veiled wont keep eyes open, plz help

[foxteambmx]

I have a 3 month old veiled chameleon and i guess i used the wrong UVB light and it has made him go blind or start to at least it seems. he doesnt eat and doesnt really move around alot in his cage. he always has his eyes closed and sometime scrathches them on the branch in his cage. i have only had him a week and he has been doing these things since 4 days ago. is there anything i can do?

 

[Mr Wilson]

I'm honestly going to tell you what every other person will tell you:

Fill out the "Ask For Help" form
Find an exotic pet vet in your area and get him checked out.

 

[modern warfare 2]

do you mist his cage

 

[beeze]

Please answer these questions so that we can help you to help your veiled.

How to ask for help

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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.


Pictures are helpful

 

[foxteambmx]

now this is my girlfriends cham, so i do not know the exact details of everything as i am not near the cage right now. i have seen the problem and have owned several chams prior to this one, and it has me stumped. i hope all this helps, i keep telling her that everyone says go to the vet, but due to money reasons, she might not be able to afford it at this moment. what is the average cost of a vet bill? thanks for all the help

Your Chameleon - veiled, male, 3 months, and had him for a 9 days
Handling - dont handle him at all, only to move him from feeding cage to reg cage
Feeding - small crickets, i have on ly seen him eat 4-6 since i got him, feed him daily, i have gel gut-loader for crickets also some cricket food.
Supplements - i believe the brand is zoo med maybe? not entirely sure, but it has calcium, and D3 and other supplements all in one. i dust the crickets every other feeding.
Watering - i spray the cage several times daily, but have not set up a drip system yet. i have used ice cubes under the heat source so it melts. but i have not seen him drink anything since i got him.
Fecal Description - i have not noticed any fecal matter yet.
History - prior to us getting him, the breeder said he was eating about 6-8 crickets a day and drinking regularly.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - it is about 3 feet tall has a screen top and 2 screen sides. i know this isnt the best cage for a cham, but i have never had a problem using it with my others in the past.
Lighting - I have a ceramic heater bulb, a basking light, and red night light all zoo med. i keep the ceramic on all day and switch between the basking and red lamp as the day progresses.
Temperature - the temp range is about 90-93 at the top to about 75 at the very bottom of the cage. in the middle it is about 83-86. the lowest the overnight temp gets is about 75. but at the top it stays about 80-85. i have a temp gauge at the top of the cage, in the middle-upper level and at the bottom in the pot of my ficus plant.
Humidity - i am not sure right now what the lvls are. i am creating the levels by misting the cage daily, whether or not my girlfriend does this as much as she should i dont know and will have to talk to her as i know this is an important role in the health of a cham. and i have a humidity gauge attached to the cage.
Plants - one ficus tree as well as some fake vines.
Placement - it is located in her bedroom in the corner next to the window. it is not near any fans or vents and her room is relatively empty as she is at work or school most of the day. and it is about 2 feet from the floor sitting on a table.
Location - i am in the los angeles area in california.

 

[kinyonga]

What UVB light do you use?

Your basking temperature is too hot IMHO...should be in the mid 80's at that age...and your overnight temperatures should also be lower....closer to 68 or 70 at night.

There are other things that need to be addressed, but I have to sign off for now..so if nobody else tells you what they are, I'll be back later.

 

[Elizadolots]

If you can post a picture next time you see the chameleon, I'm sure that would help.

As you say you haven't seen him drink, it might be that he could use more hydration. (I'm not saying that's the whole issue, just suggesting it might help) I know the drill for an adult, but I'm wary of giving advice for a baby.

I will suggest that while the ice drip might be very convenient and some chameleons seem to adapt, some really do not like the coldness of the water and consequently won't drink. A simple "cup with a hole in it" dripper might be a good idea. It takes a few tries to get the hole the right size, so maybe stop at the store and grab a package of plastic cups. Use a needle or a pin to punch the hole. Smaller is better, slower drip is better.

 

[foxteambmx]

the uvb light we were using was said by the breeder to cause blindness in chams, so we stopped using it asap. havent gotten another one, its been about 5 days without one. i am not sure on the brand of the bulb we were using but it was a compact one, and was using it for about 4-5 days, noticed problems about 3 days in but had no idea what the problem was. he was fine the first couple days alert and eating. and as far as the temps go, it is more of a guess at what they are, since i do not have the cage here to look at. i am just giving you my best idea of what they are. hence the ranges on all temps. thanks again

 

[foxteambmx]

and when i say top of the cage, it is the very top the thermometer is sitting right next to the bulb on top of the screen of the cage. last i looked it was 90 the bulb also is a couple inches from the actual screen top. and about 6 inches from the highest branch.

hope all this helps, trying to give as much info as i can from where i am.

 

[czer]

i would say get rid of the red light, its bad for there eyes. you could use one of those ceramic heat emitters at night if it gets to cold.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."small crickets, i have only seen him eat 4-6 since i got him"...he should be eating more than this if the size of the crickets is right.

You said..."i have gel gut-loader for crickets also some cricket food"...I feed my crickets a wide variety of greens (dandelions, collards, kale, endive, escarole, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, zucchini, celery leaves).

You said..."i believe the brand is zoo med maybe? not entirely sure, but it has calcium, and D3 and other supplements all in one"...since most insects used as feeders have a poor ratio of calcium to phosphorus I dust at most feedings with a phos.-free calcium powder to make up for it.

I dust twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder. This ensures that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdoing it and leaves it to produce the rest of it from the UVB light. (Most often recommended UVB light is the long linear fluorescent Repti-sun 5.0). I dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that has a beta carotene (prOformed) source of vitamin A. Beta carotene can't build up in the system but there is controversy as to whether all/any chameleons can convert it to vitamin A. PrEformed sources of vitamin A (from animal sources, acetate or palmitate, etc.) can build up in the system and may prevent the D3 from doing its job pushing the chameleon towards MBD.

You can use a deli cup with a tiny hole in the bottom (drip rate...1 or 2 drips per second) in it.

You said..."i have not noticed any fecal matter yet"...do you have a substrate? Did the place you bought him from have a substrate? Was there any (white) urate produced?

Someone already advised you to remove the red light. You can use a regular household incandescent bulb in a dome hood during the day for a basking light. The ceramic heat emitter doesn't need to be on at night if the temperature doesn't drop below 60F....or during the day if the basking area temp. is right without it.

You said the cage is next to the window...this can lead to respiratory issues or fungal issues if its cold outside.

Once she is sexually mature you will need to ensure that she has a place to dig in the cage in case she needs to lay eggs.

 

[Elizadolots]

foxteambmx, you'll get a lot of conflicting information on this board, but from everything I've read and experienced, kinyonga is the person you should be listening to. If I post(ed) anything that contradicts, kinyonga, toss me to the curb because kinyonga knows what's what.

 

[kinyonga]

Thanks for the compliments....but there is still lots I have to learn!

 

[foxteambmx]

ok well i took everyones advice and he has started eating and behaving like a healthy-er cham. thanks everyone, first time posting on this forum and glad i did.

 

[Elizadolots]

kiyonga, I doubt anyone can know everything there is to know about chameleons.

foxteambmx, that's great! Keep us informed.