veiled chameleons eye sunken in
- Thread starter Jesse brooks
- Start date
Jesse brooks
Member
I don't know if this is bad or anything but it is kind of freaking me out
mvad
Established Member
Sunken eyes can mean dehydration.
Fill this out, it will help people in making a possible diagnosis. https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Fill this out, it will help people in making a possible diagnosis. https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
Jesse brooks
Member
How do I fill it out?
Jesse brooks
Member
I tried but I don't think I did it right
Pharaoh2015
New Member
Sunken eyes can mean a lot of things. Filling out the how to ask for help questions will help us get a better idea.
If your cham is okay with handling you can give it a shower. The best way is by not letting the water hit him directly but by having it hit a surface and reflect back onto him. I typically use my hand so it drizzles down on my chams. You can also soak him in a bowl with water. I read they can absorb through their vents and this may help if it's dehydration.
If your cham is okay with handling you can give it a shower. The best way is by not letting the water hit him directly but by having it hit a surface and reflect back onto him. I typically use my hand so it drizzles down on my chams. You can also soak him in a bowl with water. I read they can absorb through their vents and this may help if it's dehydration.
Pharaoh2015
New Member
You can also put the enclosure or a secondary enclosure in the shower
LilBlue
New Member
Hi there, he does look dehydrated, but there are other causes as well. Best to start with the shower method. It is safest to use a terrarium, I use the screen zip up terrariums, start the shower against the wall, adjust the temperature, add cham in cage, and slowly start directing the shower spray over only 1/3 to 1/2 of the cage. Close the curtain and bathroom door so humidity builds up(don't turn on the bathroom fan).
Snakes, bearded dragons and monitors like soaking in a bath, a chameleon does not. It will be very stressful for him. They also can't take in water through their vents(although turtles may be able to).
I copied and pasted the "How to ask for Help" below, hopefully that will make it easier to fill out, you can just quote my comment.
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.
I hope we can get him feeling better
Snakes, bearded dragons and monitors like soaking in a bath, a chameleon does not. It will be very stressful for him. They also can't take in water through their vents(although turtles may be able to).
I copied and pasted the "How to ask for Help" below, hopefully that will make it easier to fill out, you can just quote my comment.
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.
I hope we can get him feeling better
Chase
Chameleon Enthusiast
Were his eyes like that in his enclosure or did it happen when you handled him? A lot of times they'll also suck in their eyes when they get pissy so it's possible he is not dehydrated. Fill out the "How to ask for help" questions, which were posted above.
Just to add to the "fecal description" part, with the poop is there a white part, or is it more yellow/orange?\
Chase
Just to add to the "fecal description" part, with the poop is there a white part, or is it more yellow/orange?\
Chase
Jesse brooks
Member
I made a homemade little dripper by using a Tupperware and pokeing holes in the bottom and he is drinking it and his eye looks less swollen , but how do I give him a shower?
Jesse brooks
Member
how to ask for help
Hi there, he does look dehydrated, but there are other causes as well. Best to start with the shower method. It is safest to use a terrarium, I use the screen zip up terrariums, start the shower against the wall, adjust the temperature, add cham in cage, and slowly start directing the shower spray over only 1/3 to 1/2 of the cage. Close the curtain and bathroom door so humidity builds up(don't turn on the bathroom fan).
Snakes, bearded dragons and monitors like soaking in a bath, a chameleon does not. It will be very stressful for him. They also can't take in water through their vents(although turtles may be able to).
I copied and pasted the "How to ask for Help" below, hopefully that will make it easier to fill out, you can just quote my comment.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? Veiled about five months three months
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? Every day
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? Mule worms three a day I don't have a schedule. I dont
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? Exo Terra multi vitamins powder once a week
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? Misting with a spray bottle three times a day, yes
Fecal Description - from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? Good its normal, no
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you. No
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? Glass, 12" L x 12" W x 18" H, exo Terra uvb light, from eight am to eight pm.
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? Day temp is 75 to 80, night temp 50 to 60, with a zilla temp/humidity Gide.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? From 60 to 90 day and night, misting three times a day, zilla humidity Gide.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? Fake plants and one real bamboo plant.
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? In my room, no, three and a half feet high, Newport Oregon.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about. Dehidration
I hope we can get him feeling better
Jesse brooks
Member
I put the answers next to the questions
LilBlue
New Member
Thanks for filling out the form. First item on the list: Handling - Most chameleons don't like being handled, even if they aren't hissing, gapping etc, it still affects them. Maybe cut down handling to once a week, this will take a lot of stress off of him and help him start to feel better in other areas.
Feeding - A 3-5 month old cham needs a lot of food. 3 meal worms a day isn't enough. Variety is key, and will help with hydration as well. Judging by the picture, I think he's closer to the 5-6 month mark(but it's been a while since I have had a veiled). He needs more like 15 meal worms a day, or crickets, around the same amount(I'm just going off of size of him on your hand in the pic). Both these feeders need to be properly gut loaded, if the bugs aren't well fed, there is no nutrition being passed on to your cham. Start trying out some other feeders like butter worms, wax worms(sparingly, high in fat), horned worms, and silkworms(silks are my staple feeder). There are some good gut load recipes on here, I'll try and find a link...
Supplements - This may be where the eye issue is coming from - too many vitamins is just as bad as not enough. Multi vitamins should be used only twice a month at a maximum. Calcium without D3 should be used at every feeding, and Calcium with D3 used twice a month as well, unless the multi vitamin has D3 in it.
Watering schedule sounds alright, how long are you misting for? Sometimes it is more beneficial to do 2-3 mistings, for longer, than more and shorter mistings. Some stop drinking when the droplets stop falling and don't continue on to lick the leaves. This is where a dripper is nice to have.
Fecal description - could you please describe the shape/colour/consistency of the droppings? White urate, mixed orange/white urate?
In my opinion, you could upgrade his cage, I think he would be happy now in a 18" x 18" x 36". If he cup feeds, you can probably go right up to a full size adult cage of 24" x24" x 48". Being in a glass cage, those temp/humidity gauges might not be very accurate.
What is the wattage of the basking bulb?
Are you using night time heat? This is a big no no, unless your climate needs it then a ceramic heat bulb, which doesn't emit light, is best. Chams need to cool down at night to low mid 60'sF, it helps them get a good sleep. If he has night time heat that could be drying him up a lot too.
The live plant - was this cleaned and repotted in organic soil, free of fertilizers?
Whew! Ok I covered everything there I think lol. I think with all my typing we should be rewarded with some more pictures of your guy and his set up
Feeding - A 3-5 month old cham needs a lot of food. 3 meal worms a day isn't enough. Variety is key, and will help with hydration as well. Judging by the picture, I think he's closer to the 5-6 month mark(but it's been a while since I have had a veiled). He needs more like 15 meal worms a day, or crickets, around the same amount(I'm just going off of size of him on your hand in the pic). Both these feeders need to be properly gut loaded, if the bugs aren't well fed, there is no nutrition being passed on to your cham. Start trying out some other feeders like butter worms, wax worms(sparingly, high in fat), horned worms, and silkworms(silks are my staple feeder). There are some good gut load recipes on here, I'll try and find a link...
Supplements - This may be where the eye issue is coming from - too many vitamins is just as bad as not enough. Multi vitamins should be used only twice a month at a maximum. Calcium without D3 should be used at every feeding, and Calcium with D3 used twice a month as well, unless the multi vitamin has D3 in it.
Watering schedule sounds alright, how long are you misting for? Sometimes it is more beneficial to do 2-3 mistings, for longer, than more and shorter mistings. Some stop drinking when the droplets stop falling and don't continue on to lick the leaves. This is where a dripper is nice to have.
Fecal description - could you please describe the shape/colour/consistency of the droppings? White urate, mixed orange/white urate?
In my opinion, you could upgrade his cage, I think he would be happy now in a 18" x 18" x 36". If he cup feeds, you can probably go right up to a full size adult cage of 24" x24" x 48". Being in a glass cage, those temp/humidity gauges might not be very accurate.
What is the wattage of the basking bulb?
Are you using night time heat? This is a big no no, unless your climate needs it then a ceramic heat bulb, which doesn't emit light, is best. Chams need to cool down at night to low mid 60'sF, it helps them get a good sleep. If he has night time heat that could be drying him up a lot too.
The live plant - was this cleaned and repotted in organic soil, free of fertilizers?
Whew! Ok I covered everything there I think lol. I think with all my typing we should be rewarded with some more pictures of your guy and his set up
