Dealing with an ill and passing chameleon...

[jajeanpierre]

Thank you! I get so stuck in this back-in-forth of "oh he's pulling through!" and then he gets so frail it seems he's on the verge of death, and then he picks up again. My vet said 80% of his chams die from this, though Oberyn has made it longer than many he has seen with the condition. What sort of changes have you been making for his comfort?

Find a new vet.

Regarding heat and humidity, enclose the cage on at least three sides, automatic misting system (think about your drainage), live plants, more powerful heat source during the day only.

 

[Whatascene]

@Whatascene Did your vet diagnose him with "dysecdysis"?

Most shedding problems are caused by poor husbandry--improper temperature, humidity, hydration, nutrition, etc, for that particular species. Lizards kept in too dry an environment often retain skin around the eyes and the toes (Mader, Reptile Medicine and Surgery). The thyroid also plays a role in shedding, but by far the majority of shedding problems are caused by poor husbandry which is something very much in your control

I'm sorry to say but the picture of your chameleon looking "healthy" doesn't look like a very healthy animal to me. He looks dehydrated.

You state that you mist, etc., but I am curious to know exactly how this animal is kept. I see you have artificial plants which don't help to raise humidity. Can you send pictures of your set up? Do you have an automatic misting system? Screen cage? Fogger?

I'm curious about the genetic disease your vet has diagnosed him with since very few studies are ever done on chameleons, let alone genetic studies. What injection did he give him? Was it subcutaneous fluids?

Shedding in reptiles is quite unique. At the beginning of a shed, lymph fluid floods between the two top layers of skin. There are enzymes that break down the connective tissues that keep the outer layer of skin attached to the inner layer. The lymph fluid eventually dries and with nothing holding the two layers of skin together, the top layer sloughs off. (Most interesting is that the enzymes that break down the connections between the two top layers do not break down the connections laterally, so the skin comes off in a sheet rather than cell by cell.) If the environment is too dry, the lymph fluid between the two layers of skin dies out prematurely and the digestive enzymes aren't able to do their job and break down the connective bonds holding the top two layers together, hence a retained shed.

Shedding problems are usually a symptom of a husbandry issue, not a disease process although parasites, infections and trauma (scars) can all play a role in poor shedding.

I'm going to be blunt. When I read your post, I had the distinct feeling you were asking us for permission to give up on your animal, that for whatever reason you didn't want him and wanted our approval for allowing him to die. I recently had a very disturbing conversation with a fellow breeder who stated that most chameleons are bought by someone who gets bored with their animal after about six months and at that point, they stop being extremely careful with their husbandry and surprise surprise, the chameleon dies. I was horrified by that discussion. Please prove him wrong.

I am always the first on this forum to defend anyone for deciding not to spend a lot of money to save an ill chameleon. I also expect people to humanely euthanize rather than allowing an animal to suffer. I honestly believe that if you give a chameleon optimum conditions for its species, it will thrive and never need a vet. Sick chameleons are a symptom that they are not being kept properly (there are a few caveats such as wild caughts but even wild caughts will heal themselves if given the opportunity).

I'm not intimately familiar with commercially bred veileds, but have picked up a few bits and pieces of information from very reliable sources to lead me to the conclusion that commercially bred veileds are hatched with calcium and vitamin deficiencies. They wholesale for about $8. Their cheap price means that short cuts on nutrition are made. The health of a hatchling is directly related to the health and nutritional status of its mother. I've been told that veiled breeders get one clutch from a female and then dispatch her because one clutch depletes her so much. A nutritionally depleted female produces eggs that are nutritionally depleted. There should be enough calcium and Vitamin A (and who knows what else) in the egg yolk that the baby pulls into their abdomen just before hatching to last for months. A calcium/Vitamin A deficient mother does not have those resources available to put into the eggs, so the babies hatch deficient. Those babies are unhealthy right out of the egg.

Your healthy pictures shows some evidence of calcium issues--look at how his lips do not meet smoothly at the very front of his face. Look at the picture of the young wild caught gracilior pictured in my avatar--do you see how his lips meet perfectly at the front of his face? Look also at the rostral crest (the ridge that goes from the orbital crest--which is the ridge over the eyes--to the very tip of his face) of your chameleon. Do you see it isn't a straight line, but pinched? That's not right. It should be straight and his fore face should be broad with his lips meeting perfectly. I think your chameleon has quite a few issues and husbandry can likely fix it all.

I believe all chameleons need--absolutely need--an automatic misting system. MistKing sells a very good unit for about $130. (Don't buy the cheap ones that will self destruct if the reservoir runs out of water because that happens.) They need a fine foggy mist to clean the debris out of their eyes. A hand mister produces very large droplets and most chameleons just don't like it. They want a foggy mist and they don't want you around making them nervous.

If I were dealing with your animal, I would put him in cage with three or four solid sides filled with live plants. I would run an automatic mister for 20 minutes and then 10 minutes every hour for several days or a week before dropping the misting to a more normal level. I would mist him many many times a day for minutes at a time with an automatic mister, more than the species really needs but this particular seems to need. I might add a fogger. I would soak him and keep it really really humid. I would make sure my temps were correct. I would make sure he had the best lighting and would replace what UVB lights you have since it is about 6 months old anyway. I would give him 10% (ZooMed) or 12% (Arcadia) strength UVB bulbs. I would make sure he had lots of bright light from regular bulbs. I would try to get him outside in the sun if at all possible. It can be done even in the winter if you are really careful about it--setting up a tote with a 1/4" wire screen top in a south facing corner where the sun warms up the area. Add heat bulbs. You can get cheap reflectors and heat lamps from feed stores. Feed stores sell heat lamps that are 150 and 250 watts, both white light and infrared. They also sell the reflectors that can handle that high a wattage. If farmers in Minnesota can keep day old chicks at 95F in an unheated drafty barn in Janurary, you can keep a chameleon warm for an hour in the sun. Last but not least, I would be extremely careful about his nutrition and make sure I fed him very very healthy well-fed properly gut-loaded feeders. Dusting with plain calcium of every food item, etc., etc.

I'm happy to help you get your husbandry right, but it starts with you and a will to do it. It isn't hard or particularly expensive.

Hi! I appreciate your feedback! I am VERY open to husbandry chat, I may have been putting too much stock in my vet, which though I think he is knowledgeable, I'm wondering if I was let off the hook too quickly for my cage. I assure you I'm not one of those newbs, but I wouldn't go as far to say I'm advanced either. I've owned chameleons in the past, and no I wasn't looking for the okay to give up on him. I've never had this issue before and it was there since the second I got him which took me off guard. I got him in August and have been to the vet too many times to count, I'm often texting my vet on their line to ask more intervention for my chameleon, and I'd say I'm working on my cham (feeding, misting, cage upkeep) at least for 1-1.5 hour a day to ensure he is eating and is hydrated (he doesn't drink much water from his leaves, he is tough to get water into). I've also had to periodically hand-feed him when he gets frail. I was not looking for permission to give up, I think I was more looking for comfort in others who may have had to deal with this, as I've been told directly there's a good chance I could lose him and that I've done everything I could. I want to keep my little Obi alive at all cost, and I think my husbandry has been improving if anything, not getting worse. Now the financial piece, I'm not meaning to get defensive or anything, but I think the thought process of 'if you can't afford a pet don't buy one' isn't very effective because then lots of pets would be rotting in worse conditions or homes or in the back of a pet store. I'd say many people would struggle with a $130-$260 bill a month for a chameleon who is not responding to treatment anyway. The shots were immune boosters and I think the first round was antibiotics.
As far as the picture, I know he wasn't at tip-top shape, unfortunately he has never been in tip-top shape since I purchased him, so "healthy" for Oberyn is unfortunately that. His droppings have the white strand, and the times they get yellowy I have administered water directly in his mouth or do extra mistings and it gets better. His mouth has always been like that, I never knew that!
I don't know about the muscle issue, like I said, my vet kept saying there is a genetic factor in chams for what Oberyn has, many die in the first 1-3 months so there isn't a lot of research. Maybe it's due to that calcium issue you said- I think I just made the assumption since he couldn't weedle the shedding out of his eye.
I've never tried a misting system, I've always had success with misting and shower treatments until Oberyn. Are they safe to leave with the cage all day? Also, I think I want to add more plants to my cage, I'll post a pic here in a second and it's quite open. Any suggestions to fill the bottom portion?
I'm actually quite excited, I enjoy raising chams, and I've been very lucky with very resilient and healthy chams in my past so I'm not used to so much husbandry adjustment. Very eager to learn! I'll post details today hopefully I need pics and I need to measure my cage and temperatures!

 

[Whatascene]

Find a new vet.

Regarding heat and humidity, enclose the cage on at least three sides, automatic misting system (think about your drainage), live plants, more powerful heat source during the day only.

My cage is screen or mesh on 3 sides and on top, with one closed side on the back. I thought the ventilation was better to avoid upper respiratory issues? This cage was built based on online resources. Regarding the cap, I have been a clear mini cap that comes out of his eye during shedding. What is that? It's not typical shed, it looks like a mini chameleon hard contact lens. I have to remove it manually when it gets stuck or it makes him blind. That's what my vet and I are talking about.

 

[Whatascene]

Find a new vet.

Regarding heat and humidity, enclose the cage on at least three sides, automatic misting system (think about your drainage), live plants, more powerful heat source during the day only.

For heat, I have two 60 watt bulbs going- basking areas (2 of them) are about 90 degrees, and the top portion of his cage is about 70-77 degrees during the day. Bottom of the cage is cold though which is why I think the bottom of my cage needs more work- it's in the 60's in the bottom half (he never goes down there obviously).

 

[Whatascene]

Chameleon Info:

Chameleon: Male, Veiled Chameleon, 5 months old, 4 months in my care.

Handling: Almost daily, if not, maybe 3 times a week.

Behavior: Shy and timid, nonaggressive.

Feeding: Gutloaded and calcium dusted medium crickets. I’m lucky if he eats 6, on a good day he can eat 8, bad day maybe 1 or none. Sometimes I have to hand feed him with syringe.

Water: Hand mist for 2+ minutes 2-3x a day w/warm water. Large dripper at top of cage. I don’t see him drink from leaves, getting him to drink has been a struggle since getting him.


Cage Enclosure:

Cage: Made of wood, one side is plastic (the back), top of cage is screen, and rest of sides are mesh

Dimensions: 24x24x38

Plants: Large pothos, a few fake leaves, fake bendable vines

Lighting: one 5.0 Linear UVB bulb 15 watt 18 inch T8, and two 60 watt heat/basking bulbs

Temperatures: Two basking areas, 90 degrees; rest of cage ranges from 70-77 degrees. Unfortunately the bottom of the cage is colder, no plants, and temps are in the 60’s.

Humidity- ranges due to misting and room temp, between 30-55%. I do shower treatments 2x weekly.

Placement: Spare bedroom upstairs, little traffic. He is by the window and gets lots of sun on a sunny day. Also near a heating vent to help with the cooler temp of the room he’s in. Room gets colder (in the 60’s)

Location: Ohio, USA- northern cooler temps in the winter.

 

[Whatascene]

Here are some pics of his cage

 

[jajeanpierre]

Hi! I appreciate your feedback! I am VERY open to husbandry chat, I may have been putting too much stock in my vet, which though I think he is knowledgeable, I'm wondering if I was let off the hook too quickly for my cage. I assure you I'm not one of those newbs, but I wouldn't go as far to say I'm advanced either. I've owned chameleons in the past, and no I wasn't looking for the okay to give up on him. I've never had this issue before and it was there since the second I got him which took me off guard. I got him in August and have been to the vet too many times to count, I'm often texting my vet on their line to ask more intervention for my chameleon, and I'd say I'm working on my cham (feeding, misting, cage upkeep) at least for 1-1.5 hour a day to ensure he is eating and is hydrated (he doesn't drink much water from his leaves, he is tough to get water into). I've also had to periodically hand-feed him when he gets frail. I was not looking for permission to give up, I think I was more looking for comfort in others who may have had to deal with this, as I've been told directly there's a good chance I could lose him and that I've done everything I could. I want to keep my little Obi alive at all cost, and I think my husbandry has been improving if anything, not getting worse. Now the financial piece, I'm not meaning to get defensive or anything, but I think the thought process of 'if you can't afford a pet don't buy one' isn't very effective because then lots of pets would be rotting in worse conditions or homes or in the back of a pet store. I'd say many people would struggle with a $130-$260 bill a month for a chameleon who is not responding to treatment anyway. The shots were immune boosters and I think the first round was antibiotics.
As far as the picture, I know he wasn't at tip-top shape, unfortunately he has never been in tip-top shape since I purchased him, so "healthy" for Oberyn is unfortunately that. His droppings have the white strand, and the times they get yellowy I have administered water directly in his mouth or do extra mistings and it gets better. His mouth has always been like that, I never knew that!
I don't know about the muscle issue, like I said, my vet kept saying there is a genetic factor in chams for what Oberyn has, many die in the first 1-3 months so there isn't a lot of research. Maybe it's due to that calcium issue you said- I think I just made the assumption since he couldn't weedle the shedding out of his eye.
I've never tried a misting system, I've always had success with misting and shower treatments until Oberyn. Are they safe to leave with the cage all day? Also, I think I want to add more plants to my cage, I'll post a pic here in a second and it's quite open. Any suggestions to fill the bottom portion?
I'm actually quite excited, I enjoy raising chams, and I've been very lucky with very resilient and healthy chams in my past so I'm not used to so much husbandry adjustment. Very eager to learn! I'll post details today hopefully I need pics and I need to measure my cage and temperatures!

I am so glad you want to work with this boy.

You need to get a new vet but I don't think a vet is what you need right now.

Just because most people end up with dead baby chameleons does not mean it is genetic. I've never heard of a known fatal genetic disease in chameleons.

From what you have written, this is what I think might be going on. It might be one problem or a combination of many contributing factors.

It seems your animal is not able to clean its eyes. Debris accumulates in his eyes and I gather he ends up not eating and starts to decline. It seems from what you've written that you believe the debris builds up especially around shedding.

My gut feeling is your main problem is a Vitamin A deficiency. Go to the drug store and buy a bottle of Vitamin A either retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate (NOT Beta Carotene). Find the liquid gel caps that have the smallest amount of Vitamin A in it. I use gel caps that contain 8000 IU per cap. Take a gel cap, prick a hole in it with something like a thumb tack and count the drops until it is basically empty. That will give you an approximate dosage of Vitamin A per drop. You will probably get around 4 or 5 drops per cap.

If your chameleon is in the 50g range, just take a feeder insect he will eat from your hand and drop one drop on (assuming you found the 8000 IU sized caps) and let him eat it. Repeat in a week. It takes about two weeks for Vitamin A deficiencies to show improvement.

Often they are deficient in other things such as Vitamin E when they are deficient of Vitamin A. Your vet should have injectable Vitamin A that also contains Vitamin E. You might want to go that route, but I think you should find a new vet.

That is what I would do if your chameleon were in my care, aside from automatic misting.

A Vitamin A deficiency wreaks havoc on an animal. All the little tubes in the animal get clogged up because the cells inside do not slough off properly--kidneys, pancreas, glands, eyes, everything relies on lots of tubes to function properly. Commercially bred veileds are known for being very deficient in Vitamin A.

I have my cages with misting systems on timers. I think every chameleon needs a mister.

Hope that helps.

 

[bluesox68]

jajeanpierre I just need to say as a newer Chameleon owner, thanks for all the fantastic information you've provided. Cheers. I've learned a bunch!

 

[Andee]

I agree, especially if you haven't already gone this route, I would definitely have gone this route first.

 

[Whatascene]

I am so glad you want to work with this boy.

You need to get a new vet but I don't think a vet is what you need right now.

Just because most people end up with dead baby chameleons does not mean it is genetic. I've never heard of a known fatal genetic disease in chameleons.

From what you have written, this is what I think might be going on. It might be one problem or a combination of many contributing factors.

It seems your animal is not able to clean its eyes. Debris accumulates in his eyes and I gather he ends up not eating and starts to decline. It seems from what you've written that you believe the debris builds up especially around shedding.

My gut feeling is your main problem is a Vitamin A deficiency. Go to the drug store and buy a bottle of Vitamin A either retinyl acetate or retinyl palmitate (NOT Beta Carotene). Find the liquid gel caps that have the smallest amount of Vitamin A in it. I use gel caps that contain 8000 IU per cap. Take a gel cap, prick a hole in it with something like a thumb tack and count the drops until it is basically empty. That will give you an approximate dosage of Vitamin A per drop. You will probably get around 4 or 5 drops per cap.

If your chameleon is in the 50g range, just take a feeder insect he will eat from your hand and drop one drop on (assuming you found the 8000 IU sized caps) and let him eat it. Repeat in a week. It takes about two weeks for Vitamin A deficiencies to show improvement.

Often they are deficient in other things such as Vitamin E when they are deficient of Vitamin A. Your vet should have injectable Vitamin A that also contains Vitamin E. You might want to go that route, but I think you should find a new vet.

That is what I would do if your chameleon were in my care, aside from automatic misting.

A Vitamin A deficiency wreaks havoc on an animal. All the little tubes in the animal get clogged up because the cells inside do not slough off properly--kidneys, pancreas, glands, eyes, everything relies on lots of tubes to function properly. Commercially bred veileds are known for being very deficient in Vitamin A.

I have my cages with misting systems on timers. I think every chameleon needs a mister.

Hope that helps.

Thank you very much I appreciate this feedback! Very informative and I can't wait to try this!

 

[Decadancin]

I hope you don't think I was doubting you or your vet, but with the diagnosis we will (as you can see above) be able to give better advice. I would definitely agree about appearing dehydrated which will not help shedding.
I am always sceptable about genetic issues that are diagnosed without actual DNA testing.

 

[Whatascene]

I hope you don'the think I was doubting you or your vet, but with the diagnosis we will (as you can see above) be able to give better advice. I would definitely agree about appearing dehydrated which will not help shedding.
I am always sceptable about genetic issues that are diagnosed without actual DNA testing.

I've actually learned a lot and am excited to learn more. Like I mentioned above, I was blessed with very heathy and resilient chams in my past so I never really went to the vet until one developed aneurological disorder and could no longer open his mouth. Oberyn unfortunately has had a rough go since I got him so i may have been relying too heavily on the vet's word. Yes I think I also loosely used "healthy" I really meant healthy for him, which is unfortunate I know. He doesnt drink water enough or well on his own, I have yet to see him drink it off of leaves or anything in his cage (I've tried all the tricks to try and catch him I highly doubt much activity drinking when I'm gone). So I try to catch him hissing or at other times have used a syringe. I do watch his urates and intervene when needed.

 

[Andee]

Sometimes they don't drink in front of their humans at all. Are you using really hot water in the mister? When the mist comes out of the mister it should be warm to the touch.

 

[Angelwolf]

Thank you! I get so stuck in this back-in-forth of "oh he's pulling through!" and then he gets so frail it seems he's on the verge of death, and then he picks up again. My vet said 80% of his chams die from this, though Oberyn has made it longer than many he has seen with the condition. What sort of changes have you been making for his comfort?

Here is a big difference between your cham and the 80%. YOU care very much for your cham! Most other people don't, or can't afford to figure it out.

 

[Angelwolf]

Chameleon Info:

Chameleon: Male, Veiled Chameleon, 5 months old, 4 months in my care.

Handling: Almost daily, if not, maybe 3 times a week.

Behavior: Shy and timid, nonaggressive.

Feeding: Gutloaded and calcium dusted medium crickets. I’m lucky if he eats 6, on a good day he can eat 8, bad day maybe 1 or none. Sometimes I have to hand feed him with syringe.

Water: Hand mist for 2+ minutes 2-3x a day w/warm water. Large dripper at top of cage. I don’t see him drink from leaves, getting him to drink has been a struggle since getting him.


Cage Enclosure:

Cage: Made of wood, one side is plastic (the back), top of cage is screen, and rest of sides are mesh

Dimensions: 24x24x38

Plants: Large pothos, a few fake leaves, fake bendable vines

Lighting: one 5.0 Linear UVB bulb 15 watt 18 inch T8, and two 60 watt heat/basking bulbs

Temperatures: Two basking areas, 90 degrees; rest of cage ranges from 70-77 degrees. Unfortunately the bottom of the cage is colder, no plants, and temps are in the 60’s.

Humidity- ranges due to misting and room temp, between 30-55%. I do shower treatments 2x weekly.

Placement: Spare bedroom upstairs, little traffic. He is by the window and gets lots of sun on a sunny day. Also near a heating vent to help with the cooler temp of the room he’s in. Room gets colder (in the 60’s)

Location: Ohio, USA- northern cooler temps in the winter.

Where r u from in OH? I am in PA! Would a space heater in the room help? Just enough to raise the temp to at least the upper 60s lower 70s. I wouldn't be surprised if he perks up a bit from that. He does drink. He just doesn't do it when you are in the room. And believe it or not, he knows when you are in the room. Even if he can't see you. But, yes. He is drinking. If he weren't, he would not be with us. I am really anxious to see if the ointment helps! Have you started using it, yet?

 

[Andee]

For Ryker his symptoms are extremely different than your guy. I have adjusted his uvb light so that it has an extra layer of screening to protect his eyes better. I take him out at least twice a week and more if the weather permits it to allow for natural sun exposure. When he can't eat on his own (like now) if he has a particularly bad flare up due to something I hadn't though about, I have food that I can either get him to eat easily or I have a liquid diet that is Insectivore safe to feed with a syringe. At the moment he's losing weight so I will be feeding by hand for a while while he recovers. During times when he keeps his eyes shut and doesn't drink as readily I shower him because he's more likely to drink in there, and sometimes hand water him just in case. I always have liquid calcium on hand just in case. I have things to help, usually his bad episodes only last a couple weeks, sometimes they can last a couple months though. His bad eye with the deformed pupil/injury doesn't see as well as it should, though my vet and I are pretty sure he can still see, just aren't sure how much out that eye. His other eye is what he tracks most with. Every time I take him for his check ups or whatever, he gets his eyes flushed just in case. Technically he is getting "older" though he is just getting passed 4 years old now. So his vision though it's a problem, is really his only problem. But it does cause other problems because it's just harder for him to eat and take care of himself during flare ups.

 

[Whatascene]

Where r u from in OH? I am in PA! Would a space heater in the room help? Just enough to raise the temp to at least the upper 60s lower 70s. I wouldn't be surprised if he perks up a bit from that. He does drink. He just doesn't do it when you are in the room. And believe it or not, he knows when you are in the room. Even if he can't see you. But, yes. He is drinking. If he weren't, he would not be with us. I am really anxious to see if the ointment helps! Have you started using it, yet?

Thank you! Actually, funny thing, I just found out old heater in the basement and put it in there last night for 20 min or so to heat up the room, so I'm starting that now. I'm calling the vet today to make an appointment to get the ointment- I might also ask for a vitamin A injection. I'm in Cincinnati, OH! The reason I wonder if he is drinking is because of the dehydration issue- he gets that way often (can tell by eyes and skin will get wrinkly- as well as yellow urates). I think I mist plenty- avg is 3 x a day I've increased it to 4, and yes it's warm water (I think I'm answering the other person's question haha).

 

[Whatascene]

For Ryker his symptoms are extremely different than your guy. I have adjusted his uvb light so that it has an extra layer of screening to protect his eyes better. I take him out at least twice a week and more if the weather permits it to allow for natural sun exposure. When he can't eat on his own (like now) if he has a particularly bad flare up due to something I hadn't though about, I have food that I can either get him to eat easily or I have a liquid diet that is Insectivore safe to feed with a syringe. At the moment he's losing weight so I will be feeding by hand for a while while he recovers. During times when he keeps his eyes shut and doesn't drink as readily I shower him because he's more likely to drink in there, and sometimes hand water him just in case. I always have liquid calcium on hand just in case. I have things to help, usually his bad episodes only last a couple weeks, sometimes they can last a couple months though. His bad eye with the deformed pupil/injury doesn't see as well as it should, though my vet and I are pretty sure he can still see, just aren't sure how much out that eye. His other eye is what he tracks most with. Every time I take him for his check ups or whatever, he gets his eyes flushed just in case. Technically he is getting "older" though he is just getting passed 4 years old now. So his vision though it's a problem, is really his only problem. But it does cause other problems because it's just harder for him to eat and take care of himself during flare ups.

Thanks for sharing this, it gives me hope that the effort could turn out. That's how Obi is- he is great for a few weeks and then hits an bad 1-2 weeks where I'm like "oh my gosh this is it, he's not going to make it this time"- it's the cycling that always leaves me hopeless about it. But it sounds like you've been able to help your little guy push through the lows, maybe mine will grow older and make it too.

 

[Andee]

It's very possible you just need to find certain tricks and stuff to help him push through the lows. It's never easy, especially if this turns out to be something that he will live with for the rest of his life. However my alterations aren't super expensive. The liquid calcium usually costs me about 15 dollars around 6 months. Everything else is just what works for him. There is a high possibility he just needs certain things adjusted but he may also have this for the rest of his life even if he does get extremely better. What you need to learn is how to make sure you know to keep him going as inexpensively as possible of he has a bad day etc.

 

[Carlton]

Chameleons do not have eye caps.

Sorry to weigh in late on this (I don't have internet on weekends), but when I saw this thread this is the first thing I noticed.....I'm so glad jajeanpierre picked up on it sooner....there was a basic misunderstanding of chameleon physiology here. Chams are not snakes and don't have eyecaps. Hope you can get the husbandry figured out. The good news for your cham is there probably isn't a genetic or disease process going on here and the fix is relatively straightforward!