Posted by:
jovcham
at Sat May 29 16:43:04 2004 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by jovcham ]
a few weeks ago I purchased a beautiful WC ambilobe chameleon, He was alittle skinny at only 160 grams, He ate like a champ and drank like crazy. When I bought him I was told of a few subqtainus nematodes(sp?) or worms under his skin. the seller told me they were dead and would not hurt him.
Early this week he stopped eating and I figured it it was just him being moody, knowing chameleons should be able to survive several weeks without food. well he looked fine and drank water until thursday, thursday I went outside and he was skin and bones, his eyes had sunk in overnight and he slept all day! I tried to feed him some repti aide but he threw it back up along with a bunch of long worms some over an inch long. I saved the worms and made a vet visit the next day for him. After he expelled the worms he started drinking and I hoped he was going to get better. the next morning he still drank but looked awful, I talked to the vet and decided the best thing to do was to put him to sleep even though he was my absolute favorite chameleon I did not want him to suffer over the weekend.
The vet told me after he was put to sleep, he cut out one of the worms under his skin and it was very much alive. He informed me that the only way to get rid of the worms is to cut them out. Even when the ones are cut out there are usually baby ones still in the skin not visible yet, and eventually they will grow up and breed, sooner or later they will cause liver failure. I tried to do some research on these worms when I first got him but found very little information so I'm hoping my experience will help someone in the future.
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From Sunny Florida
Jovana's kids listed below
1.0 Veiled
1.1 Ambanja Panther
1.1 Tamatave Panther
0.1 Ambilobe Panther
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 Sad vet visit (long) learning experience - jovcham, Sat May 29 16:43:04 2004
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