Take good care of your chameleon to limit visits to the vet. The medical costs of a chameleon can be quite expensive. Common illnesses. Chameleons can get sick. One of the most common conditions that affect chameleons is rachitis (a metabolic bone disease). This condition causes the demineralization of bones. Metabolic bone disease produces bent limbs and trembling. You may notice that your chameleon misses when attempting to grab branches. The condition also causes “rubber jaw,” where a chameleon’s jaw becomes so soft that it can bend as easily as rubber. Rachitis is caused by:
calcium deficiency
vitamin d3 deficiency
congenital diseases
spreading disease.
I hope you found this list useful in identifying your chameleon’s current health problems or learning about how to spot future problems. Chameleons suffer from many ailments are they’re difficult to spot. This list is by no means exhaustive, but these are the most common diseases and health issues they suffer from. You may have noticed a common thread running through this list about ways to prevent illness, and that is correct husbandry. That’s not to say it will prevent all illnesses, animals get sick it’s just a part of life, but incorrect husbandry is a big cause of illness in chameleons in captivity.
Kidney Failure and Gout
Kidney failure is a common cause of death in pet chameleons, often caused by long-term dehydration or by certain veterinarian-prescribed antibiotics. Kidney failure can cause gout, resulting in painful swelling of leg joints. The low-level dehydration that can cause kidney disease and other maladies can be easy to miss.
Appropriate enclosure humidity (between 50 and 75 percent) and an effective water drip system should keep your chameleon appropriately hydrated.
Like most chameleons, panther chameleons can be affected by common problems like stress , eye infections, parasites, kidney failure , and gout. Metabolic bone disease (mbd) is another common health problem that affects panther chameleons. Symptoms include: bow leggedness difficulty grasping onto branches or walking a crooked back or jaw mbd can be caused by improper diet, poor lighting, or a lack of uvb light. Sometimes, salt crystals may form on their nostrils. Dystocia , or difficult birth, is another health problem that affects female panther chameleons. The cause of this may be parasites. Dystocia can occur in live-bearing, which occurs when the female carries the egg in her body until it hatches.
It’s often very hard to tell the difference between a sick chameleon and a dying chameleon. Even seasoned chameleon owners can find it quite difficult to make this distinction. One main reason it’s so challenging is that a chameleon usually doesn’t show signs of illness until it is already very sick or even dying. In the wild, a sick chameleon is practically a free meal to a predator, so it is a matter of survival to keep an illness hidden for as long as possible. Even though your pet chameleon doesn’t have to worry about predators, it still has the instinct to hide its pain or any health issues.
Chameleons are masters of disguise, especially when it comes to their well-being. Evolutionarily, chameleons have become adept at hiding possible sicknesses from predators, making it difficult for pet owners to identify warning signs of various maladies. Consequently, understanding possible sources of infections and how they manifest is critical for chameleon owners. It is important to note that while this article is going to focus on bacterial infections, there are several other diseases (ranging from dehydration to chameleon metabolic bone disease) that are common and necessitate immediate interventions. Visiting a veterinarian if you suspect your chameleon is sick is always recommended.