Help! baby chameleon has his eye shut

[Kristin919]

should i take the subsrate out? the pet store recommended it to increase the humidity, i also feed him from a cup, so free range crickets

 

[Kristin919]

No substrate, he could easily impact after he eats it. For extra humidity you should be misting four times a day for around 4 or 5 minutes, it should easily keep him happy. Shower should be for at least 20 minutes.

so no* free range crickets

 

[Kristin919]

No substrate, he could easily impact after he eats it. For extra humidity you should be misting four times a day for around 4 or 5 minutes, it should easily keep him happy. Shower should be for at least 20 minutes.

is the carpet/mat subsrate ok to have in the cage?

 

[Andee]

Yes every advanced chameleon keeper would recommend taking it out, crickets get loose and he will hunt them down. The only safe soil to use is bio active soil which needs a glass cage usually and lots of work.

 

[Andee]

Most people don't use carpets because they get moldy and attract bacteria

 

[Kristin919]

Most people don't use carpets because they get moldy and attract bacteria

ok, so i should have no subsrate what so ever? then what do i put on the bottom to catch all the water and whatnot

 

[Andee]

Most people have nothing on the bottom, some people use a single layer of paper towels. But it's recommended to drill holes in the bottom of your enclosure and then place a drainage bin underneath it. Mine are made out of cut sterilite bins

 

[Kristin919]

Most people have nothing on the bottom, some people use a single layer of paper towels. But it's recommended to drill holes in the bottom of your enclosure and then place a drainage bin underneath it. Mine are made out of cut sterilite bins

i just fed him a horn worm, his eyes were shut but he opened the one eye to eat then closed it right after.

 

[Kristin919]

Most people have nothing on the bottom, some people use a single layer of paper towels. But it's recommended to drill holes in the bottom of your enclosure and then place a drainage bin underneath it. Mine are made out of cut sterilite bins

you know what, i remmebered, he fell into his feeder cup 2 days ago and got calcium dust on him, could it have gotten in his eye???

 

[Andee]

Very possible, if he did he will need a shower.

 

[Kristin919]

Very possible, if he did he will need a shower.

how does the eye get washed out? by the steam or do droplets hit him? i dont spray him directly right even to flush his eye out

 

[Andee]

The droplets should bounce off the wall and onto him and his plant, he will figure out where to maneuver himself to get the most of it.

 

[Kristin919]

The droplets should bounce off the wall and onto him and his plant, he will figure out where to maneuver himself to get the most of it.

his eye is still closed today

 

[Kristin919]

i turned the UVB bulb off and he opened his eyes and they've been open now. do you think it's the UVB bulb and its too strong??

 

[Kristin919]

The droplets should bounce off the wall and onto him and his plant, he will figure out where to maneuver himself to get the most of it.

^

 

[Andee]

Probably very likely. My chameleon is also very sensitive to artificial lighting.

 

[Kristin919]

He closed his we again, I gave him a shower and he opened his eye for a few hours but it's shut again

 

[Kristin919]

He closed his we again, I gave him a shower and he opened his eye for a few hours but it's shut again

Eye*

 

[Andee]

Ok, so this is what happened to my chameleon when I used too strong of a basking bulb, it ended up causing almost a sunburn in his eyes. It took about 2 months to heal. During that time I had to switch back to a regular 60 watt basking bulb and turn off his uvb. He did often switch from open eye to closed eye. But it did get better. He started keeping his eyes open longer and longer, until he no longer closes them. I am now ready to put his uvb back on once I finish cleaning his, right now health problems of my own are getting in the way. In order to get his needed uvb he goes out for at least 3 or 4 hours in the morning for at least 5 days out of the week when the sun is good. Since the uvb hasn't been on long you should be able to heal his eyes quicker... I would suggest using an older uvb, if you have other reptiles maybe taking one of theirs. Or turning on the uvb and letting it stay on, off his cage for a couple months or more so it reduces in potency.

 

[Kristin919]

Ok, so this is what happened to my chameleon when I used too strong of a basking bulb, it ended up causing almost a sunburn in his eyes. It took about 2 months to heal. During that time I had to switch back to a regular 60 watt basking bulb and turn off his uvb. He did often switch from open eye to closed eye. But it did get better. He started keeping his eyes open longer and longer, until he no longer closes them. I am now ready to put his uvb back on once I finish cleaning his, right now health problems of my own are getting in the way. In order to get his needed uvb he goes out for at least 3 or 4 hours in the morning for at least 5 days out of the week when the sun is good. Since the uvb hasn't been on long you should be able to heal his eyes quicker... I would suggest using an older uvb, if you have other reptiles maybe taking one of theirs. Or turning on the uvb and letting it stay on, off his cage for a couple months or more so it reduces in potency.

It's fall here and it's cold outside, I can't put him outside for sunlight, his cage is right in front of a window and I don't know if that would be enough UVB, I would hate to not give him enough UVB, I also don't know where I could get an old UVB bulb. Should I just buy a light bracket and lift the light off the top of his cage so it's more spread out? That seems like the best I can do right now