This question is primarily to anyone who has dealt with the problem before. Reason being that I believe the problem to be grave enough that I would rather have advice from someone with real experience in the matter than someone who has only read common information on the subject. Thank you, but feel free to share any information you might have, this is a fairly friendly forum and I appreciate the help. Support from you, many of whom I can almost consider friends rather than acquaintances, is very welcomed.
I like to think that I rescued this chameleon from a near by pet store, but seeing as its condition is not up to par it is hard for me to say that, though I am quite sure had it stayed as it was it would have been dead long ago. It is unsexed, but for the purpose of the discussion I will call it a he, or as it is for obvious reasons, known as, 'Godzilla'. Godzilla was discovered in a neighbouring cities pet store on October 8th. He was a Wild Caught Millers Chameleon who had arrived in a shipment with 5 others from Tanzania. 4 were bought the night they arrived, October 5th. I assume they were all in better condition than the two that had been left there. The two remaining were in an 18"x18"x18" glass tank. On the bottom, half was covered with thick chunks of wood chips and splinters, with much glass still reliving. A single 3" thick tree branch had been braced in to fit from on bottom corner to the adjacent top corner. Several adult crickets where scurrying around the bottom, between the legs of both chameleons. They were each approximately 14 inches long from nose to tail tip. One had its back ridges ripped. Black blotches had formed at the top, and the nasal horn had been broken off from the chameleon 'skating' on the glass with its nose in a corner. The other, (soon to be mine) was in better condition, with nice spinal ridges and horn. Although both were dehydrated, semi-sunken eyes, thin limbs and had a concaved body where the back dipped in at the spine and rose to the ridge in an inward dip, similar to a quarter pipe.
The next day, October 9th, a friend and I drove back to the neighbouring city on a quest to get each of those chameleons. I had set up new enclosures for the trio of Maroantsetra Panther Chameleons, and left the giant enclosures ready for the arrival of new 'patients'. After trying to bargain the price down, I left with only one Mellers, at full price. I chose the better off of the two. Once he arrived home, he appeared much happier with vibrant greens and yellows, almost glowing. I set him, Godzilla on the cage floor where he licked up water (With Electrolytes and D3 supplement) from which I was hand spraying from a bottle onto a rock. This went on for 10 minutes, with me having to refill the bottle several times. Eventually Godzilla caught on, and actually put hit mouth over the end of the spray nozzle allowing me to squirt into his mouth. After misting the cage down. Over the next two weeks he ate only crickets and refused any worms. The cage was very thoroughly misted down 3 or more times a day and a humidifier was set up a few meters away. The basking spot was corrected to have the according temperature and several more pathos and 3 shefflera plants were added into the enclosure. Plenty of UVB is present, both new 5.0 and 2.0 bulbs as well as a plant light producing extra UVA. Gaining weight, eating from hands, and showing more vibrant colours Godzilla seemed to be getting healthier.
Some day in early November I noticed that he had stopped eating, rarely snapping up the crickets available or offered and rarely drinking. The day after, sunken eyes began to be apparent. I scheduled an appointment for him the next day with a local reptile specialist veterinarian. Godzilla had a treatment for any possible parasites and was given a force fed food and liquid supplement. I was left with pockets empty and instructions to use syringes to force feed chicken baby food to nurse him back to health and to hydrate. The vet explained that she felt his body was full of air and was lighter than he appeared to be for his size. I have twice a day given him the chicken broth (more liquid, without chunks) baby food with the help of my father, who has also become dedicated to helping in my efforts. He seems to poor once every 12 hours to once a day. A large black bead, slightly larger than he had when he was eating crickets, with smaller blobs of white urinate.
So it has since been about 2 weeks, and although his body seems a good size. I started to add drops of Electrolyte and D3 Vitamins into the food, along with calcium power and vitamin supplements. The eyes are somewhat better, but they by no means look in full health. The vet is calling every so often to have an x-ray done and blood work, not that I cannot or will not pay this, I feel that there is a good chance they are more interested in the money than the health of the chameleon. What can I do, other than supplementing, misting thoroughly, offering all feeder types and showering?
Thank you for reading.
Another thought. Although it seems difficult to whether he will stabilise, what chance does he have of continuing to grow if health improves? At 14" this is far from Adult Melleri size.
-----
1.1 Bearded Dragons
1.2 Maroantsetra Panther Chameleons
2.0 Long Tailed Grass Lizards
0.0.1 Giant Mellers Chameleon
0.0.2 Rhampholeon Brevicaudatus Chameleons
500 Escaped Crickets
