Ok those of you that know me, know I have lot's of herptiles and all of the are beautiful and gorgeous examples of their species...that is except for one....Chuck. He is a Panther Chameleon that I acquired from a lady a few months ago. She was about to have her first baby any day and just couldn't care for him any more. She also doesn't work for a vet office that has a reptile vet, nor have the herpitle experience like I do.

At first I was kind of reluctant to take him. She found out about me through a mutual friend of ours. I only knew, through texting this friend, that he was a Panther Chameleon, about 3 yrs old and had a "skin issue". Healthy chameleons need special care to keep them happy and healthy as it is and this guy all ready had an issue. My better judgment kept telling me to say "No". But something in the back of my mind kept gnawing at me and I told her I would take him. Even after talking with the owner red flags kept going up but again something in my heart told me other wise. I am far from someone that will "impulsively" take or buy any animal. I can't even begin to tell you how many herptiles (most large species like Iguanas and larger snakes) I turn down every month. It not that I wouldn't love to help the animal and give it a good home but I just don't have the space to house herptiles that require a lot of care and space. Especially since I all ready have a large collection, I am very reluctant to take in an animal that has a health issue. My biggest concern is if they can pass what they have on to the rest of my animals. However now that my husband and I have our own house I could easily keep Chuck in a different part of the house...away from the other herptiles. So I said "yes".

We worked out a night for the owner to drop him off. He came with an enclosure that they made (out of wood and screening) that is 5ft long x 4 ft tall x 2 ft wide. More then enough space for this guy. They had it furnished with many secure branches and two tall potted plants. He also had two heat lamps and a UV along with a home-made drip container. So they had at least given him the proper environment.

After we set him up and then she opened the shoe box she had brought him in. Instantly I fell in love with this "lumpy" guy. Panthers are called Panthers b/c they can have a real attitude. But this guy was as sweet as a kitten. She told me she had gotten him as a baby from a breeder and she constantly held him. In doing so he got very tame and even seemed to like being handled.

I asked her what she had been feeding him these yrs she had him and all they gave him was crickets! Any herptile should get as much of a variety as possible. Panthers can and will eat meal worms, wax worms and even the occasional pinky mouse. But this guy didn't have a clue what a meal worm was. It took me about a day but he finally took his first meal worm from my hand. I also have to mention that one of these large "growths" on him was on his chest and it was the size of a large grape. He walked hunched over and very slowly but he ate like crazy and had normal bowel movements. Aside from how he looked he acted like a normal chameleon.

With in a week of getting him I took him to my vet for his check-up. I all ready knew he would have to have the large chest growth removed. We set up his surgery date (two weeks later). I had to work that day and I can't tell you how much of a wreck I was! It's dangerous enough for a healthy reptile to go under anesthesia but he had this really bad problem. As soon as he was done the vet came out, still in surgery scrubs, and told me everything went very well. Think back on it now still brings tears to my eyes. I went and checked on him and he was all ready up and moving around. He was finally able to stretch out to his full length and seemed much more alert and happy.

I didn't feed him that night but the following day he ate like crazy and was almost running around his enclosure. I realized then how much pain and uncomfortable his must have been with that horrid thing on his chest. I am in no means wanting anyone to be mad at his previous owners...they really didn't have the means or $$$ to care for him like I do. But it is going to be time once again for him to have another surgery to clean up his bad eye and the other larger growths. Even with all of the testing we (the vet and I) have done on these growths we still don't really know what is causing them. We are leaning towards a virus of some type tho he all ready came back negative for herpes and papilloma. I know he is living on borrowed time but if I have to give my right kidney to make the rest of his days as comfortable as possible I will!

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