Swelling still pretty bad, should I just leave it or contact her doctor again
- Thread starter Ghostbirb
- Start date
CalamityCrow
Avid Member
Sending love and good vibes! Hopefully the vet can help and offer some answers for your lovely girl.
Well I don’t know about chameleons, but I sure know about gout in humans. Gout from crystallized uric acid and pseudo gout caused by crystallized calcium are treated by the same medication for three days and takes down the swelling like a miracle. The crystallized particles act like tiny pieces of glass in bedding and tissue, causing joint fluid, which is called synovial fluid to fill up the area. Synovial fluid is very thick like a gel and doesn’t sweat out easily. What eases pain is a warm soak or cloth applied to the area to liquefy the gel. The medication for humans is colchine 0.5mg for three days. I have it in both knees and it can be drained as I have had that done. Also I run hot water in the tub and stand there with it running on my joints then I cover them with plastic wrap as the warmth from my body will keep the fluid liquid. Now this won’t work with a cold blooded reptile because they don’t have internal heat. But maybe this will give you some ideas. Also the medication and treatments are exactly the same for both forms of gout. This is very painful because the thickness of synovial fluid puts pressure on nerves, tendons, and muscle as well as tiny pieces of glass wedged into areas. Hope this shed some light on gout for you.
Oh btw antiinflamatories don’t work for synovial fluid. So sorry your poor baby is going through this. I have used lidocaine patches cut to the size of the area and it does help some. Not sure what it would do to a chams skin though. Vet is definitely needed. Also hospital cage needed as a fall risk is a reality for human and animal and nachitos too.
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
thanks you for sharing, I did know a little before but not a lot about gout.
We have a vet appointment today to get it check out again. Unfortunately it has been an issue for, wow, almost 9 months now. I do know that after 2 things of blood work over a few months showed it was not due to gout, but maybe it could be the issue now
.As for hospital bin, I won’t be using one right now as she is getting around very well, she still somewhat uses the leg and has a lot of plant and sticks to support her when moving, along side that she has yet to fall or show any signs of falling.
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
There is some swelling in all her legs but it’s the worst with her front right. First we thought it was a calcium problem, but we managed to get her calcium levels fixed. Last blood work her white blood cell count did show a possibility of an infection. So hopefully today we can figure that all out and maybe get her on antibiotics
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Alrighty! Update time. I have some sort of good news, sort of bad news... So maybe just some neutral news.
Nachito is looking pretty good, her weight is good, and her mucus membranes/gums/mouth are heathy.
We rechecked her follicles and they are exactly the same. The vet saw no changes, so it seems they are just hanging out.
As for her swelling, the vet tried to get some blood but wasn't able to get enough for a blood panel. I believe was collected is going to be sent off in a smear to check the white & red blood cell levels. The vet did think that Nachito was still anemic due to how watery her blood was and agreed with one of the other vets who checked her last that spaying was still way too risky of an option for my girl.
So right now, it's just life as usual, keeping an eye on her. We did talk about medications but the main one that the vet said she would use would most likely cause kidney failure in the future, so we decide to hold off on it. In a few weeks I'm going on a pretty long road trip, so we decided to recheck her for pain meds in about a month when Im back to administer them myself.
In the end I guess this was a trip of conformation that my girl is just so stubborn that even death can't get her, and while she isn't really getting better, she hasn't really gotten worse. I'm just glad that right now she is doing ok and is in the moment more or less comfortable and happy.
While I wish I had super amazing, good news, I'm just glad that nothing has gotten worse and Nachito is just trucking along like she usually does.
Also, does anyone else's chameleon just take the BIGGEST poops in their carriers, because for the last 3 vet visits Nachito as let loose and pooped a nice big one every time.
Nachito is looking pretty good, her weight is good, and her mucus membranes/gums/mouth are heathy.
We rechecked her follicles and they are exactly the same. The vet saw no changes, so it seems they are just hanging out.
As for her swelling, the vet tried to get some blood but wasn't able to get enough for a blood panel. I believe was collected is going to be sent off in a smear to check the white & red blood cell levels. The vet did think that Nachito was still anemic due to how watery her blood was and agreed with one of the other vets who checked her last that spaying was still way too risky of an option for my girl.
So right now, it's just life as usual, keeping an eye on her. We did talk about medications but the main one that the vet said she would use would most likely cause kidney failure in the future, so we decide to hold off on it. In a few weeks I'm going on a pretty long road trip, so we decided to recheck her for pain meds in about a month when Im back to administer them myself.
In the end I guess this was a trip of conformation that my girl is just so stubborn that even death can't get her, and while she isn't really getting better, she hasn't really gotten worse. I'm just glad that right now she is doing ok and is in the moment more or less comfortable and happy.
While I wish I had super amazing, good news, I'm just glad that nothing has gotten worse and Nachito is just trucking along like she usually does.
Also, does anyone else's chameleon just take the BIGGEST poops in their carriers, because for the last 3 vet visits Nachito as let loose and pooped a nice big one every time.
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
I wish you had super duper happy and positive news, but am thrilled with your neutral news. Anything but bad news, is good news.
Did you mention to the vet about doing a biopsy of her swollen ankle like @kinyonga suggested? Based on location, gout has been the primary suspect, but labs said no. Maybe that is an abscess.
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Oh shoot I completely forgot to ask about thatI wish you had super duper happy and positive news, but am thrilled with your neutral news. Anything but bad news, is good news.
, it slipped my mind. I do have the doctors email so maybe I’ll shoot her a message .
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Although also to add, maybe not an abscess because she also has some swelling in all her limbs, just not as bad as that one leg.I wish you had super duper happy and positive news, but am thrilled with your neutral news. Anything but bad news, is good news.
Hope it isn’t.
Was the swelling starting in all legs at the same time?
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
I know I first noticed it in the front right but looking back on some old photos, she definitely has swelling in her other legs about that time, just not as severe
I am so happy to hear that! Gout flare ups are just horrible! My last one I thought I broke my knee! A doctor said Were you born with that deformity? Referring to my swollen leg! Ugh it does not always show up in the blood. It can show in X-rays and synovial fluid. If you are unsure of the vet, find another one and take the chart with you. I feel so blessed to have finally found a great vet. Charged me 106.00 to drain an abscess and provide three different meds. The prior place charged 1,000 for the same thing.thanks you for sharing, I did know a little before but not a lot about gout.
We have a vet appointment today to get it check out again. Unfortunately it has been an issue for, wow, almost 9 months now. I do know that after 2 things of blood work over a few months showed it was not due to gout, but maybe it could be the issue now
As for hospital bin, I won’t be using one right now as she is getting around very well, she still somewhat uses the leg and has a lot of plant and sticks to support her when moving, along side that she has yet to fall or show any signs of falling.
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Hey everyone! Just a little update! Overall Nachito is doing fine, her weight dropped to 104.7g instead of the 107-114 that she has be fluctuating at for the last year. It made me suspect possible reabsorption of eggs (yay)! I just wanted to share a some recently photos of Nachitos wrist swelling, it’s pretty much the same as usually, just, does her toes look weird? Also want to add in case anyone is new or had forgotten, labs showed no gout and past X-rays showed now abscesses, currently in college so going to another vet visit for another checkup on this that has been the same for the last year isn’t really feasible right now… Anyway, hope evening is going well for all of you!
Edit: she’s also as spicy as ever (hissed at me and my roommate) and has been finally finishing all her meals again!
Edit: she’s also as spicy as ever (hissed at me and my roommate) and has been finally finishing all her meals again!
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MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Refresh my memory - the x rays showed nothing there at her ankle? No gout, no calcium deposit, no displacement of bones, no abnormal growth or anything else? Is that lump hard or soft? Does it move or solidly attached? Her foot looks thinned…like the flesh or fat of it has been bunched up around her ankle. I also see one of her back toes looks swollen. I just hope none this causes her any pain. Sweet girl. 
Ghostbirb
Chameleon Enthusiast
She grip is strong as ever, sometimes when she basks she doesn’t fully hold onto the branch but that’s kind of normal for the last year. I felt it, and it did seem bony… or at-least hard, I may send some photo into my vet.
I do know she does have some swelling in all her legs to some degree over the last year, so I’m not surprised… but yes, no deposits, uric acid levels were normal, no growth no nothing. If you want to check out the X-rays, I have a album of them in my profile.Refresh my memory - the x rays showed nothing there at her ankle? No gout, no calcium deposit, no displacement of bones, no abnormal growth or anything else? Is that lump hard or soft? Does it move or solidly attached? Her foot looks thinned…like the flesh or fat of it has been bunched up around her ankle. I also see one of her back toes looks swollen. I just hope none this causes her any pain. Sweet girl.
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