Status of my new female veiled

[cushcameleon]

My female veiled chameleon is still seriously ill at the moment. She is currently hanging on the side of her cage underneath the basking bulb and both of her eyes are still closed. Earlier this morning she would open her eyes periodically, but now even when I mist her, she refuses to open them. Can damage from UVB bulbs become permanent? I am worried that her condition is a result of the coiled UVB bulbs the pet store used on her.

 

[beeze]

Are you still using that coil bulb?

 

[jojackson]

Cush, from what I understand, it damages the cells on the surface of the cornea, but dosent penetrate deep enough to effect the lense or retna. Cornea cells like every other in the body, eventually get replaced, so once the cause is removed they generally recover.
A small female beardy I rescued is still recovering eyesight after being 'blinded' by a compact in a white melamine cage. While her two room mates eyes cleared and returned to normal after a week or two, hers are still affected, so I suspect she got closer more often and damage was greater.
Chams eyes may be more delicate, only the vet will know. Are they clear or oddly pale colored?

If your girl wasnt in a cage with reflective surfaces, and if the eye looks normal, she may just still be uncomfortable. You could try leaving the uv off for a week or two (wont do harm of significance) and perhaps allow for more shading (plants?) from your lighting.

Unfortunately she still needs to thermoregulate though, so not much you can do, unless you use non light emitting heat for a while and more diffuse soft light. May just be the basking light is bright for her while she recovers.

How is everything else? Eating? pooing? drinking? Does she only close her eyes under the heat? normal color of her?

 

[cushcameleon]

Are you still using that coil bulb?

No, the pet store was using a coil bulb when they had her. I use a 5.0 reptisun fluorescent tube, I have never used coiled bulbs on my chameleons.

 

[cushcameleon]

Cush, from what I understand, it damages the cells on the surface of the cornea, but dosent penetrate deep enough to effect the lense or retna. Cornea cells like every other in the body, eventually get replaced, so once the cause is removed they generally recover.
A small female beardy I rescued is still recovering eyesight after being 'blinded' by a compact in a white melamine cage. While her two room mates eyes cleared and returned to normal after a week or two, hers are still affected, so I suspect she got closer more often and damage was greater.
Chams eyes may be more delicate, only the vet will know. Are they clear or oddly pale colored?

If your girl wasnt in a cage with reflective surfaces, and if the eye looks normal, she may just still be uncomfortable. You could try leaving the uv off for a week or two (wont do harm of significance) and perhaps allow for more shading (plants?) from your lighting.

Unfortunately she still needs to thermoregulate though, so not much you can do, unless you use non light emitting heat for a while and more diffuse soft light. May just be the basking light is bright for her while she recovers.

How is everything else? Eating? pooing? drinking? Does she only close her eyes under the heat? normal color of her?

She is refusing to eat and I only watched her drink a little. I still have yet to find a fecal in her cage. Currently she moved away from the basking spot and is now hanging on the lower half of the screen, her eyes are shut and she is green with black stress bars. I am going to fill out a help form right now, I will also submit pictures soon.

 

[cushcameleon]

She is now fully black and on the floor of the cage. She began doing some very strange things, let me try to explain. She was gaping and shaking her body and head back and forth, she looked as if she were going to vomit. All the sudden she began sticking her tongue slowly in and out, then randomly she became motionless again. She rarely moves and if she does it is very shaky and slow.

 

[Julirs]

I hate to say it but it sounds like she is dieing. In my experiences that is what they do shortly before it happens. I know you wanted to save her. Can you get you money back from the Petstore?

 

[cushcameleon]

I am currently on the phone with an animal hospital. I am taking her right now

 

[Jakedn]

I hope she makes it through, good luck.

 

[cushcameleon]

She was trying to bite me when I pulled her out, she still has some signs of life. Hopefully she will make it . I will let you all know.

 

[jojackson]

Oh no thats not good mate, sorry to hear that, I had hoped her condition wasnt that far gone, best to prepare yourself im afraid. Just in case. You never know, Fingers X'd!
My thoughts are with you.

 

[cushcameleon]

She is stil hanging on. The vet has given her a shot of fluids to try and rehydrate her. She sat in an incubator for about two hours and returned to her normal pretty green colors. The vet suggested that I put her in a small temporary enclouser so that she can retain heat easier (apparently she was very cold when the vet took her to the back). I really need to figure out how I can get her to eat. Please help.

 

[jojackson]

Follow the vets advice. Use anything you have to hand that retains warmth, maybe a large plastic tub with a low wattage heat bulb above one end, so one end is constantly warm.
Put in some branches so she can climb to warmth but no climb out.
You might need to lightly mist since water will accumulate more from a dripper.
Put a bush small safe potplant or fake plants in the cooler end too.

Offer her whatever bugs or grub you have tht interest her , even if you feed by hand, but try not to disturb her too much if possible.

That method may create problems because it needs dark too, you could get a dark tinted (not painted) moonlight type heating bulb designed for nocturnals?

Once shes able to regulate her temperature should have increased appetite.

Keeping my fingers x'd!

 

[Syn]

I hope you realize if the chameleon does end up dying the pet store will NOT refund your vet visit. :\

 

[jojackson]

Always so Optomistic Syn? *shakes head*

 

[Vegas Chad]

If she is in deep need to feed and wont then you will need to force feed her.

 

[jojackson]

Force feeding for a chameleon would in my opinion be extreme last resort, extremly stressful to an already ill animal. how long since you saw it eat? at all, even in the shop?
did they say if it was eating then?

 

[Vegas Chad]

If the keeper and or vet believe that food will make the difference between life and or death then the benefit of force feeding outweighs the stress. I have had several chameleons that I have had to hand / force feed daily for weeks at a time till they became well enough to eat on their own. A chameleon can get over the stress; death I’m afraid is much harder to get over.

 

[Syn]

Always so Optomistic Syn? *shakes head*

I learned that the hard way a few years ago with a little baby beardie. Died about 4 days after I got it. Got my money back for the pet.. but not the vet.

 

[jojackson]

death I’m afraid is much harder to get over.

Good point Chad, Im just trying to be a tiny bit optomistic for him here, for the cham.
Give it time for heat to play its part in its metabolism and natural response kick in if its going to, thats all.
Dont know if the vet said anything about its eating or lack of?

Got my money back for the pet.. but not the vet.

Yeah well, I did mention that so I think he went into this with his wallet too, hes seen a vet, he hasnt given up yet.