Eyes won’t open and general help pls!

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]

Hey! I’m new to this forum I have a 3 and a half month old chameleon named Cornelius Fudge. Recently (over the last few weeks) he has had his eyes closed. He is moving around just fine and healthy overall. I believe it’s an issue with either his misting schedule or his UVB light. I can’t find any super reliable info online about what I should do. I’m right now moving him to his permanent tank (he is right now in a glass tank, his new one is mesh) and I’m moving so my misting schedule hasn’t been great. But I also noticed it happen when I finally got his UVB light a few months ago. It’s been a problem off and on. I guess I need 1) advice on how to fix this problem and 2) general advice for care. I have 12 other reptiles but I’ve never had a chameleon before and he was sort of a last minute purchase which in retrospect wasn’t the best idea ?. Thank you for any advice!!

 

[kinyonga]

Photos please.

 

[kinyonga]

What UVB light are you using? Is it a long linear tube light or one of the curly ones or what? Brand?

 

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]

What UVB light are you using? Is it a long linear tube light or one of the curly ones or what? Brand?

sorry for the lack of info. It’s a curly light, 100 watt exoterra UVB light I believe. It was a left over uvb light. I’ve been planning on buying a new one, but with the moving and then the social quarantine in my area for the COVID-19 (I live in Washington state) I haven’t gotten one yet. What UVB light would you suggest?

 

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]

sorry for the lack of info. It’s a curly light, 100 watt exoterra UVB light I believe. It was a left over uvb light. I’ve been planning on buying a new one, but with the moving and then the social quarantine in my area for the COVID-19 (I live in Washington state) I haven’t gotten one yet. What UVB light would you suggest?

Sorry I meant to say 26 watt

 

[kinyonga]

For many years I've used a long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light. Some UVB lights can cause eye issues. It might not be the bulb but I would still change it. Are the eyes shut all he time?

If you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread near the top of the health forum I can look at the rest of the husbandry and see if anything else might be part of the problem.

Darn covid19, eh? We're all trying to stay home where I live too. Even though we don't have as big a problem as the states does so far.

 

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]

For many years I've used a long linear reptisun 5.0 tube light. Some UVB lights can cause eye issues. It might not be the bulb but I would still change it. Are the eyes shut all he time?

If you answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread near the top of the health forum I can look at the rest of the husbandry and see if anything else might be part of the problem.

Darn covid19, eh? We're all trying to stay home where I live too. Even though we don't have as big a problem as the states does so far.

Okay tomorrow my mom is going out to get bugs so I’ll make a list of things. I’m planning on moving him to the new cage ASAP for his health. His eyes are closed all the time. I’ll fill out the form and send some photos. I can’t send many until the morning. He’s sleeping right now. Give me a few minutes and I’ll get it filled out

 

[kinyonga]

Ok...ill stay online for a while longer.

 

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]

• Your Chameleon: Veiled Chameleon; male I believe; 3 ½ months; been in my care for 3 ish months
• Handling: I handle him about once/twice a week. He doesn’t mind being handled but I only do when I need to take care of him. With the shut eyes I’ve had to take him out a bit to try to feed him and get him water and such
• Feeding: I feed him a mixture of crickets dusted in calcium and gut-loaded, Dubia roaches, wax worms, small superworms, calciworms, and mealworms. He doesn’t eat very often but he is growing and looks healthy. He isn’t dehydrated or skinny. I don’t know what’s up. I guy load the crickets and worms with the orange and green cube things.
• Supplements: I’m not exactly sure the brand because my mom usually does that. Sorry. Tomorrow I’ll find out. Since we are moving we have reptiles at three different houses/apartments. Our new apartment doesn’t allow reptiles so we snuck my chameleon in and the other 12 are at my grandpas house and our old house. It’s chaos
• Watering: I mist spray and fog his tank. I most between 5-30 minutes 3-6 times a day. I see him drinking. I actually have to drop water into his mouth using my weird “coke-nail” because he can’t open his eyes
• Fecal Description: small light/dark brown log limp with a white urinate. They are solid but swish a little bit of I clean them right when he goes. Sorry, kinda gross ?
• History: I actually got him from PetSmart (I know that’s really bad all my other retired/amphibians are from breeders or rescue centers) we got him on a whim when we were at PetSmart buying crickets. There was this cute little chameleon and he was looking at me and now I have a chameleon. He has been healthy though. He occasionally won’t open his eyes but misting more usually helps. But this time it hasn’t been. I’m hoping a new set up with brand new stuff will help.
• Cage Type: glass currently. But moving to a much larger screen cage. It’s a 12x12x18.
• Lighting: one basking bulb (don’t know the wattage but like 80?) I need to buy a new bulb but I don’t know what wattage to get. I have the 26 watt UVB. One black night bulb but I have turned it off for tonight after doing some reading.
• Temperature: 85-90F basking spot 74F ground. Night low temp 60F I measure using a thermometer in the tank and one of the lazier point temperature gauges (sorry I sound like an idiot I’m awful with remembering the names of things)
• Humidity: 60-90% (it’s higher right now because of the eye problems. Usually it would be at 50-70%). I mist and use a fogged. I measure with a humidity gauge.
• Plants: all plastic
• Placement: before a few days a go he was in a reptile room with humidifiers and ventilation for them. Now in an unventilated closet. I keep it open and my door open through the day to ventilate as much as possible. He is in a table so cage top is at about 4ft 5
• I’m located in Eastern Washington specifically Spokane Valley, WA
• Current Problem: shut eyes like they are glued and general care
• Ps sorry for the emojis on the photo I took this photo earlier today and put it on my Snapchat so it has trashy teenage emoji shit
  
  
  

 

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]

Sorry for all the bad spelling, it’s really late and I keep hitting the word bar above the keyboard while I type

 

[kinyonga]

Don't worry about the spelling.

There is something going on with the eyes from the way they look...could just be as simple as the light.
Now I'm going to reply to the questions. It will take a few minutes.

 

[kinyonga]

• Your Chameleon: Veiled Chameleon; male I believe; 3 ½ months; been in my care for 3 ish months
• Handling: I handle him about once/twice a week. He doesn’t mind being handled but I only do when I need to take care of him. With the shut eyes I’ve had to take him out a bit to try to feed him and get him water and such when feeding him...how do you get the insect in his mouth when his eyes are shut? How do you give him the water?
• Feeding: I feed him a mixture of crickets dusted in calcium and gut-loaded, Dubia roaches, wax worms, small superworms, calciworms, and mealworms. He doesn’t eat very often but he is growing and looks healthy. He isn’t dehydrated or skinny. I don’t know what’s up. I guy load the crickets and worms with the orange and green cube things. This is a good variety go easy on the waxworms...they are fatty. Not too many supers either and I would not use mealworms. BSFL are a good choice and silkworms when he's a little bigger. The cube things aren't very good. I use dandelion greens, collards, kale, endive, mustard greens, squash, sweet red pepper, zucchini, sweet potato, and Avery little bit of apples, pears, melon, berries to gutload crickets, superworms, roaches, etc.
• Supplements: I’m not exactly sure the brand because my mom usually does that. Sorry. Tomorrow I’ll find out. Since we are moving we have reptiles at three different houses/apartments. Our new apartment doesn’t allow reptiles so we snuck my chameleon in and the other 12 are at my grandpas house and our old house. It’s chaos I hope the chaos is over soon. Let me know the supplements. I'm particularly interested in the D3 and source of vitamin A (retinol, retinyl, retinal, beta carotene). How often do you use each ones?
• Watering: I mist spray and fog his tank. I most between 5-30 minutes 3-6 times a day. I see him drinking. I actually have to drop water into his mouth using my weird “coke-nail” because he can’t open his eyes I don't know what a coke nail is...but I would drop water one drop at a time onto the end of his nose and let him drink in what he needs. Drop it at the rate of one or two drips per second. Be careful not to get it into his lungs.
• Fecal Description: small light/dark brown log limp with a white urinate. They are solid but swish a little bit of I clean them right when he goes. Sorry, kinda gross ? white means hydrated.
• History: I actually got him from PetSmart (I know that’s really bad all my other retired/amphibians are from breeders or rescue centers) we got him on a whim when we were at PetSmart buying crickets. There was this cute little chameleon and he was looking at me and now I have a chameleon. He has been healthy though. He occasionally won’t open his eyes but misting more usually helps. But this time it hasn’t been. I’m hoping a new set up with brand new stuff will help.
• Cage Type: glass currently. But moving to a much larger screen cage. It’s a 12x12x18.
• Lighting: one basking bulb (don’t know the wattage but like 80?) I need to buy a new bulb but I don’t know what wattage to get. I have the 26 watt UVB. One black night bulb but I have turned it off for tonight after doing some reading. For a basking bulb you can use a regular household incandescent bulb of a wattage that produces a temperature just between 80F and 83F and ditch the black light. Also don't have any light on at night ...they can take temperatures down into the low 60's F at that age.
• Temperature: 85-90F basking spot 74F ground. Night for now...when he's a little older it can be a little warmer.low temp 60F I measure using a thermometer in the tank and one of the lazier point temperature gauges (sorry I sound like an idiot I’m awful with remembering the names of things) Basking temperature is a little high for this age.
• Humidity: 60-90% (it’s higher right now because of the eye problems. Usually it would be at 50-70%). I mist and use a fogged. I measure with a humidity gauge.
• Plants: all plastic real is important for veileds because they eat vegetation from time to time.
• Placement: before a few days a go he was in a reptile room with humidifiers and ventilation for them. Now in an unventilated closet. I keep it open and my door open through the day to ventilate as much as possible. He is in a table so cage top is at about 4ft 5 I'd keep it open at night too.
• I’m located in Eastern Washington specifically Spokane Valley, WA
• Current Problem: shut eyes like they are glued and general care
• Ps sorry for the emojis on the photo I took this photo earlier today and put it on my Snapchat so it has trashy teenage emoji shit
  
  

Hope this helps.

 

[kinyonga]

I have to sign off now. Sorry.

 

[PolyStyreneEatsGlue]