My chameleon has a growth near its tail. What's wrong and how to help?

Thanks for reaching out about the chameleon and including pictures. The first photo with the swayed back is very suspect of MBD/calcium deficiency. Diet and husbandry need to be review and correct, and a veterinary visit should be scheduled ASAP. Typically concerns are poor calcium in the diet, lac of UV light, poor temperature, etc. This is an emergency. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Rango and including photos. He looks very thin. Kidney disease is very common in middle-aged and older chameleons. Calcium and vitamin A deficiencies are often associated with tongue problems. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Continue to try to provide lots of fluids, orally or misting to stimulate drinking. Good lukc.

Thanks for reaching out about Pascal and including photos. He does appear thin as ribs are evident but also spine and cask on head. A veterinary visit is recommended for multiple reasons: (1) Determine cause of loss of body condition which could be intestinal parasites or infection, metabolic disorders and others; (2) Review husbandry and diet as optimal temperature, humidity and nutrition is needed for health. Good luck.

It is not easy unfortunately to determine it from the pictures you attached. A physical examination and possibly an x ray would be required to establish a definitive diagnosis. If light parameters and feed are appropriate, it is unlikely to be MBD.

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Survey the area around the cage for any negative stimuli. This may include loud noises, strong vibrations, strong drafts or high traffic. Reduce or eliminate any if found. Confirm proper temperature. If it is too hot up high, he will move to cooler temps. Be sure to gut load prey for 24 hours prior to offering to maximize nutritional value. Dust with a calcium supplement as well as a multivitamin regularly. If the behavior persists, consider an exam with your vet or a vet experienced in treating reptiles to diagnose and treat illness or injury. You can review chameleon care a the link below. http://www.reptilesmagazine.com/Care-Sheets/Lizards/Panther-Chameleon/

This sounds like metabolic bone disease. Very common symptom for this is loss of use of the back legs due to calcium deficiency. I doubt it has anything to do with him climbing around on you other than that activity used up the available calcium he had in his body. Are you sure your husbandry is 100% correct? Diet, lighting, temperature, supplements, etc. This is almost always due to improper husbandry. I suggest you review all of your husbandry and get him to a reptile vet for treatment. ( https://mypetchameleon.com/diseases/metabolic-bone-disease/ ) ( https://www.pahvets.com/exotic-animal-vet-albuquerque/ )