Another Case of Chameleon Death Due To Unprofessional Veterinary Care
Think twice before going VET
Veterinary medicine is a complex, interdiciplinary science, which to study takes many many long years and the profession requires a dedication to lifetime proffessional training and growth, driven by science and valid practice…
Ethically, it is regullated by the Hippocrates Oath which promotes the best practice and lifetime learning and absconds from anything bad.
If it comes to the studies, only a litle fragment is dedicated to the "exotic animals", which include reptiles, with few hours of learning, often treated extremely marginally.
Chameleons with all their specifics, are out of scope in most if not all syllabuses.
The result of this whole situation is disastrous.
The VETs are usually incompetent to deal with chameleon related issues. They charge nonsensous sums for analyses and treatments which have NO sense or are absolutely erroneous.
Few months ago, a well known clinic in the US was showing a surgery done on a hemipenis of a poor chameleon, where the educating ignorant VET clearly demonstrated he has no clue at all. Instead removing a hemipeneal plug in 3 seconds, he tyranized the poor chameleon for tenths of minutes leaving the bemipenis not even amputated but teared in pieces with half of the plug still inside, charging hundreds of dollars for the surgery and leaving the otherwise healthy chameleon to die after three days in pain. Nonresponse from that clinic was received when writing fir explanation.
Another case few days ago from Czechia, where a totally healthy large male panther chameleon was consulted for a two days hunger strike. The VET even did not know how to hold the chameleon and in the seek of bloodwork sample she totally destroyed the subcaudal vessels and milked all the blood outnof the poor chameleon, which died in few hours with vessels sithout blood - fir nothing.
And, I could continue with the horror stories of mutillated and killed chameleons, just for filthy greed of charging high bills for nothing…
Terrible.
What to do?
1. Find a specialist group where biologists or educated veterinary doctors are in the admin teams.
2. In case of any health issues, consult with competent admins first. Lots of disorders can be solved without a VET intervention. The boundary management if our groups will clearly separate a VET issue from an otherwise to be solved one.
3. For complex troubles to be solved, a competent VET service is to be found, admins can usually recommend, if there is an authority in the area in question.
In problems, do not panic.
Seek help here.
Only then, go VET.