Very sick chameleon, not sure how to advance.

YoshiHilley

YoshiHilley

New Member
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I have a very sick male veiled Chameleon, he's about a year and a half old and I have just within the last few days taken him into my care. He belongs to my girlfriends family but has moved into my house for purposes of providing a safer environment. He has been sleeping most of the time, doesn't eat or drink as much as I think he should and a little bit more on the skinnier side. What I'm most concerned about though is the white sack (red on the bottom of it) that is hanging out of his bottom, but it has been there for a while. Any feed back/tip would be extremely helpful.
 
Poor cham there,he must be all broken hearted with the prolapse thingy stick it out....
Maybe keeping his manhood moisture by misting the gods gift magic shaft directly with the lukewarm water so it will keep it moist before seeing a vet or maybe he can control his parts back into his wishing well.
Maybe some warm sugar water or ky jelly n (I dont meant to pleaure the poor cham just help him to put the thing back where it belong) can help to do the trick...give some water for him to drink n when he gets all well dont forget to gutload some vegetables into his feeder diets to sooth out his digestive system and his retracting power for the gods gift magic shaft ,hope he gets better soon.
 
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This chameleon has had bad care for awhile now and looks very bad you need to get him to the vet asap. He looks like he has MBD for sure more than likely parasites and his humidity is way off and has been for awhile he looks very dry. Horrible care in my opinion needs to go to vet asap.
 
Can you get a closer image of the thing hanging out of his vent? It could be anything from the way you described as a sperm plug, or a more worrisome prolapse of a sort. And if it's a blanched color then I would worry about needing surgery because it losing circulation and then becoming nercrotic. Have you tried a warm shower to get him drinking? His skin looks super dry definitely dehydrated. He's not the best weight but I have seen way worse. He will need to be well hydrated before he drinks. Can you fill out the "how to ask for help form" at the top of the health clinic board. I would normally link it but am outside on my phone. He will need some soft bodied feeders to help with pooping and water intake too. He needs a vet for sure, I see slight sighs of mbd in his back ankles. And some slight bowing in his legs. Take a picture of you set up too.
 
Andee said:
Can you get a closer image of the thing hanging out of his vent? It could be anything from the way you described as a sperm plug, or a more worrisome prolapse of a sort. And if it's a blanched color then I would worry about needing surgery because it losing circulation and then becoming nercrotic. Have you tried a warm shower to get him drinking? His skin looks super dry definitely dehydrated. He's not the best weight but I have seen way worse. He will need to be well hydrated before he drinks. Can you fill out the "how to ask for help form" at the top of the health clinic board. I would normally link it but am outside on my phone. He will need some soft bodied feeders to help with pooping and water intake too. He needs a vet for sure, I see slight sighs of mbd in his back ankles. And some slight bowing in his legs. Take a picture of you set up too.
Click to expand...

Sorry for the delayed response.
  • Your Chameleon - Veiled/Male/almost 2 years old/I've had him for a little over a day now.
  • Handling - Was often but since it has dialed down.
  • Feeding - worms and crickets/few times a day/I haven't bought a feeder yet.
  • Supplements - "Flukers reptile vitamins" is what I've been told to use.
  • Watering - I have misted his plants and vines/ So far I've missed it about 3 times but I'm not down to a schedule. I haven't seen him drinking from the vines or tree but they've just been added. He has a lid flipped upside down with some water (I know it's not preferred) while I worked out how to mist his cage in the first place.
  • Fecal Description - He hasn't yet pooped since his move to my house almost exactly 24 hours ago and he has not been tested for parasites.
  • History - He was around a lot of kids and animals in his previous home but that has changed now. The equipment that I have now is basically what was handed down from the previous family, I figured this summer I would build him a new cage and in the mean time gather what new equipment that I could afford at a time.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - screen cage/I'd say 6x2 ft.
  • Lighting - I was given a light to hang relatively close to the ground and was told to use a 12 hour on/off schedule. I know I still need a uv light though, I was not provided with one.
  • Temperature - around 78?
  • Plants - Yes, he has a real ficus and some fake vines.
  • Placement - Cage is currently located on the floor, not near any fans or traffic or anything of the sort.
  • Location - Northern Michigan
Current Problem - All info listed under pic.
 
YoshiHilley said:
View attachment 178280 I have a very sick male veiled Chameleon, he's about a year and a half old and I have just within the last few days taken him into my care. He belongs to my girlfriends family but has moved into my house for purposes of providing a safer environment. He has been sleeping most of the time, doesn't eat or drink as much as I think he should and a little bit more on the skinnier side. What I'm most concerned about though is the white sack (red on the bottom of it) that is hanging out of his bottom, but it has been there for a while. Any feed back/tip would be extremely helpful.
Click to expand...
YoshiHilley said:
Sorry for the delayed response.
  • Your Chameleon - Veiled/Male/almost 2 years old/I've had him for a little over a day now.
  • Handling - Was often but since it has dialed down.
  • Feeding - worms and crickets/few times a day/I haven't bought a feeder yet.
  • Supplements - "Flukers reptile vitamins" is what I've been told to use.
  • Watering - I have misted his plants and vines/ So far I've missed it about 3 times but I'm not down to a schedule. I haven't seen him drinking from the vines or tree but they've just been added. He has a lid flipped upside down with some water (I know it's not preferred) while I worked out how to mist his cage in the first place.
  • Fecal Description - He hasn't yet pooped since his move to my house almost exactly 24 hours ago and he has not been tested for parasites.
  • History - He was around a lot of kids and animals in his previous home but that has changed now. The equipment that I have now is basically what was handed down from the previous family, I figured this summer I would build him a new cage and in the mean time gather what new equipment that I could afford at a time.

Cage Info:
  • Cage Type - screen cage/I'd say 6x2 ft.
  • Lighting - I was given a light to hang relatively close to the ground and was told to use a 12 hour on/off schedule. I know I still need a uv light though, I was not provided with one.
  • Temperature - around 78?
  • Plants - Yes, he has a real ficus and some fake vines.
  • Placement - Cage is currently located on the floor, not near any fans or traffic or anything of the sort.
  • Location - Northern Michigan
  • Also here is a picture of what he currently has.
Current Problem - All info listed under pic.
0
Click to expand...
 
Oh well now I see for sure it's a prolapse of some sort (was originally answering on my phone, tiny pictures suck) I want to say it's a hemipene but not sure. I would be worried how healthy the tissue is and strongly recommend a vet visit if it's just for that. You can keep it moist until then with KY jelly (just plain) and I strongly recommend it. Definitely don't move him to a new cage until he's recovered. His cage at the moment is a fine size for recovery. I definitely see MBD in his back ankles, not much at all in his front forelimbs, and a slight bend in his back forelimbs. He will need liquid calcium to heal and slow the progress of it from getting any worse. I would definitely put him on a plant in the shower, bounce the water off the walls, make sure it hits the plant with the bounce off, and the warmth of the water should be just above luke warm where it will hit near him. Keep him in there as long as he will drink and as long as you water will stay good. I definitely recommend into getting an automatic mister when you get the money. When his prolapse is better, focus on soft bodied feeders for a the first 5 days, it will helps with stooling. Soft bodied is like silkworms/hornworms/wax worms (feed the wax worms sparingly). Make sure you have plain calcium, a calcium with D3, and a good multivitamin. Or you can do what I prefer and do a repashy ALL in ONE vitamin and use Calcium Plus for him.
 
At the moment I wouldn't worry much about buying new equipment, other than the emergency stuff. Repashy vitamins usually cost 10 dollars at most depending on who you buy from it can be lower, that's the thing I'd focus on right away. Definitely immediately buy the KY, shower him immediately, and then find a vet. Do it AS SOON as possible.
 
Keep the prolapse (the thing hanging out of his butt) moist with k-y jelly until you can get it to the vets. It needs to go to the vet ASAP because a prolapse is an emergency.

In the meantime...he needs UVB and appropriate temperatures in the cage and basking area. A regular incandescent household bulb is acceptable forma basking light. All lights should be outside the cage and not pass through glass.

He needs crickets (you can add in superworms and roaches too) that have been fed/gutloaded with greens and veggies such as dandelion greens, kale, collards, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, and a bit of fruit such as berries, melon, apple, and pear.

It's important to dust the insects properly before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorous-free calcium powder at most feedings. He will need a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder twice a month and a vitamin powder with a beta carotene source of vitamin A twice a month.

Right now the most important thing is to get him to a vet.
 
Andee said:
At the moment I wouldn't worry much about buying new equipment, other than the emergency stuff. Repashy vitamins usually cost 10 dollars at most depending on who you buy from it can be lower, that's the thing I'd focus on right away. Definitely immediately buy the KY, shower him immediately, and then find a vet. Do it AS SOON as possible.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much, another question though, how do I give him the vitamins? I will have to wait till tomorrow to find the vitamins but I don't think he has enough strength to hold onto the plant in the shower, that Is why i didn't put the plant in his home until a few hours ago.
 
kinyonga said:
Keep the prolapse (the thing hanging out of his butt) moist with k-y jelly until you can get it to the vets. It needs to go to the vet ASAP because a prolapse is an emergency.

In the meantime...he needs UVB and appropriate temperatures in the cage and basking area. A regular incandescent household bulb is acceptable forma basking light. All lights should be outside the cage and not pass through glass.

He needs crickets (you can add in superworms and roaches too) that have been fed/gutloaded with greens and veggies such as dandelion greens, kale, collards, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, and a bit of fruit such as berries, melon, apple, and pear.

It's important to dust the insects properly before feeding them to the chameleon with a phosphorous-free calcium powder at most feedings. He will need a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder twice a month and a vitamin powder with a beta carotene source of vitamin A twice a month.

Right now the most important thing is to get him to a vet.
Click to expand...

Thank you for the great advice!
 
If he doesn't have enough strength on his own to get into the shower (I do this a lot of the time with my rescues) either throw on some swim trunks or something you don't care about getting wet. Or if you are like me, just strip and get in the shower with him, hold him and have him near the wall where you are bouncing the water. It's usually not the best way to get them to drink, but usually if they are dehydrated they don't care much if you are there or not. The temperature likely won't be super comfortable for you. I do well with colder showers but sitting in the tub makes it too cool for my liking. So I often start shivering a few minutes in. But as long as they are drinking just suck it up. ^^
 
Andee said:
If he doesn't have enough strength on his own to get into the shower (I do this a lot of the time with my rescues) either throw on some swim trunks or something you don't care about getting wet. Or if you are like me, just strip and get in the shower with him, hold him and have him near the wall where you are bouncing the water. It's usually not the best way to get them to drink, but usually if they are dehydrated they don't care much if you are there or not. The temperature likely won't be super comfortable for you. I do well with colder showers but sitting in the tub makes it too cool for my liking. So I often start shivering a few minutes in. But as long as they are drinking just suck it up. ^^
Click to expand...

Thanks you for all the help!
 
YoshiHilley said:
Thank you so much, another question though, how do I give him the vitamins? I will have to wait till tomorrow to find the vitamins but I don't think he has enough strength to hold onto the plant in the shower, that Is why i didn't put the plant in his home until a few hours ago.
Click to expand...
Just put the crickets in a cup with a little bit of the powder and swirl it around until they're lightly covered!
 
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