Scabby head and its coming off, please help

Roleary

New Member
Hello, we are looking after our son’s panther chameleon. I think the root cause is low humidity, but two sheds ago, he did not get a clean shed on his head and back of neck. Today, a big scab of dry skin picked off (not all the way, partial). The skin underneath looks yellowish and a bit raw.

what can I do to help? Should I pick the scab off? What should I do to prevent infection? It doesn’t look pretty.

photos attached
 

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What are basking temps, and what bulb are you using and where is it located? Suspended above cage or right on top? How close is basking branch to that bulb?
 
I’ll have to check the temp and adjust accordingly. Light right on top of aluminum screen. What should a temp be? I have a new bulb I could use. I’ll get details and let you know.

I’ll call the vet on Monday.
 
If we go with Manuka, what is the best way to apply? Q tip maybe? Should we clip off the scab or let it come off naturally?
 
I'd let the vet deal with the scab.
To test the basking light to make sure it's not hot enough to burn him gin, hold your hand at the closest spot to the light inside the cage (like against the screen). If you feel uncomfortable with the heat and have to move your hand then it definitely could burn the chameleon.
For a basking light all you need is a regular household incandescent light bulb...wattage that produces the appropriate temperature in the basking area.
 
It’s hard to see the red lamp, but that one is the basking lamp?
 

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It’s hard to see the red lamp, but that one is the basking lamp?
Hi there you need a vet to give you silver sulfadiazine cream to treat the burn.
Can you take a picture of the cage straight on so I can see what exactly your working with?

UVB looks to be incorrect as I am not seeing a T5HO fixture. Can you tell me if the store told you to buy a 2 in 1 UVB bulb? If you take a pic of it I can tell the difference. Concern here is one produces very high heat and UVB levels and should not be used on enclosures without a solarmeter 6.5.
Red bulbs are also very bad for Chameleons.
 
I'd try to soak the burned area with a paper towel to moisten up and clean the burned areas. I'm sure there is something over the counter that could be used until the vet call on Monday? I can't imagine that thing is having fun ?
 
I don’t have the answers to many of your questions, like I said, it’s not ours, it mostly landed in our laps and we are doing our best. It’s night here so he’s bedded down, but tomorrow I will take better photos and I do have a new bulb I can show you.

I would appreciate it if you would not refer to him as half cooked. That is very distressing and we are actively trying to do our best.

tomorrow we will start with honey and call the vet on Monday.
 
I'd try to soak the burned area with a paper towel to moisten up and clean the burned areas. I'm sure there is something over the counter that could be used until the vet call on Monday? I can't imagine that thing is having fun ?
Do not do this, this is a very bad idea
I don’t have the answers to many of your questions, like I said, it’s not ours, it mostly landed in our laps and we are doing our best. It’s night here so he’s bedded down, but tomorrow I will take better photos and I do have a new bulb I can show you.

I would appreciate it if you would not refer to him as half cooked. That is very distressing and we are actively trying to do our best.

tomorrow we will start with honey and call the vet on Monday.
im sorry someone referred to your Chamaeleon that way. That is no help at a moment like this.

while applying the manuka honey be very gentle with the Q-tip.
 
Yeah shouldn't call him that. Stuff happens and you learn. Luckily you sought help and are addressing the issue. Better than some would do. But yeah if can send more pics that would help especially with heat
 
Ok, so I’m still not sure what a T5HO is but, the current white bulb is a reptibreeze. I do have a replacement bulb called Vivosun. Photo attached.

the red heating bulb looks like the culprit for the burn. Temp very hot. The temp under the white bulb is about 85 on the basking branch.

would the heat from that white reptibreeze bulb serve both purposes of basking and uvb support? Can I just not use the red bulb?
 

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Ok, so I’m still not sure what a T5HO is but, the current white bulb is a reptibreeze. I do have a replacement bulb called Vivosun. Photo attached.

the red heating bulb looks like the culprit for the burn. Temp very hot. The temp under the white bulb is about 85 on the basking branch.

would the heat from that white reptibreeze bulb serve both purposes of basking and uvb support? Can I just not use the red bulb?
So I am very concerned about the vivosun bulb. That is a 2 in 1 Mercury vapor bulb. They can put out very high dangerous UVI levels as well as extreme heat. See how it says max surface temp 410? So This is more then likely part of the cause for the thermal burn. These should never be used without a solarmeter 6.5 and careful monitoring of the heat. Problem is most of the time since they are 2 in 1 you can't get the correct UVI level while getting the correct temps.

You want a regular incandescent household bulb for heat. Temps should not be any hotter then 80-85max in the basking area where he rises into the heat.

For UVB you want a T5HO fixture and a 5.0 or 6% bulb then basking would need to be 9 inches below this fixture for the correct uvb level.
This fixture needs to run the width of the enclosure. Here is one that you could get https://www.pangeareptile.com/store/arcadia-prot5-uvb-kit.html
 
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