More Worried Now

[AESara]

Here is the original thread (includes my answers to the How to Ask for Help form): https://www.chameleonforums.com/veiled-eye-63675/

I made this one hoping I would get some fast answers. I thought I was being a worrywart before, but now I can tell he's got little balloons on the fronts of his eye turrets, the worse being on the left eye. I gently touched the swollen area and it does feel solid, but touching it did not cause him any visible distress. What do you think?

 

[Ace]

if they are hard, then i think a vet is needed... my panther cham has baggy eye turrets..i was worried and went to the vet. he told me that they do not feel hard which is a good think, so just excess skin..but yours could get worse

another thing to look at is maybe a vit.a deficinecy or a chemical imbalance (calcium,d3, etc)

could be tumors not sure

hope for the best

 

[Alexl]

Sorry, but the first thing I see here is a somewhat too fat chameleon. His casque should not be that way plump. Second are these things you call "balloons", might be edemas (tumors etc. aren't symmetric on both sides typically) . Please go for a vet to examine this. Can be a sign of everything from a vitamine deficiency to kidney problems.

 

[millerman6401]

I'd probably just take him to the vet. I tryed to self diagnose somthing and let's jut sAy it didn't turn out well if you know what I mean . Just tak em to the vett and be said and done with it.

 

[bluemooon]

Look similar to my problem.
You can find explanation images here https://www.chameleonforums.com/urg...before-vet-visit-avoid-medical-mistake-59058/

 

[AESara]

Sorry for disappearing guys. I got a vet appointment at the same time that I was making the post. I then had to go straight to work after the appointment so this is my first chance to get back.

The swelling was magically down by the time I got him to the vet. The vet inspected my husbandry (he did a very good job of it) as well as Napoleon himself. He said that his mouth was remarkably clean and that he could find no issues aside from the swelling. He does not feel that this is something to worry about at this time since Napoleon has been acting normally otherwise and there has been no pus or anything coming from the eyes. I will be taking in a fecal sample as soon as possible.

Here are some pictures of how he is looking now. Does he really look too plump? If anything I thought for a while that I needed to get his weight up. The vet did claim that his weight was healthy. Any further info is appreciated.

Thank you for the info so far. I wonder if it may be caused by trapped skin or if it may just be extra skin. I did talk to the vet about the possibility of it being an edema, but he thought that would be odd given the way I feed him. Also, would the swelling go up and down so quickly if it were an edema?

 

[AESara]

Any opinions guys? I'm really wondering what could make it get so big then so small, and so quickly.

He doesn't seem to have the correct symptoms for kidney disease. He is not weak, eats normally, sleeps normally, and looks normal other than these bulges that seem to come and go. I'm open to your reasoning for suspecting this, however, if you will give it to me. I just want to know if there is something I need to do for him now that he has been inspected, or if I will have to wait until after the fecal.

 

[okiroo]

bump? i want to hear some ideas. that really odd. anyone? (do you use anything that he could have gotten in his eye and than he got out? mabey he sneezed or something it it puffed air up and he shut his eye hard and it got out(why not. odd stuff happens.) ) who knows :/

 

[Elizadolots]

Do chameleons have allergic reactions? That's really the only thing I know that can cause intermittent swelling like that. It swells in the presence of the allergen, goes down when away from it. But, I've never heard that chameleons can be allergic.

 

[carol5208]

I don't really have an opinion on his eyes but just wanted to say that I am not seeing him to be so fat as the other member suggested. He looks fine to me. What is his weight? That to me will decide if he is too fat or not.

 

[AESara]

Do chameleons have allergic reactions? That's really the only thing I know that can cause intermittent swelling like that. It swells in the presence of the allergen, goes down when away from it. But, I've never heard that chameleons can be allergic.

I added a pothos plant last week. I'll try removing it if I still notice the swellings or sacks tomorrow. I don't know if they can have allergic reactions or not, but the only things that have changed for him recently are: the pothos, the shower curtains (on two sides of cage to help maintain humidity), and hornworms.

I don't really have an opinion on his eyes but just wanted to say that I am not seeing him to be so fat as the other member suggested. He looks fine to me. What is his weight? That to me will decide if he is too fat or not.

He is something like 18" long and I believe the vet said his weight today was 160g. I am not 100% on that. I thought that he had written it on the information he gave me, but I guess not. I will call the vet tomorrow and ask just to be sure.

 

[Geckoxp]

Its very possible that there may have been an irritation in his eye from a small particle. For them it would of been a pain in the you know what to get out.

Glad he is doing ok from the looks of it. Keep an eye on him and if he is moving his eye around, eating, drinking and pooping I wouldnt worry too much about him. If any of those signs go away and hes shutting his eye(s) during the day then there would be a need of action.

 

[sandrachameleon]

fat pads on head look a bit pudgy to me too. his length (snout to vent) and weight measurements would be helpful.

What kind of lighting are you using for basking and UVB? be specific. The incorrect lighting can effect their eyes.

Has the possibility of a vitamin deficiency been investigated (b vits or vitamin a)?

did a saline solution rinse get tried incase of something stuck in there? I assume the vet saw no sign of infection.

Was sinus infections ruled out?

Is there any gular or temporal swelling? or elsewhere?

 

[AESara]

I've been using a ReptiGlo 5.0 tube for UVB since I got him. I haven't been able to find ReptiSuns in my area but if you think that would make a difference I will start to order them. I change the bulb every six months because I read that even though they last up to a year, the UVB output goes down faster. The basking bulb is an ExoTerra Sun Glo Tight Beam 75w (I just switched to this from the 50w today, planning to see the temperature difference in the morning). The lights are set on a timer to turn on at 6:30am and turn off at 7pm.

He did not check for vitamin deficiencies, but said that with the supplementation and gutload ingredients I use, he would be surprised if that were an issue.

There is no other swelling and he found no signs of infection in the eyes, mouth, nose, or vent. He did not flush the eye with saline solution, but I am hoping that I will have a fecal sample to take to him tomorrow. I could ask him to do that while I am there or I could do it myself if it is safe to do so.

His fat pads have already started to look bigger since I started to give him the hornworms, so I probably just need to cut back on them. I was wrong about his length. I've never been sure because he usually gets angry when I put a ruler near him. I just measured him at around 6.5 inches from nose to vent.

 

[AESara]

If you wondered about the supplements, I use ZooMed Repti Calcium w/o D3 most feedings, Fluker's Calcium w/ D3 two times per month, and Rep-Cal Herptivite two times per month.

 

[ataraxia]

look into a vitamin E issue.

not a lot of information out about vitamin E and chameleons to research more on the subject.

lack of vitamin E causes all kinds of problems. heart disease - which could be possibly pushing his eyes out (from high blood pressure). Liver disease - which could be the source of the fat build up in the casque and body.

does his stools look funny?

Its worth a shot to start gutloading with these ingredients for vitamin E. Sunflower Seeds, Paprika and Red Chili Powder, almonds etc.

only other thing that makes since to me is a infection. you will have to consult a vet for that.

im very interested to see how this turns out.

 

[AESara]

I will prepare new gutload with some of those ingredients tomorrow. I'll also get a picture of his next stool.

I'm interested but very nervous as well.

 

[ataraxia]

A sick animal is stressful. Just keep trying your best!

 

[Alexl]

He doesn't seem to have the correct symptoms for kidney disease. He is not weak, eats normally, sleeps normally, and looks normal other than these bulges that seem to come and go.

Just by the way... you often don't see anything of a kidney disease until about 80 to 90% of the kidney doesn't work anymore. So... I would have done blood tests to see whether there are first signs of an organic problem or not.

And he's definitely too plump. The last calytraptus I saw living with a casque like this (mmh no, could have been even somewhat more) had a nice fatty liver in dissection. There are some more chameleons on the forums looking like this and I really recommend to cut down feeding for those animals.

Hope he becomes better soon.

 

[AESara]

Here is the newest sample.