Reptilelover47
Established Member
Hey guys. I have a 7.5 month old panther chameleon, Spectrum. He is the sweetest thing!
About 2 weeks ago I noticed that my usually active piggy eater wasn't eating or being active. He was just hugging a branch, resting all day and didn't even care when I showed him food.Then I started to notice white discharge from his left eye. I made him a vet appointment for the very next day.
I brought him to an amazing exotics/reptile vet and discussed possible causes, diagnosis, and treatment. She had told me that she had seen many animals, specially reptiles and birds with similar problems who went blind in that eye and that the eye had to be removed. She said that it could simply be an infection, but that it could be a genetic disorder. We agreed that it was most likely a mutation because his coloring already isn't normal. He is supposed to be a blue bar and his siblings and sire all have blue bars, green bodies, and red/orange on bottom of the body. He is bright turquoise and just this week developed deep red bars. So we think that since he has one obvious mutation he most likely has more. So, it's a birth defect that is showing itself a little down the line.
The vet gave me eye drops to give him twice a day that were a topical antibiotic (in case it is an infection) and were also an anti-inflammatory to stop the pain and get him active and eating/drinking again. She also gave me Vitamin B complex to give him every other day to get him to eat/drink more. He showed improvement quickly, his eye looked better the first few days, he was active, and began eating about half of his normal diet. I could see that he couldn't see on the one side because he was stumbling a lot, feeling around, and even fell two times that I know of.
I brought him back to the vet for a follow up yesterday and she explained that the eye had gone completely blind and that it would be reabsorbed by the body & shrivel up. She said to continue the eye drops for pain until that happened.
Tonight, I came home from work and went to check on him. He was hugging a branch with both eyes open at 9:45. He's normally asleep by 7. I looked at his eyes and the right eye is full of the same white discharge. I'm really scared now because it looks like he's going to be blind in both eyes. He is very scared too. His colors, actions, and body language all suggest that he is scared and uncomfortable. I tried to pick him up for a closer look and he began hissing because he didn't know what was touching him. After I rubbed his chin he calmed down because he knew it was me. I rub his chin every time I play with him or feed him so he calmed down and after trying for 10 minutes I managed to take him out of his enclosure and he is now sitting on my bed not moving because he doesn't know what to do.
I called the Vet's emergency line and they transferred me to another hospital. That hospital's emergency line told me to call back tomorrow when their exotics specialist would be in. I also sent our vet an email.
I would like to know if anyone has had a similar experience, if anyone knows anything about this, has any advice or suggestions, whether you think he will make it, whether or not he would be suffering if he were to stay alive, and what it's like to raise a blind chameleon.
I know that I could train him to open his mouth for food by tapping his nose, but it'll take a while. I also know that I can let him know it's me touching him by rubbing his chin.
What do you guys think?
About 2 weeks ago I noticed that my usually active piggy eater wasn't eating or being active. He was just hugging a branch, resting all day and didn't even care when I showed him food.Then I started to notice white discharge from his left eye. I made him a vet appointment for the very next day.
I brought him to an amazing exotics/reptile vet and discussed possible causes, diagnosis, and treatment. She had told me that she had seen many animals, specially reptiles and birds with similar problems who went blind in that eye and that the eye had to be removed. She said that it could simply be an infection, but that it could be a genetic disorder. We agreed that it was most likely a mutation because his coloring already isn't normal. He is supposed to be a blue bar and his siblings and sire all have blue bars, green bodies, and red/orange on bottom of the body. He is bright turquoise and just this week developed deep red bars. So we think that since he has one obvious mutation he most likely has more. So, it's a birth defect that is showing itself a little down the line.
The vet gave me eye drops to give him twice a day that were a topical antibiotic (in case it is an infection) and were also an anti-inflammatory to stop the pain and get him active and eating/drinking again. She also gave me Vitamin B complex to give him every other day to get him to eat/drink more. He showed improvement quickly, his eye looked better the first few days, he was active, and began eating about half of his normal diet. I could see that he couldn't see on the one side because he was stumbling a lot, feeling around, and even fell two times that I know of.
I brought him back to the vet for a follow up yesterday and she explained that the eye had gone completely blind and that it would be reabsorbed by the body & shrivel up. She said to continue the eye drops for pain until that happened.
Tonight, I came home from work and went to check on him. He was hugging a branch with both eyes open at 9:45. He's normally asleep by 7. I looked at his eyes and the right eye is full of the same white discharge. I'm really scared now because it looks like he's going to be blind in both eyes. He is very scared too. His colors, actions, and body language all suggest that he is scared and uncomfortable. I tried to pick him up for a closer look and he began hissing because he didn't know what was touching him. After I rubbed his chin he calmed down because he knew it was me. I rub his chin every time I play with him or feed him so he calmed down and after trying for 10 minutes I managed to take him out of his enclosure and he is now sitting on my bed not moving because he doesn't know what to do.
I called the Vet's emergency line and they transferred me to another hospital. That hospital's emergency line told me to call back tomorrow when their exotics specialist would be in. I also sent our vet an email.
I would like to know if anyone has had a similar experience, if anyone knows anything about this, has any advice or suggestions, whether you think he will make it, whether or not he would be suffering if he were to stay alive, and what it's like to raise a blind chameleon.
I know that I could train him to open his mouth for food by tapping his nose, but it'll take a while. I also know that I can let him know it's me touching him by rubbing his chin.
What do you guys think?