Rogue
Avid Member
It's been awhile since I posted. Some of you may remember our story.
In August of 2017, my husband and I purchased our very first chameleon (a juvenile male Ambilobe) from an amazing breeder. We spent months of reading, preparing, building a custom cage with lineal uva/uvb bulbs, everything before he arrived. We were so excited for Mr. Proteus's arrival!
After months of preparation, we thought we were ready. Proteus arrived and he was so much more beautiful than his pictures. We loved him so much! Immediately we took him home and put him in his new home to get accustomed and settled. That evening, we saw he was sleeping from the top of his viv. We covered him and we went to bed.
The next morning, I was abruptly woken by my husband whom was holding a very dark Proteus with blood on him and barely breathing. Our rescued kitten had climbed the cage, cut thru the screen where Proteus was sleeping, and had pulled him out to "play" with him. Proteus had a clear bite in his back and skin was hanging and he had some cat fur in his mouth. I was in shock and absolutely devastated. My husband found a vet hospital 45 minutes away and rushed him to their office. The guilt was so unbearable.
Proteus received immediate surgery from the best local exotic veterinarian in the city within an hour. He had a punctured lung and he received antibiotics for fear of infection. The vet and his clinic had done everything they could. We picked him up that evening and placed him in a special hospital bin. Even with the high hopes and prayers, Proteus passed the next morning.
The guilt and shock was devastating. I couldn't sleep, eat, or function. We reached out to the breeder to tell him what happened and send our apologies. I was distraught that I underestimated our kitten, simply because he showed no interest in Proteus when we were around. It was a fatal mistake that I couldn't take back.
The following weekend, a well known reptile expo was in town and my husband convinced me to go. I didn't have it in me at the beginning, but staring at an empty cage was awful. We went to the expo on its final day in town and the only chameleons left were some Jackson's and 1 male Nosey Be, both types from different vendors. Since our setup was created for a Panther, I decided to hold him. He was very small considering the "breeder" claimed he was 10 months old and had been cared for since he was hatched. I felt that I needed to take him home.
The first week (after making serious adjustments and fixes to his cage) we had already scheduled a vet appointment with the same vet that operated on Proteus. We noticed that Viserion was very thirsty, his first urate was yellow, and his back right ankle began to swell. His initial appointment showed he was malnourished, underweight, and at the onset of Gout
. We were told that he would need a special diet for the rest of his life and his care would be expensive. The only good news was his kidneys were not affected yet and his fecal was normal. He also took 2 months to completely shed that had started when we first brought him home.
Today with the help of the best veterinarian we could ask for and wonderful friends we have made thru this experience, especially @Matt Vanilla Gorilla and @Kristen Wilkins, Viserion is finally healthy and doing wonderful. Below is a picture of him when finishing a recent shed . Had it not been for the tragic death of Proteus, Viserion would not be alive today. If you read the whole story, I hope this helps someone else learn from our mistake. We love this little man!
In August of 2017, my husband and I purchased our very first chameleon (a juvenile male Ambilobe) from an amazing breeder. We spent months of reading, preparing, building a custom cage with lineal uva/uvb bulbs, everything before he arrived. We were so excited for Mr. Proteus's arrival!
After months of preparation, we thought we were ready. Proteus arrived and he was so much more beautiful than his pictures. We loved him so much! Immediately we took him home and put him in his new home to get accustomed and settled. That evening, we saw he was sleeping from the top of his viv. We covered him and we went to bed.
The next morning, I was abruptly woken by my husband whom was holding a very dark Proteus with blood on him and barely breathing. Our rescued kitten had climbed the cage, cut thru the screen where Proteus was sleeping, and had pulled him out to "play" with him. Proteus had a clear bite in his back and skin was hanging and he had some cat fur in his mouth. I was in shock and absolutely devastated. My husband found a vet hospital 45 minutes away and rushed him to their office. The guilt was so unbearable.
Proteus received immediate surgery from the best local exotic veterinarian in the city within an hour. He had a punctured lung and he received antibiotics for fear of infection. The vet and his clinic had done everything they could. We picked him up that evening and placed him in a special hospital bin. Even with the high hopes and prayers, Proteus passed the next morning.
The guilt and shock was devastating. I couldn't sleep, eat, or function. We reached out to the breeder to tell him what happened and send our apologies. I was distraught that I underestimated our kitten, simply because he showed no interest in Proteus when we were around. It was a fatal mistake that I couldn't take back.
The following weekend, a well known reptile expo was in town and my husband convinced me to go. I didn't have it in me at the beginning, but staring at an empty cage was awful. We went to the expo on its final day in town and the only chameleons left were some Jackson's and 1 male Nosey Be, both types from different vendors. Since our setup was created for a Panther, I decided to hold him. He was very small considering the "breeder" claimed he was 10 months old and had been cared for since he was hatched. I felt that I needed to take him home.
The first week (after making serious adjustments and fixes to his cage) we had already scheduled a vet appointment with the same vet that operated on Proteus. We noticed that Viserion was very thirsty, his first urate was yellow, and his back right ankle began to swell. His initial appointment showed he was malnourished, underweight, and at the onset of Gout
Today with the help of the best veterinarian we could ask for and wonderful friends we have made thru this experience, especially @Matt Vanilla Gorilla and @Kristen Wilkins, Viserion is finally healthy and doing wonderful. Below is a picture of him when finishing a recent shed . Had it not been for the tragic death of Proteus, Viserion would not be alive today. If you read the whole story, I hope this helps someone else learn from our mistake. We love this little man!
