bikesforme
New Member
try making a slury of pureeded cricket or super worms i did that for my vieled and if he will open his mouth you can put a little in at atime with a droper
Sulley's Current Condition-pics included
- Thread starter jpw0006
- Start date
jpw0006
New Member
No the vet did not clean out the areas nor did he do a culture and sensitivity. I'm not exactly sure how long he's actually had mouth rot for but he's been diagnosed for almost 2 weeks. The Vet was considering a fungal infection because Sulley has had some eye problems that looks like me may have cured with silvadene (which has antifungal activity).
No the vent hasn't always stuck out like that, it's also recent. I was looking at it tonight and I'm starting to think he has a blockage at the end of his colon. I will be calling the Vet on Tuesday about it.
I have filled out the "how to ask for help" section several times within the last several months for help with his eye problems. The only thing that has changed is that I changed his compact bulb for an 18 inch reptisun 5.0 flourescent bulb. You should be able to search the info.
He hasn't been eating on his own for about a month or so. He last ate on his own about a month ago right after we started some antibacterial eye ointment (he ate some waxworms from my hand). The ointment didn't work and we switched to silvadene. I attributed his head pads to his hydration status.
jpw0006
New Member
1-Thanks! the one thing the vet didn't tell me was how much liquids to give. I've been doing close to what is recommended for his weight but I was starting to think I was giving to much given his recent actions. I technically haven't been giving enough. (off by about 2-3 ml's)
2-Does he need to produce feces in order for a fecal test to be done?
jpw0006
New Member
Bikes, If I put food in his mouth he will eat it. He just doesn't do it on his own.
For all others, I didn't NOT fill out the how to ask for help section because I originally posted this under "general discussion" and not health discussion. I have posted under the health section many times and all anyone commented on was his lighting and I have made the necessary and recommended corrections - reptisun 5.0 flourescent bulb, 18 in to be exact.
For all others, I didn't NOT fill out the how to ask for help section because I originally posted this under "general discussion" and not health discussion. I have posted under the health section many times and all anyone commented on was his lighting and I have made the necessary and recommended corrections - reptisun 5.0 flourescent bulb, 18 in to be exact.
You said..."You should be able to search the info"...you're right...I could search for the information and now I have...I just re-read all the threads that pertain to Sulley's health....tell me if I missed anything....he had mouth rot....he started sleeping earlier...then he started shutting his eyes...you removed his compact UVB after he developed gunk in his eye and you were working with a vet at that time too.
(BTW it would have been easier to keep on top of the fact that he has had on-going issues if all of the posts were all in the same thread...I spend a lot of time trying to help people on the forums and it makes it easier if the poster keeps it all together so I don't have to look at multiple threads to find out what's been going on.)
Did replacing the UVB light make any difference?
Did you end up giving him prEformed vitamin A?
You said..."No the vet did not clean out the areas nor did he do a culture and sensitivity. I'm not exactly sure how long he's actually had mouth rot for but he's been diagnosed for almost 2 weeks. The Vet was considering a fungal infection because Sulley has had some eye problems that looks like me may have cured with silvadene (which has antifungal activity)"...the "pus" in chameleons that would normally be fairly fluid in a human is more like cottage cheese in chameleons and if its not cleaned out well it will almost always return....and it can spread/travel through the chameleon's system. The most common bacteria involved in mouth rot is Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its a very difficult bacteria to get rid of anyhow (partly because its an opportunist and not sensitive to all antibiotics).
You said..."No the vent hasn't always stuck out like that, it's also recent. I was looking at it tonight and I'm starting to think he has a blockage at the end of his colon. I will be calling the Vet on Tuesday about it"...hasn't he been pooping? (I thought you said he had??) I really think he needs to go back to the vet. He's going downhill too quickly IMHO.
You said..."He hasn't been eating on his own for about a month or so. He last ate on his own about a month ago right after we started some antibacterial eye ointment (he ate some waxworms from my hand). The ointment didn't work and we switched to silvadene. I attributed his head pads to his hydration status."...the head pads seem to have to do not only with hydration but with food from what I have seen. Its a "good thing" that he's eating when you handfeed him. It shows that he hasn't lost his will to live yet. What have you been feeding him specifically when you "force feed" him?
(BTW it would have been easier to keep on top of the fact that he has had on-going issues if all of the posts were all in the same thread...I spend a lot of time trying to help people on the forums and it makes it easier if the poster keeps it all together so I don't have to look at multiple threads to find out what's been going on.)
Did replacing the UVB light make any difference?
Did you end up giving him prEformed vitamin A?
You said..."No the vet did not clean out the areas nor did he do a culture and sensitivity. I'm not exactly sure how long he's actually had mouth rot for but he's been diagnosed for almost 2 weeks. The Vet was considering a fungal infection because Sulley has had some eye problems that looks like me may have cured with silvadene (which has antifungal activity)"...the "pus" in chameleons that would normally be fairly fluid in a human is more like cottage cheese in chameleons and if its not cleaned out well it will almost always return....and it can spread/travel through the chameleon's system. The most common bacteria involved in mouth rot is Pseudomonas aeruginosa and its a very difficult bacteria to get rid of anyhow (partly because its an opportunist and not sensitive to all antibiotics).
You said..."No the vent hasn't always stuck out like that, it's also recent. I was looking at it tonight and I'm starting to think he has a blockage at the end of his colon. I will be calling the Vet on Tuesday about it"...hasn't he been pooping? (I thought you said he had??) I really think he needs to go back to the vet. He's going downhill too quickly IMHO.
You said..."He hasn't been eating on his own for about a month or so. He last ate on his own about a month ago right after we started some antibacterial eye ointment (he ate some waxworms from my hand). The ointment didn't work and we switched to silvadene. I attributed his head pads to his hydration status."...the head pads seem to have to do not only with hydration but with food from what I have seen. Its a "good thing" that he's eating when you handfeed him. It shows that he hasn't lost his will to live yet. What have you been feeding him specifically when you "force feed" him?
jpw0006
New Member
First, I would like to say sorry if there was a tone or an attitude in my previous posts. I just want Sulley to get better. Now on to the questions...
Oh and I will keep all of my problems on this posting. Sorry for the confusion/difficulty
YES- This all started with an eye/sleeping problem. The eye problem looks to have been taken care of with the silvadene (antifufngal) after he failed therapy with polysporin ointment (antibacterial). I'm not sure if the light made a difference, he was already on the silvadene and showing improvement when the light came in.
I did not give preformed vitamin A
I didn't get as good of a look as the Vet did, but it seemed like he diagnosed Sulley based on the color (or maybe the lack there of-I don't what it looks like) of his mouth, and a frothy/bubble build up inside his mouth and throat - I think his entire GI tract had this build up since I have seen him try and pass urates and watched this froth come out (this was a couple of weeks ago). The Vet and I did discuss the possibility of pseudomonas and being a pharmacist I know how bad psuedomonas can be. It is a highly resistant bacteria and honestly no bacteria scares me more, MRSA doesn't have the resistance capabilities pseudomonas does.
I said he hasn't pooped in a while(I don't recall the last time), most likely because he hasn't been interested in food. A month ago was the last time he hand fed. When we "force feed" him it's been with waxworms. It's the only thing available around here that doesn't have a hard exoskeleton (i.e. crickets or superworms). I know they aren't the most nutritious but their high fat content should be good and honestly, I figured anything is better than nothing. When we did put them in his mouth he seemed to love them. I didn't want to feed him to much since his mouth is probably sore and I thought that a low hydration status would increase his chances for a impaction or prolapse.
That being said, we have a Definite obstruction-His vent looked worse this morning (pic will be included).
I watched him for a bit and noticed and when he tries to pass his poop he bleeds. I sprayed it with some cool water to hopefully help him break it up and to provide some relief (he actually makes a face when he tries and it looks uncomfortable). I will be taking him to the vet on Tuesday it's the earliest I can get him in since it's a holiday weekend.
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jpw0006
New Member
From the looks of Sulley, I think he has an obstruction (99% sure). It is clear that he is in pain when he tries to push and poop. It's actually making him bleed.
Dr Bruce is the closest Vet in my area and the only one that looks at reptiles. He's been very helpful and was recommended to me from the other Vets in my area. With Sulley's current problem I will be seeing him on Tuesday. I am moving in a month and will look in to other Vets.
Dr Bruce is the closest Vet in my area and the only one that looks at reptiles. He's been very helpful and was recommended to me from the other Vets in my area. With Sulley's current problem I will be seeing him on Tuesday. I am moving in a month and will look in to other Vets.
You said..."First, I would like to say sorry if there was a tone or an attitude in my previous posts. I just want Sulley to get better"...no problem. I just wanted to explain how to make it easier us.
You said..."This all started with an eye/sleeping problem. The eye problem looks to have been taken care of with the silvadene (antifufngal) after he failed therapy with polysporin ointment (antibacterial). I'm not sure if the light made a difference, he was already on the silvadene and showing improvement when the light came in"...its good that the eye issue was taken care of no matter what the reason.
You said..."I didn't get as good of a look as the Vet did, but it seemed like he diagnosed Sulley based on the color (or maybe the lack there of-I don't what it looks like) of his mouth, and a frothy/bubble build up inside his mouth and throat - I think his entire GI tract had this build up since I have seen him try and pass urates and watched this froth come out (this was a couple of weeks ago). The Vet and I did discuss the possibility of pseudomonas and being a pharmacist I know how bad psuedomonas can be. It is a highly resistant bacteria and honestly no bacteria scares me more, MRSA doesn't have the resistance capabilities pseudomonas does"...it could be a fungal issue..but the vet will have to tell you that for sure.
Wasn't his hemipene staying out at one time? How long was it out?
You said..."I said he hasn't pooped in a while (I don't recall the last time), most likely because he hasn't been interested in food. A month ago was the last time he hand fed. When we "force feed" him it's been with waxworms. It's the only thing available around here that doesn't have a hard exoskeleton (i.e. crickets or superworms). I know they aren't the most nutritious but their high fat content should be good and honestly, I figured anything is better than nothing. When we did put them in his mouth he seemed to love them. I didn't want to feed him to much since his mouth is probably sore and I thought that a low hydration status would increase his chances for a impaction or prolapse"...all good reasoning IMHO. I'm not sure if it would cause any problems feeding him so many waxworms for a month or so or not.
You said..."That being said, we have a Definite obstruction-His vent looked worse this morning (pic will be included)"...or it could be trying to prolapse? I'm not sure which it is. If any of the pink tissues from his intestines do hang out make sure to keep them moist with K-Y jelly until you can get to the vet. Do not use vaseline. If he does prolapse you will need to try to get him to the vet sooner. Lack of food and dehydration would likely play a part in constipation and straining could lead to prolapse. Not sure if too many waxworms will add to the problem too.
There is a slurry that you can make to feed him...
http://web.archive.org/web/20060614193627/http://adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html
Hope you can get him back to good health!
You said..."This all started with an eye/sleeping problem. The eye problem looks to have been taken care of with the silvadene (antifufngal) after he failed therapy with polysporin ointment (antibacterial). I'm not sure if the light made a difference, he was already on the silvadene and showing improvement when the light came in"...its good that the eye issue was taken care of no matter what the reason.
You said..."I didn't get as good of a look as the Vet did, but it seemed like he diagnosed Sulley based on the color (or maybe the lack there of-I don't what it looks like) of his mouth, and a frothy/bubble build up inside his mouth and throat - I think his entire GI tract had this build up since I have seen him try and pass urates and watched this froth come out (this was a couple of weeks ago). The Vet and I did discuss the possibility of pseudomonas and being a pharmacist I know how bad psuedomonas can be. It is a highly resistant bacteria and honestly no bacteria scares me more, MRSA doesn't have the resistance capabilities pseudomonas does"...it could be a fungal issue..but the vet will have to tell you that for sure.
Wasn't his hemipene staying out at one time? How long was it out?
You said..."I said he hasn't pooped in a while (I don't recall the last time), most likely because he hasn't been interested in food. A month ago was the last time he hand fed. When we "force feed" him it's been with waxworms. It's the only thing available around here that doesn't have a hard exoskeleton (i.e. crickets or superworms). I know they aren't the most nutritious but their high fat content should be good and honestly, I figured anything is better than nothing. When we did put them in his mouth he seemed to love them. I didn't want to feed him to much since his mouth is probably sore and I thought that a low hydration status would increase his chances for a impaction or prolapse"...all good reasoning IMHO. I'm not sure if it would cause any problems feeding him so many waxworms for a month or so or not.
You said..."That being said, we have a Definite obstruction-His vent looked worse this morning (pic will be included)"...or it could be trying to prolapse? I'm not sure which it is. If any of the pink tissues from his intestines do hang out make sure to keep them moist with K-Y jelly until you can get to the vet. Do not use vaseline. If he does prolapse you will need to try to get him to the vet sooner. Lack of food and dehydration would likely play a part in constipation and straining could lead to prolapse. Not sure if too many waxworms will add to the problem too.
There is a slurry that you can make to feed him...
http://web.archive.org/web/20060614193627/http://adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html
Hope you can get him back to good health!
jpw0006
New Member
His hemipene was out briefly, not even long enough to get a picture with my phone. It was probably the better part of a year ago.
I've been reading up on what to do for a prolapse since his vent has been "swollen," I figured his straining to relieve this impaction could lead to a prolapse.
Since he in unable to pass and stool, is it wise to feed him anything? He pushes so hard it bleeds and I feel like it would increase his chances to prolapse. Your thoughts?
Thanks for the help. I really and truly appreciate it. I will be sure to update after my Vet visit.
I've been reading up on what to do for a prolapse since his vent has been "swollen," I figured his straining to relieve this impaction could lead to a prolapse.
Since he in unable to pass and stool, is it wise to feed him anything? He pushes so hard it bleeds and I feel like it would increase his chances to prolapse. Your thoughts?
Thanks for the help. I really and truly appreciate it. I will be sure to update after my Vet visit.
jpw0006
New Member
I think I'm going to hold off on the food for now. His vent looks worse. It looks like he has a total obstruction and I'm not comfortable feeding him until he passes it. I've got him soaking it in warm water right now. Anything else I should do until I get him to the vet tomorrow morning?
Damn Holiday, he needs a Vet!
jpw0006
New Member
This is what I woke up to. I'm not going to lie, it's been bothering all day that he is in pain, not sleeping and just all around miserable like this so I decided to act. I filled a syringe with saline, wet a cotton swab and got my tweezers and checked this thing out. Turns out most of it was soft, digested waxworm. I dug some of it out and moved around what appeared to be a solid piece of fecal matter and Sulley did the rest. He finally pooped! That's the good news. The bad news is that there is more but what he removed looks to be the largest chunk. I decided to let him rest and shower. I will continue to give him his pedialyte and I made the slurry that was suggested (he's only going to get 1ml of it total, I'm still weary to give anymore).
I'm not sure if it was necessarily the smart thing to do but he immediately looks better, is already more active and I will still be taking him to the vet tomorrow to have him checked out.
I'm not sure if it was necessarily the smart thing to do but he immediately looks better, is already more active and I will still be taking him to the vet tomorrow to have him checked out.
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jpw0006
New Member
Vet's diagnosis: Combination of large fecal build-up + hard urate deposit + 2 firm sperm plugs. He said "any one of these by themselves probably wouldn't have been a problem, but the combination was too much." Apparently the sperm plugs limit the size of the vent opening causing the obstruction.
jpw0006
New Member
It's just one thing after another!
The last two nights he's been sleeping with his head up and occasionally opening his mouth. Today, I woke up and he was very light in color and still opening his mouth. I showered him and watched him for as long as I could and he seemed to be doing a little better. When I got home about an hour ago he was almost white in color and has been spitting up the slurry we've been giving him (he's not so much spitting it up as he is opening his mouth and us dangling him head first to let the contents drain out). I was thinking that maybe some of the slurry had got into his lungs until he cleared some sort of vibrant green stuff. Nothing he eats is that color. I have no idea what it is. He's very weak and I fear that we may actually lose him today.
I notified the Vet and I'm waiting to hear back as to what i should do. He's only open for another hour so I'm reaching out to anyone and everyone for help!
The last two nights he's been sleeping with his head up and occasionally opening his mouth. Today, I woke up and he was very light in color and still opening his mouth. I showered him and watched him for as long as I could and he seemed to be doing a little better. When I got home about an hour ago he was almost white in color and has been spitting up the slurry we've been giving him (he's not so much spitting it up as he is opening his mouth and us dangling him head first to let the contents drain out). I was thinking that maybe some of the slurry had got into his lungs until he cleared some sort of vibrant green stuff. Nothing he eats is that color. I have no idea what it is. He's very weak and I fear that we may actually lose him today.
I notified the Vet and I'm waiting to hear back as to what i should do. He's only open for another hour so I'm reaching out to anyone and everyone for help!
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jpw0006
New Member
He's getting a little color back.
For anyone who's been reading this thread: For future reference the green stuff that Sulley coughed up is most likely digested blood....this also means that the food and liquids that he has been getting up came from his gut and it did not make it into his airway (which makes me feel better about the care I've been giving him).
Vet called me first thing this morning and had me rush to his office. Course of action: Gentamicin injection and SQ saline injections at least twice daily. He said this was sort of a last ditch effort due to the side effects of the drug, mostly the nephrotoxicity (gentamicin is a very good but very toxic drug to all species).
Sulley is very weak, and cannot hold himself up or balance on a branch. We are just taking things as they come and doing the best we can.
For anyone who's been reading this thread: For future reference the green stuff that Sulley coughed up is most likely digested blood....this also means that the food and liquids that he has been getting up came from his gut and it did not make it into his airway (which makes me feel better about the care I've been giving him).
Vet called me first thing this morning and had me rush to his office. Course of action: Gentamicin injection and SQ saline injections at least twice daily. He said this was sort of a last ditch effort due to the side effects of the drug, mostly the nephrotoxicity (gentamicin is a very good but very toxic drug to all species).
Sulley is very weak, and cannot hold himself up or balance on a branch. We are just taking things as they come and doing the best we can.
jpw0006
New Member
Woke up this morning and I thought I had lost him. He is still alive but his breathing is shallow and it looks like his mouth rot is back. His coloring is terrible, most a brownish green color, the darkest being his belly and his permanent white strip turned brown. I'm waiting to see the Vet but I'm afraid I already know the answer.
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