lump on eye

[georginachelsea]

my yemen chameleon had a problem about a month ago with her eyes,they seemed to get a sticky substance on her eye like we would get sleep in ours. I visited the vet who gave me antibiotics and said it could be caused by her third eyelid, i used the drops as instructed and it has not worked but now she has a lump growing on her right eye, its about the size of a small earing and is soft. Her eating hasnt changed nor has her temperment, she did have a hibiscus plant in her enclosure which ive taken out just incase it was that causing problems. can anyone give me anymore information please it would be greatly appreciated!!!!!!

 

[Julirs]

For us to best help you-please answer the following:

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.

 

[georginachelsea]

I have a standard viv, not sure the actual measurements its very tall and quite wide (its the same as she had in the pet store)
the light is a kind of squiggly one and she has a heat lamp also, the light is on from 8-4 everyday.
she has a small fountain for her to drink from and also for humidity which is cleaned daily, i dont know what the actual humidity level is and i have never seen her drink.
the live plant she has is a hibiscus rosa.
her viv is in a small corner near a window for natural light.

She is a veiled yemen chameleon, and is roughly 12-14 months old and i have had her for 5 months.
i handle her daily, she tolerates it for the freedom to move around.
she is eating size 6 brown crickets, she didnt take to any kind of locust or mealworms, she usually on a good day eat 6/7, on a quiet day she wil have 3/4. they are gutloaded and calcium dusted with an exoterra chameleon dust.
she was tested for parasites by the pet shop and clear, she has a white runny and a firm dark brown faecial whcih is regular to the amount of crickets she eats.
only background information i got was that she didnt like being handled and hissed a lot, and that she'd often hide away.

im most concerned about her eyes which gets a kind of sleep like mist which can be flushed out with sterile water and lasts for a few hours, but also he eyes are like slits now and one of her eyes has developed a lump in the corner. also in the past two days she has not been using her tongue to eat and she is trying to get the crickets with her mouth. she is visiting the vets tomorrow but i really need advice from thsoe who are experianced with caring for these beautiful creatures!!!

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."the light is a kind of squiggly one "...compact lights can cause eye issues.

You said..."in the past two days she has not been using her tongue to eat and she is trying to get the crickets with her mouth"...tongue issues can be caused by calcium imbalances, injuries or infections. Your vet should be able to give you some help with this.

You said..."they are gutloaded and calcium dusted with an exoterra chameleon dust"...gutloaded with what? What is in the chameleon dust in the way of phosphorous, calcium, D3 and preformed vitamin A?

 

[georginachelsea]

its jus a simple calcium dust i use, i have read about these lights being a problem and i was not aware they were as it is what the breeder had been using so i wil be changing that. the crickets are given melon, lemon edges (which they come with) or cucumber.
thank you for replying

 

[sandrachameleon]

What is the standard viv made out of?

Water fountains are a bad idea. You will want to remove that and get a dripper and hand mister.

hibiscus is unlikely to cause the problem with her eye.

Loose the coil UVB Bulb and swap for a ReptiSun or ReptiGlo 5.0 UVB TUBE light. The coil one may be causing eye issues.

What is the temperature in the basking spot? What about at the cooler part of the cage?
Get a humidity guage (digital) so that you can check this.

Does she have a place to lay eggs?

What are you gutloaded with? Which product(s) are you using as dusting supplements and how often do you use each?

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."its jus a simple calcium dust i use"...so its just pure calcium??

You said..."crickets are given melon, lemon edges (which they come with) or cucumber"...this is not a very good gutload. You can use a wide variety of greens (dandelion, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, etc.).

 

[BocaJan]

I think all the directions are excellent. I would like you to read the Blog posted below on Kitty. You will find many valuable instructions there.