semi-urgent!

[Chris111384]

Okay heres the story,
My 2 and 1/2 month old veiled chameleon started closing his left eye randomly, then it got swollen, then i caught him sleeping during the day. This was over a few days. He was still eating and acting pretty normal besides that. The day i caught him sleeping, i was alarmed and called the vet and got an appointment the next day. The vet gave me ointment for an infection to put on both his eyes two times a day. I didn't really understand why both eyes, but i assumed he knew what he was doing and didn't question it. That was yesterday. When i got up this morning, after putting on the ointment twice yesterday, he was opening his eye more, still not all the time though. So around 11:30 this morning i put the ointment on again, and he hasn't opened both of his eyes since. He also hasn't moved or eaten all day (due to both his eyes being closed). He also keeps bulging out the sides of both of them. I'm alarmed and am going to call the vet tomorrow. My question is, should i put on the ointment tonight again? does this sound normal to anyone? I've done a lot of research and this is my first chameleon. i don't want to hurt the little guy.

 

[heartben]

what kind of ointment were you given?

youll want to fill THIS out and post it back in this thread in order to get the best help.

 

[DavidBuchan]

For eye problems the most important part of the form are the lighting and misting questions, so the more info you can give the better......

 

[carol5208]

I cannot understand why a vet would tell you to put medicine in a healthy eye. That does not make sense to me.

 

[okiroo]

I cannot understand why a vet would tell you to put medicine in a healthy eye. That does not make sense to me.

agreed. as a matter of fact. if you touch the possibally infected eye with the meds it could spred to the healthy eye. :/


iv had a vet do something very simler like that to me before. he precribed me meds to secondary conditions instead of finding and treating the real problems. this led to a beloved iguanas death. be weary of a vet like that and voice yourself sternly.

 

[Chris111384]

okay, the ointment is Neomycin and Polymyxin B, sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment.
The pet store gave me a 25 UVB T8 fluorescent bulb, and also a spot light which i haven't been using because it seemed to bother him, and also i read the spotlights aren't too good for the little ones.
Also i mist 3 to 5 times a day depending on how humid it is in my room.. i live in pennsylvania so the weather has been changing drastically lately. I keep the temp between 70 and 80.
I feed him between 5 and 7 crickets a day, and an occasional mealworm and waxworm sprinkled with calcium suppliment 3 times a week, and once every 2 weeks with d3 and a multivitamine.
He's in a 20 gallon tank right now with no living plants. (i was actually planning on building a big screen cage for him this weekend)
I handle him about once every few days, he seems to like the interaction.
He shed about a week before his eye started closing.
thanks

 

[okiroo]

okay, the ointment is Neomycin and Polymyxin B, sulfates and dexamethasone ophthalmic ointment.
The pet store gave me a 25 UVB T8 fluorescent bulb, and also a spot light which i haven't been using because it seemed to bother him, and also i read the spotlights aren't too good for the little ones.
Also i mist 3 to 5 times a day depending on how humid it is in my room.. i live in pennsylvania so the weather has been changing drastically lately. I keep the temp between 70 and 80.
I feed him between 5 and 7 crickets a day, and an occasional mealworm and waxworm sprinkled with calcium suppliment 3 times a week, and once every 2 weeks with d3 and a multivitamine.
He's in a 20 gallon tank right now with no living plants. (i was actually planning on building a big screen cage for him this weekend)
He shed about a week before his eye started closing.
thanks

you already know im sure, that tanks are not good. Good for building the new cage soon.are you saying your not useing UVB? if your not useing the one above, than what are you useing? mabey a pice of shed got in his eye and it became infected from that---or---they rub when they shed. may have poked his eye ect.

 

[Chris111384]

you already know im sure, that tanks are not good. Good for building the new cage soon.are you saying your not useing UVB? if your not useing the one above, than what are you useing? mabey a pice of shed got in his eye and it became infected from that---or---they rub when they shed. may have poked his eye ect.

i am using the UVB, i'm not using the spotlight.

 

[DavidBuchan]

i am using the UVB, i'm not using the spotlight.

I don't know the uvb brand so I can't comment really, just ask another question to clarify....is it a tube or coil bulb?
And when you say the spotlight seemed to be bothering him, what exactly do you mean? How long since you stopped using it?

 

[Chris111384]

it is a tube zilla slimeline tropical fixture.
i took him to the vet again today, because he's only eaten one cricket in 3 days. so the vet saw him, and gave him some fluids and b12 to give him an appetite.
when i came home he ate 7 crickets over the course of a couple hours.
i'm going to continue the ointment on only the bad eye, and also get a new aluminum cage for him this weekend. thanks for your help.

 

[DavidBuchan]

Get well soon then . Here's a blog I always post when it's someones first Veiled Chameleon 'cos it has all the basic care info. you need, and it is well explained....... https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/chameleonsinmyhouse/395-veiled-chameleon-care-sheet.html