Advice please - eye problem

[robbo80]

My chameleon has developed an eye problem which i noticed a couple of days ago.

He is a Male panther around 3 months old who I have owned for 3 weeks.

He seems otherwise fine and it isn't affecting his eating at all.

There is no discharge but you can see something below the pupil. It almost looks like the eyelid has dropped and you can only see the bottom half or the pupil and the socket below?

The pet shop I got him from think he may have shed in his eye?

Any advise would be appreciated.

 

[ChamDE86]

Try the shower method for about 15-20 minutes to see if he can get rid of it on his own. Place him in a plant in the tub, aim the shower head to the wall and let the water splash off the wall and onto the plant. If that doesn't work, you can wet a q-tip and very gently, brush his eye. Keep an eye out for any swelling and be mindful that a vet visit may be in store.

Also, could you fill out the form in the link I've provided below. Please be descriptive as possible as it will allow us to better understand what is going on and if your husbandry needs to be corrected.

https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/how-to-ask-for-help.66/

 

[robbo80]

Thanks for the reply, I normally avoid him when spraying but have tried misting him as well the last couple of days to wash anything out but he immediately turns and runs away. I also tried with a q-tip last night but don't think i achieved much as he kept closing his eye when I got near him. I will keep trying, do you think it looks like something in there?



Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Ambelobe panther, around 3 months old, owned 3 weeks
• Handling -Left alone to settle in first week then handled a few time since. more recently to check his eye
• Feeding - Brown crickets, 6-10 daily, gut loaded with veg & bug grub
• Supplements - calcium no d3 every other day, reptivite fortnightly
• Watering - regular manual mistings 3-4 times daily, big dripper on constantly
• Fecal Description - normal hen compared to poop101 thread
• History - Have seen him bulging his eyes (washing them out?)

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Repribreeze all mesh 16x16x30"
• Lighting - Komodo 5.0 UVB compact and 100w basking bulb in min dome reflector, on 8am-8p
• Temperature - 83-87 appox basking, 70-75 approx ambient, overnight around 60 minimum
• Humidity - 40-70% depending on when last misted
• Plants - plastic only
• Placement - Corner of living room, no vents / drafts nearby
• Location - North East England

 

[ChamDE86]

It's quite possible that he may be suffering from an eye infection and need eye drops from the vet, but as I mentioned before, keep an eye out to see if it worsen. Try the shower method a couple of times a day and we'll go from there. You will see them bulge their eye out to clean them, but if he keeps doing it, then there may be something in his eye.

You should have 3 supplements for your chameleon.
-Calcium w/o d3 (every feeding)
-Calcium w/ d3 (twice a month)
-Multivitamin (twice a month)

 

[robbo80]

Thanks again. The reptivite has d3 so I assume no need for calcium with d3 as the reptivite is a multi vitamin and has the d3 you recommended from the calcium with d3?

 

[MiyagiCham]

My cham had something similar recently, except his eye was closed all the time. I fixed it by giving him more mistings (With warm water, as he doesn't get irritated that way) and by increasing his humidity, which can be done with either a humidifier or a repti-fogger, which is what I use. But just because our issues are similar doesn't mean they're the same. If you don't notice any sort of recovery soon, I'd advise a vet trip. I'd hate to see the little guy suffer!

 

[carol5208]

I don't think that is shed, but am leaning more towards some type of infection. It looks like discharge to me, but get him to a vet and let them decide. Don't leave it go untreated. If it is an infection it will only get worse.

 

[kinyonga]

Your supplements are not what we recommend...as was already said.
What do you feed/gutload the insects with?
That might not be what's causing the eye problem so I would recommend taking it to a good chameleon vet.

 

[brownie64]

It don't look like shed to me either. I with carol5208 I think it could be an infection. If it were me I would take him to a good qualified reptile vet.

 

[kinyonga]

I meant to ask...What veggie do you feed/gutload with?

 

[robbo80]

I've been giving them kale, potato and carrots so far. As I said I've only had him a few weeks so only had a few batches of crickets.

I've got an appointment at the vets in a few hours so will see what he thinks.

 

[NHenn]

I would recommend you change up his supplementing schedule to match one of the two standard schedules, (Calcium plus method or Calcium w/o D3 daily and w/ d3 bi-weekly). To help with his eye issue directly, I would give him liquid vitamin A. You can purchase Vit A pills from online or most drug stores, cut open one pill and give him the liquid inside. Most eye issues like this are related to a vitamin A deficiency and since your supplementing schedule isn't ideal that is most likely the cause. I don't normally recommend giving a chameleon liquid vitamin A but in this case if he was my chameleon that is exactly what I would do as a first attempt to treating his problem.

 

[robbo80]

Thanks for the advice, I will see what the very has to say before doing anything else.
Can you explain what is the difference in my current supplement regime to what you suggest.
I currently give calcium w/o d3 most days then twice monthly a multivitamin with d3.
There would be no need in calcium with d3 using what I have as he gets the d3 with his multivitamin?
As I have said I have only had him 3 weeks so he had only had 1 multivitamin so far. I don't see that my vitamin regime could have affected him drastically in this short time?

 

[oneillchameleons]

I give vitamin a for various eye problems as well but only give a small amount

I would recommend you change up his supplementing schedule to match one of the two standard schedules, (Calcium plus method or Calcium w/o D3 daily and w/ d3 bi-weekly). To help with his eye issue directly, I would give him liquid vitamin A. You can purchase Vit A pills from online or most drug stores, cut open one pill and give him the liquid inside. Most eye issues like this are related to a vitamin A deficiency and since your supplementing schedule isn't ideal that is most likely the cause. I don't normally recommend giving a chameleon liquid vitamin A but in this case if he was my chameleon that is exactly what I would do as a first attempt to treating his problem.

I also give liquid vitamin a for various eye problems, but make sure you only give a very small amount, less than a drop on a feeder, and no more than a couple days in a row. Vitamin A, like a lot of vitamins and minerals, becomes toxic if too much is ingested.

 

[NHenn]

Thanks for the advice, I will see what the very has to say before doing anything else.
Can you explain what is the difference in my current supplement regime to what you suggest.
I currently give calcium w/o d3 most days then twice monthly a multivitamin with d3.
There would be no need in calcium with d3 using what I have as he gets the d3 with his multivitamin?
As I have said I have only had him 3 weeks so he had only had 1 multivitamin so far. I don't see that my vitamin regime could have affected him drastically in this short time?

Can you give the brands and type of supplements you use, pictures work as well. It is hard to say but three weeks is long enough to have problem develop and without knowing what he was fed and supplemented with prior to you receiving him it could be compounded as well.

 

[robbo80]

Pic of supplements

 

[robbo80]

Ingredients

 

[robbo80]

To update, I've just got back from the vet.

He agreed with me that what we can see is due to the pupil not sitting centred in the eyelid.

No sign of any infection or inflation.

He had a good look inside his eye and used a small pairs of rounded end tweezers to open his eye and have a scrape around inside the eyelid. A couple of tiny pieces of what may have been shed came out.

He then flushed the eye a couple of times with an antiseptic eyewash.

Doesn't look any different for now but hopefully will improve over next couple of days.

Poor little fella wasn't happy at all but I don't think I would have been in his position.