dirt in eye
- Thread starter jjacquio
- Start date
Hi there I just looked back through your prior posts. You do have issues in your husbandry. My concern is this may not be as simple as dirt in the eye and could be related to husbandry issues. I did not see anywhere where you completed the help form below. If you could please complete this giving complete detailed responses we will be able to give you the best feedback.
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.
Chameleon Info:
- Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
- Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
- Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
- Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
- Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
- Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
- History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
- Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
- Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
- Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
- Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
- Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
- Location - Where are you geographically located?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:
- The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
- Photos can be very helpful.
jjacquio
New Member
my cham is a little over a year old, has been in my care one year since june. female, veiled.
i handle her everyday because she insists. she loves to be around me.
i feed her mealworms which i know isnt the best but its the only thing she accepts. i gut-load them with carrots but ive been told that isnt good enough so im going to be adding more veggies like lettuce and kale. every few days i give her bell peppers or any red fruits or veggies (for some reason she only likes red things). i feed her about five worms everyday with reptivite, which ive found to be the best one since shes been on it since she was a baby.
i have a fog machine but spray down her cage a few times a day with a spray bottle. she often drinks right from the spray bottle but on a fountain setting.
my cham has never been tested for parasites. her waste is slightly watery with white/yellow sacks.
screen cage, 4ft high, 1 ft out, 18in wide.
i use a ceramic heat emitter and a daylight bulb. basking spot gets to the high 70's, the bottom of the cage is about 71-72 F.
humidity- fogger which is constantly on and the spray bottle. to measure heat and humidity i use a zoo med thermometer humidity gauge.
i do not use real plants.
cage is located in my calm bedroom, not near any vents but is near a fan. in new york suburbs.
i handle her everyday because she insists. she loves to be around me.
i feed her mealworms which i know isnt the best but its the only thing she accepts. i gut-load them with carrots but ive been told that isnt good enough so im going to be adding more veggies like lettuce and kale. every few days i give her bell peppers or any red fruits or veggies (for some reason she only likes red things). i feed her about five worms everyday with reptivite, which ive found to be the best one since shes been on it since she was a baby.
i have a fog machine but spray down her cage a few times a day with a spray bottle. she often drinks right from the spray bottle but on a fountain setting.
my cham has never been tested for parasites. her waste is slightly watery with white/yellow sacks.
screen cage, 4ft high, 1 ft out, 18in wide.
i use a ceramic heat emitter and a daylight bulb. basking spot gets to the high 70's, the bottom of the cage is about 71-72 F.
humidity- fogger which is constantly on and the spray bottle. to measure heat and humidity i use a zoo med thermometer humidity gauge.
i do not use real plants.
cage is located in my calm bedroom, not near any vents but is near a fan. in new york suburbs.
Ok I am going to go through everything here.. I will be giving all feedback in red bold and I may have additional questions for you.
my cham is a little over a year old, has been in my care one year since june. female, veiled.
i handle her everyday because she insists. she loves to be around me. This is not typical of Chameleons of any species. We see this most often in chams when their cage is not giving them the proper hiding places, temperature, etc. Please post pics of the entire cage including the lighting fixtures you are using.
i feed her mealworms which i know isnt the best but its the only thing she accepts. i gut-load them with carrots but ive been told that isnt good enough so im going to be adding more veggies like lettuce and kale. every few days i give her bell peppers or any red fruits or veggies (for some reason she only likes red things). i feed her about five worms everyday with reptivite, which ive found to be the best one since shes been on it since she was a baby. Reptivite is actually considered a multivitamin. Can you take a picture so we know which reptivite you are using? As far as the gutload it does have to be improved and you have to get her off mealworms. Essentially think of the mealworm as a cheeto and then you have dubia which would be our version of a steak. They are nutritionally not enough for her and they do not gutload well at all.
i have a fog machine but spray down her cage a few times a day with a spray bottle. she often drinks right from the spray bottle but on a fountain setting. When are you running the fogger and is it a cool mist fogger? These should not be run into the cage during the day. High heat and moist air is a recipe for a respiratory infection. What is the humidity level? As far as the spray bottle... Also not natural which means she is desperate to drink. So either there are no plants to spray that she can drink from or she needs a dripper to give her the water all day when she needs it.
my cham has never been tested for parasites. her waste is slightly watery with white/yellow sacks. Please take a fecal in. Parasites are not something that you want to deal with. It is a cheap test vs what you will spend to try to cure her of them.
screen cage, 4ft high, 1 ft out, 18in wide.
i use a ceramic heat emitter and a daylight bulb. basking spot gets to the high 70's, the bottom of the cage is about 71-72 F. So we typically do not use ceramic heat emitters for chameleons. Think of it this way. It produces no light. In the wild they find their heat source by light. I would switch this out. Also the basking temp is too low. You want it about 83 degrees for her. How are you measuring your temps? You can get a temp gun for 15 bucks off amazon.
What are you using for UVB lighting? This is extremely important. She must have a long linear T5HO fixture with a 5.0 uvb bulb. This fixture should run the length of her cage and sit directly on top. Then her basking must be about 7-8 inches below this fixture for her to have the correct levels of UVB. If she does not have this it will create multiple health issues including eye issues and MBD.
humidity- fogger which is constantly on and the spray bottle. to measure heat and humidity i use a zoo med thermometer humidity gauge. Is the fogger running into her cage or is it just on in the room to up the ambient humidity? What are your humidity levels?
Again no fogging during the day into the cage. This creates not only and environment that never dries out but also creates the perfect situation for her to get a respiratory infection.
i do not use real plants. These are very important not only do they clean the air and help stabilize and provide humidity naturally but they provide places for her to hide and feel safe.
cage is located in my calm bedroom, not near any vents but is near a fan. in new york suburbs.
I am going to give you additional info as well. Please read and listen to these links I give you.
Due to all the husbandry issues I am going to recommend you take her into reptile Vet. There are too many things that could be pointing towards something more serious then just dirt in the eye.
Naturalistic hydration podcast: https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/
There are many many episodes that will help you learn more about your chameleon and its needs.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
my cham is a little over a year old, has been in my care one year since june. female, veiled.
i handle her everyday because she insists. she loves to be around me. This is not typical of Chameleons of any species. We see this most often in chams when their cage is not giving them the proper hiding places, temperature, etc. Please post pics of the entire cage including the lighting fixtures you are using.
i feed her mealworms which i know isnt the best but its the only thing she accepts. i gut-load them with carrots but ive been told that isnt good enough so im going to be adding more veggies like lettuce and kale. every few days i give her bell peppers or any red fruits or veggies (for some reason she only likes red things). i feed her about five worms everyday with reptivite, which ive found to be the best one since shes been on it since she was a baby. Reptivite is actually considered a multivitamin. Can you take a picture so we know which reptivite you are using? As far as the gutload it does have to be improved and you have to get her off mealworms. Essentially think of the mealworm as a cheeto and then you have dubia which would be our version of a steak. They are nutritionally not enough for her and they do not gutload well at all.
i have a fog machine but spray down her cage a few times a day with a spray bottle. she often drinks right from the spray bottle but on a fountain setting. When are you running the fogger and is it a cool mist fogger? These should not be run into the cage during the day. High heat and moist air is a recipe for a respiratory infection. What is the humidity level? As far as the spray bottle... Also not natural which means she is desperate to drink. So either there are no plants to spray that she can drink from or she needs a dripper to give her the water all day when she needs it.
my cham has never been tested for parasites. her waste is slightly watery with white/yellow sacks. Please take a fecal in. Parasites are not something that you want to deal with. It is a cheap test vs what you will spend to try to cure her of them.
screen cage, 4ft high, 1 ft out, 18in wide.
i use a ceramic heat emitter and a daylight bulb. basking spot gets to the high 70's, the bottom of the cage is about 71-72 F. So we typically do not use ceramic heat emitters for chameleons. Think of it this way. It produces no light. In the wild they find their heat source by light. I would switch this out. Also the basking temp is too low. You want it about 83 degrees for her. How are you measuring your temps? You can get a temp gun for 15 bucks off amazon.
What are you using for UVB lighting? This is extremely important. She must have a long linear T5HO fixture with a 5.0 uvb bulb. This fixture should run the length of her cage and sit directly on top. Then her basking must be about 7-8 inches below this fixture for her to have the correct levels of UVB. If she does not have this it will create multiple health issues including eye issues and MBD.
humidity- fogger which is constantly on and the spray bottle. to measure heat and humidity i use a zoo med thermometer humidity gauge. Is the fogger running into her cage or is it just on in the room to up the ambient humidity? What are your humidity levels?
Again no fogging during the day into the cage. This creates not only and environment that never dries out but also creates the perfect situation for her to get a respiratory infection.
i do not use real plants. These are very important not only do they clean the air and help stabilize and provide humidity naturally but they provide places for her to hide and feel safe.
cage is located in my calm bedroom, not near any vents but is near a fan. in new york suburbs.
I am going to give you additional info as well. Please read and listen to these links I give you.
Due to all the husbandry issues I am going to recommend you take her into reptile Vet. There are too many things that could be pointing towards something more serious then just dirt in the eye.
Naturalistic hydration podcast: https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/
There are many many episodes that will help you learn more about your chameleon and its needs.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/caresheets/veiled/
See the feedback I just gave you hun.
