Possible eye issue, when should I start to worry?

[sassyboots]

Hello everyone,
I haven't posted in a while, but read often. Have had great results in the past with help from forum members at a crucial time in my PeterLorre's life that probably saved it. So here I am 3 years later...
PeterLorre is a male veiled, 3 1/2 yrs. eating normally, drinking normally, hiding from me normally. I noticed on Tuesday morning that his right eye looks like it has crust or skin over it. You know how you can generally see their eyeballs inside their eye ball enclosures. Well, I just can't see his right one as well as I can see his left one. Both of his eyeballs are moving normally, and the right one is only slightly swollen. I should mention that last weekend he went through a partial shed around his head, casque, and neck area. I'm thinking that there is perhaps skin in there or something. I'm wondering how long before I take him to the vet. It's is very cold here in Chicago and his vet is in the suburbs. I don't want to stress him with this if he will resolve it himself. I have to admit its pretty dry in the house as we have radiator heat.
Here are some of the particulars that I know everyone will want to know:
He is in a 4ft. Screened enclosure
Live plants
Sprayed by hand 3x day I see him drink often
Eats 5 -10 crickets/day that eat some flukers gel stuff and I throw in veggies on occasion to them. They get dusted once a week with calcium that's stays through the week in the bag so I would guess he gets calcium on some level about 5x a week. He get the mineral stuff once a month
12 hour timed lights, normal 60 watt for basking, tube rept 5.0 fluorescent UVB
I can't handle him. We both freak eachother out. I prefer not to chance hurting him on accident or me getting bit. So far there hasn't been a need.
His poop is normal, I think he could use more water sometimes but you can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink. That goes for chameleons as well.
I think that's it. Other then having bad info when he was a baby, and me coming on this site learning that I was doing everything wrong, changing it and him making a come back, everything has been really great with him. He's cantankerous as hell but from what I hear, that's normal. He is totally acting normal but he just has this thing on his eye. Should I attempt to get it off? Let him try? How long should it stay there before seeing a vet? Do I want to chance the cold?
Thanks for everyone's future feedback!

 

[Carlton]

If there's a "colored" crust on his eyelid there is some sort of infection going on. A couple of suggestions...

First, really mist or shower him to encourage him to clean the eye himself. You can help him clean the eye by squirting some sterile saline lens rinse (without preservatives) directly at the eyelid. It won't sting as much as water will. If you can handle him enough you could gently wipe away any crusting with a soft piece of cloth or a Q tip (watch for fibers sticking to it).

A vet can examine his eye to see if there is an injury or other sign of infection better than you can (a scope, more hands to hold him, etc.). He can survive a trip to a vet pretty simply. Get a box, wedge a perch inside, warm up a water bottle or heat pack under a damp towel in the bottom (experiment a bit first). Before trying to pick him up you could turn off his lights so he chills down (a slower brain sometimes makes them less reactive). Quietly pick him up in a towel if you have to and close up the box. Most chams in a dark box just take a nap. When you have to leave the vet just ask them to warm up the water bottle or heat pack for your trip home.

 

[sassyboots]

Thanks, I managed to get him into a vet that is close to my house. He has a sinus infection or something similar. It wasn't only in his eye. Good thing is that even though a bit out of the range I wanted to spend, I got blood done and everything is great with him. He's never been to a vet so I thought while he was there, I should just get it all done. He is in a very good position to fight an infection and he should do fine. I'm not happy with having to administer meds, but the vet showed me how and I just have to man up and stop letting him freak me out.