Changes for Kiwi

The stress of moving Kiwi and putting her into a bigger tank has really taken its toll on her. Poor baby has even worse coordination in her back legs than before. I feel so bad that I didn't start off putting her into a short, sick tank in the beginning.

I took her out of the tall Reptibreeze cage and put her into a small one with no climbing branches. This is the same thing I had to do with Newt years ago because his coordination was so bad.

While I was swapping out the cages, I had my girl hold Kiwi. Kiwi is super happy to just sit, curled up in a ball. It's very adorable, but very tragic. 

I added in a tiny bed that Newt used to love for her. She wasn't thrilled with it and tried to climb the mesh instead. At one point, she even reached out flailing with her front arm and latched on to her eyeball instead. It looked just like Newt! So sad! 

I've been chatting with my chameleon expert friends so I can get a better idea of what to do with Kiwi. Until today, she didn't seem that bad. Her legs were a little wobbly yesterday, but I thought she was okay. Today I can see how bad it is. Our guess is that she has poor coordination and mobility due to Metabolic Bone Disease and possibly some nutritional deficiencies. 

She's got a brand new Mercury Vapor bulb on her tank and today I gave her some carnivore Critical Care mixed with Repashy's Calcium Plus powder. I'll keep doing that every day for awhile so we can get her calcium levels back up. I may or may not take her to the vet this week. 

I know people think chameleons are cool, but they are HARD! Especially in Utah where it's so dry. I'm glad this little girl is with me now. I'll work my hardest to get her all better and then she'll go to my friend in California who has Lotus, Akime, and Hazel (the last female cham who I never named). California's climate is much better for chameleons than Utah's is. 

Sweet Newt

I'm so sad to report that Newt, my very beloved first rescued chameleon, died unexpectedly today. 

:( 

His adoptive momma is heartbroken. He was her baby and held a very special place in her heart. He spent the last year with her in a chameleon paradise. There was no one better for him. 

His decline was quick. I suspect his kidneys or other organs were unable to sustain his size (he was almost 200 grams). 

Poor Newtsie. He was loved by many and will be missed so much. 

Newt: Then and Now, a picture view

Newt: Then (March 6, 2015)

Newt: Now (July 2015)

Newt: Then

Newt: Now

Newt's New Big Brother

Maxwell is a 2 year old chameleon who had severe MBD when he was a baby. He looks like a bigger version of Newt!

Newt was a little stressed so his colors were brown instead of being green. 

Newt is Home!!

 He ate and drank. He got his daily calcium. He had a walk-about around the new outdoor pen and flashed his colors at the ladies.

Newt is happy & his new owners adore him! 

Today begins his "Happily Ever After!"

Newt is in LA

He's on his way to his forever home now. :) 

Newt's Travels

We had the most perfect plan for Newt to travel to the chameleon rehab in Southern California. We got it all arranged and set the plan in motion. I got Newt already to go and said goodbye (shed a few tears).

Forty minutes later, I get a call from Rodney, the rehab owner who was flying back to LA with Newt as his companion animal. Southwest Airlines was being difficult and refusing to let him fly-- even with all his certification! I drove back to the airport to pick up a very stressed Newt and was heartbroken to have to leave a very stressed Rodney.

Here's Newt showing how ferocious he can be! ;) It just makes me want to kiss him! He was mad at Southwest too!

Thanks to the amazing help of a chameleon lover and pilot, Newt left SLC and now is in Phoenix. Tomorrow morning the same rock star pilot will fly him to LAX where he will be picked up by Rodney and taken home. :)

He's made it half way there. Traveling as a "carry on" is the only way he's strong enough to go. Normal shipping or a 15 hour car ride would be too stressful and it would do him in.

In his travel crate with his little purple bed. This is what he's most used to because it's how I take him to the vet.

The travel crate is inside a Critter Keeper that is lined with paper and also has a heating pack in it to keep him warm.

The lid goes on the Critter Keeper and the whole crate goes into a black bag for travel. Little Newt sleeps the whole way. :)


























Here's Newt at the airport in Arizona. He's such a good traveler! Tomorrow by this time, he'll be settled into his new digs in So Cal with his new forever family. He'll have an "adopted" brother there, Niblet, who had bad MBD when he was Newt's age. They'll be twiners.

I full expect Newt to have a healthy & happy life. Each day he gets stronger and more coordinated; each day he gets more love and affection. He's a great little chameleon. It's amazing that he's alive.

I have a Newt size whole in my heart and cried into my Chinese salad for lunch. I have no regrets at all. He's going to where he will do best. I'll just miss my little buddy.

More updates to posted soon!

Newt's "Grandpa"

See the similarity? ;)

Newt at the Vet

Newt got his second Calitonin shot today and the vet says he is looking better. He has lost weight even though he is eating on his own. So I'll be force feeding him once a day for a few weeks to get his weight back up. 

When he gets stressed, his little hand starts spazzing and he ends up grabbing his eye. 

When I hold his hand, he calms down. 

But when I needed my finger back, I decided to give him something else to hold. 

Newt is eating on his own!

I came home from vacation to find that Newt's tongue control has improved and he is able to catch worms on his own!! 

Such a good sign! 

Turbo & Newt

My two sickly boys are doing well under my awesome husband's care. :) Next week, Turbo will get his gauze removed and Newt will get another Calcitonin shot to help his bones absorb calcium better. 

A Day for Good News

I've been so worried about Newt who has seemed to not be improving the last few days.

Today he surprised me! I put a temperature probe near him in his cage and he tried to eat it! Wow. 

I was able to get him to eat a cricket and then gave him some Critical Care and calcium syrup. :) The superworms are too fast for him to catch right now so I'll pick up some Phoenix worms today. 

I moved his lights around so he can get warmer if he wants to. I hope to see him start to improve now. 

I've agonized over whether to put him down or not, but my gut feeling didn't feel right. Now I know why. Not counting this guy out!! 

Wouldn't it be a miracle if he was able to pull through? 

Morning Update

Good news and Bad news to report. 

Turbo is doing great and enjoying the morning sun. 

Newt threw up in the middle of the night, which is a super bad sign. :( 

I am now trying to raise the money to pay off the $888 I put on my credit card yesterday for both of these guys' vet visits. Will you please consider making a small donation? Thank you! 

Donations accepted through PayPal with the address: sw_southerlands(at)yahoo(dot)com

Replace (at) with @; replace (dot) with .

Or use the link on the right side of my blog. Thank you!! 

Update on Newt

Newt went to visit my vet today. Poor baby has been very lethargic the past two days. 

Dr Folland believes Newt's not currently strong enough to hold up his own body. His Metabolic Bone Disease is severe. 

They did a blood draw on him to test his blood calcium levels. He did NOT like the blood draw! 

As I held him, every so often Newt would vibrate to remind me he was very unhappy. It was so adorable! 

His calcium levels are normal (thanks to lots of supplements in the last 4 days) and so Newt got an injection of Calcitonin to help encourage his bones to re absorb the calcium. 

Now we just wait. I will continue to force feed him twice a day and take him in the sun daily. I hope he's able to pull through. 

Newt had a hard day too

Newt didn't want to get out of bed this morning. He's been weak and sluggish all day. :( 

Poor lil guy. It didn't occur to me until today that he might not make it. 

We just have to wait and see. The waiting is the hardest. 

Newt, rescue number 83

Today-- even though I said over & over again that I didn't want to ever rescue another chameleon-- I rescued a chameleon.

Yep, I know.

But how could I resist this little guy?

This is Newt. He is a 5-ish month old male veiled chameleon with SEVERE Metabolic Bone Disease. Severe.

Because of rescuing other reptiles with MBD, I have all the supplies I need to treat his MBD: calcium injections, vet-grade calcium syrup, liquid calcium, three types of calcium powder, and an awesome brand-new, never used UVB light.

And awesome weather this weekend for outside time. Sunlight is the BEST MBD treatment ever.

So for now, I'll give him Critical Care every day and extra calcium. He's in a smaller cage to keep him contained so he won't fall or hurt himself. And this weekend will be good weather so I'll take him outside for a half hour every day.

Baby steps forward. I expect him to make a complete recovery.