MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I’ve debated about whether or not to share about my sweet sweet girl, Grumpy. The end of May was our 4 year chamiversary, but it just wasn’t a celebratory mood. My little girl hasn’t been doing well.
Some of you may recall that she had some unknown sickness last year. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/sweet-grumpy.186732/ After a couple of weeks of antibiotics, she was good again. However, ever since then, she’s very slowly been gaining weight. A few months ago she exceeded her largest weight, but wasn’t looking to be gravid and wasn’t fat…just bloated. Everything with her seemed normal and good and I needed to focus my attentions on getting my boys better. In early May I felt I needed to get her checked out…she was starting to look a bit thin beneath the bloating. Since it was a double visit with Jack, resources were limited and I could only afford an x ray. It showed follicles and I was told to prepare for her to lay in the next month or so. I had doubts about Grumpy just having follicles, but denial was convenient at the time. Then it became such that I couldn’t stay in denial…she was starting to have problems moving and eating because of the bloat and her muscle wasting was showing…beneath the bloat she’s become way too thin. I decided to get a different vet‘s opinion. Labs were taken and an injectable antibiotic was started (Fortaz for those wondering). It just about broke me when I gave her the first injection. Over my almost 3 decades as a nurse I’ve given countless injections, but nothing could prepare me for this. She has zero muscle in her little arms. Since the vet visit, she had started to decline…started falling, not eating at all and I suspected not drinking. I was force feeding and hydrating. Then the vet called with the lab results and it was very grim. All of the results led the vet to believe that my beautiful sweet girl has cancer somewhere. She told me to call when ready and they’d get us in for euthanasia. This was not even two weeks after losing Jack.
I decided there was no sense in continuing the antibiotic or force feeding and I’d just let my Grumpy one have peace in her last days. I never stopped offering her food and strangely, she started eating a little on her own again. She could barely move though and kept falling, so I made ‘the appointment’. A dear friend gave me a different perspective that since she is still eating, she is still fighting. I gave it a ton of thought. I know what the outcome is going to be. I know that no matter how much Grumpy eats, she’s going to continue to waste away. I know I’ll only be delaying the inevitable and buying time. I know I don’t want my girl to suffer at all. I know she’s reached a decent age of around 4 1/2 to 5. So I cancelled the appointment. I pulled out the smaller enclosure I have and set it up in a way to try and prevent Grumpy from falling. I pulled all the plant leaves as close as possible to shade her when she needs and have her drinking opportunities a short distance away. I hung a bearded dragon hammock below to catch her if she fell. I’m using small shallow cups to offer her feeders. It’s all working. She’s only able to take a couple of feeders at a time, so I have to offer her more a few times a day. She finally passed a urate and it’s white. After a few modifications, she has stopped falling and is able to move around a little more on her platform. I’m not sure what good it will really do, but I‘m giving her the antibiotic and praying for a miracle.
She’s a very strong lady and isn’t done fighting yet and I have to respect that. When she stops eating or drinking, I won’t be forcing it. If she starts showing any signs that she’s distressed, I won’t let her suffer.
This is where we are. I’m not going to lie…it’s been absolutely miserable losing both of my boys so close together and now my OG girl. That’s where having the love and support from some of the forum chamily has kept me as sane as possible. @Beman @jannb @kinyonga @Sonny13 I don’t know how on earth I’d be getting thru any of this without you and there aren’t words to express the depth of my gratitude. This forum is a very special place and full of very special people.
I don’t know if sharing this long story will help anyone. I do believe that my girl does have cancer somewhere and it was something I suspected before the vet visit. I’m not able to pursue finding out where it is or what kind of cancer and I would be very reluctant to put Grumpy thru any of that even if I could. I suspect leukemia. It’s almost unbelievable to have 3 chameleons all get fatally sick in less than 6 months and I’ve questioned my husbandry over and over but find nothing. I guess it’s true that trouble travels in threes.
PS Thankfully, Stella and Kali are both thriving and very healthy and content.
Some of you may recall that she had some unknown sickness last year. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/sweet-grumpy.186732/ After a couple of weeks of antibiotics, she was good again. However, ever since then, she’s very slowly been gaining weight. A few months ago she exceeded her largest weight, but wasn’t looking to be gravid and wasn’t fat…just bloated. Everything with her seemed normal and good and I needed to focus my attentions on getting my boys better. In early May I felt I needed to get her checked out…she was starting to look a bit thin beneath the bloating. Since it was a double visit with Jack, resources were limited and I could only afford an x ray. It showed follicles and I was told to prepare for her to lay in the next month or so. I had doubts about Grumpy just having follicles, but denial was convenient at the time. Then it became such that I couldn’t stay in denial…she was starting to have problems moving and eating because of the bloat and her muscle wasting was showing…beneath the bloat she’s become way too thin. I decided to get a different vet‘s opinion. Labs were taken and an injectable antibiotic was started (Fortaz for those wondering). It just about broke me when I gave her the first injection. Over my almost 3 decades as a nurse I’ve given countless injections, but nothing could prepare me for this. She has zero muscle in her little arms. Since the vet visit, she had started to decline…started falling, not eating at all and I suspected not drinking. I was force feeding and hydrating. Then the vet called with the lab results and it was very grim. All of the results led the vet to believe that my beautiful sweet girl has cancer somewhere. She told me to call when ready and they’d get us in for euthanasia. This was not even two weeks after losing Jack.
I decided there was no sense in continuing the antibiotic or force feeding and I’d just let my Grumpy one have peace in her last days. I never stopped offering her food and strangely, she started eating a little on her own again. She could barely move though and kept falling, so I made ‘the appointment’. A dear friend gave me a different perspective that since she is still eating, she is still fighting. I gave it a ton of thought. I know what the outcome is going to be. I know that no matter how much Grumpy eats, she’s going to continue to waste away. I know I’ll only be delaying the inevitable and buying time. I know I don’t want my girl to suffer at all. I know she’s reached a decent age of around 4 1/2 to 5. So I cancelled the appointment. I pulled out the smaller enclosure I have and set it up in a way to try and prevent Grumpy from falling. I pulled all the plant leaves as close as possible to shade her when she needs and have her drinking opportunities a short distance away. I hung a bearded dragon hammock below to catch her if she fell. I’m using small shallow cups to offer her feeders. It’s all working. She’s only able to take a couple of feeders at a time, so I have to offer her more a few times a day. She finally passed a urate and it’s white. After a few modifications, she has stopped falling and is able to move around a little more on her platform. I’m not sure what good it will really do, but I‘m giving her the antibiotic and praying for a miracle.
She’s a very strong lady and isn’t done fighting yet and I have to respect that. When she stops eating or drinking, I won’t be forcing it. If she starts showing any signs that she’s distressed, I won’t let her suffer.
This is where we are. I’m not going to lie…it’s been absolutely miserable losing both of my boys so close together and now my OG girl. That’s where having the love and support from some of the forum chamily has kept me as sane as possible. @Beman @jannb @kinyonga @Sonny13 I don’t know how on earth I’d be getting thru any of this without you and there aren’t words to express the depth of my gratitude. This forum is a very special place and full of very special people.
I don’t know if sharing this long story will help anyone. I do believe that my girl does have cancer somewhere and it was something I suspected before the vet visit. I’m not able to pursue finding out where it is or what kind of cancer and I would be very reluctant to put Grumpy thru any of that even if I could. I suspect leukemia. It’s almost unbelievable to have 3 chameleons all get fatally sick in less than 6 months and I’ve questioned my husbandry over and over but find nothing. I guess it’s true that trouble travels in threes.
PS Thankfully, Stella and Kali are both thriving and very healthy and content.
<3 
