Gout in a Chameleon
Sarge, the Kinyongia multituberculata, has a case of Gout
Sarge is a Kinyongia multituberculata chameleon. This species originally comes from Tanzania, but Sarge is a captive hatched specimen that came to me ten years ago. This is a wonderful species and, if exports ever start again, it would be a prime candidate for a breeding project.
A few days ago i noticed Sarge favoring his left front foot and found a lump there. I made an immediate appointment with the vet to get it checked out. The next day I was with Dr. Tom Greek of Greek and Associates who quickly discovered it to be gout. Gout is a concentration of uric acid around the joints which causes pain. The causes of gout are not clear. Presumably, it has to do with nutrition, but it is also a common occurrence in chameleon old age. At ten years old, Sarge is at the upper end for small chameleons.
The ball of uric acid on his foot was lanced and emptied. He has been put on allopurinol which will help keep the gout in check. It is unknown why a ball of uric acid would form on only on one foot. But it is likely there is uric acid on all the feet. The Allopurinol will be a daily habit to help keep him comfortable into his old age.
Sarge getting weighed during his vet visit
Dr. Greek examining Srge
After the extraction of th uric acid, Sarge’s skin showed the dark signs of distress. But these faded before the end of the day.
