My surprise has problems...

[PedroANDAshley]

After going to Sandy's reptile breeding center and me being all googley eyed over her babies...my husband decided to go out and surprise me with some.
He brought home a BABY!He knows NOTHING about chameleons.

I have never cared for chameleons under 4 months before.
Im totally scared.
Since the first day we got him he's been cleaning out his eyes and
sort of opening his mouth every once and a while.
He made a popping sound after i had misted him and I'm not sure if its a start of a respiratory infection or because i got some in his nostrils.
Im not sure about the mouth thing, if he just being territorial (he's very territorial for a baby!)

But the eyes he's constantly cleaning them.
I took him to the vet and they checked him and said if he wasn't bubbling out of the mouth then it must have just been the misting that cause the popping sound from his throat.

Also, she said its normal for them to clean their eyes alot when their babies.

I sorta of wanted to demand baytril and eye drops but... i didn't.

If he doesnt stop im going to go back.

In the mean time...help PLEASE!
Should I get some pedialite or something form the store?
Any advice/home remedies please!

and do eye infections go away by them selves ever?

 

[CleaTheChameleon]

I think that if he does in fact have an eye infection..it will need to be treated. It will just get worse if not. I suggest you just watch him closely and see if he is doing it ALOT more then usual. Hope he is fine. Maybe some pics of him will give us a better clue? Good luck

 

[Julirs]

Ok-what kind of baby? Generally with an infection you will see bubbles or foam, but not always. What are you housing in and what are the temps?

 

[PedroANDAshley]

I have him in the standard clothes tub I see every one use with babies.
I have some sticks and plants in there.
Im trying to keep it as dry as I can with out dehydrating him, so if it is a uri the mucus with hopefully clear up a bit.
Hes keeping one eye closed and one eye opened and he'll switch off.
But he hasn't kept both of them opened.
The temps are 70-74 and 83 for basking.
I did searching and can't find a care sheet for baby panthers.

 

[Julirs]

As long as you are using a digital thermometer and are sure of temps sounds like you are doing everything right. Can you take pictures? Any idea on age? Have you seen him eat? You should be misting 3-4X daily, eyes closed can mean dehydration.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

Yea I have a digital one. Ill take some. I think he is around 1 month. He's super tiny the doctor said hes around 1.7 grams or something like that.
My husband bought me two babies and I put some crickets in there and they were all gone the next time i saw.
I seperated them now in two seperate buckets because fuego (the one that has problems) is extremly territorial LOL.
So now I'll be able to moniter their eating.
I wanna mist that much but if it is a URI the moisture will make it worse. Im trying to very lightly mist. but he is drinking.

 

[Julirs]

Misting will not make it worse-just don't let it stay real wet-I usually use a couple layers of papertowel that will help keep up the humidity.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

Kay also, He keeps cleaning his eyes. Do you think that it's deff. an eye infection?
Obviously its not JUST irritated.

 

[Julirs]

Do you have any Terramycin? Did the vet look at his eyes?

 

[PedroANDAshley]

No I dont have that. Is it an eye drop? Is it prescribed or can I just buy it from a store?
She saw he was closing them but she said it was normal to clean them out. Its gotten a LITTLE worse since then

Heres some pics:

The last one was taken thru plastic.
but it was the only eye he had closed lol so I had to take it that way .

 

[Julirs]

Setups look great-can you take a clear picture of the Panther with a size reference?

 

[PedroANDAshley]

I would but he's be handled and piked up and put in containers on bumpy roads.
He's totally stressed out and the only way to get a good pi is if i picked him up.
He looks totally healthy just he's closing his right eye (its not swollen, he just closing it)
more than his left. Can eye infections possibly spread to the other eye?
And what was that medicine you mentioned in you last post?

 

[Julirs]

Terramycin-you can order from LLL.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

Is it a medicine prescribed by doctors?
Cuz my vet might have some i can get today.

 

[Julirs]

It has been out of supply for some time in alot of places, my Vet did not have any but she did give me an antibiotic eye drop-maybe your vet can do the same. Can't hurt.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

Yea I just dont want to think about the prices :x

 

[Julirs]

Terreamycin is $16.00-My Vet charged me about the same for the drops.

 

[PedroANDAshley]

UPDATE:
Well I went back to the vet and she prescribed me some deluted baytril so she said if he has a uri it'll fight that and also it'll fight the suspected eye infection as well.

God its hard to get him to open his mouth for the dropper

I had to use the old cover the nostril trick. Poor guy

 

[PedroANDAshley]

UPDATE:
So hes been taking his medicine and appears to be getting better.
It's odd though, I will give him his medicine and this he'll freak out and
he will POOP yes POOP on me. It's happened the last couple of times.
Is this a bad thing? Or some kind of warning method like " i dont like that so im going to poop on you and show you" kinda thing.

 

[Elizadolots]

Think the Guinea Pig movie G Force: "Poop in his hand! Poop in his hand!" it's a sure fire way to discourage or distract you. On the plus side, you get a nice close look at fresh poop!