Blood Smear from a Wild‐Caught Panther Chameleon ( Furcifer pardalis )

Case Presentation A wild-caught male panther chameleon (Furcifer pardalis, previously known as Chamaleo pardalis) import- ed from Madagascar and of unknown age was present- ed to the Avian and Exotic Animal Clinic of Lafayette with a complaint of anorexia. The chameleon's diet con- sisted primarily of crickets, which the owner occasional- ly would dust with calcium supplement. Although phys- ically vigorous, the patient was thin (52 g), exhibited poor coloration (Figure 1A), and had pale oral mucous membranes. Physical examination revealed 4 multifocal, poorly defined small bulges underneath the skin (not shown). Two of the bulges were located behind the left forearm, and the other 2 were located cranial to the right rear limb. As part of the diagnostic workup, heparinized blood samples were collected and used to prepare sev- eral air-dried smears and wet preparations. Most blood smears were stained with a rapid Romanowsky stain (Diff-Quik, Dade Diagnostics, Aguada, Puerto Rico).The remaining blood smears were later stained with an automated Romanowsky stain (Hematek, Bayer Diagnostics, Elkhart, Ind) at the Purdue University Veterinary Clinical Pathology Laboratory (Figure 1B). Other laboratory tests (clinical chemistry, PCV, CBC) were not done because of the limited amount of blood available. (Continued on next page)