One squinty eye!

[Liz.lenore]

Hey everyone!
I am new to the forum and a new chameleon owner. I have owned other reptiles in the past including snakes, bearded dragons, geckos, tortoises, and turtles. I decided to take on a new reptile and I find I am worrying like crazy! I just got him a week ago and after about 4 days i noticed he started rubbing his face/eye on the branch that he has favorited as his sitting spot. I looked it up and some say it's shedding (haven't seen him shed yet) others kind of blow it off as something else. But then he started squinting only his right eye (same side of face he was rubbing) and sucking it in. Again looked it up and people say he's cleaning his eye, something must be bothering, the light is too strong, vitamins not enough, or dehydration. Well after 3 days of only squinting sometimes, he now will not open his right eye. He is still eating and still a good green color until I get close to him. So I don't know if he's sick with something or just needs water or what. please help! I'm so anxious and worried. I don't want him to be sick.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon. Male. Have had for exactly 7 days.
• Handling - I have handled 2 times. One out of curiosity on the 3rd day (and it ended 2 seconds when he jumped out of my hand and back into the cage) and then again on the 4th for a second because he was upsidedown on the top of the cage and couldn't find a branch to grab onto to get down. So I just let him hold onto me and then he crawled off. Otherwise he hisses and runs away from me.
• Feeding - I was letting the small sized crickets roam free in the cage and I enjoyed watching him go after them, but I realized that the enclosure is a little big so I decided to cup feed for the passed 3 days. It also helps while I am at work and can't watch to make sure he's eaten all the crickets. I put about about 10 crickets in the cup and by the time i come home they're all gone. I will rinse the cup and put about 5 more and let him eat until he doesn't want to anymore. I was feeding him mini mealworms but I read they aren't exactly good for them.
• Supplements - I got the Repashy calcium plus because I heard really good things about it. I have been using it daily but I coated the crickets real heavily at first (until they were ghostly white) but then realized I needed to only coat lightly. Still using once in the morning.
• Watering - I have a little dripper with fresh spring water in it and spray the cage in the morning before work, when my boyfriend comes home from work at 2 and then again when i get home at 7, as well as a cool mist humidifier set up that my boyfriend and I rigged. We have a PVC pipe going up the corner of the cage and I have it go off for 30mins every 2 hours. I saw him drink the first 2 days but haven't seen him drink since. He HATES to be misted directly so i try to avoid spraying him.
• Fecal Description- it was brown with a white urate since I got him. He poops about 3 times a day I believe or thats how many I have seen. Today it is brown with a pale orangey ish color urate. I know that is clear sign of dehydration.
• History- came from Petco. Was the largest in the cage with 3 other chams.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen- 18" L X 18" W X 38" H
• Lighting - Lights off at 8. On at 7. I have a 60w basking bulb. I was using a blue nighttime bulb as well but stopped using that after day 3 when I read on here that it's not necessary. Uvb is reptisun 5.0
• Temperature - I have 2 dial thermometers one at basking temp stays at 80 almost all day. At the bottom of the cage I have another and it stays around 75-72
• Humidity - again a dial one. Its smack dab in the middle of the cage. It varies from 50-80 percent. When leaves are dry it's 50. When I mist or when humidifier is on it usually jumps to 60-80.
• Plants - I have 2 small pothos on the edges and a tall schefflera (the safe one)
• Placement - in the living room on a stand in front of the window. The window is blocked by a huge tree so hardly any light/heat comes in during the day. It's only my boyfriend and I and the house stays relatively quiet. No kids. No TV.
• Location - Where are you geographically located? Central Texas

How do I fix his squinty eye and how do I get him to drink?! Thank you for all your feedback and help.

 

[kinyonga]

Does the supplement have prEformed vitamin A in it?

 

[Tortdad]

Have you tried the shower method to get it to drink?

 

[rkudulis1957]

my chameleon was like that and I took my chameleon to the vet and it was shedding in his eye and he gave
him some drops and I found my chameleon today with both eyes shut so I got the eye drops in his eyes and got a
Q tip and rub his eyes open and now he can see.

 

[lambv]

I currently am having eye problems with my chameleon, and to get him to drink I took a small syringe, placed above his face and dropped it on his lips. He has been drinking this way for quite a while now.