Eye problem

[Taylor_duncann]

Hi all! I recently got my veiled chameleon and he’s doing absolutely great. He’s eating well moving around in his cage and urinating perfectly fine too. I have noticed that his left eye has been closed a lot through the day the past few days. He is going through shit currently, but I’m afraid that something is wrong with his eye. I called the vet today but wasn’t able to talk to the exotic vet because he wasn’t in. My chameleons I currently is slightly swollen and shut with slight gray bag underneath. He does open and close it through the day, but most of the time it is closed. His diet includes gut filled crickets, greens and fruits. I gave him a shower last night, and it seemed to help but his eye was back to being shut in the morning. Has anyone had issues like these before that could give me some pointers?

 

[Serbianchameleon]

Can you fill out this form? How do you mean gave him a shower?




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.

 

[Taylor_duncann]

• Your Chameleon - I have had it less than a week, veiled chameleon
• Handling - I haven’t handled him much unless needed.
• Feeding - I feed him musterd greens, apple, mealworms(every other day) and gut filled crickets. I gut fill them with Apple, muster greens and also a gut fill tablet. He is fed once a day, in the morning.
• Supplements - I use repti calcium Dust without D3. I use this everyday and exo terra multi vitamin dust, once a week (I used it today)
• Watering - I hand mist, three times a day. The mists are 2-5 minutes. I most my Cham for 1 1/2-2 minutes once a day. He has been drinking great, his urine has been white like I should be.
• Fecal Description - The pet store said he tested negative for parasites. His fecal droppings have all been a darker color.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - i have a glass/screen combo.
• Lighting - I have my lights set up for 9 am to 9:30 pm (When sun goes down)
• Temperature - day temp: 80-85 basking- 90 night temp-70-75
• Humidity - 70-80%
• Plants - I am currently using fake plants until I move him into a larger cage I am getting (when he gets a little bigger)
• Placement - in our spare bedroom currently. Low traffic
• Location - indiana
• Current problem: left eye has been closed more than open. It isn’t swollen, but has a brown color under the eye. He does open it through the day, but it is usually closed when I see him. I noticed that he has been rubbing his eye on his leaves and he also rubbed it on my hand. He is currently in shed, but haven’t seen any shed on his head yet. I have called the vet, but won’t be able to get in till late next week.

 

[MissSkittles]

Can you post a pic of your whole enclosure?

 

[MissSkittles]

Not sure I can help about his eye, but I can/am reviewing your husbandry. My responses are in red.

• Your Chameleon - I have had it less than a week, veiled chameleon
• Handling - I haven’t handled him much unless needed.
• Feeding - I feed him musterd greens, apple, mealworms(every other day) and gut filled crickets. I gut fill them with Apple, muster greens and also a gut fill tablet. He is fed once a day, in the morning. Mealworms aren’t a good staple feeder...hard to digest. Your cham doesn’t need the veggies or fruit. Will attach info graphic on feeders & gutloading.
• Supplements - I use repti calcium Dust without D3. I use this everyday and exo terra multi vitamin dust, once a week (I used it today) The calcium without D3 is good on every feeding. The multivitamin should be just once every other week. You’ll also need to give calcium with D3 once every other week (alternating with the multivitamin)
• Watering - I hand mist, three times a day. The mists are 2-5 minutes. I most my Cham for 1 1/2-2 minutes once a day. He has been drinking great, his urine has been white like I should be.
• Fecal Description - The pet store said he tested negative for parasites. His fecal droppings have all been a darker color.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - i have a glass/screen combo. What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - I have my lights set up for 9 am to 9:30 pm (When sun goes down) What kind of lights are you using? What type and strength is your uvb?
• Temperature - day temp: 80-85 basking- 90 night temp-70-75 90 is a bit too hot for a little guy. Basking shouldn’t get above around 82 at his size.
• Humidity - 70-80% Much too humid for the daytime. Humidity should be no higher than 50% during the day. At night when it’s cooler, it can go as high as 100%.
• Plants - I am currently using fake plants until I move him into a larger cage I am getting (when he gets a little bigger) Live plants are always best, especially for veileds. They nibble their plants and have been known to eat fake leaves, which can cause impaction. Pothos, schedulers, dracaena, weeping fig are just a few which are safe.
• Placement - in our spare bedroom currently. Low traffic
• Location - indiana
• Current problem: left eye has been closed more than open. It isn’t swollen, but has a brown color under the eye. He does open it through the day, but it is usually closed when I see him. I noticed that he has been rubbing his eye on his leaves and he also rubbed it on my hand. He is currently in shed, but haven’t seen any shed on his head yet. I have called the vet, but won’t be able to get in till late next week.

Has his eye been like this the whole time that you’ve had him? My first thought would be that there’s something in it, like stuck shed or other small particle. I’m not an advocate of showering chams, as what we think is lukewarm can be really hot for them. I would suggest giving him a good long misting. Not to spray him directly, but more like a gentle ‘rain’ over him in the hopes he can clean his eye. If you can answer the questions I’ve asked, it may give more insight into other possible causes. Another member more experienced than me may have better input for you too.

 

[kinyonga]

What is the form of vitamin A in its vitamins....does it say beta carotene or words like retinol, palmitate, acetate, retinyl, etc?
Does it have D3 in it?

 

[Grayson Payne]

What is the form of vitamin A in its vitamins....does it say beta carotene or words like retinol, palmitate, acetate, retinyl, etc?
Does it have D3 in it?

What is the difference in types of Vitamin A? What works best and why?

 

[kinyonga]

There are two types of vitamin A...prOformed and prEformed.

PrOformed is carotenoids...usually beta carotene and the body is supposed to convert only as much as is needed.
However...it's not certain that all/any chameleons can convert it or convert enough of it so they might develop hypovitwminosis A symptoms if they can't convert enough or any. Carotenoids come from plant/vegetation sources. PrOformed sources can not build up in the system and overdose the chameleon.

Then there's the prEformed...these are "animal" sources....retinol, retinyl, retinal, acetate, palmitate are words you'll find that indicate it's prEformed. PrEformed is ready to go...it's already "real" vitamin A....so it can build up in the system and lead to an overdose....which is why we are careful with it. Insects have vitamin A but not usually enough.

Now if that's not enough...there is another thing that plays into this...D3. D3 and vitamin A need to be in balance or it will result in health issues such as MBD.

Both vitamin A and vitamin D3 are fat soluble so also need fat stores in the chameleons body to store in.

Just my opinion...no scientific proof...but I think veileds don't need us to supplement them with prEformed vitamin A if their other supplements are good and their insects are well fed and gutloaded properly. Remember...it's just my opinion from my experience and that of others.

@Grayson Payne hope this helps.

Sorry to but into your thread @Taylor_duncann but this might be of interest to you too.