Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have got a sick panther. I took him to a vet and she took a culture and found some sicknesses that she said would be cleared up by some antibiotics. I have finished the dose of antibiotics and he is still off. He is very slow moving, pretty weak and very lethargic. He is now starting to become a darker color, i dont know if it is winter coming around or if something else is wrong. does anyone have any advise?

You said..."and found some sicknesses that she said would be cleared up by some antibiotics"...what was the sickness? The antibiotic?

Does he have a UVB light or get exposure to direct sunlight (that does not pass through glass or plastic)? What brand and type (long tube or spiral/compact)of UVB light are you using?

What is the temperature in the basking area?

How do you provide water him?

What supplements do you use and how often for each? What do you feed the insects?

Is he pooping? Eating? Drinking?

Do you have a substrate in the cage?

I Dont know about the specific sickness or antibiotic, the vet just took a culture and found three things in his mouth. So she perscribed something that would cover all three. He has definatly got good uva and uvb, i have a zoomed powersun uv. I also take him outside all the time, probably 5-10 hours a week. The cage gradients from 70 on the bottom up to 95 on the top with a lot of basking areas in between, depending on the time of day/temp of day etc he will hang out in different spots. I water him by spraying the whole cage down one or twice a day with a spray bottle. I feed him 5-10 large crickets a day with calcium powder and vitamin powder every 2-3 days. I also give him kingworms and waxworms as treats now and then. He eats drinks and poops, He used to have some plants in the cage with standard potting soil but I took all of it in case they had anything growing on them.

You said...there were "three things in his mouth"...did she clean out the infected areas or just take a sample for a culture?

Is the UVB a long linear bulb?? Does the power sun produce UVB?

What the vet found and what she prescribed are important for you to know. Baytril is a commonly prescribed antibiotic because it is a broad spectrum drug, but it is hard on chams and can cause liver and kidney damage if the dosage isn't just right. Some individual chams react quite badly to Baytril if they aren't carefully hydrated during treatment (lots and lots of extra water to keep the kidneys flushed). Your cham is most likely reacting to the meds, showing extreme stress (the dark color). Keep it very hydrated, cage slightly warmer and humid, don't worry about feeding right now, and hope he gets over it.

Thanks carlton. His appetite is actually pretty healthy right now though which is a load off my mind.

That is a good sign! If his mouth infection was still bad he would not be eating. Watch him carefully to make sure he is drinking and eating normally. Now that the meds are done hopefully he'll be back to his normal self. Be aware that gum and mouth infections can be difficult to get rid of, so keep an eye on his lips, gums, and any swelling at the corners of his mouth. I've read that giving your feeder insects a bit more citrus to raise the level of vitamin C can help.