New Panther Owner

[Skye-42]

Hey! So this is gonna be kinda long, I’m really sorry.

I got a female panther chameleon a month ago and I love her so much (the store legit gave her to me for free because she’d been there so long.) She’s got an eye issue in her right eye (it’s squinty and not as bulged out as her normal eye.) I have no idea how old she is (the store was terrible. I got no information about her or how to care for her).

I think, based on frantic googling, that it’s a vitamin A deficiency. I have a T5 uvb light for her and the store gave me Repashy Superfoods Calcium Plus. The biggest cage I could find was a reptibreeze medium (screen with the front being glass) and I have a heat lamp that keeps her basking area around 80°F (she reads about 85° when I take her temp with my temp gun). Her eye was looking a little better for a bit but I want to fix this for good and I feel like I’m floundering. I’ve wanted a panther for years but all the forum searching can’t prepare you for getting a sick cham handed to you and being given no information on how to care for her. I don’t want to mess this up, she deserves a better life than what the store gave her and I want to make sure I do everything right.

I need advice on how to provide the best care. Anything you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

I’ve got a pothos in her cage that she really likes (should I cover up the soil in the pot or is she ok with it uncovered?) and I’ve got some of those fake bendy vines. I’ve been putting paper towels in the bottom and changing them out instead of substrate. Her cage is on top of my table, so it’s the highest thing. I’ve got an automatic mister (a reptifogger humidifier) do I still need to mist the leaves twice a day? How do I know she’s getting enough water?

The pet store told me to “just put like 15 crickets in and replace them when they’re all gone” but that seems like terrible advice, given that I’m seeing from here that overfeeding can lead to egg laying issues(?) how many crickets should I be feeding her? How often? What vitamin supplements/calcium dust do y’all recommend and how often should I use it? What do I do about the egg laying situation? How do I reduce her egg count (because Ive read that increases their lifespan) Advice on handling? (I know you shouldn’t handle chams that much but I’m not sure how much is too much, yknow?)

I’ve included some pictures I’ve gotten of her, all featuring her bad eye. I hope it helps.

Please guys, I just want my girl to be happy and healthy. Help!

 

[SourGrape4u]

If it was a vitamin issue i would think both eyes would be affected. It almost looks like she injured it in some way, if so it could heal on its own or never heal completely. Other than her eye she looks to be very healthy, not to skinny or fat, good colors and I dont see any sign of MBD.

 

[kinyonga]

You said you have a heat lamp....is it a white light?

You said..."I’ve got a pothos in her cage that she really likes (should I cover up the soil in the pot or is she ok with it uncovered?) and I’ve got some of those fake bendy vines"...I have always cobpvered he potting soil...I don't like to risk them eating it. With a panther I'd also be careful of what branches and vines I had in the cage because for some reason panthers nibble on the branches..

You said..."I’ve been putting paper towels in the bottom and changing them out instead of substrate. Her cage is on top of my table, so it’s the highest thing. I’ve got an automatic mister (a reptifogger humidifier) do I still need to mist the leaves twice a day? How do I know she’s getting enough water?"...I'm "old school"...so I'be always misted the cages a couple of times a day and used a dripper...hopefully others will chime in and tell you what they do. Look at her urates...if they are white or white with a bit of orange then she should be hydrated. If the urates are very orange then she needs more water.

You said..."The pet store told me to “just put like 15 crickets in and replace them when they’re all gone” but that seems like terrible advice, given that I’m seeing from here that overfeeding can lead to egg laying issues(?)"...this isn't good for several reasons. If the crickets are in the cage for a while they will not have eaten and would be less nutritious for her. If they were dusted, and in there for very long the dust would likely have fallen off. She looks like she is old enough to produce eggs soon as well...but I don't think she has any ready to lay up yet going by her body/belly size.

You said..."how many crickets should I be feeding her? How often?"...
I would be feeding her every second day at this point. How many crickets has she been eating since you've had her and how often are you feeding her?

You asked..."What vitamin supplements/calcium dust do y’all recommend and how often should I use it?"...for years I have used Repcal phos free calcium powder dusted lightly on the insects just before feeding them to the chameleon for all feedings but one a week. In the remaining feeding I alternate between Repcal phos free calcium/D3 powder and Herptivite vitamin powder lightly. Herptivite has a beta carotene source of vitamin A though and you might want to add a preformed retinoid form of vitamin A once in a while. There are many other ways to supplement though and I'm sure others will chime in.
It's also important to feed your insects well. Roaches, crickets, locusts, superworms can be fed a wide assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, mustard greens, etc) and veggies (squash, zucchini, sweet red peppers, sweet potatoes, etc.) and a very small amount of fruit (apples, pears, berries, melon, papaya, etc).

You asked..."What do I do about the egg laying situation? How do I reduce her egg count (because Ive read that increases their lifespan)"...reducing the egg number does help them live longer...lowers the risk of dystocia (egg binding) and follicular stasis (pre-ovulatory egg binding) and the MBD, prolapsing, etc associated with it. The best way I can explain the control of the egg production is by starting after eggs are laid (it's harder to explain the timing of when to start before that)...after the female has laid her eggs...feed her well for a couple of days only and then cut back to 3 or 4 crickets per feeding and feed her 2 or 3 times a week. Keep her basking temperatures at 80F to slow/control her metabolism a bit.

You asked..."Advice on handling? (I know you shouldn’t handle chams that much but I’m not sure how much is too much, yknow?)"... I don't handle them much as a rule...but some will take it more than others, so I let them decide sort of!

As for the eye...I think maybe a good chameleon vet visit would be a good idea.

It's nice that you wanted to help her...and that they gave her to you too! Good luck...and keep us posted!

This might help too...
https://chameleonacademy.com/basics-chameleon-nutrition/