Female veiled chameleon eye swollen

Tmill17

New Member
I am new here but have been lurking for a while and i've came across a problem that i couldn't find the answer too.

Current Problem. Her eye left eye is swollen. It appears that there is a bulb up of some liquid. The swelling started about 2 weeks ago. Ben giving prescribed medication from vet for 1 week. She can still open her eyes fine. Every now and then I see her scratching the swelling. Her energy levels have not changed since the swelling.

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Female Veiled Chameleon, 1 year 8 months old. I've owned it its whole life minus a month or so.
Handling - I rarely handle her just because she doesn't like it.
Feeding - Crickets every other day approx. 15. Mealworm 2 times a week, Approx 6. Gutloading the crickets with carrots.
Supplements - Dusting crickets every other feeding with repti-cal calcium with vitamin d3
Watering - Dripping water from above her cage for drinking, mist a couple time a day. I do see her drinking but rarely with i am around.
Fecal Description - Dark brown with the yellowish white other stuff. Not sure what it is called.
History - She has been eating crickets less over time. Maybe because she is older? but when i put a bowl of meal worms she eats those. I know she likes those better. She is active, climbing all around her cage. I made a trip to the vet last week and she said that it was probably an infection so she gave me some antibiotics that i have been giving orally. The swelling has not gone up but I can't tell if it's gone down any, maybe a little bit.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen cage. 18x18x36
Lighting - incandescent bulbs, 2 60w. One at the top of her cage and one at the side. Also a Exo-terra 5.0 UVB bulb on top of her cage. Lights are on 12 hours and off 12 hours.
Temperature - Basking Temp- 80, Floor Temp- 70 (room temp), night temp- 55-60. Temps measured with thermometer in cage
Humidity - No sure about humidity levels. I spay a couple times a day.
Plants - I have one schefflera and one hanging pothos
Placement - Cage is in my room. I has good air circulation. cage is placed on a table in my room.
Location - I live in minnesota.

Any advise is appreciated. Please let me know what you're thinking.


Some pictures. Let me know if it would help with better pics.
Before giving medication.
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DSC_0858.jpg

Taken today. 10 days after medication. Still giving it to her.
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I would take her to a vet that knows chameleons to find out exactly what's going on. What kind of meds do you have? I see a few things that's I'd correct in your husbandry but not sure that it would cause the eye problems. The feeders need to be "lightly" dusted with 4 kinds of supplements. Plain calcium (no d3) at just about every feeding, calcium with d3 twice a month, a multi. vit. once a month and reptivite without d3 once a month.
 
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I recommend fewer mealworms, and giving more variety to her diet than just crickets and mealworms.
Read this blog entry for more info: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
I recommend you start gutloading properly.
Read this blog entry for more info: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/75-feeder-nutrition-gutloading.html
I recommend you reconsider your supplementing routing.
Read this blog entry for more info: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html

What medicine did the vet prescribe? What testing was done, what is the dianosis? Is the medicine for an infection?
 
She may have a blocked nasolacrimal duct (passage to allow fluid from eyes to drain out the nose - it's why your nose runs so much when you cry) that is causing fluid buildup and needs to be flushed. The fluid may be infected now but the antibiotics may not be able to get to it well due to where it's located so a flush may still be needed. You need a competent reptile vet to assess this problem.
 
Thanks for the quick replies! A clogged nasal duct does make sense. I will contact a reptile specialized vet monday. I think they just gave me some general meds because they weren't sure of the exact problem. I will change the supplements and what are in her meals.

How would a vet go about clearing the nasal duct?
 
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