Possibly Permanently Blind Panthers

[Peachypink]

So, I just got back from the vet. I am so grateful to have found a GREAT Herp Vet in my small town in Texas. Until yesterday I was worried I would have had to go to Dallas if I ever had any issues.

This happened so quickly I'm still in shock over it. My panthers cham started a few weeks ago with holding one eye closed then the other. I knew it was time to replace the UVB tube so I ordered a new one and replaced it a week ago. He was still eating normally and would still open his eyes on occasion. But then I noticed on Tuesday that he had them shut really tight and started to not eat. Yesterday I tried to get a better look and It almost looked like his left eye wasn't even inside! Also his color went to a muddy version of his normal coloring and he was staying more towards the bottom.

So, I called and got in today with the vet. This guy used to be the vet at our zoo! Love him!! I was all ready with pictures of his enclosure and all the info on my husbandry(ready to defend myself as I have had a bad experience with another vet). But he was awesome. Unfortunately, my chams left eye had a scab over it inside of the lid that he was unable to get off after trying for quite a while with soaking it with a q-tip and trying to get it to move. His right eye he could still see the eye but he's not sure he has vision in it right now. He's says that there is a bacterial infection and gave me drops to put in 4 times a day. I will also have to hand feed him since he can't see to eat. He is really hoping that with the drops and increasing the mistings that he will at the very least gain back the sight in his right eye, and hopefully the left will lose the scab and it can be saved too. I've never seen anything like it. If you look closely the scab almost looks like what shed would look like, it's light in color. He checked to try and see if it was an internal infection in his eye but no indication of one. They eyes look totally normal from the outside. No swelling or sunken in look or anything.

I am really hoping that it will get better! I just wanted to share this and encourage anyone, if you see something abnormal, please take them in. This happened so fast, I'm thankful I was able to get him in. It happens in a heartbeat. I can not even image what would have happened if I had to wait for the weekend to go 3 hours away to Dallas.

And, just incase you are wondering.....this is what a really ticked off panthers cham looks like.....

 

[Lazereth]

Beautiful guy you got, I'm rooting for him!!!!

 

[Andee]

Did he say why he thought is a was a scab and not a retained shed?

 

[Peachypink]

I asked if it was shed that was stuck and he said it wasn't.

Just gave him his first eye drops at home. He is NOT happy. My hand is not as big as the vet's so I think I'm gonna have to use a towel to hold him with. He was fighting me hard.

 

[alphakenc]

Poor chamy...Well U will have to be his eyes until he gets better,like a guiding dogs but more ,get him well soon!!......."Drum Roll"...Singing.....rising up back on the street,took my time took my chances,went the distance now im back on my feet,just a CHAM and his will to survive....its eye of the CHAM,its the cream of the fight,rising up to the challange of our rival,as the last known survivor stalks the prey in the day,and hes watching us all in the......EYE OF THE CHAMY...."DRUM ROLL"

 

[Peachypink]

Today starts day one of our new routine. This should be interesting!

Here's what he looks like when he's not mad.....

 

[Peachypink]

It's been a week of giving drops and hand feeding. I took him back to the vet today and he has gained a little and he has sight back in the right eye. The left eye has lost the scab but it now has a bulge so the vet is putting him under to flush it as I type this. I am headed back in a few minutes to pick him up.

Poor thing has been ticked for a week. Giving drops 4 times a day has made him hate to see me come in the room. He used to take food from my hand. Hopefully soon he will trust me again as for now he is still not eating on his own and I have to get him to open his mouth to get him to eat.

 

[Andee]

He will start to trust you again, the fact that he is not eating on his own could just be he is stressed now. We shall see. Hopefully everything will turn out right. Keeping you in my hopes.

 

[Peachypink]

Thank you!

When I picked him up the vet showed me what came out of his eye. There were more pieces of the scab and he said the bulge was air that had been trapped by the scab. BUT, he said his eye looked good that he could see the retina and all the vessels looked good. So, drops 4x a day still for that eye and 2x a day for the other eye.

He said he was impressed that I followed his orders so well. He said he has story after story of people who bring their reptiles in but only do half of what he suggests. Why have something that requires so much attention if you don't want to put in the work? It seriously baffles me how someone can do that! I'm just so thankful to have a great help vet in this Texas town!!

Keep the prayers and well wishes coming, we still have a lot of work to do!


This is what his left eye looked like last week with he scab still in place....I haven't tried to look that close now that he flushed it and the scab is all gone, I want him to warm up and destress but the vet says it looks 100% better.

 

[Peachypink]

SUCESS!!!!

I am so excited! I have been having to force feed him for 2 weeks now and I can barley get him to eat more that 2 or 3 of anything a day. When I finally get him to open his mouth and I am fast enough to get anything in there he will sit and hold it in his mouth forever before he will eat it. And sometimes he will even spit half back out. A few times he has tried to shoot his tongue at something in the tweezers or on my fingers but he won't shoot it out more than about an inch and a half and he will usually miss. This made my think that he might not have the full sight back in his one eye. The other with the scab covering is still covered no matter what I do(flush it with saline, use a q-tip to gently try to remove it, showers, etc.). I have though figured out how to out the drops in without having to grab him and hold him down. Since he can't see out of that eye, as long as that side is facing me I can just reach in and drop them in. As soon as he feels it he lays over so it doesn't end up dripping off. So thankfully, he is less stressed now.

But I know the booger is hungry! So today, after I was only able to force a single butterworm in him, I cut the side out of a stain mixing cup(there was a recent post on this), added screen inside and held it up to him with 3 dubia in it. He started moving closer and his head would follow everywhere they went. Luckily they were super active. He tried twice to shoot his tongue and missed then he just got really close and was able to shoot and get it! He missed once with the second one then it didn't stand a chance! I wish I could have stood there longer but I had to go pick up my boys. But when I got back I tried again with 2 more dubia and 2 small hornworms. Boom, quick as a flash, he downed them all. I am so excited to see him feeding himself again!!!! I don't want to ever do it since he's been only getting a few a day for the past 2 weeks. So I'll offer more tomorrow.


And actually a quick question that I just thought of.....I posted earlier today when I found something really weird in his cage. It turned out to be a huge sperm plug....could the fact he finally passed that today have been a factor in why he seemed so disinterested in anything I tried to give him? I mean beyond the stress he's been in the last couple weeks. I would think having that big of a plug was making him uncomfortable.

 

[KLowery88]

When I first got my rescue Veiled he had a huge impacted sperm plug and showed no interest in food. When the vet removed it and cleaned everything out, he ate.

Unfortunately for him the problem kept recurring, so he kept going off food. I saw the picture of the sperm plug you posted, and I'd say passing that has him feeling much more comfortable.