help with getting a baby Trioceros Sternfeldis eye to open

[christineacero]

My female gave birth to 8 babies yesterday morning and since, 2 have passed, but the other 6 seem to be doing well. One of the babies has only 1 eye open and can't seem to get the other one opened. He's been rubbing it on the branch a lot. Tonight, I tried to help with a small qtip and warm water, as well as bringing him into the shower with steam for about 20 minutes. Still won't open. Any other suggestions on how to help this little guy out??

 

[christineacero]

any thoughts???????

 

[christineacero]

Thanks guys...guess I'll go somewhere else for info then!

 

[sharp229]

Have you tried pure saline solution? See Dave Weldon's reply in this post:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/saline-solution-35457/

Since you have already tried water, I am not sure this would make a huge difference but it could be something to try. I know this kind of thing can also happen with vitamin A deficiencies, but not sure how that would apply in the case of a baby.

Does the eye look normal other than being closed? Do you have a pictures?

 

[kplatvoet]

Not being a long time keeper I hesitate to answer- but I have heard that people use saline to rinse eyes- it has to be the kind without preservatives- (Usually the cheaper store brand for contact lenses)
I actually think that it sounds like your doing every thing that can be done-

 

[christineacero]

thank you both for the replies!! His eye looks otherwise normal besides the fact that its closed. He motors around his deli cup no problem either. I thought maybe higher humidity would help, but I'm really having trouble keeping the humidity up in the aquarium they're in.

They are in separate tall deli cups with sticks, a leaf, and a shot glass to hold the crickets in, inside a 10 gallon aquarium with a uvb lamp and a heated mat. The aquarium has a clear plastic lid thats on halfway to try and hold the moisture in. Any better suggestions? I've never had babies before, and I'm open to any ideas!

 

[kplatvoet]

I used a cool mist humidifier with my baby Jackson. The Crane model that has a tip like a Hershey kiss .. I got it at Target under 50 bucks and ran a tube out of the end which I put to the top of her cage. I'm not sure about heating the enclosure up with the heat pad .. my Jackson actually did better with cooler night time temps.. do you have a way to check how warm it's getting?

 

[christineacero]

I unplug the heat mat at night so they still get the drop in temperature overnight

I've stuck my hand inside the enclosure and it's only a little bit warmer than room temperature.

I was thinking about getting a humidifier for their tank, but I have spent SO much money on these guys over the past 6 weeks. I seem to be buying something for them everyday, and I am out of money. Is there anyway or anything I can rig up that I won't have to spend a lot of money on?

I have a fogger set up in my adults enclosure, would the babies benefit from that more than the parents at this point?

 

[kplatvoet]

How easy would it be to switch it? If it's any easy switch back and forth I would try it. My Jackson get cranky if I change a leaf though so if you have to do a lot of rearranging I would be more wary.

 

[CarlC]

As was suggested earlier I would try saline solution rubbed on the eye with a q tip. Also like others have said keeping the humidity up with a humidifier won't hurt.

Carl

 

[kplatvoet]

I'm happy CarlC doesn't think my responses were harmful - I think a big reason that your not getting as many answers to your questions is that there aren't as many people who have or have had Sternfeldis - I know I was afraid of giving you bad info- I know it's frustrating when you don't get answers - sometimes no answer is better than a bad answer though- It's hard for me as a newbie to just keep my typing fingers still and let the people who actually know something answer sometimes - like now-
I had one other thought - did you get a new light for the babies ? If the light your using for the parents is older I would switch them - and use the older one for the newborns - (Unless Carl says this is a bad idea- he has been doing this way longer than I have) I have read that some breeders will use a light that is reaching the end of it's usefulness instead of a new one on babies and use the new one for the parents. I'm not saying the cause is the light but I think having a weaker one might help in him opening it.

 

[CarlC]

I'm happy CarlC doesn't think my responses were harmful - I think a big reason that your not getting as many answers to your questions is that there aren't as many people who have or have had Sternfeldis.

Responses have been great so far! What you are dealing with is very typical for Trioceros species baby's. Problems are multiplied when the babies come from a gravid WC female as I suspect in this case. The chain of collection is a long drawn out process that puts enormous amounts of stress on a chameleon.

All you can do is keep trying your best. There really isn't anything I would change in what you are already doing.

Carl

 

[Cait0420]

Carl knows all! Lol

 

[kplatvoet]

Carl does know a whole heck of a bunch - when Carl talks I listen - and he's a way better speller than I am - I wish I could use the correct names when writing - but I'm so dyslexic
I hope your little guy is doing better - I was thinking about him all day- (when I should have been working)

 

[christineacero]

Everyone who's posted on here has been great! I truly value all of your comments and words of advice!! Thank you

In regards to the little guy with the eye problem, it is now open! This poor little guy has beaten the odds so far in his short 3 days of life. First day, we for sure thought he was a goner, and he bounced back with only his little eye issue (which we bonded over in the shower together). Now his eye is open, and the poor thing fell in his food shot glass while I was away and sat in there with a bit of water in the bottom for god knows how long. Thankfully he bounced back and has been munching on fruit flies all afternoon. All the shotglasses have been removed as you could probably guess!

Needless to say, if this little guy survives, he/she will be staying with me! Out of the possible 6, this one is NOT for sale, just love 'em too much!!

 

[christineacero]

Problems are multiplied when the babies come from a gravid WC female as I suspect in this case. The chain of collection is a long drawn out process that puts enormous amounts of stress on a chameleon.


Carl

She is second generation captive bred. My local guys try not to bring in anything wild caught unless needed, which i really like!

 

[CarlC]

Thanks!

I just want you to succeed with them. Livebearer babies have a survival rate that is pretty dismal in north America. For the huge numbers of imported adults only a few people have success with raising babies born from gravid imported females. Captive breeding efforts don't have much better results. Any information shared benefits us all.

Carl

 

[christineacero]

So far in their 5th day of life, all 6 are still alive and seem to be doing well. I've witnessed 4 of them grabbing fruit flies, and 2 that have not. I can't say that they arent eating though, as I'm not watching them 24/7.

They dont seem to be interested in pinheads right now and are only picking off fruit flies. Should I just continue to give them those? Or should I keep trying to introduce pinheads to them? Also, should I be dusting the fruit flies with calcium as well?

 

[CarlC]

That's great they are eating well! For the pin heads try putting them in tiny little cups and put the cups in different places in the cage. The little cups you put ketchup in at fast food resturants work great.

Carl

 

[CarlC]

Oh and maybe try hatching some silkworms. After a week or two once the silkworms turn gray use a small paint brush and place them through out the cage.

Carl