Eye problems

[reptimom]

Hey guys, My 13 mos old Sambava Panther, Ranobe, has been having problems with his eyes. About a month ago he started closing his left eye and kept it closed most of the time, rolling it around like it might be bothering him. I started giving him showers and using a saline solution to rinse his eye out. Within a couple of weeks his other eye started bothering him. Now he keeps both eyes closed most of the time. I have been handfeeding him and still put ointment on his eyes to keep them moist. He is in a 18x18x36 aluminium cage (lll reptile) and I have a reptisun 10.0 bulb and a 15w GE plant light on top, along with a 60 watt heat bulb. Temps are normal and humidity is around 50%. No substrates in the cage, but I have noticed tiny black flying bugs in the cage - I have seen them around my aquarium - I think they look for moisture. His weight and color are good and he is eating and drinking. He will occasionally open his eyes, but will quickly shut them and roll them around. Anyone have any advice of what I might try to help him.

 

[summoner12]

try raising up the 10.0 a couple of inches and give him a rinse with saline and if you have terramycin give a drop twice a day, but see if the rinse works first.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Name of Ointment?

What is the name of the Ointment? Terramycin is a good antibiotic ointment made for the eye. It's available over the counter. I've used it for minor irritations. I would not put any ointment in the eyes unless it is made for reptiles and made for the eyes. Human saline solution works fine for chams. If both eyes are having the same issue and it's gotten worse I think a vet visit is in order.

Sounds like you have fungus gnats. I would repot the plant in fresh soil to get rid of them. They can spread to other plants and are a sign that the plant soil is not "healthy" anymore.

 

[jannb]

Amanda, I agree with Catherine. If he's had eye problems for a month he need a vet visit to find out what's going on and get the proper meds for his condition.

 

[summoner12]

if it is crusting over, a good eye rinse is in order. A vet will most likely just rinse it and give you terramycin, which you can do yourself for a lot less than a vet bill.

Also look at your supplements, is your cham geting vit. A? do you use miner-all? repcal?

 

[beeze]

When my cham was closing her eye it was an eye infection and the vet prescribed Gentamicin and she started keeping her eye open within a week of using the Gentamicin. I'm not saying your cham has an infection, it could be a number of things. I'd say a vet visit to diagnose the problem.

 

[nhoj6465]

My Vet gave me Tobramycin 1drop 3x day and lubricating eye drops between the antibiotics. It seems to help a lil I have to get a q tip and wipe off film that is on the eye everyday. She recommened getting a fogger to help with the humidity.

 

[summoner12]

My Vet gave me Tobramycin 1drop 3x day and lubricating eye drops between the antibiotics. It seems to help a lil I have to get a q tip and wipe off film that is on the eye everyday. She recommened getting a fogger to help with the humidity.

I think three times a day is overkill...

 

[nhoj6465]

I think three times a day is overkill...

What is your recommendation?

 

[summoner12]

What is your recommendation?

I would get saline solution.. search the forum, there are a couple of threads about what to get. You want basic saline... nothing complex (anti eye redness or whatever they add to the solution). You should clean the eye out by gently putting a stream of saline into the eye. it will swell up with fluid... kind of angle the stream of fluid around in the eye to get the gunk loose. then let the animal clean it's eye by sloshing the fluid around and stuff... you've seen your cham clean it's eye right? after the animal gets things back to normal I would apply the medication. The cham will do an eye clean again moving the medication around.... by bulging it's eye. I would do the eye cleaning once a day and apply the medication twice a day.

The best way to rinse the chams eye is to lay down a towel, hold the cham firm, on its side and place it's head on the towel. if you use a firm grip and are sure of yourself the cham should just go limp and let you do what you need to do. if you are too gentle and let the cham struggle you won't get anywhere. My vet did this to one of my veileds who is a super pain... in the hands of my vet he just went with the flow. once done, then let the animal perch on a stick or vine to regain itself. I see the same vet many locals see, so this isn't some fly by night kind of guy, he knows his stuff and has his own practice and hospital, so I trust him.

Maybe someone has more input on the medication.... but you don't wanna over do it, and three times a day seems a bit much. Chams aren't THAT tough where I am comfy to hit them hard with medication.

 

[Red Island]

When his eyes did open, were they clear or opaque/cloudy looking ?

 

[kinyonga]

You said... you use a reptisun 10.0 bulb and a 15w GE plant light...is the plant light a wide or full spectrum light? Does it give light outside the range needed by a chameleon? Maybe you should try turning that light off to see if it makes a difference with the eyes?