Panther with eyes closed help please

[CottonChameleon]

So my panther chameleon an Ambanja has had his eyes closed for the past few days. Lots of websites and such have said it was dehydration even though his urates were white. I even gave him a warm shower with half the plant under the water half dry, surprisingly he ran under to the water and was taking a shower. Then went to the dry side when he was done. Both his eyes are still closed today but his color is still good. I have noticed white back spikes and the tip of his nose is white, possible shed coming on?

 

[dacrazycanadian]

We'd love to help. Please fill out this https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/ form for us though. And pictures would also be very helpful thanks.

 

[CottonChameleon]

Your Chameleon - Panther chameleon 7ish months 4 in my care
Handling - Daily or every other day
Feeding - Silkworms and dusted crickets they are gutloaded with cricket crack
Supplements - I think it's reptical and sometimes the stuff with d3
Watering - Aqua zamp raindome every 6 hours for 5 minutes
Fecal Description - brown with white urates
History -none
Cage Info: 24x24x48
Cage Type - screen
Lighting - uvb 5.0 and some bulb with uva for plants
Temperature - 75-78 ambient basking-84
Humidity - 60 using some hydrometer from petco
Plants - pothos,umbrella
Placement - High up on a table in bedroom with open windows in the summer
Location - New Jersey
Current Problem - Both eyes closed but he shouldn't be dehydrated. He could just be prepping for a shed.

 

[carol5208]

Prepping for a shed is not going to cause your chameleon to close his eyes. There is something else going on. Sometimes they may close an eye if something is caught in the turret, like a piece of shed or something, but the odds of that happening in both eyes at the same time is very unlikely. You are not giving a multivitamin at all? And cricket crack is good, but you should also be using some vegetables and fruits to provide nutrients to your crickets to pass onto your chameleon. Vitamin A deficiencies can cause eye problems. It could be what is going on or something more sinister like an underlying illness.

 

[CottonChameleon]

Oh I forgot to say I use like herptivite reptile vitamin mixed with the d3 calcium

 

[carol5208]

Herptivite does not contain Vit A, but beta carotene and there is great debate about chameleons beinig able to convert it. I have used Herptivite and never had a problem, but I also gutload with kale which is high in Vit A. I would try using some fruits and veggies high in Vit A. I am not even 100% sure if this is the problem with your chameleon, just a possibility. People with this problem have also used liquid vit A squeezed on a feeder. Can you post a picture of your chameleon by chance?

 

[CottonChameleon]

Here is an album it's hard to get good shots. http://imgur.com/a/Z4tkN

 

[CottonChameleon]

bump help pls

 

[carol5208]

In the pics you posted he is clearly shedding on both of his eyes. He might have shed stuck in them. Is the shed still on his eyes?

 

[CottonChameleon]

He has a little bit above where his eye actually is on the turret, on both eyes he keeps 1 closed though.

 

[carol5208]

The shed is most likely causing this. You did not mention this in your post . I am glad I asked for pictures. Take some warm water and GENTLY mist his eyes to help remove the shed.

 

[kinyonga]

Going to try to clarify beta carotene / Vitamin A connection again. Vitamin A comes in two forms.....Beta carotene and retinol.....PrOformed and prEformed.

Beta carotene is found in veggies, greens, fruits....and is a precursor to vitamin A meaning that the body has to convert the prOformed/precursor beta carotene form as needed into the format of vitamin A that the body can then use. Beta carotene is found in supplements like Herptivite.

PrEformed vitamin A comes from supplements such as Reptivite in the form of retinoids such as retinol, etc....also called prEformed. Vitamin A also comes from animals sources....meat (especially liver), fish, dairy products...which is also prEformed..

The controversy is whether chameleons can convert prOformed sources into prEformed effectively. There is also controversy as to how much they really get from insects.

Not saying this has anything to do with your chameleon's issues...just trying to clarify the vitamin A information.