EYE problem

[melvin666]

my chameleons been squinting his one eye for a few days now,
he's rolling his eye around his socket like he's got somethign in it.
ive given him two warm showers, ive kinda flushed his eye. what do i do? where can i get this terramycin or rept-aid? is this the stuff i need? help? advice? Thanks!

 

[tburgcris]

I hope that they just have a [iece of dust in their eye for an infection would suck. My cham had something in their eye once and I picked them up and misted making sure I flushed the eye. This was maybe a month ago and he's been fine since. Good luck, I am hoping for the best...

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Greetings, and sorry to hear about your guy's eye.

First we should maybe see if there is something in his environment causing the problem. Lighting is the first question, and specifically what type of UVB bulb you are using. If you are using a compact or coil type UVB bulb it can cause this problem. Studies have shown that type of bulb to be dangerous to chameleons, even causing death. The linear (long narrow) bulbs are what is recommended. Such as a Reptisun 5.0. Are you using coil or linear?

A photo of your chameleon would be very helpful.

Also, please answer these husbandry questions. It will help folks here determine what may be up with your cham's eyes. They are typical questions we have all answered at one time or another when asking for help:

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful

 

[melvin666]

There are mites in my soil, which came from the rotting wet wood (stand for plant). I am going to change the soil to see if that helps. Any ideas on soil types?

 

[melvin666]

Greetings, and sorry to hear about your guy's eye.

First we should maybe see if there is something in his environment causing the problem. Lighting is the first question, and specifically what type of UVB bulb you are using. If you are using a compact or coil type UVB bulb it can cause this problem. Studies have shown that type of bulb to be dangerous to chameleons, even causing death. The linear (long narrow) bulbs are what is recommended. Such as a Reptisun 5.0. Are you using coil or linear?

A photo of your chameleon would be very helpful.

Also, please answer these husbandry questions. It will help folks here determine what may be up with your cham's eyes. They are typical questions we have all answered at one time or another when asking for help:

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful

linear UVB, 50 watt repti basking spot lamp. my digital thermometer (flukers) stopped working so ive got no readings on humidity, basking spot is around 80. he's in an all screen enclosure, pathos plant.
one or two year old panther cham..
now both eyes are usually shut, one still opens regularly.
yesterday i used "turtle eye drops." it looks cheap and ineffective to me, what do you think? should i ditch it and go get terramycin drops for cows from the farm store? and dilute it?

 

[Dave Weldon]

linear UVB
...basking spot is around 80.
...one or two year old panther cham...
now both eyes are usually shut, one still opens regularly.
yesterday i used "turtle eye drops."
...get terramycin drops for cows from the farm store? and dilute it?

Howdy,

Many keepers often discover that "eye problems" aren't eye problems at all. Think of a chameleon closing their eye(s) more like a human wincing (winc•ing: To shrink or start involuntarily, as in pain or distress). He may be expressing his overall health condition rather than something as specific as an eye infection. An eye infection is still a possibility but it may be leading you away from the real underlying problem. Looking at the husbandry fundamentals is the first order of business. Things that I'm wondering about are:

He's "one or two years-old". How long has he been in your care?

The exact mfgr/make/model of your UVB linear tube.

Unanswered from the questions link:
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?

"His basking spot is around 80." That seems a bit on the low side. More insightful is how warm is his body getting while at that basking spot. A typical adult Panther or Veiled will often continue to bask with a skin/body temp of 90F-100F as measured using an infrared digital temp "gun" measuring the skin an in away. It is just as important to insure that your chameleon gets up to full operating temp as it is being sure that he can't get burned while basking. A quick way to check the basking area is to stick the back of your hand there for a minute. Your hand should feel pleasantly warm and not painfully hot. At least you'll know that you are in the ballpark of basking temps.

The Turtle Eye Drops address the eye problems that some turtles get because of a vitamin A deficiency: (Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops) "Use gentle, effective Repti Turtle Eye Drops to open and clean inflamed eyes, and as a preventative for eye diseases caused by Vitamin A deficiency. " Vitamin A may be an issue with your chameleon but there are many other sources of health issues to eliminate first.

The Terramycin drops may or may not be called for as mentioned above. You'll have to sort-out the dilution issues if you choose to use the "cow" drops.

PHOTOS! Photos will go a long way to help sorting out his enclosure issues. Photos of him and close-ups of the eye would be useful too.

 

[melvin666]

Howdy,

Many keepers often discover that "eye problems" aren't eye problems at all. Think of a chameleon closing their eye(s) more like a human wincing (winc•ing: To shrink or start involuntarily, as in pain or distress). He may be expressing his overall health condition rather than something as specific as an eye infection. An eye infection is still a possibility but it may be leading you away from the real underlying problem. Looking at the husbandry fundamentals is the first order of business. Things that I'm wondering about are:

He's "one or two years-old". How long has he been in your care?

The exact mfgr/make/model of your UVB linear tube.

Unanswered from the questions link:
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?

"His basking spot is around 80." That seems a bit on the low side. More insightful is how warm is his body getting while at that basking spot. A typical adult Panther or Veiled will often continue to bask with a skin/body temp of 90F-100F as measured using an infrared digital temp "gun" measuring the skin an in away. It is just as important to insure that your chameleon gets up to full operating temp as it is being sure that he can't get burned while basking. A quick way to check the basking area is to stick the back of your hand there for a minute. Your hand should feel pleasantly warm and not painfully hot. At least you'll know that you are in the ballpark of basking temps.

The Turtle Eye Drops address the eye problems that some turtles get because of a vitamin A deficiency: (Zoo Med Repti Turtle Eye Drops) "Use gentle, effective Repti Turtle Eye Drops to open and clean inflamed eyes, and as a preventative for eye diseases caused by Vitamin A deficiency. " Vitamin A may be an issue with your chameleon but there are many other sources of health issues to eliminate first.

The Terramycin drops may or may not be called for as mentioned above. You'll have to sort-out the dilution issues if you choose to use the "cow" drops.

PHOTOS! Photos will go a long way to help sorting out his enclosure issues. Photos of him and close-ups of the eye would be useful too.

so i'm using a tube repti sun 8.0 (uvb)
Recently ive been worried about the misting cooling his tempature (even tho i use warm water). when i spray i dont spray on him, but around, for a minute or two, i dont want to soak the enclosure.
Ive put him in the shower every day this week for 20 min a day. it seems to be the best ive done for him.
I have a plant stand in the cage. it holds the plant pot in the upper section of his enclosure. its a pathos so it all hangs down. the plant stand is made of WOOD, untreated wood. it started rotting recently and i noticed there were small white insects ("mites"?) and he is usually up there since his basking lamp is up there.
I just trashed the plant and put a new pathos with clean peat moss in it. So... hopefully no more mites!

oh and yes, im using the zoo med turtle drops..

Unanswered from the questions link:
Feeding - SUPERWORMS, who are eating grain cereal, potatoes, and occaisionally misc. fruit/veggies

What amount? for the past 3 days... NOTHING. all my worms froze in my garage, BUT luckily i just got a new shipment in today.

What is the schedule?
i feed him around once at noon.
Should i change his light cycle to match the one he notices outside? I have, excpet i keep the light on till 7 (sun goes down at 5:30)

How are you gut-loading your feeders? cereal and potatoes

Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? [b/]

i dust every day with mullti vitamins (dont know the brand, cant locate it). I just switched to REP CAL (HERPTIVITE with beta carotene)

Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?

i have a dripper that drips over only a few inches of leaves in front of his basking spot. i keep it full as much as possible and it drips a slow rate all day.

Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
never been tested, hasnt pooped as much as he used to (tho he hasnt ate as much either). Ill give you a better answer as soon as i can. And with a picture.

thank you so much!

 

[melvin666]

and occaisionally he gets wheezy!

 

[melvin666]

and now hes not moving very much at all! what the heck do i do?

 

[THECHAMMAN]

wayyyyyy to much vits. only 1-2x a month. repcal calcium w/o d3 every day, and w/ d3 1-2x a month.

 

[THECHAMMAN]

wheezing may indicat an upper respiratory infection or URI