eye problem… dehydration?

[lillouie]

over the past few days i’ve noticed that one of my chams eyes is sunken in and he has been rubbing it on the branch. I’ve been reading that this could be due to dehydration but i have the mistking set to spray or 1-2 minutes every 2 hours. Any advice?

 

[Lindasjackson]

Hi and welcome to the forum! You have a handsome Cham for sure. Doesn’t sound like dehydration, it sounds like he has an eye irritation of some sort. If it were dehydration both eyes would be sunken in and the other eye obviously isn’t sunken in. That vine he’s on is a fake vine and could be the culprit. Sometimes if the cham rubs it’s eyes On it, little pieces actually break off and may irritate the eyes of your Cham. It looks like you have lots of fake plants in his enclosure. It would be best to remove them all and replace with Cham safe all live plants. They help with humidity in your enclosure as well. your Cham will be happier with them to! veiled chams like to eat plants and may decide to eat the fake ones and that would pose an impact ion risk. I’m not an expert so let me try to get some other people to help you.
@Beman @kinyonga @ERKleRose

 

[ERKleRose]

Welcome on here! Exo Terra vines can cause eye issues with their debris. I’d take him to an experienced chameleon vet to check it out. A good 2-5+ minute misting around lights on and off (and can have one late afternoon if needed, along with shorter mistings throughout the night) will be better for him, as well

 

[ERKleRose]

If you want us to help make sure your husbandry is at 100% for him, filling out this form (in the most detail as possible, including pics of his entire enclosure and his lights) will be super helpful!

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.

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Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[kinyonga]

What color are his urates. I don't expect it to be dehydration....something is likely irritating the eye.
What supplements do you use and how often for each?
I'm particularly looking for D3 and the form of vitamin A in them.

 

[Beman]

As already stated I do not suspect dehydration at all. Only one eye is effected. The likely reasons are either supplements being incorrect, UVB incorrect, or something stuck in the eye.

Also this boy is very overweight. I would fill out the form above so you can get thorough feedback to narrow down the issue and any other potential husbandry issues.