Reptile & Amphibian Forums

july 18th i noticed he was looken lil unhealthy and wasnt eating as much as normal or any thing at all, other than the lil millworm i saw him eat. Today the 19th i noticed he hasnt touched his crickets or millworms. When i would spray his cage he normaly hates it and trys to take cover. Now he sits there and closes his eyes and opens up for a drink. his eyes are looken sunk in a lil, noticed a missing nail, and closes his eyes from time to time. Also when he was healthy he didnt care for me to handle him. but now he dont give 2 [bleep]s that he is on my hand or on his branches. Any 1 got tips for me before i have to go spend hundred some bucks at a vet for them to give me a seringe of baby food and say good luck?

There may be an infection going on. Is the toe with the missing nail swollen? If it is there may be an infection that has spread to become systemic rather than just the toe. If he is sitting with eyes closed during the day he is sick and you may need a vet to check him. If his eyes are sunken that can be a sign of dehydration, but there are others. Take a fold of skin from along his belly between your fingers gently. Release it. If the skin stays folded for a few moments it means he is dehydrated. The skin should flatten back out right when you release it. When he gapes is there any sticky saliva along his lips or gums? Is he sitting with his head tipped straight up? Gulping and puffing out his throat over and over and breathing heavily? Could be an upper respiratory infection.

Chameleons need to be stimulated to drink in captivity by simulating rainfall, the stimuli in nature. If this chameleon has been "running for cover" when you spray drinking water and you have not used any other method to encourage drinking, it is likely it is now suffering from kidney failure from chronic dehydration. Based on an earlier post of yours, I would suspect an imbalanced and/or deficient diet is also contributing to the poor health status of this chameleon.

Most chameleons respond to being sprayed gently, but heavily with very warm water (it will cool a bit as it passes through the air) that falls on them like rain until they relax, close their eyes and begin lapping motions. At that point the drip system can be positioned so that it drips onto the chameleon's head and runs into the mouth. The chameleon will usually drink deeply for around a minute, but sometimes longer. The flow rate from the drip system should be rapid, approximately 30-40 drops per minute, and the water warm. This procedure must be performed daily. If this method does not work, then the caretaker must find another method that stimulates a drinking response so that the chameleon is OBSERVED drinking a significant amount of water at least every 2 to 3 days. If this does not occur it is likely that kidney failure will be the eventual cause of death. This is the unfortunate fate of more than half of all captive chameleons.

Some of the symptoms associated with kidney failure are anorexia (not eating), lethargy, sunken or closed eyes, and a weak grip, all of which your chameleon is now displaying. If this chameleon has not been ingesting a sufficient quantity of water as described above, then it is likely that this is the primary disease. Kidney failure is always fatal, but the chameleon suffers as the disease progresses from the gradual build-up of uric acid in it's blood that can form painful needle-like deposits in the joints. The chameleon may suffer for several weeks before it finally expires from the combined effects of kidney failure, starvation, and dehydration. A veterinarian can humanely euthanize your chameleon to end it's suffering, and all vets should know how to perform this procedure. If the vet you see needs a consultation, have him or her contact the Association of Reptilian and Amphibian veterinarians at www.arav.org.