Eye problem please help

[legacy115833]

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - female panther cham that ive had for about 4 months
* Handling - since she has been sick everyday
* Feeding - crickets silkies hornworms dubias
* Supplements -reptical weekly and repticale with d3 weekly reptivite every other week
* Watering - mist alot and dripper system
* Fecal Description - fecals look good urates have been clearing up they had an orange tint while on medication

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - screen cage 24x30
* Lighting - uvb 5.0 and 60w day light
* Temperature - basking is around 90 rest of the cage is in the mid 70's
* Humidity - 50 to 80 percent by misting and live plants
* Plants - umbrella and some bamboo
* Placement - low traffic room about chest hight
* Location - long island NY
Current Problem - i recently had her to a vet to treat a RI she was on injections of antibiotics and wasnt responding well to that so the vet switched her to baytril orally and she responded quickly and the symptoms cleared up and after about another week of having no symptoms i took her off the meds. about a day or two after i noticed some buildup in her eye so i gave her a warm shower and it was gone its been about four days now and ive been having to shower her everyday to get this stuff out of her eye her eye is looking sunken in even though she is getting plenty of water i dont know what this could be seeings as she just went through a round of antibiotics that cleared up her infection any ideas or help would be greatly appreciated

 

[FFSTRescue]

You need to contact your vet in the morning so that he/she can give you sterile saline to flush the eye out and your chameleon also needs to be on eye ointment as the infection spread through the nasolacrimal duct to the eye, causing the purulent discharge (pus). Also, did you have her on the antibiotic as long as was instructed or did you just take her off when you thought she was doing better? If that is the case, that is a big no-no. You need to call the vet in the morning for saline, eye ointment, and more antibiotic. Talk to your veterinarian about "pulse-therapy" for antibiotics in case you did give the antibiotic for the correct amount of time and it came back. Keep the eye gently flushed out with saline to keep the debris from building up and good luck to you

 

[Elizadolots]

FFST why do you think regular saline solution available at the local drug store would not be acceptable? I've always thought that was acceptable, so I am worried that I am wrong.

 

[FFSTRescue]

The regular saline at the drug store is just as good, it is just that vet clinics have saline coming out of their ears they have so much of it. Also, the plasma osmolality of reptile blood is different than human blood and thus the pH is different, so I usually use the 0.45% NaCl (saline) solution when flushing out their eyes as opposed to the human 0.9% NaCl solution. The reptiles don't object as much, I've noticed, when using the 0.45% NaCl as opposed to 0.9%, but most places only carry the 0.9% (which you can always delete half/half with sterile water for injection). It really isn't that big of a deal, just one of the things I am picky about.

 

[justjumpit621]

The regular saline at the drug store is just as good, it is just that vet clinics have saline coming out of their ears they have so much of it. Also, the plasma osmolality of reptile blood is different than human blood and thus the pH is different, so I usually use the 0.45% NaCl (saline) solution when flushing out their eyes as opposed to the human 0.9% NaCl solution. The reptiles don't object as much, I've noticed, when using the 0.45% NaCl as opposed to 0.9%, but most places only carry the 0.9% (which you can always delete half/half with sterile water for injection). It really isn't that big of a deal, just one of the things I am picky about.

My vet only carries rite aid sterile saline solution. I don't think I have ever seen an eye flush saline any different, but there is a saline solution for subQ fluids, I don't know if your thinking of that.

 

[CNorton]

FFSTRescue is spot on with his advice, NEVER quit a round of antibiotics simply because symptoms have cleared up. Always finish the course, just the same as humans.

Warm showers are nice but albeit, a bit tedious. There is no harm in a bit of a longer shower (45mins) and make sure the stream of water is not blasting the chameleon directly. If you can, shut the door and just leave it! The humidity and water will stimulate the cham to get some much needed hydration.

I'm betting the combination of the oral baytril and the recent injections are really dehydrating the chameleon. It can cause a lot of stress as well, leaving the chameleon less prone to drink when it might otherwise drink.

Have you got a dripper going for at least a couple hours daily? Here is a thread from when I first joined this forum.

 

[legacy115833]

well after a few days of searching for a new vet i found an exotic only vet that im so happy i found. since her vet visit rose has been showing improvement everyday. the problem wasnt that she was taken off the baytril it was that the baytril wasnt working on her eye now that she is getting antibiotic drops and an ointment her eye looks so much better. there is less stuff in it everyday and it is returning to its normal size. im so relieved i was freaking out that she would lose her eye or worse thanks to everyone who responded ill be sure to put up another update once she is back to 100 percent and off all the meds

 

[kinyonga]

Glad to hear some good news!