Chameleons eyes are shut

[Purplepeacock007]

Hello!
I am new to this site but grateful it is available! I just rehomed a chameleon from someone and I just want to get some advice. I have taken care of other lizards in the past but this is my first chameleon. She doesnt seem very active and her eyes are barely open. The side of the enclosure near the basking spot is about 90 degrees. (ive only had her for just about 36 hours). Humidity has fluctuated from 50-70 (currently at 62%). She is in a screened open air enclosure. We have a 100w heat bulb. We also have a uvb bulb (which we kept on for ~10 hours). Is there a possibility of her being dehydrated? Stressed from the move? An eye issue related to uvb (like a conjunctivitus)? Should i try giving her a shower (placing her on a plant, let water hit side of shower)? I havent seen her eat anything but weve been able to get her water through misting and drip system.
Thanks for your help/advice!

 

[kinyonga]

Do you have an appropriate place for her to lay eggs in the cage? Veileds can produce eggs without having mated.

That might not be the reason for the eyes shutting but it could be part of the problem.

 

[Purplepeacock007]

I did not know that. I will have to reasearch what to do about her laying eggs. Do you have any pointers for me? If she isnt opening her eyes where will she know to lay eggs? She doesnt need a male to fertilize them? Ive been trying showers, steaming up thr bathroomn giving her vitamin a by dropper, eye wash (purified water 99.5% and other ingredients), pedialyte baths, shes eaten crickets that i had eating red pepper and romaine and dusted in vitamin powder (we had to open her mouth and manually put the cricket in though). She seems strong though. May I ask what makes you think she is pregnant? Can you tell from.the pictures? Should I look for any other signs that she is ready to lay? Also she has been opening her mouth and hissing not for prolonged periods (i read this can be a sign of many things)...she usially does this after getting food or taking a shower. She had also been rubbing her eyes on the branches in the cage. I can take a video and post a youtube link if it might be helpful.

Thank you!

(*sorry it took me so long to reply i didnt turn on the email notifications the right way. They are now on and I will be checking back later)

 

[Purplepeacock007]

So I jusy read a little bit about her laying unfertilized eggs. I will be at the store today looking to buy laying bin and play sand!

 

[carol5208]

Yes, she looks kind of chubby which can be an indication of eggs. Also, she may stop eating and start going to the bottom of the cage. If she does not lay, unfortunately she will become eggbound and die. If she is closing her eyes, that is not a good sign. I am glad you are getting her a laying bin. Make sure to give her privacy to lay, or she may abort the process if she sees you. If it fits in the cage, you can even put a sheet over it.

 

[kinyonga]

First of all...I'm not a vet..just speaking from experience.

She looks like she has quite a few eggs in her. I'm worried that she could be eggbound if the previous owners didn't know that they could produce eggs without mating and didn't provide a place for her to lay them in the cage. If she is eggbound the only solution is to have her spayed.

The eyes shutting could be something to do with that but could also be from an infection or lighting that is too strong.

The gaping could be from a respiratory infection if it's accompanied by extra mucus in the mouth...or it could be an indication that she is sick or starting to go down hill because of the eggs.

I wish I could be more specific.

I would get in touch with ferritinmyshoes on the forum here. She's a vet and may be able to help you.

Hope it all works out.

 

[kinyonga]

You said...I will have to reasearch what to do about her laying eggs. Do you have any pointers for me? If she isnt opening her eyes where will she know to lay eggs? She doesnt need a male to fertilize them?"...Here's how it should go for the egglaying...the female will become restless when she gets close to the time to lay the eggs and roam around looking for a place to dig to lay the eggs. She could dig one hole or several holes but should settle on one and dig it until she is happy with it. Don't let her see you watching her when she is digging or it can make her abandon the hole. She should then turn around butt down to lay the eggs. This usually happens in the evening. It can be quick or take several hours and she may even sleep in the hole overnight. When she is done she should fill in the hole, tamp it down and return to the branches hungry and thirsty. Even though the eggs will be infertile if she didn't mate, I dignthem uo and count them so I know if she is being overfed.

If it doesn't go this way then she could be in trouble. Does she never opened the eyes?? Don't know what will happen if she can't. If the eye is infected she will need to see a vet. What specific UVB light do you use? Is it brand new?

The eggs will be infertile if she didn't mate.

You said..."shes eaten crickets that i had eating red pepper and romaine and dusted in vitamin powder (we had to open her mouth and manually put the cricket in though)"...you should feed/gutload the crickets with a wide assortment of greens such as collards, escarole, endive, dandelion greens, kale, etc and veggies such as carrots, sweet red pepper, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, etc. What specifically do you dust with and how often for each?
Did she eat the cricket when you put it in her mouth.

You said..."She seems strong though"....thats good.

 

[Purplepeacock007]

Thanks for the replies! She is in the laying bin currently and hasn't moved around too much in it. I was just able to get it set up this morning. I will try putting some kind of cloth over it to give her some more privacy. She will be alone for about 6 hours this afternoon and then tonight. I'm really hoping this will help her if she can lay. The UVB that is in there is a 5.0 zoomed reptisun UVB in the enclosure now and it is about 2 weeks old.

I've dusted the crickets with a multivitamin and calcium powder, I've only had her since sunday (not even a week) and all 6 crickets she has eaten have been dusted like this. We tried superworms (she didn't like these), I was going to get her mealworms or waxworms this weekend as well.
Should I continue with pedialyte baths (half water, half pedialyte)? or just leave her alone for a day or two to see if she lays?
Thanks for all your help. I will see if I can get in touch with ferritinmyshoes