Eyes Bulge out on stalks

[Shinybeetles]

Dear People,

Can anyone help, my male Yemens chameleon has developed a strange thing, his eyes bulge out on stalks when he eats?! They go puffy and a red tissue covers the eyes, they return to normal after a time. The picture hopefully show it to some degree. What is it? I'm sure this is not a good sign....

 

[Rocky]

Well i'm not really sure why an eye would do that, but he may need to goto a vet.

Fill this out and hopefully someone can help you and it will just involve you changing something in your set up

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.

 

[Electric]

I'm not sure I get what you mean by 'on stalks', but your description sounds like what they do when they do the eye cleaning thing, to me. It used to happen to mine sometimes, and the eyes would protrude and look like they were hanging out like in your pictures. I remember thinking 'i know chameleons are supposed to have nice round full eyes, but this just looks weird', but they always went back to normal afterwards.

But if it happens very often, then yeah might be worth keeping an eye on.

 

[veiledchamguy]

Definatley something not good going on there....Something is irriating his eyes suggest showering him....and watch to see if he rolls his eyes around...after that just go see a vet that doesnt look good

Also what kind of lighting are you using Compact ubv bulbs cause cause serious eye issues

the recomended lighting is a reptisun 5.0 linear tube

 

[Shinybeetles]

* Cage Type - Large Viv, part glass (I know people say this isn't a good idea but I've never had any problems with either of my chams, 22ins x 22 ins by 44ins (1 metre height)

* Lighting - Full spectrum UV, daylight hours 14 hours
* Temperature - basking bulb (normal house bulb 100w) Lowest overnight temp- normal room temp. How do you measure these temps, thermom on side of enclosure.
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels- dry How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? Yes, weeping fig (ficus)
* Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas No by a window, but no excessive conditions At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor my stomach height - the enclosure is in 2 sections, female (screened and invisible) on the other, the whole enclosure is way to big to stand on anything.


Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? I received this one as a rescue from a petshop, it's been ok up to now but a year ago it was almost dead (its about 15 months old though not very big)
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? As little as possible
* Feeding - Crickets, gut loaded, beetle larvae. What amount? mostly crickets 4 a day (large)- won't eat any more than this. How are you gut-loading your feeders? T-Rex pellets
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?Repton
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? bottled water twice a day Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings dark with white/yellow ends. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. When I found him, he was so dehydrated, he looked dead (on his side not moving) I took him from the petshop owner and rehydrated him, amazingly, he survived
* Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about. Eyes bulge, they move around inside like a muscle, a red pinky flesh covers the eyes, this never uesed to happen but has for the last few weeks. Hope I'm not a bad Chameleon keeper, I do my best but I'm happy to make changes!

 

[Shinybeetles]

He looks absolutely normal at the moment. It is only when he eats this happens (must emphasis that point),

 

[Sang]

Is it me, or does he look over weight, or have a high fat content, his casque looks super fatty to me.

 

[ciafardo 4]

what are the dam stalks man!!!!!!!!!

Is it me, or does he look over weight, or have a high fat content, his casque looks super fatty to me.

looks normal to me maybe a little over

Is it me, or does he look over weight, or have a high fat content, his casque looks super fatty to me.

his casque does look a little plump but down his spine looks ok

 

[Shinybeetles]

Ok, here are 2 pictures taken day before yesterday, he is healthy I think, not a big male by any means but he had a poor start in life at the hands of a hopeless pet shop owner. He looks normal, it's just when he eats (in the last few weeks) his eyes bulge (shouldn't have said on stalks) but protrude noticeably. My other yem female is super fit. Someone else must have seen this in their cham?

 

[Sang]

ahh, that looks better. maybe he doesn't look so chubby.

WEll, it is truely bizzare. have you done anything differently with food maybe? or changed something in his cage...maybe something is irrittating his eyes.

 

[ciafardo 4]

hes a really handsome guy beetle

 

[Shinybeetles]

I honestly can't think why he is doing it, it looks really bizarre, as he eats the eyes noticeably bulge and then the thick flesh pinkie red blubber moves across the eyes, goes away after a bout 4 minutes after eating. It seems to be a muscle as I felt it gently and it isn't watey, it moves like a muscle. I'll keep an eye on him and see what he does but he doesn't look to be in any pain and it doesn't last .....complete mystery

 

[Eric Adrignola]

The swelling is a result of a nutritional imbalance. The hard part is figuring out what is out of balance!

I have no experience with repton vitamins. Can you list the contents of the vitamins? specifically vitamin A, D3 and calcium?

I have seen this gross bulging of the casque and eyes in obese animals suffering from vitamin A problems - of course, it seems to happen when they get TOO MUCH vitamin A, and TOO LITTLE vitamin A. However, the symptoms usually differe a tad when the animal is vitamin A deficient: I've usually seen swolen eyes (not bulging, with a "stalk" appearence) accompanied with gular swelling (edema). The eyes are in their normal place, but they swell. This guy's eyes are bugging out.

How OFTEN are you giving him repton? is it on every cricket he eats?

 

[Shinybeetles]

No, in fact I think perhaps then I have not been dusting the crickets enough (once a week), should I increase this, and if I do should that help? The casque is definitely bulging a lot

 

[BocaJan]

Did everyone miss your reference to stalking prey? That word stalk is really getting bantered around a bit.