Like all pets and like all living things, chameleons are prone to illnesses and
infections. Their health is very important and cannot be ignored. A chameleon
may die if its health and well-being is not properly attended to. A malnourished
or stressed chameleon is most likely to die early.
Visible signs of an
unhealthy chameleon include sunken eyes and body injuries. If you can see worms
under their skin, it is another sign that it is not properly cared for. It is
very important for you to know and understand just what a chameleon needs to
avoid your chameleon getting any illness or disease.
Dehydration is one
of the common problems of chameleons. If you see that your chameleon has sunken
eyes, you can assume that it is dehydrated. To be extra sure of it, you can try
to pull its skin lightly between two fingers and see if it goes back into place.
If it doesn't, then your chameleon is most likely dehydrated.
Obviously
you need to give your chameleon plenty of water when it is dehydrated. The best
way is to shower your chameleon for about an hour. Make sure there is a plant
with it. Run water with room temperature on the plant. This will encourage the
chameleon to lick the water from the plant and help against dehydration. You
should also spray its cage before putting the chameleon back. You can also make
a drip system and put it in the cage. You can make a drip system by simply
making a small hole on the bottom of a container and filling it with
water.
A chameleon is also prone to respiratory infections. It can be due
to a parasite, or because of heavy exposure to the cold. Stress can also give
the chameleon respiratory infections. You can determine if your chameleon
suffers from this by holding the chameleon close to your ear and listening to
it. If you hear it making cracking noises, then there's a big chance that it is
suffering from respiratory infections. You can also see if it opens its mouth to
breathe repeatedly and if there is sticky saliva in its mouth. These are also
symptoms of respiratory infections. To treat this infections, it is important
that you take your chameleon to a veterinarian.
Internal parasitic
infections are common in chameleons that are caught from the wild. You should
assume that a wild caught chameleon may have this, and it is recommended that
you have it checked with a veterinarian to be sure. A chameleon will
require extensive parasite treatment for this.
Nutritional diseases may
also come to your chameleon, especially metabolic bone disease. Check to see if
your chameleon has swollen joints and swollen limbs. Observe if it has trouble
walking or climbing, or if it doesn't walk or climb at all. It may have
metabolic bone disease. Another nutritional disease observed in chameleons is
edema, which is pronounced by swellings in the neck and the throat.
Looking out for and caring for your chameleon is just like caring for
any other pet. It is recommended that you give your chameleon the proper
attention needed for it to have a stress-free and healthy life. You can always
avail the services of a veterinarian if you feel that there's something wrong
with your chameleon. Just remember not to ignore even the smallest sign, for for
a small sign like dry skin or sunken eyes can mean that your chameleon already
has an illness.
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The author of this article is
currently working on Chameleon Care. Feel
free to contact her at keywriterm@gmail.com for any inquiries or
concerns.
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Monday, September 22, 2008 View other articles written by Mary Ann Porsuelo(276)
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