Need Help with My Veiled Chamaeleon Charle

[jalkema]

Hello all,
I have a big problem and I was really hoping I could find help here. About three week ago I picked up my first cheameleon, a healthy active baby. about 4 to 5 days ago I noticed a growth on his/her bum area. Had I had access to a vet I would have taken him in right away, but I have not yet found one in the Hamilton area. The groth was at first large and translusant and Charle seem otherwise fine. The reptile care giver at the store where I bought him suggested that his hemipenis may be stuck open due to shedding and the I could try soaking it in warm water. This however had no results and the situation is getting worse. Over the past few days the growth has shrunken, dried out, and turned a dark red color. Also, since yesterday morning, Charle has eaten very little and become sluggish. He spends much of his time on the bottom of his cage, and he hardly opened his eyes at all tonight. He is unsteady and has fallen twice. I don't know chamaeleons well, but I know animals in general an I fear he will not survive much longer. The pic was taken tonight.
Thank-you for any help.
jalkema

[jalkema]

PS. my pics won't post.

[Collide]

IF it was infact a hemipenial prolatps of some kind soaking it and pushing it gently back in with a plastic covered Q-tip is your best bet, but that usually needs to be done fairly quickly after, and still would need vet intervention. I think at this point you need to find a vet asap. I could be wrong though. How old is he? Im assuming its a veild?

[dank7oo]

Need Help with My Veiled Chamaeleon Charle

Jason

[Ethan1]

This is a hemipenal prolapse pic:http://www.adcham.com/html/veterinary/vet-hemipenal-pare.html

If Brandy is right, then try putting some sugar water on a q-tip and gently rub it all over the area. This should ease the pain alittle and help it bit. Where do you live? Try finding a vet near your area on the site:
http://www.arav.org/

[exotic_66]

you say you dont know chameleons well than why would you get one? im sorry im not a chameleon person so therefore i couldnt help you in your situation but maybe if you describe his enclosure like what heat & lighting you have on him,or what substrate he is on,what you are feeding him,temperature of the enclosure?
maybe people can help you out a bit more.
good luck
~nessy~

[jalkema]

I will try the sugar water to ease the pain and I have found a vet. Thankyou all very much.

[jalkema]

Actually, I'm new to chamaeleons. I have done my homework and know how to care for them, but i am by no means an expert.

[Ethan1]

Is that what the problem is?

[jalkema]

i think so Eathan, but i can't be sure. i will call the vet first thing in the morning.

[dank7oo]

you say you dont know chameleons well than why would you get one
Nessy - That is a problem that isnt common. I am by no means new to chameleons (4 years now) and have never seen anything like that happen to any of my chameleons. Maybe you should lay off.

Jason

[exotic_66]

WOAH i really didnt mean it in a bad way its just the way she said it .."i dont know chameleons well" so i thought id ASK than she said that she has done her homework so i understood . Jason, i was only asking not stating anything.i was only trying to help not be a ***** about it
so maybe you should lay off.

~Nessy~

[Collide]

Just because u havent seen it dont mean it dont happen, I have had a cham prolaps and i dident know why at the time nor do i know why now, my best quess would be too big food but it wasent that big, and it wasent a hemipenal one, I have also got scared to death thinking a peice of leftover poo was a prolaps looked very similar due to color and texture.

Some of your husbandry might help us out so we can help u better,

Some pre vet care,

1.Heep hydrated
2.grab a fecal sample if u can (put in baggie in fridg till visit)


Brandy

[dank7oo]

WOAH i really didnt mean it in a bad way its just the way she said it .."i dont know chameleons well" so i thought id ASK than she said that she has done her homework so i understood
Isnt that the beauty of forums. You never know how someone means what they are saying. To me is looked as though you were trying to demean him for not "doing research". Sorry if I came off a little strong.

Just because u havent seen it dont mean it dont happen
I didnt say it doesnt happen, just that it isnt all that common.

Jason

[roocat71]

I find that people - depending on thier mood - can get pretty "huffy puffy" with each other in these forums. 90% of communication is through phyical movements, eye contact, facial expressions, voice tone, etc. The other 10% is the verbal/whats being said part. So we lose quite a bit of the actual communication just by using words alone. I try not to jump to conlcusions or assume anything.

-roo

[panther_dude]

very good point roo. I do think people really need to calm down around here including myself. Listening to talk radio, they were talking about people on internet chat. I know this isint chat but almost the same thing. They were saying how theyer are no reprocutions to how you can act on the internet. Not talking to people face to face gives you the feeling that you can say anything. Especially things you would not dare say to someone face to face. For instance I ve been told I am very intimidating and people generally dont like messing with me, but when it comes down to one here, you cant see me and I could just be some little punk. So you feel free to say whatever you want no matter how rude it is. But I can almost garuntee face to face half of you wouldnt have said the things you have to me. Not that im a prick or a mean person I just come off that way to people who dont know me. For those that do I can be quite mental and really dont take crap from anyone.
So just keep that in mind, that you might actually meet acouple people on here sometime in your life, whether it be at a herp show or somewhere else.
lol not that im threatening you guys lol

[jalkema]

I wanted to thank everyone for their help and support during this time. The sugar water seemed to ease Charle's pain, but unfortunatly he passed on during the night. My wife and I stayed with him for most of the night and were with him when he died. This has been a hard week for us as we consider all of our animals to be our children. I want Nessy to know that I took no offence to her comment. I was just having a hard night. The pet store we bought Charle at has offered us one of Charle's brothers, but we have not decided what to do. I could never replace Charle, but I do want to try again. Thank you all again for everything.
jalkema

[dank7oo]

Really sorry to hear that :( I know how hard losing one of your pets can be.

Jason

[tHeGiNo]

First off, I would like to clear up the fact that the point of sugar water is that it sometimes helps for the prolapse to reverse itself, not necessarily to ease the pain.

Second, generally a prolapse is the result of dehydration or compaction, so keep that in mind if you plan on getting a new chameleon - it is possible you were not properly hydrating the chameleon, or maybe there was not sufficient temperatures for dehydration.

Third, I have never heard of a lizard dying of a prolapse overnight, so I would possibly consider additional underlying problems. For future reference, if this ever happens again you are to move the chameleon into completely sterile conditions, free of any ornaments, substrate, or anything to that extent. You are to keep the prolapse moist at all times, and apply a saturated solution of water and sugar - you may need to initially warm the water so that the sugar dissolves. Finally, you need to seek a vet as soon as possible - the longer it goes without seeing a vet, the more the chance of an infection.

I am sorry for your loss.

[panther_dude]

man I could cry just hearing about a beloved pet dieing like that.
Well im sure hell enjoy cham heaven. All the raoches and butterflies to be eaten up there. I know how you feel about not really wanting anouther one. Its really hard.

R.I.P Charlie
May your spirit forever be free.

[dank7oo]

Jalkema
I do want to try again

Jason

[panther_dude]

Dank Im sorry but i just dont get your point when you post these copies of other peoples posts. We all read them. And it seems you do it quite often. At least once a post. JUst wondering what your getting at. Is it your way of being a smart bottom?

[dank7oo]

smart bottom
Wade, you always find a way to make me chuckle.

No. It is my way of stating the obvious. People will "read" a post, make comments, and then ask question that are clearly stated in that post. It also helps people in a thread know exactly what your response is referring to.

Jason

[tHeGiNo]

I was wondering that myself, lol. I am curious though, what exactly was the point of posting the quote "I do want to try again"?

[panther_dude]

lol well I try lol

[dank7oo]

The point of that quote was as follows. Wade responded to the post saying how she (?) was really bummed about the chameleon dying, and that she DID want to try again. However, in Wade's post, he said, and I QUOTE :D

I know how you feel about not really wanting anouther one

So basically, she said something, and then Wade (or it could be anyone for that matter) said something totally contradictory about her own opinion and feelings.

Make sense?

Jason