Too Skinny??
- Thread starter brando-the-cham
- Start date
brando-the-cham
Member
sorry thanks im new dont rlly get this
brando-the-cham
Member
There now its just the image and no link
xxxvoltage7
New Member
He definitely looks dehydrated. You can tell because his eyes are sunken in. As far as handling you should do it as minimally as possible, especially when he first moves in, until he grows more comfortable with you. I once had the same problem with friends wanted to constantly handle the little guys and I had to explain to them that it stresses them out too much. Try to associate handling with food. By that I mean he will notice that your hand is bringing in the grub. Try hand feeding a little bit down the line as well. It takes time, but eventually it will be worth it. He may even grow so comfortable that he runs out of the cage and into your hand, especially if he knows he's gonna get fed! XD
JGuinan007
Avid Member
OMG get Brando to a vet ASAP he is way too skinny and looks severely dehydrated I not religious but I'll say a prayer for him
JGuinan007
Avid Member
Are you able to see the picture?
Lazereth
Avid Member
Put him the shower with warm water, give him a branch or something to hold on to, he does looked dehydrated. Also please fill this out and post it.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/
This will help members better to help you.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/
This will help members better to help you.
xxxvoltage7
New Member
it wasn't loading up so i was only getting a pixelated zoomed version of it, but now that its full size he definitely needs a vet ASAP. Definitely underweight and severely dehydrated.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
Give him showers, long misting, make sure your dipper is full and dripping, feed small horn worms and or silk worms even butter worms and wax worms(hopfully once he get some weight on drop these out to only treats on rare occasions. If he is stressed from handling and refusing to eat don't handle him. And I would really take him to a vet for an IV he really needs fluids
brando-the-cham
Member
Like you said heres the forum filled out
Male veiled chameleon age is unknown and ive had him since january 10
i dont usually handle him very often but this weekend i had friends over and they handled him VERY VERY much even though i told her that it stresses him
i feed him small crickets. I feed about however much he will eat and thas usually around 3 then he wont and lately he has neglected food
I dust the food with Flukers repti calcium every cricket i feed him
I use the reptirain mister it mists every hour for 30 second and when i get home i mist with a spray bottle every time i see it needs it
Droppings are brown and white mixture mostly
i got him from the reptile show january 10
CAGE
All screen cage
I have a AUVB bulb and a heat bulb sitting ontop of his cage
The night temp is in the low seventies and 60 and the day temp it hight seventies and eighties there is a thermometer on the side of his cage
himidity levels are pretty normal? i spray when i can
i dont have any live plants quite yet i am working on getting some and finding out what types are compatable
Cage is on a table about 3 feet from the floor not near any vents or fans or such
i live in cincinnati oh in north america
PLEASE HELP ME! Is there anything i can do to help my little brando? I am very worried he is dehydrated and how can i help a dehydrated chameleon?
Male veiled chameleon age is unknown and ive had him since january 10
i dont usually handle him very often but this weekend i had friends over and they handled him VERY VERY much even though i told her that it stresses him
i feed him small crickets. I feed about however much he will eat and thas usually around 3 then he wont and lately he has neglected food
I dust the food with Flukers repti calcium every cricket i feed him
I use the reptirain mister it mists every hour for 30 second and when i get home i mist with a spray bottle every time i see it needs it
Droppings are brown and white mixture mostly
i got him from the reptile show january 10
CAGE
All screen cage
I have a AUVB bulb and a heat bulb sitting ontop of his cage
The night temp is in the low seventies and 60 and the day temp it hight seventies and eighties there is a thermometer on the side of his cage
himidity levels are pretty normal? i spray when i can
i dont have any live plants quite yet i am working on getting some and finding out what types are compatable
Cage is on a table about 3 feet from the floor not near any vents or fans or such
i live in cincinnati oh in north america
PLEASE HELP ME! Is there anything i can do to help my little brando? I am very worried he is dehydrated and how can i help a dehydrated chameleon?
brando-the-cham
Member
Thank you so much ! How do i give him showers so i dont hurt him
brando-the-cham
Member
Thank you so much for the help! Everyone! I will not handle him for a while and go out and get some worms for him. I looked into how to shower and will do that tomorrow after school. He should be better soon and i will take him to the vet
JGuinan007
Avid Member
Do you have any small potted plants he can hold on to? Put him on plant and put it in your shower turn the water on warm not hot. Point the shower head at the wall and set the plant down where the water deflect from the wall sprays.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
I've never given showers, preferring to just mist. The idea of a shower is that you put him on a plant and run the body-temperature shower against a wall so it bounces off and give a fine mist around him. You don't want to hit him directly with a shower. He is supposed to drink. You might see him opening and closing his mouth when you mist--that's drinking. I have an automatic misting system, so I just turn it on and leave it on if one of my chameleons needs a bit of extra hydration.
Yes, he looks severely dehydrated, which will also make him look skinnier than he really is.
Everything is all connected. If he's dehydrated, he won't eat and might not drink. It can be the start of a vicious downward spiral. If you are not able to be home to make sure he is misted more than once an hour for several minutes, maybe a trip to the vet is in order. The vet can give him subcutaneous fluids, which will hydrate him and perk him up which will stimulate him to eat and drink. Be aware that any time you treat a chameleon, there is risk. There is the risk of the procedure itself and the risk associated with the stress of going to the vet. (I had a vet nick an artery/vein giving subcutaneous fluids and my chemeleon bled out, but that kind of accident is rare.)
Three crickets is just not enough for a growing baby. Maybe a vet trip with an experienced reptile vet is in order.
brando-the-cham
Member
Thank you! Will do! Without this info i would have no idea and would think it was normal... Im a pretty dumb chameleon owner i guess. He's my first one.
JGuinan007
Avid Member
With his eyes sunken as much as they are he needs a shower now and a vet as soon as you can get him to one
brando-the-cham
Member
He died this morning. He may have been dehydrated but i put him in the shower and he drank a bit. We cant afford to take him to the vet
R.I.P Brando
R.I.P Brando
oneillchameleons
Established Member
That sort of dehydration doesn't happen overnight. His eyes look like they were virtually non existent in that picture. I'm sorry for your loss but PLEASE, everyone do proper research and have your habitat perfect before you buy any animal. There are far too many stories like this on the forums, and chameleons generally are too far gone by the time they start showing signs of illness that a novice keeper can detect. Hence why they are considered advanced reptiles to keep, and shouldn't be sold to beginners.
jajeanpierre
Chameleon Enthusiast
I'm very sorry your introduction to chameleons has had such a bad outcome. Sudden death of a young pet always upsetting. I am sorry for your loss.
I don't know why he died. Maybe he was gravely ill when you bought him and you just didn't recognize it before it was too late. Maybe no one could have saved your chameleon. Maybe the stress of the new home, the excessive over-handling all contributed to his death. Maybe it caused it. Maybe you didn't recognize his dehydration before it was too late. You'll never know, but I hope you can learn a bit from this horrible experience so you can offer a home where a chameleon will thrive in.
Evaluating the health of chameleons is a skill that has to be learned and your not having that skill is understandable.
I do want to add that sunken in eyes CAN happen overnight in a dying chameleon. The cost of a vet visit is not all that much. Subcutaneous fluids are also not that expensive. If you are going to have chameleons, may I suggest you find a vet before you get another chameleon, well before you need their services. Some exotic vets cost a fortune, others cost the same as a dog or cat vet--it all depends on your area. You can likely find one in your area that is reasonable.
