concerned new cham mummy

[mealie]

Hi all,

I finally got my cham after years of waiting and researching. She is a 5/6 month old yemen and the first 3 weeks of having her have been great. She shed her head only within a week of being with me and since then her appertite has been good, 3-4 locust a day.

Today im doing the worried mum thing as she seems to have little interest in her usual food and isnt moving around as much as usual. She seems happy to sit on a branch and stay there . I have also noticed that she has been keeping 1 eye closed too. Its not mucky or sunken, just shut more than normal. Could the 2x150watt 10.0 bulbs are too much for her?

 

[Psychobunny]

Yes, 2 150W bulbs is way too much.
Do you mean you are using a 10% UVB bulb?
What kind is it, and how close is she to the bulb?

How are you monitoring the basking temp?

Oh, and welcome to the forum

 

[Decadancin]

Depending on the amount of foliage in the enclosure it could be too much. Could you post some pics of the enclosure and maybe of the eye?

Best of luck with your cham and welcome to the forums!

 

[mealie]

Thanks for the quick replies and the welcome.

The bulbs are 2 exoterra 150w 10% bulbs and she is 6 to 8 inches below them minimum. They are coiled bulbs and not tubes. They didnt have any in when i purchased but i do have tubes on order.
The temps are monitored with a thermostat and internal thermometers. I spray by hand 3/4 times a day. The basking spot is 80/83 and the rest of the viv is bewteen 75 at the bottom and 82 nearer the top.

Please bear with me as im trying to get pics on here without much luck

 

[Decadancin]

Is she blinking a lot or rubbing against anything? You might try to mist her a bit (not directly at first, start near her and gradually let some drops hit her on the top of her head) to see if she has something stuck in her eye. That way you might help flush it out.

 

[sharlaxle]

The misting is a good start, I like to put them in a plant in the shower for about 15- 30 minutes. It seems to help them flush out the eyes, along with a great hydration boost
Just make sure that the water is lukewarm, and the shower is hitting a wall not the plant directly. You want it to be a very long misting session, not a moonsoon

 

[mealie]

She has been blinking but not rubbing on anything. I did try misting her a little this morning after reading another post on here along similar lines. I will also try the tepid shower when i have another pair of hands just incase she takes a disliking to it.

Thanks again and i will keep trying with the pics.

 

[mealie]

the best i have been able to get for now is a few pic on my profile.

I viv 1s have come out sideways, im not sure why

 

[mealie]

Ok so i have, with the help of my OH managed to get some pics up. in the pic the eye is open.

We have also showered her, but i have just seen her rubbing the eye on some of her bamboo structure.

 

[Decadancin]

Are you using a red night bulb in there? It seems to have a reddish tint. If so, that could be part of the issue, especially if using it at night. They should have darkness to help them get rest. A lot of people think they need to heat the enclosure at night, but usually this isn't necessary. Depending on the species the temps can drop into the 40's with no problem.
I would keep doing the extended sessions of misting to try to flush any debris. Do you have a good vet that specializes in chameleons? If it does not clear up soon you may want to have her checked out.

 

[mealie]

Hi Decadancin,

Yes that is a red heat lamp in there (150w), at first we did have the lamp on all night but after reading on the net we have started turning it off at night now.
What are your comments on the foliage, is there enough, too much ??


We do have a vet close by that is 'zoo' trained, so might give them a phone in the morning.

We have been watching her over the course of the evening and she has been opening it for longer and 'using' it more, looking up and down, front and back. Just about to spray her again and put her too bed so will check on her again in the morning.

Thank you for all your advise so far, will keep you up to date

 

[Decadancin]

There seems to be enough foliage and I'm glad she has it open more! Hope she is better in the morning!

 

[mealie]

Today we are happier. The eye causing concern is open almost all the time now with the odd pause of a few seconds.

She is as i type this, making the most of some natural sunlight all be it now in a full body shed. We will be keeping up with the showers both of the eye and the shedding.

Oh, and a few wax worms tempted her to eat last night too. I am on the hunt for silkworms in the UK now as the locust seem to be out of favour.

Thanks again for the advice

 

[Decadancin]

Good news! Just keep a close watch to make sure nothing else develops. Sometimes debris can get stuck under the eye and need to be flushed out by a vet. (Often times you will see a little bump on the eye turret.) I bet she is loving the sunlight!

You may want to stop in and see the vet you were talking about just to see if they have experience with chameleons. You always want to be prepared before something happens and you need to bring her in.

I bet she'll be happy when she finishes shedding!

 

[mealie]

We are indeed keeping a very close watch on her at the moment and dont consider her to be 'fine' just yet.

We have the choice of 2 vets and will be visiting/contacting both today, purely to see what their experience is with Chameleons inparticular or if they can recommend anyone with a better knowledge.

 

[mealie]

Just a quick 1 to same that the eye now seems to be fine and she is using it fully.

Thank you Decadancin for your help and advice, it has been greatly appreciated.

 

[symphonica]

Also, their appetite decreases while they're shedding/about to shed. I wouldn't worry about them not eating for a day or two during the process. They tend to get grouchier, too, like it's "their time of month." Just leave them be for a few days.

 

[Decadancin]

Awesome! That's great news!