Help!

brighteyez · Jun 10, 2009

Ekk! Something is wrong with Wilson's Right eye!!!

I posted the other day because I noticed he was closing it a lot, and Jim from Chameleon Company got back to me saying it sounded like a vit A definency. That was 2 days ago, and I tried feeding him bugs with some vit A oil on them, but so far, he won't eat anything. In fact, I haven't seen him eat in the past 2 days at all. Just now I went to look at him and the skin around his eye looks like it is peeling. It's white and flaky, kind of how it would look after a sun burn. It looks slightly sunken as well, even though his left eye looks just fine. He's never shed before. Is he just shedding??? Is it normal to just shed in one place??? He keeps scratching at it too.

What should I do? I'm looking for a vet to take him to, but I'm having trouble finding one. Does anyone in NC have any good recommendations for a vet I can call???

Sorry I can't post a pic right now, don't have a camera, but I'm trying to find one and will post a pic when I can.

Here's the link to the last post with all the cage info, etc.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/right-eye-25971/

GooglezNvincent · Jun 10, 2009

brighteyez said:
Ekk! Something is wrong with Wilson's Right eye!!!

I posted the other day because I noticed he was closing it a lot, and Jim from Chameleon Company got back to me saying it sounded like a vit A definency. That was 2 days ago, and I tried feeding him bugs with some vit A oil on them, but so far, he won't eat anything. In fact, I haven't seen him eat in the past 2 days at all. Just now I went to look at him and the skin around his eye looks like it is peeling. It's white and flaky, kind of how it would look after a sun burn. It looks slightly sunken as well, even though his left eye looks just fine. He's never shed before. Is he just shedding??? Is it normal to just shed in one place??? He keeps scratching at it too.

What should I do? I'm looking for a vet to take him to, but I'm having trouble finding one. Does anyone in NC have any good recommendations for a vet I can call???

Sorry I can't post a pic right now, don't have a camera, but I'm trying to find one and will post a pic when I can.

Here's the link to the last post with all the cage info, etc.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/right-eye-25971/

Dont know too much on this, but DFINATELY be careful with vitamin A it is extremely easy to overdose your chamd with vitamin A which can kill it.

brighteyez · Jun 10, 2009

I will be very careful, thank you!

Can anyone please give me some sort of response, I'm really scared.

I don't really know anything about shedding. I've had him about two months and he has never shed before. How often should a young jackson shed?? Should I be misting him more to help him along?? I normally don't mist him directly, because he doesn't seem to like it, so I normally mist around him. Should I have been misting him directly???

Jakedn · Jun 10, 2009

Why did you make a second thread for the same thing? And maybe if it's something in the eye maybe take him in the bathroom and take a hot shower and keep him near the steam but not in the water

Maybe that could work but I don't really know

sandrachameleon · Jun 10, 2009

Have a look at some pictures of chameleons shedding, see if it looks similar to what you're seeing with your chameleon. Its not unheard of for just the eye turrets to peel. But they dont usually keep their eyes closed due to shedding.
What kind of UVB light do you use?

Chameleons Northwest · Jun 10, 2009

We have had chams whose shed began with the eyes first. Even before shedding was evident at all on the body. And sometimes the inner edge of the lid will shed and irritate the eyeball and the cham will blink a lot or keep the eye closed a bit. Also the eye can look shriveled at this point. Normally it only lasts a day or 2. We have also had chams that stopped eating right before and during a shed. Like Sandrachameleon said, check photos and see if your cham looks similar. And answer her question about your lighting. There is a type of light that petstores often recommend that can actually cause blindness and death in chameleons. It does usually begin with them closing their eyes.

Did you post a photo of his eye anywhere on the forum?

Eric Adrignola · Jun 10, 2009

most vitamin A problems I've seen start with the eye closing due to it swelling. Closed eye with that description sounds similar to what happenes when exposed to high amounts of UVB radiation. If you're using a coil UVB bulb, or a 10.0 bulb too close tot he animal, that might be the cause.

just read the other post. I would think a vitamin A problem to be likely, considering he has none in his diet. Personally, I avoid the vitamin A oil. It's really strong, and easily overdosed. I have had good luck with reptivite or fluker's multivitamin. Both have preformed vitamin A. I use it once or twice a month.

IF your chameleon has NO preformed vitamin A in his diet, it would be safe to give him some preformed A in a powdered form. IF he is getting some in his gutload (check it), then it might be a different story.

brighteyez · Jun 11, 2009

Ok, so much to my relief, it appears to be shedding. I've been misting him tons, and most of the dead skin on his eye is off, and now I can see other spots on his body starting to shed.

But, his right eye is still closed.....so maybe there is a little bit of vit A definency going on as well??? I haven't given him any more bugs with vit A oil on them, and so far today, he's only eaten one super worm. I feed my insects carrots, isn't that vit A?? Is there any specific gutload that I should be using to give him vit A?

sandrachameleon · Jun 11, 2009

Some people believe that chameleons can't convert beta carotene (pro-vitamin A as is in carrots) into vitamin A. So they provide a controlled amount of preformed vitamin A, either by including in the insect gutload or by smearing a tiny amount on an insect or a diluted oral liquid.

Overdose is a potential concern with pre-formed vitamin A (though not with beta carotene), especially with a small chameleon, so please use caution if adding preformed vitamin A to your chameleons diet.

You might find the information collected in this blog entry of interest:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
and in particular:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/food-thought-12472l
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/seriously-worried-22697/index3.html#post199819
https://www.chameleonforums.com/carrots-vit-23572/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/chameleons-eye-doesnt-want-21534/
hope this helps

If in doubt, consult a vet

brighteyez · Jun 12, 2009

sandrachameleon said:
Some people believe that chameleons can't convert beta carotene (pro-vitamin A as is in carrots) into vitamin A. So they provide a controlled amount of preformed vitamin A, either by including in the insect gutload or by smearing a tiny amount on an insect or a diluted oral liquid.

Overdose is a potential concern with pre-formed vitamin A (though not with beta carotene), especially with a small chameleon, so please use caution if adding preformed vitamin A to your chameleons diet.

You might find the information collected in this blog entry of interest:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/65-supplements.html
and in particular:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/food-thought-12472l
http://web.archive.org/web/20060502...rnals.com/vet/index.php?show=5.Vitamin.A.html
https://www.chameleonforums.com/seriously-worried-22697/index3.html#post199819
https://www.chameleonforums.com/carrots-vit-23572/
https://www.chameleonforums.com/chameleons-eye-doesnt-want-21534/
hope this helps

If in doubt, consult a vet

HMMMM......first off, that was really good info. Thanks!
I'm a little confused though, because I gut load all my bugs with carrots and collard greens and sweet potatos, which are supposed to be high in vit A. And, I dust a few insects with a multivitamin once a week, so how can he still be low on vit A?
Am I missing something??

brighteyez · Jun 12, 2009

QUESTION: Poop, what's healthy cham poo supposed to be like? Wilson's is usually a bit wet. Is that normal? Could this be at all related to what's making him close his eye? Is that a symptom of vit A problems??

Eric Adrignola · Jun 12, 2009

Those foods are not high in preformed vitamin A. They are high in carotinoides which are converted by the body into vitamin A as needed.

The problem is that some studies show that chameleons migh tnot be able to convert them to vitamin well if at all. This is why a small amount of preformed A is often reccomended, as a preventative.

brighteyez · Jun 12, 2009

"I see" (said the blind man).

I have some vit A oil that I was going to put on some bugs, so I can start doing that tomorrow. The thing is Wilson is tiny, only 0.5oz! I'm thinking maybe just one bug with a little oil on his back every few days so he doesn't overdose, does that sound about right?

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