Advice for sick Panther

[greenfielda2009]

You Chameleon*- he is a panther chameleon male and approximately 2yrs old.

How long has it been in your care?I have had him about a year and a half.

Handling*- How often do you handle your chameleon? 3 times a month

Feeding*- What are you feeding your cham? cricket mealworms wax worms hornworm.
What amount? mixture of about 50 a week maybe one to two hornworms a month
What is the schedule? daily and dust the others once or twice every two weeks.

Watering*- What kind of watering technique do you use? Automatic mister 2x a day 30sec.
fogger runs 6hrs a day.
Do you see your chameleon drinking? No

Fecal Description*- Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Semi hard brown and white
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No

Cage Info:Cage Type*- Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) Screen type.
What are the dimensions?18×18×36
Lighting*- What brand, repti-sun 5,
types of lighting are you using? linear bulb. 75w
75w heat.
What is your daily lighting schedule? 14on 10off

Temperature*- What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 85 to 90 at basking spot. 75 at floor
Lowest overnight temp? 73 How do you measure these temps? Digital probe

Humidity*- What are your humidity levels? 60 to 70

Plants*- Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Yes, ficus

Placement*- Where is your cage located? Dining room.Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? No. At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor? 6ft.

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I have noticed over the last few weeks that my chameleon has been having a hard time opening his eyes. Even when I pick him up. He try to get away blindly.
I have been to 3 vets only paid at one. The other would just giving me general info of how to care for a chameleon.
The first week I had noticed him rubbing his eye on the branchs in the habitat that has stopped and now he is having a hard time opening his eyes.
Hasn't been drinking or eating. I have hand watering him, and giving carni-care by oxbow. Ans hand feeding daily.
I am worried about him. He will eventually open his eyes after rolling them around and struggle it seems, then go hide. close them again.
My son and I are worried about him. If you can give any advice it would be greatly appreciated

 

[Craigwyatt]

Sounds like a vitamin A deficiency. Go to your local vitamin shop and get vit A with palmitate and it also needs to say somewhere on the bottle retinyl. These are gel caps. Bust one open and put it on a feeder. I'd put it on whatever his favorite feeder is because it's important that you see him eat it. But any feeder will do. All you need is a drop. Then do it 2 more times with 3 day gaps in between.
This works like a charm for me.
If this turns out not to be the problem it won't hurt him but I'd be wiling to bet this is your solution.
Hurry up and give it a try because you don't want both if his eyes to close up. Then he won't be able to even see to eat.

 

[greenfielda2009]

thanks for the reply,
both eyes have not been opened and I have been hand feeding him for the last 2 to 3 weeks with a powder that you mix up from Oxbow that is full of nutrients and put it in a medicine dropper Toget it into his mouth.
I will go by some vitamin A in a gel cap put it on a Waxworm and then stick it in his mouth.

if it is a vitamin A deficiency how long until I will notice any improvement?

 

[greenfielda2009]

Here are a couple pictures
Of lighting.

 

[Craigwyatt]

You will see improvement pretty fast usually. I've seen improvement as soon as 3 days. But even if his eyes appear better with the initial dose still do it 2 more times. And after his treatment is done there will be plenty more vit A gel caps left. So make sure you store them properly. Never know when you might need them again.
**just make sure you get the exact vitamin that's needed. There's more than 1 type of vit A.

 

[greenfielda2009]

Already went by the vitamin shop.
I purchased the vitamin A retinyl

Had already gave lighting 2 drops on
A wax worm. He ate it blindly, never opened his eyes. Just rubbed on his lips and he opened up. So I put it in his mouth.

hopefully it will help him to feel better.

thanks again

 

[greenfielda2009]

day one vitamin A supplement

No noticeable difference for lighting, on day one.
I am hoping that he will snap out of his ways.
And become the healthy lighting he once was.

I will keep an update on this forum..

 

[kinyonga]

What specific supplements do you use and how often for each?

 

[dlegare]

My male NosyBe has a very similar problem. About once a year he starts showing signs of eye problems. He'll start with one eye closed, sometimes he rubs and sometimes he doesn't. He does always try self cleaning his eyes. Whenever he starts this I begin giving him long misting sessions in the shower up to one hour daily. I also give a small amount of the described vitamin A on a prey item once a week x 2 to 3 weeks max. His eyes usually fully clear the first week. I also do this with the blessing of my vet. In the past I have used antibiotics and eye flushes to no avail.

I definitely recommend having a vet check for anyone who is having similar issues.

 

[greenfielda2009]

As far as the supplement are. I just dust the powder with vitamin d once a week on about 10 worms/crickets.

I have been giving him the carni-care the last
2 weeks or so. Which is supplements/vitamins.
that the 1 of 3 vets had recommended.
I haven't found a vet near me that I worth even the initial fee. Thankfully I did not have to pay at two of them. I just simply told them, I hear cause he sick. Not for you to tell me how to take care of him.
they obviously didn't specialize in reptiles. Exotic
doesn't mean reptiles at the ones I went too.
I just want lighting back to his healthy self.

 

[Drakes24]

My veiled had the same problem but only with one eye and I took him to the vet and he was lacking vitamin A I believe but they gave me a cream to apply to his eye twice a day and his eye got way better.

 

[kinyonga]

So you are only dusting with a D3 powder once a week...no calcium or vitamins? What is the name of the powder?

You should be dusting at most feedings with a phosphorous free calcium powder and only twice a month with a phos. free calcium/D3 powder and twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. prEformed vitamin A can build up in the system and lead to health issues. By using a powder without a prEformed source this leaves you to give it prEformed when needed without overdosing it.
I'm not saying that giving prEformed vitamin A is not the solution...just explaining the reasoning for what we recommend.

Its also important that you provide appropriate temperatures to aid in digestion and thus nutrient absorption and that you provide a proper source of UVB and that you gutload/feed your insects properly.

 

[greenfielda2009]

Thanks for the reply!
Yes lightning gets the powder with d3 and calcium , phosphorus free (rep-cal), and just calcium powder switching back and forth weekly.

As far as vitamins, I mainly feed the feeders veggies. That was how I was told to do it. Maybe I was taught wrong. And I have been needing a different type of vitamin supplements all along.

The Lighting in enclosure -
Did about 3 weeks ago change the 5. O linear bulb out due to it not producing enough UVB when tested, it was about 8 months old. the heat inside of the enclosure is about 95 degrees right at the basking spot and around 80 degrees To 85 degrees near by the basking spot. 70 to 75 degrees at the lower part of the enclosure.

 

[greenfielda2009]

Day 2- Of vit A treatment

Lightning seems to have a little improvement with opening and his Eye use,
he doesn't seem to be rolling his eyes around as much while they were closed. and opening them a lot easier

Still have a long ways to go, but I have a good feeling that lightning will pull thru this!