Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My 10mo old female Jacksons stopped eating crix five days ago. She would still go for waxworms, but I could tell something was wrong. Her appetite has declined dramatically and today she would not even drink as normal. Her coordination is slowly declining and she is having trouble holding herself upright on the vines. I am waiting on some stools so that I can get her to the vet and have a fecal exam. Her breathing is normal and is not labored. I fed her a wild caught slug and some pill bugs last weekend, and that is the only thing I can possibly trace her behavior back to. Any ideas as to what her condition may be due to?

Your chameleon could have a number of things, gastrointestinal blockage being one (from the slug, pillbugs, whatever) and the longer she goes without water the more dehydrated she becomes, therefore exacerbating the blockage. Time is critical in those cases because it isn't long before the affected gastrointestinal tract begins to deteriorate and die. It is a delicate system. That is just one possibility, however. A loss of coordination or grip could be generalized weakness from lack of food consumption (for whatever reason), metabolic bone disease, dystocia; the list is endless. My advice is to stop waiting for a fecal sample and take your cham to the vet *now*, as in today. If no food is going into the cham, no poop is going to come out. You are a bit beyond internal parasites at this point. A chameleon can go a few days without food ingestion but no cham will last long without water. In a sick chameleon, hydration is especially vital, so get to your vet pronto.

~Kerry

If you want us to be able to offer any suggestions or advice, you need to give us complete details about her setup, too.