Left eye having trouble - male red bar

I

ItODDospeed

New Member
We have a year old (approx) male red bar panther chameleon. His left eye is not opening well and seems sunken - we understand he may be dehydrated, but his head is "full."

We have him in a lukewarm shower, but we're not sure how long to keep him in there.

How long should we keep him in the shower?
 
Half an hour. Not directly under the water, but under the spray.

Fill this out and others may be able to help you more. As detailed as possible please!


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types 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?
* Placement - 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?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?


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.


Pictures are helpful
 
Thanks for your help - below in red are my answers

pssh said:
Half an hour. Not directly under the water, but under the spray.

Fill this out and others may be able to help you more. As detailed as possible please!


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions? screen hanging 4'H x 2'W round
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? 2 5.0 bulbs, 1 60W - 10 hrs plus natural sunlight
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 80Lowest overnight temp? mid 60sHow do you measure these temps? digital thermometer attached to cage
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? 40-55% - daily misting, thermometer has humidity reading
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? no live plants - plastic
* Placement - 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? dining room window - no direct sunshine - vent is several feet away, but on the lower part of the wall - doesn't directly blow onto cage
* Location - Where are you geographically located?
GA

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? male redbar panther - approx 1 yr old - in our care since Jan '09.
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? 1x every other week
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? gut loaded crickets and dusted every other time - calcium cricket chow to gut load - superworms 1x a week
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? repcal and repvite, dust every other feeding
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? manual misting 2x a day - drinks from the plastic leaves
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? light coloring lately, big healthy poops - not tested for parasites - differs from crickets to superworms
* 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. left eye looks sunken, not opening very well


Pictures are helpful
Click to expand...
 
What brand and style are your UVB blubs? Are they coil or tube?

How about the white part of the fecal? Is it white or yellow?

If you could post a picture that would really help.
 
jannb said:
What brand and style are your UVB blubs? Are they coil or tube?

How about the white part of the fecal? Is it white or yellow?

If you could post a picture that would really help.
Click to expand...


Also, could you be more specific about the supplements you are using? RepCal with or W/out D3?
 
what type/brand of UVB bulb? Are crickets and supers all you feed the chameleon? What is in the gutload? is it repcal with or without D3? what is in repvite?
 
Alright I am using 2 Zoo Med Repti Sun 5.0 coil bulbs and a 60 watt bulb for heat ( I live in GA it is hot and he lives in the sunlight also). I feed my crickets with Hi-Calcium Diet with Vitamin Concentration for Gut Loading from Ghann's Cricket Farm Inc. in Augusta, GA. Next, I use Rep-Cal's Phosphorus free Calcium with Vitamin D3 and Herptivite for dusting and I do this every other feeding. I do not have a dripper, mister or humidifier on the cage. I water for 3-5 minutes twice a day with a pump mister. Sometimes more than twice a day. I am feeding only using gut loaded and dusted crickets with super worms. I use the super worms only 1 to 2 times a week. I will post some poop later because the shower cleaned his cage. I am also going to a herp vet @ 1600hrs today. I just don't get it guys. I keep all sorts of animals and we just came home to this eye problem. It wasn't as exciting as when we came home to baby Jacksons last week. Thanks for the help and please help.
 
ItODDospeed said:
Alright I am using 2 Zoo Med Repti Sun 5.0 coil bulbs and a 60 watt bulb for heat ( I live in GA it is hot and he lives in the sunlight also). I feed my crickets with Hi-Calcium Diet with Vitamin Concentration for Gut Loading from Ghann's Cricket Farm Inc. in Augusta, GA. Next, I use Rep-Cal's Phosphorus free Calcium with Vitamin D3 and Herptivite for dusting and I do this every other feeding. I do not have a dripper, mister or humidifier on the cage. I water for 3-5 minutes twice a day with a pump mister. Sometimes more than twice a day. I am feeding only using gut loaded and dusted crickets with super worms. I use the super worms only 1 to 2 times a week. I will post some poop later because the shower cleaned his cage. I am also going to a herp vet @ 1600hrs today. I just don't get it guys. I keep all sorts of animals and we just came home to this eye problem. It wasn't as exciting as when we came home to baby Jacksons last week. Thanks for the help and please help.
Click to expand...

Get rid of the coil type bulbs and replace them with a Reptisun 5.0 TUBE (long linear) bulb. Coil bulbs are really bad for the eyes of chameleons.

You should be using Calcium withOUT D3 at just about every feeding. WITH D3 1x per week. and Herptivite about 2x a month.
 
Will do, however, it will take some planning. Should I use them for now or stop with the coils. I have them on all my chameleon cages. UGH. As for the calcium, is there a Repti-Cal without it? What do you use? Thanks...
 
ItODDospeed said:
Will do, however, it will take some planning. Should I use them for now or stop with the coils. I have them on all my chameleon cages. UGH. As for the calcium, is there a Repti-Cal without it? What do you use? Thanks...
Click to expand...

Yes, turn off the coil bulbs. He can go a few days without the lights until you can get the correct one. Yes, Rep-Cal and some others make a phosphorus free calcium without D3.

http://www.lnt.com/product/supplements/45187/rep-cal-ultrafine-calcium-without-vitamin-d3.html

http://www.lnt.com/product/fluorescent/45889/zoo-med-reptisun-5.0-uvb-bulb.html
 
LLL reptile sells repcal calcium without D3. I looked everywhere around my house and no one carried it so i had to order it online. Also i know a few people who has encountered eye problems with their chameleons from using coil bulbs. I currently have a female blue bar ambilobe who has problems with both of her eyes because of her previous owner's inability to ask for help. She has gotten alot better in the two months or so i have had her but her eyes still look funny. Good luck.


Justin
 
On all my cages? :( stupid wasted money. Secondly, should I put regular bulbs in place of the 5.0s until I sort the lights out? Also the lights aren't right on the cage they are a few inches away. The guys at FL Chams told me the bulbs were O.K. when I purchased my chameleons? Why do the spirals hurt them? Moreover, they get sunlight all day, just not intense direct light. Thanks ya'll, I am really nervous about my chameleons especially Clyde ( hurt eye guy). :confused:
 
OldSkoolxReasons said:
LLL reptile sells repcal calcium without D3. I looked everywhere around my house and no one carried it so i had to order it online. Also i know a few people who has encountered eye problems with their chameleons from using coil bulbs. I currently have a female blue bar ambilobe who has problems with both of her eyes because of her previous owner's inability to ask for help. She has gotten alot better in the two months or so i have had her but her eyes still look funny. Good luck.


Justin
Click to expand...

F-ing great. The eye that is hurt is one that he kept close to the bulb on the side. Lights are off.
 
Should I go to the vet or try and make him better? He seems so healthy otherwise. Well, he hasn't eaten today and isn't very active. Then again he is in his basking spot.:confused:
 
Give him a couple days without the bulbs you were using. I have seen them bounce back pretty quick once they were away from those super intense bulbs.
 
ItODDospeed said:
On all my cages? :( stupid wasted money. Secondly, should I put regular bulbs in place of the 5.0s until I sort the lights out? Also the lights aren't right on the cage they are a few inches away. The guys at FL Chams told me the bulbs were O.K. when I purchased my chameleons? Why do the spirals hurt them? Moreover, they get sunlight all day, just not intense direct light. Thanks ya'll, I am really nervous about my chameleons especially Clyde ( hurt eye guy). :confused:
Click to expand...


If Mike at FL chams told you the coil bulbs were OK that could be correct. It is the older version of the 5.0 coil bulbs that are bad. They newer version are fine. It is not easy to tell , you have to check the insert of that comes with the bulb. And even then its not that easy to tell.

If you have your cham in natural sunlight 10 hours a day. Thats with no glass or plastic in the way. I would recommend no UVB source inside and no Cal with D3 at all. Yes use house bulbs for basking.

If the bulbs are the good bulbs , it may be an over kill of two 5.0 bulbs that close that are the issue. To be sure its probably a good idea to get a linear bulb when you need it inside.

Just my .02
 
It's a shame

The bulb manufacturers say that they have changed their coil bulbs, but since I joined the forum at the end of August, I've read quite a number of reports of eye problems and they do seem to consistently be associated with using the coil bulbs.
You have to wonder how many people who either don't know about these forums or don't have internet access have had problems too.
You already have a 60 watt bulb for basking, so I don't see any reason to substitute household bulbs in the ones that currently have the UVB bulbs--but definitely discontinue using those coil bulbs.
I suspect it would make the cage way too hot.
 
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