Eye Problem

[plush3r]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - panther, male, 4-5 months
Handling - twice a week
Feeding - Supers, wax worms
Supplements - starting to use calcium + d3
Watering - mist twice a day
Fecal Description - normal, normal urate
History - not much of an appetite ever. eye has been irritated for awhile

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 2x2x5 home built screen
Lighting - reptiglo 10.0
Temperature - around 70
Humidity - n/a
Plants - bonsai plant
Placement - On the floor in my bedroom
Location - Irvine, CA

Current Problem -
1.He seems to be blinded in one eye. a layer of brown stuff covering the eyeball
2.not eating, was dehydrated until i showered him, and he's only active after a shower.

How do I address his eating problem? Is there anyway I can hand feed him?

 

[carol5208]

don't you have a basking light in there? 70 is kinda low on your all around temp and your cham has to have somewhere to warm up to digest his food. Also, I would not use a 10.0. Get a reptisun 5.0 tube, not the compact. It may be what is causing the eye issues. He might not be eating cause of the temps. Also you need THREE supplements to dust your feeders, calcium without d3 every feeding, calcium with d3 twice a month and a multivitamin twice a month also.

 

[carol5208]

Also, get the cage off the floor of your bedroom and elevate it someway. They like to be up high and it is always colder on the floor unless you have your heat registers coming out from the floor and not the ceiling.

 

[carol5208]

Also you should be feeding crickets, how big are the supers you are feeding him? Maybe they are too big. your cham does not look good,I hate to tell you.

 

[carol5208]

you also should have a dripper going for extra hydration and alls you have in that big of an enclousre is a bonsai plant?. Humidity is important so you better get some more live plants in there and get something to find out what the heck your humidity levels are at.

 

[carol5208]

how long have you had him and how long has his eye been like this?

 

[plush3r]

his eye has only started glazing over like that recently. it has been irritated for awhile though, so i've been trying to mist him often to help him heal it. I have had him since september

 

[carol5208]

do you have a basking light???????????????? 70 is too cold with no basking light!

 

[plush3r]

I do not have another fixture. So I have to either choose the basking light bulb or the reptiglo

 

[carol5208]

well you need to get another fixture! You can buy a cheap dome at home depot or lowes and use an ordinary housebulb like a 40 watt. Position a branch or vine about 8 inches underneath. The reptiglo barely gives off any heat. Your cham needs to be able to warm up to digest its food properly. Also most of us use the Reptisun 5.0 tube. Is your light a tube or compact? Are you saying also for 3 months you have not been using any supplements? I wish you would post a pic of your set up also. What does the urate(the white part of your chams poop) look like. With the temps getting colder even though you live in California you have to have somewhere for your cham to warm up. I cannot stress that enough!

 

[plush3r]

I will take all of this into account tomorrow when the stores are open. Thank you for your help in improving the health of my chameleon. I have been using mostly multivitamin, but lately I have been alternating it. I believe the bulb is this one:

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/produ...07csegb&ref=3312&subref=AA&CAWELAID=691917022

 

[carol5208]

Oh my gosh! That is TOTALLY the wrong bulb! Number one it says Desert which means it is for desert animals. Chameleons come from the rain forests. Number two it is a compact bulb which have been known to cause eye issues, number three it is a 10.0 and a 5.0 is more recomended. Please change out that bulb immediately. Get a Reptisun 5.0 tube light and the basking bulb. Get a dripper so you can run hydration all day to your chameleon. Keep misting, 3 times a day for 3-5 minutes to bring up the humidity. I would also like to see a picture of your set up to see if it needs any changes.

 

[carol5208]

That multivitamin, I don't know which one you are using, but only give that to your chameleon twice amonth. It is critical for you to get calcium without d3 and start dusting your feeders. There is a thing called MBD(metabolic bone disease) and a lack of calcium can cause this. Please get that right away! Honestly, I am surprised your chameleon has survived this long. I know it is not your fault, because you did not know and thought you were doing what was best. It would help to post some better pics of your chameleon's eye. It could be damaged from the light. I don't know that for certain. you may have to get your cham to a vet for the eye and get some meds. By changing the things I told you, you hopefully will see a turn around but you must do it right away..