URgEnt!
- Thread starter inferno
- Start date
Julirs
New Member
That looks like a total colon prolaspse-it is very unlikely that he can be saved. I haate to say that because he is beautiful, but no one really has much sucess with those. It is what happened to my guy, and he could not be saved even though his was not nearly that out. Sorry-but I would take him to be humanely put to sleep. If you are going to take him to the vet, just to see, and I would, you need to keep it moist.
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
Inferno,
I can sympathize with your situation, inability to get to a vet, etc. While a vet, the time for the trip, and the $100-150 would be recommended, it may not be do-able for you. Those of us with experience are pretty good at to-it-yourself de-maling-by-half, but I cannot recommend that unless someone who has done it is there to show you.
For those who are reading here just to get info. As Julirs mentioned, cool sugar water is a good idea if caught soon enough. Even better is to rinse it in cool water, then sprinkle powdered sugar right on it. Sorry Eric, but it is safe, and is no less problematic than left-over semen. Been done hundreds of time in the business, and is not some unproven method. If not caught soon enough, it becomes more irritated, can dry out, swell, and make retraction unlikely.
Amputation works pretty well when done by a trained vet. Oral and topical anibiotics follow, your chameleon will talk in a slightly higher voice, but unlike my own concern about being homo-sapien with a solo organ, your chameleon has two, and can still walk with a swagger. Good luck.
I can sympathize with your situation, inability to get to a vet, etc. While a vet, the time for the trip, and the $100-150 would be recommended, it may not be do-able for you. Those of us with experience are pretty good at to-it-yourself de-maling-by-half, but I cannot recommend that unless someone who has done it is there to show you.
For those who are reading here just to get info. As Julirs mentioned, cool sugar water is a good idea if caught soon enough. Even better is to rinse it in cool water, then sprinkle powdered sugar right on it. Sorry Eric, but it is safe, and is no less problematic than left-over semen. Been done hundreds of time in the business, and is not some unproven method. If not caught soon enough, it becomes more irritated, can dry out, swell, and make retraction unlikely.
Amputation works pretty well when done by a trained vet. Oral and topical anibiotics follow, your chameleon will talk in a slightly higher voice, but unlike my own concern about being homo-sapien with a solo organ, your chameleon has two, and can still walk with a swagger. Good luck.
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
While I was typing ...
Your photo posted. Julirs is correct. Both in diagnosis and prognosis. Death can take 4-10 days.
Your photo posted. Julirs is correct. Both in diagnosis and prognosis. Death can take 4-10 days.
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
PLEASE do not get another one until you are older and can afford to have one on your own.
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
Yes, it is highly likely, at about 99%, that he will die. For those who want to chastise this owner because he cannot afford, or wil not afford, a vet trip. Well, I can afford if it were mine. And I wouldn't waste the money. If my choice is a dead chameleon and $100-200 staying in my wallet, or a dead chameleon and an empty wallet, its not rocket science all yea of higher ethics 
.
.Yes, it is highly likely, at about 99%, that he will die. For those who want to chastise this owner because he cannot afford, or wil not afford, a vet trip. Well, I can afford if it were mine. And I wouldn't waste the money. If my choice is a dead chameleon and $100-200 staying in my wallet, or a dead chameleon and an empty wallet, its not rocket science all yea of higher ethics
I understand he might not be able to afford treatment but surely a jab to put him down can't cost that much? the poor little sod's clearly in agony
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
Save the sermons for yourself. A trip to a vet to spend $50 or so to put it down may not be practical for this hobbyist. While not a "perfect" solution, here is what I recommend Inferno. Make your peace with your animal. Tonight, tomorrow, ..... pretty quick. Then put it in a bag and put it in the freezer. It is speculated that there may be some pain in freezing. There is pain in being eaten by prey. There is more pain in dying with a prolapsed colon. There is huge pain in the husbandry that many captive chameleons get regardless. In the scale of life, freezing is not as good as having a vet put it down. But its OK by me and a good portion of the practical world in which we exist.
There's a well-educated school of thought out there that says that the ultimate humanity towards chameleons is to not keep them as pets at all. Since just about every poster here has accepted a lower standard than that, how about we not pontificate so much about where the sub-standard line is to be drawn for those who face a different reality than you yourself do. Take what is practical and do-able, and make the best choice in our sub-standard existence.
There's a well-educated school of thought out there that says that the ultimate humanity towards chameleons is to not keep them as pets at all. Since just about every poster here has accepted a lower standard than that, how about we not pontificate so much about where the sub-standard line is to be drawn for those who face a different reality than you yourself do. Take what is practical and do-able, and make the best choice in our sub-standard existence.
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Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
Yeah - I agree wih Jim here. I don't like to see my animals suffer. I also dont' take them to a vet to pay them to kill them. I know, I'm sure the sugar is fine - it works, but it just seems strange to put sugar inside of something... Im sure they absorb it quickly. I've had luck with lube, sans sugar, but the deremensis I had only had a simple, tube shaped one - some of the really bad examples you see online are far more grossly swollen and complex in structure.
I'd try to get the colon back in, but that's me, gotta try it. I would believe Jim if he ssys there's not much hope - with the number of animals he had worked with, survival rates become pretty dependable.
I'd try to get the colon back in, but that's me, gotta try it. I would believe Jim if he ssys there's not much hope - with the number of animals he had worked with, survival rates become pretty dependable.
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
Inferno needed help ....
... and recognized it. He came here for help and information, a second smart move. Many of us can sympathize with the choices faced, even if we would make different ones. A few can only criticize. I thank Julirs and others who only tried to give Inferno the information to make the best decision ... that would be Infeno's best ... decision. I, IMMHO, see nothing irresponsible in what he has presented. Many of us who know more would have culled the animal already. He's learning.
I'm a "guy" Inferno. But if I proplapse my only organ, I will be presented with a dilemma that may change my self-description in ways I do not want to contemplate. Cloacal prolapses happen, and seem to be random in many instances. Your chameleon looks well cared for otherwise. We learn as we go.
... and recognized it. He came here for help and information, a second smart move. Many of us can sympathize with the choices faced, even if we would make different ones. A few can only criticize. I thank Julirs and others who only tried to give Inferno the information to make the best decision ... that would be Infeno's best ... decision. I, IMMHO, see nothing irresponsible in what he has presented. Many of us who know more would have culled the animal already. He's learning.
I'm a "guy" Inferno. But if I proplapse my only organ, I will be presented with a dilemma that may change my self-description in ways I do not want to contemplate. Cloacal prolapses happen, and seem to be random in many instances. Your chameleon looks well cared for otherwise. We learn as we go.
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Chameleon Company
Avid Member
Eric,
We are in lockstep. I know several highly qualified vets who would recommend putting it down. I have never seen a chameleon survive cloacal proplapse. It is not impossible, but gets well into the realm of tough love. I credit Julirs for being the first to state the harsh truth. If Inferno had a lot of money tho throw at this, then I would say "toss away". But the reality is that it would be a waste.
I could really crack some jokes about the powdered suger ..... you probably could too
We are in lockstep. I know several highly qualified vets who would recommend putting it down. I have never seen a chameleon survive cloacal proplapse. It is not impossible, but gets well into the realm of tough love. I credit Julirs for being the first to state the harsh truth. If Inferno had a lot of money tho throw at this, then I would say "toss away". But the reality is that it would be a waste.
I could really crack some jokes about the powdered suger ..... you probably could too
chambabysitter1
New Member
At the same time, I wouldn't want to be killed in what is "speculated" to be humane as opposed to what is known to be humane.
Call a few local vets, you don't need a specialist for euthanization, if you appeal your case and/or financial situation, they may give you a discount. This has happened in the past, and it's the least you can do.
Call a few local vets, you don't need a specialist for euthanization, if you appeal your case and/or financial situation, they may give you a discount. This has happened in the past, and it's the least you can do.
Chameleon Company
Avid Member
I can easliy support that as an option to consider. Outta here.
Really can't see how you can speculate that freezing to death will cause no pain, of course it will. I wasn't slating the op's care for his lizard. I just don't see why anyone wouldn't sacrifice $50, that will probably be spent on pointless crap, to give their pet that they care about a humane exit from this world.
Eric Adrignola
Avid Member
It's easy to take the high road on the internet. Cause it's not the real world.
I don't like seeing my animals suffer when they're sick or old. I don't. I won't take them to a vet to pay the vet to kill them. Never have, never will. I've had three chameleons get to a point when people were telling me to put them down, and they recovered. I've had many more die peacefully in their sleep. I've put a few down myself in the past.
I think it is important to not just tell, but to teach. When it comes to the internet, you have to keep this in mind. It's so easy to just tel people what is good or bad or right and wrong. It's so easy to fall into a habit of simply telling people to do or not to do something.
With complex things like chameleon behavior, biology husbandry and medical care - the best way to get people to ignore what you say is to simply tell them to DO something.
It's best to show them and to take the time to explain things. Really, Inferno probaly feels like crap now - he's obviously taken good care of his animal - looks healthy to me, and now what? Plus, he's going to feel bad about positng on here again. Most advice was sound and correct, really, but it might have been more effective if a different approach was used.
I don't like seeing my animals suffer when they're sick or old. I don't. I won't take them to a vet to pay the vet to kill them. Never have, never will. I've had three chameleons get to a point when people were telling me to put them down, and they recovered. I've had many more die peacefully in their sleep. I've put a few down myself in the past.
I think it is important to not just tell, but to teach. When it comes to the internet, you have to keep this in mind. It's so easy to just tel people what is good or bad or right and wrong. It's so easy to fall into a habit of simply telling people to do or not to do something.
With complex things like chameleon behavior, biology husbandry and medical care - the best way to get people to ignore what you say is to simply tell them to DO something.
It's best to show them and to take the time to explain things. Really, Inferno probaly feels like crap now - he's obviously taken good care of his animal - looks healthy to me, and now what? Plus, he's going to feel bad about positng on here again. Most advice was sound and correct, really, but it might have been more effective if a different approach was used.
Titan
New Member
I'm gonna repost from my original statement. There is success in things like this. I dont know the odds but for me it was 1 out of 1, Positive. Now that I've seen His good picture. I, about 13 years ago had this EXACT thing happen To a Beautiful Ambanja Male I had. I freeked and was stressed as this guy is, I loved my pet. Luckily I was able to get him to a Vet here in town. Not a reptile Vet but commonly here a horse, cattle, dog and cat Vet. It was my only option and I stand witness today that The Vet, got the Intestine back in, safetly and correctly. AS I had this Chameleon for a long time after the incident, Years!! So there is always hope even if instucted over the phone or such by a profesional. To me its worth that, when you care. If he didnt care he would not have posted for help!
