Eye problem

[JoeDigiorgio]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male veiled, about 5 months old, had him about 2-3 months.

• Handling - Daily, plus almost always tong fed.
• Feeding - As much as he will eat. A mix of crickets, banana roaches, super worms, and horn worms. Everything but hornworms guy loaded on whatever veggies I have on hand, could be banana, bell peppers, carrots, kale, grapes, strawberries, whatever. I don't use any of the no-no veggies like spinach.
• Supplements- when I dust I use repashy calcium plus, about one or two feelings a week.
• Watering - I hand spray daily.
• Fecal Description - Feces look normal. White urates with solid turds, never had them tested.
• History - captive bred from a local hobbyist selling his babies on Craigslist. Well cared for prior to my care and I think we'll cared for by myself. No previous issues ever.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - typically free ranging in my screened patio but spent the last week inside because of a cold front here in S Florida. Noticed the eye today when feeding him after carrying him back outside. He spent all week in a medium repti breeze with a UVA basking bulb and some orchid trellis for climbing.
• Lighting normally 4-6hrs of natural sun but last week it's been a UVA bulb by zoomed.
• Temperature - night time temp is 76ish and basking temp is around 90, ambient cooler, like mid 80's average.
• Humidity - Have not measured, chameleon appears consistently hydrated and never drinks when sprayed.
• Plants - no live plants were in the reptibreeze this past week.
• Placement - cage was in a spare bedroom. Fan all 24hrs. No traffic except to handle and feed daily.
• Location - south Florida Broward county.

Current Problem - his eye looks like it has a scab on it. This wasn't there yesterday when I fed him. It's not little but he appears to be acting normal, eating and climbing. I'm aware he wasn't happy inside after living the last month on the patio, his colors inside showed it, he was always dark even when basking but now he's back in his ficus on the patio his bright green came back within seconds.

 

[Carlton]

It's hard to tell from the photo, but I would wonder if he bruised himself climbing around trying to get back to his outdoor territory. It should fade and disappear in a couple of days if its a bruise.

 

[JoeDigiorgio]

It doesn't look like a bruise. It definitely looks like the skin broke there but I can't imagine why or how. He didn't shed this week that I'm aware of. Seems like a odd place to get a rub, on the side of the turret like that. I'm going to watch and wait for how and just make sure he gets sprayed thoroughly to keep hydrated and moist.

He's back outside now so he's in good spirits again.

 

[jpowell86]

It almost appears to be a burn. I know that would be a very strange location for a burn, but considering that young chameleons are crazy and always hang from the top of the cage...I think it could happen. I took the pic and blew it up for further examination. The dark area has a white outer lining that to me is indicative of a burn. The only other thing I would think it could be is something fungal, but the area isn't raised in anyway, so I still lean towards burn. It could be an oddly placed bruise like @Carlton said as well.

 

[JoeDigiorgio]

The picture was taken on my iPhone so I zoomed myself as well and noticed that. I thought it looked like the border between live and dead flesh myself. I'm just hoping it gets smaller not bigger over the next few days. I'm just glad he is still eating well.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

I'm on team burn, too. It doesn't look scabbed over like I'd expect from an open injury type wound and the light edges rule out bruise to me.

 

[JoeDigiorgio]

Idk how he could have burned himself there. The lamp wasn't that close to the mesh and it's a crazy spot. If he looks certain directions you can't even see that part of the turret at all.

 

[ZacharyLeesWife]

Idk how he could have burned himself there. The lamp wasn't that close to the mesh and it's a crazy spot. If he looks certain directions you can't even see that part of the turret at all.

I agree, I don't know how on earth he could have done it either. It very well could be a laceration, luckily the treatment is the same... Clean and dry!