Would really appreciate some help with our "Boy George"

[eddlott]

I moved him, he was a little hissy, but gave me a chance to look in his mouth.. didn't notice excess mucous or bubbles and color was on the pinkish side as opposed to fleshy side as I stated yesterday - maybe we can ease our worries about URI.

He seems able to move around better on the vines, moving himself closer to the food... As he continues to eat, I'm encouraged he'll get stronger.

The poop issue is still a huge concern, I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that the next one appears as text-book healthy!

(I don't think I've washed my hands this much in a day... EVER... Dial anti-bacterial, followed with a dab of sanitizer)

 

[eddlott]

He ate like an absolute CHAMP today.. We're hoping he's getting settled. He was fired up bright before bedtime...

Can't thank everyone enough for all the support! Best Forum EVER!

 

[jannb]

George is gorgeous! I’m not sure if this was mentioned but he needs a much bigger cage. Also you have a chameleon vet in the Tampa area. I’ll get you her info and attach it below.
Dr. Tracy Anderson, 7620 66th Street N ... 727-398-7601, St Petersburg, FL

 

[eddlott]

@jannb - thanks for the kind words.. I feel pretty lucky to have rescued him.. and hopeful we can get him healthy. Appreciate the Vet info.. I'll be in St Pete tomorrow. Might pop by.

New enclosure is in the works. Trying to figure best way to screen in a wire-rack shelving unit.. 2'x4'x3'... or larger.. Also thinking of building a new one with pvc and screen.. we'll be moving near Sarasota soon... so might hold off till we have the place and know where we'll keep him.

Before all that.. I want to be sure he's healthy.. a bunch of crickets were today's food.. if his next poop is alarming to my new friends here.. then it'll be all about parasite elimination before anything else.

 

[eddlott]

Another day... Another bunch of crickets eaten!

 

[eddlott]

A Monumental morning!!!! George climbed high in his cage today, on his own.... Hunted and ate his breakfast... AND I caught him drinking!

One week in my care.. and he's doing SO much better. Gonna be gushy again.. but you all have been wonderful here... Thanks so much for all your help and encouragement!

(sorry for the poor pic quality.. was rushing to try to catch him in the act!)

 

[eddlott]

George got a hornworm this afternoon.. took the head off with his first shot.. then the rest a little bit later..

10 or 15 sm/med crickets also turned into lunch. He's getting stronger every day. Still a few in the easy eat bowl.. in case he's still hungry.

Since my first post, George has gotten so much healthier.. he's walking, climbing, drinking and eating....

Having the complete unknown about his history.. I'm guessing now that he either escaped captivity or was dumped by crappy owners. He's not nasty, eager to eat, tolerant of my hands in his space (mostly).. and as we keep improving his habitat... he certainly seems to get better.

Trying not to have false security.. as there still could be serious issues.. but it's really a LONG way from where we were last Thursday.. Chameleonforums.com.. Thanks again, and again, and again!

Some absolutely amazing folks in here. I even connected with someone from my home-town who graduated with my cousin. Incredible folks.. all of ya!

And just now.. he's attempting to explore the rest of his new home!

 

[eddlott]

That's the 1st time he's ever gone beyond the door.. and also the 1st time he's been interested in heading outside of his enclosure.. Small victories... and more small victories.. eventually.. we win the war~!

 

[Big.D86]

And chams sometimes do weird things, like my Panther deciding to sleep with his head facing down, and only holding on with his back feet.

And chams sometimes do weird things, like my Panther deciding to sleep with his head facing down, and only holding on with his back

Ahh.. I've seen my cham do that.. got me thinking, you alright??lol I swear mine thinks like a dog sometimes

 

[Decadancin]

So just some quick advice, I would try to get the next fecal sample to a vet within 24 hours so you can get some results on parasites. With no real history to go on it would be nice to rule out that issue. You wouldn't have to bring him in, they should be able to do the test without seeing him. He doesn't really look to be in bad shape at all. A bit dehydrated when you first got him (very apparent from the first poop pic by the dark orange urate) but if he is drinking and having some hornworms he should get better quickly.

I don't think anyone mentioned about the types of feeders (except not to use mealworms). True, mealworms are not the best option, and if you are getting your feeders from the local pet stores you are getting ripped off . Some forum sponsors here have great variety! For Silkworms you can try Morifeeders. I have gotten a couple deliveries from them and the worms got HUGE!!! Just simply keep them cleaned out each day and you should be fine. Also, it would be a good idea to get some additional food for them so you can grow them big. Since you only have one chameleon (like me) it can be difficult to use up all the feeders quickly. With the silks, if they turn to moths you can feed them off too! In Florida you can also use Discoid Roaches. Full Throttle Feeders has them at a very good price! Check out the others and see what is available.

Awesome job looking for advice and taking it seriously! George will definitely benefit from being in your care.

 

[Decadancin]

A warm misting or warm rain shower in the shower was enough to get things moving again.

Just be careful with this. What is warm to us may actually be painful to our chameleons. Although misting from a bottle will generally result in safe temps by the time the mist is near the animal, the shower technique can be tricky. I would suggest room temperature water in these situations just to be safe. You wouldn't be trying to create a sauna, but having water bounce off the wall to create small drops of water landing on the area the animal is in. I don't think you need to do this here in this situation especially since he is drinking.

One thing I would not advise is soaking a chameleon. This is done with other animals, but it should not, in my opinion, be done with chameleons. It would likely be more stressful than anything else.