Potential Eye Problem??? Please help!

[npin]

Hey everyone! I've been lurking for a while but my cham scared me into making an account this morning. I've had her for about two weeks now. She's a juvenile but I'm not exactly sure how old she is. I handle her very briefly about once a day to let her climb on this big monstera plant I have and she's always been okay with it.

After misting last night, I noticed that she closed her right eye and started moving it around. I didn't think much of it and thought it was a mild irritation from the water. However, this morning she kept the eye closed and I freaked out. I got a q tip dipped in warm, filtered water and tried to clean the closed lid but i don't know how much it helped, so I took her to the plant and let her climb so I could observe her better. She could open the eye but preferred not to. It looked red. It's gotten better throughout the day, but the eye has been closed a couple times and it makes me nervous. Should I try to rinse it with contact solution or just leave her alone? Her other eye is totally fine- round, alert, normal. Please help me out! Thanks so much.

Here are pics of the eye in question:

 

[npin]

If you need more info just let me know.

 

[Beman]

Hello there and welcome. Are you by any chance using the exo terra fake vines in her cage?

 

[npin]

No, but her cage does have Fluker's pothos repta vines. Why?

 

[Beman]

No, but her cage does have Fluker's pothos repta vines. Why?

The exo terra ones are particularly bad because if they rub their eyes on them pieces can come off and get stuck in the eye.

Can you fill this out for me with detail and add pics of her entire enclosure lighting down.

Here is some recommended information to include when asking for help in the health clinic forum. By providing this information you will receive more accurate and beneficial responses. It might not be necessary to answer all these questions, but the more you provide the better. Please remember that even the most knowledgeable person can only guess at what your problem may be. Only an experienced reptile veterinarian who can directly examine your animal can give a true diagnosis of your chameleon's health.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[npin]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - f veiled. Juvenile, age uncertain, but a couple months.
• Handling - very briefly once a day to move her to a plant so she can climb some more.
• Feeding - As I said, I haven't had her for very long so I'm still getting everything together for the long term. Staple crickets, and I have dubia roaches coming in soon. She eat small crickets, several a day. I let her eat how she wants since she's young.
• Supplements - Fluker's calcium without d3 for most feedings and an exoterra multivitamin with d3 on occasion.
• Watering - I mist heavily no less than four times a day. I occasionally see her drink but I always make sure she has the option to drink if she so chooses. She's never shown any signs of dehydration.
• Fecal Description - I got her from a reputable source but I have not gotten her tested for parasites. Her waste is normal and healthy looking.
• History - not anything I know of?

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen cage, exo terra small/tall (18x18x24) - will upgrade to a larger cage as she grows.
• Lighting - she has a ceramic heater for basking. Lights go out and come back on around 8:30 every day. I will attach a picture of the UVB bulb I use - I know there are some debates about coil UVB bulbs so I will probably switch it out, but as of right now it hasn't been a problem and that doesn't seem to be the cause. It's not too close to the cage either - I don't think it's too bright?
• Temperature - basking around 86F, bottom of cage in the low seventies.
• Humidity - Humidity maintained through misting. Fluctuates from around 49-60% during the day.
• Plants - no live plants yet, but there's a ficus tree coming. She came earlier than she was supposed to so I still have a little work to do and she needs more foliage for sure. I'm getting some more things for her to climb on in the mail tomorrow-her enclosure is not good enough but it's a temporary fix and I can't think of anything that could of bothered her eye except for the water. The sticks I have in there have been very throughly sanitized for her.
• Placement - On top of a night stand. There are no fans going on in the room but occasionally I open the window which is about 10 ft away
• Location - near Houston. TX

Current Problem - see the first post

 

[Beman]

See my feedback in redbold. This will be a ton of info.


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - f veiled. Juvenile, age uncertain, but a couple months.
• Handling - very briefly once a day to move her to a plant so she can climb some more.
• Feeding - As I said, I haven't had her for very long so I'm still getting everything together for the long term. Staple crickets, and I have dubia roaches coming in soon. She eat small crickets, several a day. I let her eat how she wants since she's young. She should eat as much as she wants daily now at least 12 a day. As she matures you will have to start cutting back her food. By about 6 months she should be getting about 5-8 small feeders each day. At about 7 months you want to slowly reduce by cutting down feeders so that she is on a feeding schedule of 3 days a week with 3-4 feeders. You want them to be on this schedule by the time they are 10 months old.
• Supplements - Fluker's calcium without d3 for most feedings and an exoterra multivitamin with d3 on occasion. So the calcium without d3 should be lightly dusted on her feeders everyday. the exoterra with D3 should be used 2 times a month. So every two weeks.
• Watering - I mist heavily no less than four times a day. I occasionally see her drink but I always make sure she has the option to drink if she so chooses. She's never shown any signs of dehydration. When you mist is she cleaning her eyes? They tend to not like to be misted by hand sprayers because they have a harder spray to them. Listen to this podcast for hydration https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/podcast/ep-89-naturalistic-hydration-for-chameleons/
• Fecal Description - I got her from a reputable source but I have not gotten her tested for parasites. Her waste is normal and healthy looking. This does not mean she is clear of parasites. How does the urate look (white part)
• History - not anything I know of?

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen cage, exo terra small/tall (18x18x24) - will upgrade to a larger cage as she grows. Good. Make sure it is large enough to accommodate a permanent lay bin. She will lay infertile eggs.
• Lighting - she has a ceramic heater for basking. Lights go out and come back on around 8:30 every day. I will attach a picture of the UVB bulb I use - I know there are some debates about coil UVB bulbs so I will probably switch it out, but as of right now it hasn't been a problem and that doesn't seem to be the cause. It's not too close to the cage either - I don't think it's too bright? Coil bulb should be tossed. It is about how they push uvb in. They have also been linked with MBD and eye issues in chams. Literally she would have to be directly under it and would then be at risk for a thermal burn especially with that ceramic heater. I do not like ceramic heaters for chams personally. They can put off quite a bit of heat. Watch this it explains uvb better. You need a T5HO fixture with a 5.0 uvb bulb that runs the width of the cage with basking about 9 inches below if it is a single bulb fixture.
• Temperature - basking around 86F, bottom of cage in the low seventies. A bit warm at basking for a female. Females are normally kept cooler 80-81max as food and heat directly impact how many eggs they will lay.
• Humidity - Humidity maintained through misting. Fluctuates from around 49-60% during the day. Humidity should be 30-50% max during the day. Misting with heat on will create hot wet air that they breath and they can develop a respiratory infection.
• Plants - no live plants yet, but there's a ficus tree coming. She came earlier than she was supposed to so I still have a little work to do and she needs more foliage for sure. I'm getting some more things for her to climb on in the mail tomorrow-her enclosure is not good enough but it's a temporary fix and I can't think of anything that could of bothered her eye except for the water. The sticks I have in there have been very throughly sanitized for her. Good glad you already have a plan for her enclosure.
• Placement - On top of a night stand. There are no fans going on in the room but occasionally I open the window which is about 10 ft away
• Location - near Houston. TX

Current Problem - see the first post


So I am concerned that the eye is in relation to the basking or coil bulb. Lack of UVB can also produce issues with the eyes. I would continue to monitor it. If she is cleaning it (rolling it in the socket) when misting this may help clear it. So you can do a longer misting of say 3 minutes just make sure that your basking is off to reduce heat 30 minutes prior and after misting.

Links I like:

www.dragonstrand.com

https://chameleonacademy.com/

https://www.chameleonbreeder.com/

https://www.youtube.com/c/NeptunetheChameleon?sub_confirmation=1

 

[npin]

Hey, thank you so much for that. I'll take it all in consideration. I was worried about the uvb being related to her eye as well but you would think her other eye would display issues as well. Right? It looks like her eye is more irritated than anything. Do you think I should try to help her flush it with saline?

 

[Beman]

Hey, thank you so much for that. I'll take it all in consideration. I was worried about the uvb being related to her eye as well but you would think her other eye would display issues as well. Right? It looks like her eye is more irritated than anything. Do you think I should try to help her flush it with saline?

Ehhhh I am not a Vet so I can't tell you about saline flushing. But I would up your misting duration with the heat lamp off and see if she is able to flush it on her own. It would be less stressful as well. I do not see anything in your cage that she could have gotten a piece off and stuck. That is where I would be concerned and recommend a vet visit to a reptile vet for them to properly flush it.