baby female veiled keeps her eyes closed

dannyboy1994blue

dannyboy1994blue

New Member
I am very concerned. We've had her for about 2 months. This problem began as she regularly started trying to flush/clear one of her eyes. That all started about 2 weeks ago. Before that she was fine. Now she is very inactive except to eat and keeps both eyes shut most of the day.
We swapped out her little aquarium for a 12"x18"x20" screen cage just a couple days ago. We also got rid of the compact flourescent for a long tube. When she opens her eyes she is very squinty. No discharge that eye can see. She is still able to climb, but still keeps her eyes closed. We were making the mistake of dusting her crickets every day and have since stopped. Her crickets are in a small tub so we know how much she's eating and we gut load with dark greens & carrots. I have misted her once heavily and she didn't care for it. I dropped a couple small drops of "refresh tears" in each eye and she didn't seem to like it. Misting and the eye drops both produced the same result: she inflated the eyes and began rubbing them individually on my hand. I will try to post a pic/video, but both of her eyes are much flatter. We've always used bottled spring water for misting & drinking. She is approximately 6" long from head to tail. Not shedding at the moment. Not egg bound. Please help.
 
Welcome to the forums. I'm sorry to hear that your little girl is having problems with her eyes. Exactly what kind of lights do you have on her? If you will please fill out the attached Ask For Help form and give as much details as possible. The more we know about her and how you are caring for her the better.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
 
care/cage info

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled: female approx 4"-6" head to tail, unsure of age and we've had her about 2 months.
Handling - before eye problem, once a day for exposure to natural sunlight, now we try not to handle her at all
Feeding - crickets, the occasional house fly, discontinued allowing her to eat tiny spiders four days ago. she has eaten as many as 8-10 bugs in one day, but since the problem her appetite has decreased to 2-3 bugs per day throughout the day but nothing 2-3 hours before bed. crickets are fed carrots, greens, bell peppers, and Fluker's Cricket Diet. we discontinued dusting with Fluker's Calcium and haven't used our Fluker's Reptile Vitamin. Crickets eat pretty much throughout the day so we keep food in their cricket keeper and I've been feeding her from a small tub to moniter the amounts so we keep small amounts of carrots & greens in the tub for the crickets to eat.
Supplements - Fluker's Calcium every day before eye problem and have discontinued.
Watering - Misting with bottled spring water twice a day for not even 30 seconds, just long enough to soak the fake plants. She has to be removed to mist based on her reaction, she doesn't like to be squirted. I have seen her drink water.
Fecal Description - tiny, about 70% dark solids w/30% light whitish clear
Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? No
History - Captive bread, purchased from national pet store chain. Unitl problem she was lively, active and rarely closed her eyes during the day time.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage 12"x18"x20" with fake green terarium carpet
Lighting - Exo-terra 25w for heat and Zilla Slimline 25w UVB T8 long fluorescent 12 hours a day
Temperature -Cage is at room temp anywhere from 72-75 degrees with 80 degrees at her basking spot. Overnight drops to 70 degrees, maybe 65. Temps are monitered by a thermometer in her cage at basking height.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?humidity has been anywhere from 40-60% by misting and is measured from the center of the cage with a hydrometer
Plants - fake
Placement - the bottom of her cage is 3' above the floor and she was in our living room. We don't have any children but we do have a cat which has expressed no interest in harassing our cham. Today I moved her into our bedroom where there is no traffic except when my wife and I go to bed or in the morning when we wake.
Location - Washington State

Current Problem - about 2 weeks ago she started trying to clear her eyes and now she just keeps them closed all day except to eat. reduced appetite and activity
 
Either something to do with the spiders.... Or that you had her in a glass terrarium. DO NOT USE THOSE
 
Chamlo said:
Either something to do with the spiders.... Or that you had her in a glass terrarium. DO NOT USE THOSE
Click to expand...

i have read that glass terrariums are alright as long as u have good vent i personally use a metal screen mesh cage of course but just yesterday i saw a post about that u can use them.
 
I looked up ur UVB bulb and I found nothing saying it was for reptiles. I think you should get a bulb like the zilla desert 50. Works good for veileds. I think your UVB is causing eye problems...
 
Intersting JuJu. I'll look into it. But a regular little 5 gallon aquarium wouldn't be good.
 
dannyboy1994blue said:
I am very concerned. We've had her for about 2 months. This problem began as she regularly started trying to flush/clear one of her eyes. That all started about 2 weeks ago. Before that she was fine. Now she is very inactive except to eat and keeps both eyes shut most of the day.
We swapped out her little aquarium for a 12"x18"x20" screen cage just a couple days ago. We also got rid of the compact flourescent for a long tube. When she opens her eyes she is very squinty. No discharge that eye can see. She is still able to climb, but still keeps her eyes closed. We were making the mistake of dusting her crickets every day and have since stopped. Her crickets are in a small tub so we know how much she's eating and we gut load with dark greens & carrots. I have misted her once heavily and she didn't care for it. I dropped a couple small drops of "refresh tears" in each eye and she didn't seem to like it. Misting and the eye drops both produced the same result: she inflated the eyes and began rubbing them individually on my hand. I will try to post a pic/video, but both of her eyes are much flatter. We've always used bottled spring water for misting & drinking. She is approximately 6" long from head to tail. Not shedding at the moment. Not egg bound. Please help.
Click to expand...
try to post a picture of her so that we can get a look at her you have remember that your supplement should be reg cal without d3 at every feeding cal with d3 2 times a month and a multi vit 2 times a month
 
dannyboy1994blue said:
I am very concerned. We've had her for about 2 months. This problem began as she regularly started trying to flush/clear one of her eyes. That all started about 2 weeks ago. Before that she was fine. Now she is very inactive except to eat and keeps both eyes shut most of the day.
We swapped out her little aquarium for a 12"x18"x20" screen cage just a couple days ago. We also got rid of the compact flourescent for a long tube. When she opens her eyes she is very squinty. No discharge that eye can see. She is still able to climb, but still keeps her eyes closed. We were making the mistake of dusting her crickets every day and have since stopped. Her crickets are in a small tub so we know how much she's eating and we gut load with dark greens & carrots. I have misted her once heavily and she didn't care for it. I dropped a couple small drops of "refresh tears" in each eye and she didn't seem to like it. Misting and the eye drops both produced the same result: she inflated the eyes and began rubbing them individually on my hand. I will try to post a pic/video, but both of her eyes are much flatter. We've always used bottled spring water for misting & drinking. She is approximately 6" long from head to tail. Not shedding at the moment. Not egg bound. Please help.
Click to expand...

also danny reading through everything again u dont need a super expensive bulb for heat just get a standard housebulb its whati use and my guy is a little younger then yours also for the uvb light get the repi sun 5.0 it is a standard light that many people on here use, you might not have to change that its just what allot of people use.
 
You say that you used to have a compact fluorescent. And a "little glass aquarium" good thing you changed that. Compact bulbs cause eye problems and "little glass aquariums" aren't very good. Please post a picture of the previous set up. It was probably your last bulb. I saw your in washington. What city? I can recommend a great vet in Spokane. Where did you buy your little girl?
 
dannyboy1994blue said:
Chameleon Info:
dusting with Fluker's Calcium and haven't used our Fluker's Reptile Vitamin. Crickets eat pretty much throughout the day so we keep food in their cricket keeper and I've been feeding her from a small tub to moniter the amounts so we keep small amounts of carrots & greens in the tub for the crickets to eat.
Supplements - Fluker's Calcium every day before eye problem and have discontinued.
Click to expand...

Here is a problem you have to use twice a month multivitamin and a clacium with d3. The every day calcium has to be with no d3 vitamin.

But you should go to a vet

put some pics so people with better expirience can help
 
If you are only misting twice a day for 30 seconds that is no where near long enough. Especially with silk plants (they just absorb the water) and if you remove her while misting when is she drinking? Mine drink for several minutes, not seconds. Start misting more and give her showers. She doesn't have to like it - she will settle down and start drinking.
 
follow up to questions...

We live in Bellingham, WA and she was purchased at Petsmart. There is a herp vet down towards Seattle and that is where I used to take my iguanas. She hasn't eaten today.
 
dannyboy1994blue said:
We live in Bellingham, WA and she was purchased at Petsmart. There is a herp vet down towards Seattle and that is where I used to take my iguanas. She hasn't eaten today.
Click to expand...

best thing i can tell u to do is take her to a vet just in case
 
Vet is a good idea. Purchased from petsmart...... Let me guess they recommended these things... Evil corporation
 
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