I got my chameleon just 2 months ago from someone who couldn't not keep her. she was eating well, and drinking water. I moved her cage to the window and she loved the sun light. shed loved it. Shed always slept on and off throughout the day but mostly was awake and soaking up the heat of the sun and her lamps. She was absolutely fine today and Id left for about an hour. When I got home she was dead on the bottom of her cage, and had yellow poop hanging out of her. I tried to give her cpr as crazy as that may sound, but she had already passed. im not sure if she may have ingested something while grabbing a cricket or what. like I said shes been doing great. worst feeling in the world to find your pet like that and nothing you can do.
sudden death
- Thread starter april33
- Start date
ir0k
New Member
yea that's a bummer to hear and im very sorry for your loss.
I don't really like to play detective but maybe a few things come to mind. First off, impaction? yellow poop does not sound normal. which you already know. Do you have substrate on the bottom of the cage? Its usually not preferred to have due to chameleons ingesting it and it cause impaction problems. Also. Cage by the window makes me thing maybe she got to hot? I know its been warming up around here (im not sure where you live) but I myself would have to make some changes to my chameleons enclosure if it was by the window.
Anyways, again im sorry to hear your loss, they are very special creatures to us and as sad as it is, sometimes they just pass without letting us know anything is wrong with them. they are very good at hiding illness sometimes.
Im not sure if this is the first chameleon you have owned or if you own others.
If it is your first chameleon i'd tell you not to be discouraged by this and get another chameleon. Sometimes they pass way to early. Maybe with a few changes in your husbandry you can improve the situation.
of course if you already own more, you already know all this. Im just trying to help. Again, my sympathy for your loss.
I don't really like to play detective but maybe a few things come to mind. First off, impaction? yellow poop does not sound normal. which you already know. Do you have substrate on the bottom of the cage? Its usually not preferred to have due to chameleons ingesting it and it cause impaction problems. Also. Cage by the window makes me thing maybe she got to hot? I know its been warming up around here (im not sure where you live) but I myself would have to make some changes to my chameleons enclosure if it was by the window.
Anyways, again im sorry to hear your loss, they are very special creatures to us and as sad as it is, sometimes they just pass without letting us know anything is wrong with them. they are very good at hiding illness sometimes.
Im not sure if this is the first chameleon you have owned or if you own others.
If it is your first chameleon i'd tell you not to be discouraged by this and get another chameleon. Sometimes they pass way to early. Maybe with a few changes in your husbandry you can improve the situation.
of course if you already own more, you already know all this. Im just trying to help. Again, my sympathy for your loss.
carol5208
Chameleon Enthusiast
If she was sleeping throughout the day since you got her, there was a problem. Chameleons do not sleep during the day. So, most likely her death really was not sudden as she was probably sick and just got so sick that she passed. I am sorry for your loss, but just wanted to make you aware that chameleons do not sleep during the day unless they are usually ill.
misshissingroaches
Member
May she frolic in the heavenly fields eating insects, in that beautiful place chameleons go after they pass.
GTSLOW
New Member
Don't knock yourself to hard. It sounds like she already had a pre-existing condition before you took care of her.
This.
This.
OwenPowell
Member
Sorry to hear about the sudden tragedy. 
Thanks, She was my first Cham, but Ive had iguanas before (long time ago)...no substrate in the bottom but now that I look in her cage there are small blue stones and small pieces of sticks in one of the plant pots that was in there when Id got her. possibly swallowed one or the other.
Shed been in front of the window for about a week. usually hung out in the back of the cage closest to the window in a sunny spot but would move to the cooler front by mid-day, I had a drip system using ice cubes for fresh water which she loved. I live in Amherst nova scotia. Shed been eating fine since I got her 2 months ago, she had lost 2 toe nails I noticed but I thought it was from her pawing at the mesh on occasion, I would never pull her out when handling her, Id let her come on her own, so maybe losing the toenails was a sign and I didn't think of that.
She was less than a year old, the pervious owner told me, and I was her third home. Maybe she was stressed from all the moving and it caught up with her? I know she didn't fall out of her tree cause she would have landed on the artificial plant in the bottom corner, I believe she actually crawled down there to pass.
thanks for your advice. I do want another one although it wont replace my beautiful Karma.
thanks again
April
She has napped on and off during the day since I got her, so perhaps she was ill the whole time and I was not aware of that. thank you.
Thanks....I just hope she didn't suffer. I loved her very much and took care of her each day she was with me as well as I could. She's at peace now, even though it hurts me. She was my first and had such a personality. I miss her very much.
ThatDigitalChameleon
New Member
broken record here... but sleeping during the day is never a good sign. aside from that though, yellow poop is definitely odd... but slugs from chameleons are also kind of yellow/orange color. I only mention it because you said she was a female.
Windows can actually be pretty dangerous for a cham because the heat can get pretty high and theyre not getting any real benefit from it. On nice days take them out and let them enjoy unfiltered sunbeams, i recommend a cham safe tree or plant with lots of climbing branches for them to play on for nice sunny days. As long as you can get them off that is. (Karma, my grump, almost ran away on me once)
I am very sorry to hear about the passing though, every chameleon has a personality that is irreplaceable and it must hurt. Don't let it discourage you from raising an entire family of these amazing reptiles though. Each one gives you something to love about them, so there's always a reason for more
Windows can actually be pretty dangerous for a cham because the heat can get pretty high and theyre not getting any real benefit from it. On nice days take them out and let them enjoy unfiltered sunbeams, i recommend a cham safe tree or plant with lots of climbing branches for them to play on for nice sunny days. As long as you can get them off that is. (Karma, my grump, almost ran away on me once)
I am very sorry to hear about the passing though, every chameleon has a personality that is irreplaceable and it must hurt. Don't let it discourage you from raising an entire family of these amazing reptiles though. Each one gives you something to love about them, so there's always a reason for more
