Southern california cham owners, i need your help!

[eyetheswan]

Is there anyone here experienced with chameleon health care? Anyone who fosters? I have a very sick Jackson's cham who just got dropped off at the hospital today. He is getting blood work done right now, but they are not sure what is wrong with him just yet and I won't know until tomorrow. He has blood in his stool and pale gums. The pale gums suggest he might be anemic, but they won't know for sure until the blood work comes back. Anyways, the vet wants to keep him there to administer meds and supplements for two weeks and wants to charge me $1500. I am in school and only work 16 hours a week. Naturally I cannot afford anything near that amount. If there is anyone willing to help take care of my baby and help administer his meds until he is better (I have no experience with administering meds for a cham... I have no experience with chameleons that have been this sick PERIOD) or if you know anyone who will help him at a much lower price... PLEASE, let me know.. Otherwise I will just have to take him home and wait it out until he cannot hold on any longer and passes on.. Which, if you have ever owned any pet at all, is the WORST feeling you could possibly have, knowing you cannot do anything to help them. Please help me spread the word before it's too late. He is my child. He is the first thing I see that puts a smile on my face when I wake up in the morning. To see him this sick is devastating and I just don't know what to do.

 

[Carlton]

they are not sure what is wrong with him just yet and I won't know until tomorrow. He has blood in his stool and pale gums. Otherwise I will just have to take him home and wait it out until he cannot hold on any longer and passes on..

What are this cham's other symptoms? Not eating or drinking? Sleeping during the day? Weight loss? Heavy parasite load in a fecal? Signs of infections? Injuries? MBD? I think I would question these symptoms and suggest comparing these "pale gums" to pics of a healthy jax's gums. Mouth coloration in many chams is variable. How did the vet determine there was blood in the stools? Actual analysis or just seeing something that looked like blood? Was it because of some spots of reddish brown in the urate? If it was, probably not blood. Just some things to think about that would help another cham keeper help you out.

 

[ir0k]

if you fill out a care form sheet by detail and maybe post some pics and give us some clues as to what the vet said was going on that might help other more experienced forum members try and treat him.

Hope everything works out for ya.