She just ate a cricket so that's good. i'm gonna try and hydrate her and hopefully she pulls through.

That's good that she's still eating

 

[Gbetts1986]

@JaxyGirl about how many times a day should I force feed her/force hydrate ?