Need help with my panther chameleon Gara’s eye problem

Ezekais

New Member
Hi everyone, I’m looking for some advice about my chameleon Gara and a problem he’s having with his left eye. I noticed something seems wrong with it, and I want to make sure I’m doing everything I can to help him and figure out what might be causing it.

I have noticed Gara rubbing his eye on branches sometimes, which is what has me concerned. I don’t see anything in his eye that could be irritating him or any swelling. However, he is still eating normally, basking, and exploring his cage like a normal chameleon. He doesn’t seem to have lost his appetite or stopped acting like himself, but I want to make sure I catch any possible problems early.

Gara stays in an enclosure inside my room. I try not to bother him too much and leave him alone as much as possible because I don’t want to stress him out. I usually only open his cage when I need to feed him or do something important. I’m not in my room all the time, so he gets a lot of quiet time.

I have the right lighting setup with the correct UVB and heat fixtures, and I keep track of his temperatures and humidity to make sure his enclosure is set up properly. Right now, I’ve only been feeding him crickets because I wasn’t able to get other feeders yet, but I already ordered more variety from Dubia.com and they are on the way.

I also want to mention that I’m 16, so I don’t have a lot of money or an easy way to afford a vet visit. But if this is something serious and Gara really needs to see a vet, I will do everything I can to find a way to get him the help he needs.

If anyone has experience with chameleons having eye problems, I would really appreciate any advice on what I should check, what I might be doing wrong, or what I can do to help him.

The photo I sent is a photo of the eye he is scratching and closing, I wasn’t able to get a photo of him closing it, he opens it the second I get close enough to take a photo.
 

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A chameleon rubbing his eye on a branch occassionally is normal behavior for a chameleon.

I would be concerned if your chameleon rubbing his eye with a fused closed eye, seepage coming out the chameleons eye, and swolen eye. Then you can consider making a vet appointment.

Best Regards
Jeremy A. Rich
 
You say he closes that one eye at times? As @Motherlode Chameleon has said, it is normal for them to rub their eyes and faces at times, but closing an eye is different. Have you seen him rub the other eye, or just the one? Tell me more about how often he closes it and if he was rubbing it before or after? Can you add some pics of his enclosure, including lights? What supplements are you using and what schedule for them?
 
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