What is the vet telling me to do?

[angienminerva]

Hi guys,
I am so confused on what the vet is telling to to do, I asked him twice and I still don't understand.

I took my female chameleon to the vet yesterday and they wanted to keep her over night.

Her eggs didn't calcify all the way so they gave her calcium injections and some antibiotics incase the eggs caused an infection.

Today I'm picking her up but my vet told me I needed to build her a "hospital cage."

He told me to use a glass tank and fill it half way with sand and give her something to climb on. He also said but a heating pad in the sand to keep it warm. He said cover this around with card board to keep her extra warm.

He emphasized the glass tank though he said screen is good for healthy chams but glass is better short term for a Cham that needs warmth.

Was he just giving me directions on how to make a birthing cage? Because I know how to do that but I've always used a plastic bin instead of a glass bin.

Why does the glass bin make such a difference than a plastic? Does it keep the sand warm? And why do I have to put a heating pad in the sand?

He said I want to raise the temprature of the bottom of her cage at least 10 degrees.

I'm very confused and I'm picking up my Cham in about 3 hours.

Is this vet just telling me to make a normal birthing cage just with glass instead of plastic to make sure it's warm?

I'm very frustrated because I asked twice and my vet did not explain in a way that made sense to me.

Does anyone have experience with this type of birthing cage with unhealthy chameleons?

 

[Sloppysponge]

If you fill out this help form some experienced people may be able to help you. I haven't been around long enough, but I have not heard of a hospital cage before.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

 

[Theveiled]

@jannb

 

[jajeanpierre]

@angienminerva I'm sorry you have such a sick chameleon.

It would help is you could give your chameleon's history. For me to try to give you a good answer to your questions, I need a few questions answered.

What species is your chameleon? What temperature did the vet want the cage to be? Did the vet give her a shot of oxytocin?

It seems your vet wants you to set up a "hospital" cage that will double as a lay bin, so yes, set the substrate up for laying.

A hospital cage is a basically a cage for critically ill animals. It's purpose is to make keeping them alive easier and will prevent them from being hurt in falls.

The reason the vet is recommending glass is to be able to more easily control the environment for the chameleon. Glass cages stop a lot of airflow except out the top. They make it easier to keep the humidity levels high. I cannot understand the vet's insistence on glass as opposed to plastic other than glass makes it easier to look in from the side rather than looming over top of the chameleon as you would have to do if you used a garbage can.

Respiration--breathing--causes fluid loss from the body. The drier, less humid the air, the more fluids are lost by simply breathing. If you increase humidity to close to 100%, there will be negligible fluid loss from respiration. That's just physics--fluid doesn't evaporate into the air inside the lungs when the air is 100% saturated with water molecules. It can't.

By increasing humidity in the air, it is easier to keep a chameleon properly hydrated.

Glass also prevents a chameleon from climbing on screen. Climbing puts a chameleon at risk of falling.

To answer your questions about heating the substrate, I have to ask what your ambient room temperature is. Your vet should have given you an exact temperature that s/he wants the cage to be. I would be very very cautious about increasing the temperatures. A sick animal should be kept at temperatures on the high end of normal for the species, not outside the normal range or you will only cause more stress to the animal. Stress can come in many forms, and one is living in conditions that are outside normal parameters.

There are a couple of troubling points you make, one is the vet's insistence of a 10 degree increase in the temperature of the substrate. Solid-sided cages are difficult to regulate temps with which is why many favor tall cages with the basking light (and the highest temperatures) at the top. The animal can choose to go to the bottom of the cage when it gets too hot. By heating from the bottom, you are eliminating that ability to self regulate their body temperature. It could be very very easy to cook her and kill her from heat stress using a small, solid-sided enclosure heated from the bottom.

Eggs take time to calcify. The ovum start as yolks and the outer shell is slowly formed.

Did the vet believe she was due to lay eggs that were poorly calcified or does s/he believe she is not yet ready to lay eggs?

Did the vet think she was egg bound?

Does the vet think she has MBD?

Why did you take the chameleon to the vet to begin with? Why is she so sick that she needs a hospital cage?

 

[angienminerva]

Thank you for your explanation! I just spoke with my vet and got all the information.

You're right. My Cham had eggs that didn't calcify all the way so the vet kept her over night and packet her with a bunch of calcium. My vet has given me instructions to to inject her with an antibiotic because the uncalcified eggs may have caused her to have an infection.

My job for the next 12 days is to make sure she gets her antibiotic injections and I also am to feed her a calcium yougurt like mix that is for sick/recovering chameleons. Also the regular gut loading my feeders and dusting them with calcium.

The vet says I brought her in just in time and if we pack her system with calcium he thinks she will naturally lay her eggs in the next 3-4 weeks.

In the mean time I will keep posting about her well being.

Thank you everyone for your knowledge. Chameleons are such amazing pets and I'm hoping my chameleon Minerva has a strong enough immune system to get past this and lay!

 

[angienminerva]

For anyone who is following this post I just wanted to say that after 12 days of caring for Minerva she is finally laying her eggs. I just got home today and found her digging her hole! I'm so happy. After she lays hopefully she will be a 100% better! Thanks everyone for your help and concern!

 

[Virgil1972]

For anyone who is following this post I just wanted to say that after 12 days of caring for Minerva she is finally laying her eggs. I just got home today and found her digging her hole! I'm so happy. After she lays hopefully she will be a 100% better! Thanks everyone for your help and concern!

Make sure you don't bother her while she digging or she may stop doing it.

 

[Theveiled]

Any updates?