UPDATE: closed eye problems

[Rewired1959]

Well, I think the vet might have given them both too much Vit A, cuz my Male is very bad, he was fine in the vets office.......now black spot at inj site(expected?), his eyes have turned very dark and his abdomen is swollen and distended. He gasps every once in awhile.He was perfect at the vets office yesterday. Was no way near this shape, eating and drinking.....then I find him like this first thing after the vet visit?.............I called the vet and asked if he possibly gave them too much, don't think he would admit it though. So now I have lost the pair......#*&! Thanks again all.....................
(Repost from end of last thread)

 

[PardalisGirl]

Update on eye.......

Is this vet really experienced with reptiles? The dark spot at the injection site is perfectly normal, but the rest is not of course. Did the vet offer any suggestions about what to do now? I should not try to second guess vets but the male seemed well enough still that a change in supplementation with a little extra Vitamin A over a long period of time would have been enough for him. The female probably would have needed more of a stepped up treatment if she had lived. Is your male still alive? Can you get him to drink anything? It does sound like he overdosed the organs with the Vitamin A. Have you tried putting him under a shower to see if he will drink? This must be terribly frustrating for you. You have tried to do the right thing and ended up in this situation. I feel frustrated for you and bummed out for you

 

[Rewired1959]

No, he died the next morning following the vet visit.No, I don't believe he specialised in Reptiles....they said they did see reptiles. I just wanted to get the female to someone quick. He was in a bloated coma for lack of a better term at 5am. He was climbing all over the vets office, eyes open, his usual swaggering, I'm a leaf blowing in the wind walk at noon.LOL! I could understand the Female possibly not making it, but the male going so soon? Nah, he screwed up, when I called and asked him he said I gave them such a small amount.I dunno what dose he gave them, obviously was too much.

 

[kinyonga]

I'm sorry that you lost both of your chameleons. Its very frustrating when this happens in the way it happened for you...heartbreaking.

I know this won't help you now...but I thought you might be interested in reading the relationship between D3 and preformed vitamin A, etc....so here's part of an article from the Chameleon Journals archive by Dr. Lopez..I can't post the link here because someone complained that it went to an adult website. (I always open the page an take the address from the top...so it shouldn't...but I'm not risking a complaint again.) Here is part of it quoted from that site...
"if we give PREFORMED A it bypasses the barriers and barges in unabated. No problem, the liver will store it. What happens when the liver is full? A single dose can fill all available space in the liver."

"My opinion (for what its worth) is preformed vitamin A is a medication used to treat severe cases of hypovitaminosis A and symptoms suggestive of such. It is too dangerous to use as a supplement. I use it carefully to elevate vitamin A levels. I sometimes use it to treat vitamin D toxicosis. I also use it when there is liver dysfunction. Bile salts are required for the uptake of retinol into the liver. I also use vitamin D to treat vitamin A toxicosis (along with vitamin E which seems to help) Chams do not have much opportunity to zap preformed vitamin A in the wild."

 

[PardalisGirl]

So Sorry

I am so sorry for this needless loss......I think he did overdose him. He did seem healthy enough for normal supplementation methods. Injections, if used, would be for an extreme case. The vet saying that he did see reptiles can mean the more common bearded dragons and snakes. Chameleons are very different from the reptiles usually found in pet stores. Some really smart people told me years ago to have a good reptile vet lined up before I needed one. That served me well after I had my first reptile emergency. I'm really sorry about what happened and hope it won't dampen your interest in chameleons.

 

[chameloman72]

Yea, sounds like he was out for the extra buck that really sucks!!