Chameleon eye shed(?)

[Amadeus_mom]

Excuse the mild puffing in the photo, he’s getting ready for bed.
My male ambilobe panther chameleon (roughly a year and a half) had a stuck eye cap which required veterinary intervention a little over a month ago (he is my first chameleon and I wanted to make sure it was handled appropriately). The vet removed the eye cap with saline and warm water. Since then, he has had this reoccurring shed(?) on his turrets. The vet suggested higher humidity so now he is in a new enclosure with a higher humidity. I have tried to do the soak twice because I don’t want to stress him out too much but I feel like it’s not working or even making it look worse? Is this a supplement, humidity, or some other issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Bazelthechameleon]

Excuse the mild puffing in the photo, he’s getting ready for bed.
My male ambilobe panther chameleon (roughly a year and a half) had a stuck eye cap which required veterinary intervention a little over a month ago (he is my first chameleon and I wanted to make sure it was handled appropriately). The vet removed the eye cap with saline and warm water. Since then, he has had this reoccurring shed(?) on his turrets. The vet suggested higher humidity so now he is in a new enclosure with a higher humidity. I have tried to do the soak twice because I don’t want to stress him out too much but I feel like it’s not working or even making it look worse? Is this a supplement, humidity, or some other issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

A warm water soak actually isn’t good for chams and not particularly effective since they are dry shedders. Sometimes when my guy has shed stuck on his eye or covering his nostrils I’ll take a qtip with warm water and gently remove it.

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome! Your guy is gorgeous! I’m sorry that he’s been having this eye problem. Often these types of problems are related to an aspect of husbandry being off just a little. Let’s look at the most common. What supplements do you use and what is their schedule? What type and strength of uvb do you use? What have your humidity levels been during the day? What have your daytime temps been? Can you please post a pic of your enclosure?

 

[Amadeus_mom]

Supplements:

• RepCal Calcium (no D3/no phosphorus)
• RepCal Herptivite multivitamins with beta carotene (advanced formulation

Feeder Supplements: Repashy Superfoods Superload insect gutload formula

(Feeders are also given a variety of vegetables throughout the week)

Schedule:

• Calcium with every feeding
• Multivitamin with every other feeding

He doesn’t always eat the feeders but I switch any remaining ones out every 3 days and put them back with the other feeders. I will usually offer 3 dubias, but will throw in like 1 or 2mealworms and 1 darkling beetle(? The mealworm beetles) if I have any so he has a little variety.

Type/Strength of UVB:

• Type: Linear - Reptisun T5 HO 5.0 UVB

Daytime Humidity:

• 47% give or take

Daytime Temperature:

• Mid-level Temperature: 77 degrees (Fahrenheit)
• Basking Temperature: 85 degrees (Fahrenheit)

 

[Amadeus_mom]

This is what I was talking about though. Does anyone have a panther chameleon with frequent turret sheds?

 

[Beman]

Hey there welcome to the forum. I see a few things that stand out... He is missing vitamin A in his multivitamin supplement. It has not been proven that they can convert the beta carotene to use able vitamin A. This is needed for eye health. I would purchase Repashy Calcium Plus LoD version. This would be used ONLY 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. This supplement has D3 and A in it which are both important for their health. You would then stop using the herptivite. Use the Calcium without d3 at all other feedings.

He also can get way too close to his UVB bulb. With a T5HO fixture and a 5.0 bulb you want a distance of 8-9 inches to the branches below it to put the cham in proper exposure levels. Where he is able to get all the way up to the screen under the bulb he is actually being exposed to levels that are not even natural on earth. So this would mean he is in an over exposure level.

Another thing I am seeing is your boy is a bit obese. We determine this by looking at the fat pads in the casque and if they are visible in the cheeks. Your boy has extremely full fat pads in both.
How much is he actually eating and how often?

 

[Amadeus_mom]

Hey there welcome to the forum. I see a few things that stand out... He is missing vitamin A in his multivitamin supplement. It has not been proven that they can convert the beta carotene to use able vitamin A. This is needed for eye health. I would purchase Repashy Calcium Plus LoD version. This would be used ONLY 2 times a month say the 1st and the 15th. This supplement has D3 and A in it which are both important for their health. You would then stop using the herptivite. Use the Calcium without d3 at all other feedings.

He also can get way too close to his UVB bulb. With a T5HO fixture and a 5.0 bulb you want a distance of 8-9 inches to the branches below it to put the cham in proper exposure levels. Where he is able to get all the way up to the screen under the bulb he is actually being exposed to levels that are not even natural on earth. So this would mean he is in an over exposure level.

Another thing I am seeing is your boy is a bit obese. We determine this by looking at the fat pads in the casque and if they are visible in the cheeks. Your boy has extremely full fat pads in both.
How much is he actually eating and how often?

The vitamin A solved it!
The lights have been raised to an appropriate distance.

I went out and got a scale, he is actually on the smaller side of what a panther chameleon should weigh at over a year old

 

[Beman]

The vitamin A solved it!
The lights have been raised to an appropriate distance.

I went out and got a scale, he is actually on the smaller side of what a panther chameleon should weigh at over a year old

Wonderful to hear. Weight and total length go together. If you have a smaller in length male than you would not want him to weight as much as an 18 inch male. This is where also looking at the fat pads in the cheeks and casque is needed. Your boy is holding quite a bit.