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Male Mellers took a sudden turn for the worse

booradley Jan 17, 2004 09:37 PM

My male Mellers has taken ill very quickly. He is showing very dull coloration with some red barring. His eyes seem to be sunk in a bit and hes very lethargic. These symptoms have only shown up recently today. Prior to this he was "normal" coloration, eating, and active. Is dehydration a possibility with the sunken eyes? Possibly stress from seeing a female? My pair are together and have never had a problem. No stress colorations and no aggressive behavior. She is still as healthy as can be and is displaying bright greens and yellows. Any thoughts? He did drink when I sprayed him directly on the mouth once or twice. He then became aggravated by this and I stopped immediately. Thank you for your thoughts/info.

Bill
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0.1 Red Tegu
0.0.1 Savannnah Monitor
0.0.1 Nile Monitor
0.1 Mali Uromastyx
1.1 Leopard Gex
1.0 Veiled Chameleon
1.1.? Red-tail Boas (babies on the way!!)
0.1.3 Oscellated Skinks
1.1 Mellers Chameleon (eggs possibly on the way!)
0.0.1 Sulcatta
1.0 Chinchilla
0.1 Great Dane / Pitbull

Replies (3)

Stevie16 Jan 17, 2004 10:04 PM

I would put him the shower for a bit on a ficus just to make sure he's not dehydrated. I would also seperate him from the female to let him have his own space for a while and to make sure she doesn't get sick as well. Try putting him out in some natural sunlight it can do a world of good (it did for mine).
I hope he gets better soon.

booradley Jan 17, 2004 10:08 PM

Thanks for the info. I'll try the shower thing and he'll be separated shortly.

Bill

Carlton Jan 20, 2004 01:46 PM

Sunken eyes are a sign of physical stress not just social stress. When a cham is ill their eyes often get sunken even if not dehydrated. I agree...seperate him to get rid of any bullying the female might be doing (just by being present or hogging the best spots), showering, and paying really close attention to weight, eating habits and other behavior. Get him outside in full sun if at all possible. I've even put mine out in cold weather in a birdcage with a towel blocking wind up against the sunny side of my house for an hour. Wouldn't hurt to take a fresh fecal to a vet or have a blood sample drawn to look for deficiencies, kidney function, or signs of infection. Melleri hide signs of illness so well (even for a cham) he has probably been working on a problem for a while.

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