Baby Veiled Closing Eye Repeatedly, HELP!!!

[ReptileLove18]

My 2 month old baby veiled chameleon is closing one of his eyes for about 3 seconds then opening it again repeatedly, anyone have any ideas why?? im concerned and don't kno what could be causing this, he doesn't normally do that. i'm taking him to be checked out by the owner of pet emporium i got him from, but i'm worried, any ideas???

 

[Kate]

As its just one of his eyes and he is not sleeping, it could be just irritated. Up the mistings and look out for any discharge. If it continues yoou could wash it out with normal saline. there are preparations made for contact lenses that just contain saline. Glad you are taking him to someone who knows chams.

 

[ReptileLove18]

As its just one of his eyes and he is not sleeping, it could be just irritated. Up the mistings and look out for any discharge. If it continues yoou could wash it out with normal saline. there are preparations made for contact lenses that just contain saline. Glad you are taking him to someone who knows chams.

okay ill do that. he just shed for the first time since i got him yesterday and after looking some stuff up, it may be a little bit of shed stuck in his eye. do you think thats possible? we saw him rubbing his eyes on his branch to loosen the shed early yesterday and by today the shed is all gone that i can see, the eye closing only started since last night.

 

[dom1959]

sounds right, increase misting, my cham just finished shedding today and i misted him at least 8 times so far. it can really help him get rid of the old skin...

 

[Kate]

Sounds as if it could be a little bit of shed. Misting a little more might help him to get rid of it.

 

[ReptileLove18]

i misted him just now and as per usual he ran from it but i got everything good and misted. right after i finished misting he made a coughing sound, i dont kno if this is because he may have a URI or if that was his baby attempt at a hiss, i've never heard him hiss so i dont know. im really concerned

 

[ReptileLove18]

to everyone to gave me advice on this matter, i took my baby in and he's just fine! it was a piece of shed stuck on the eyelid, not one sign of a LRI or an URI! yay!! he's doing great

 

[Moosma]

Thank you for the good news!

 

[ReptileLove18]

well today i put up his perch and he watched me do it but didnt go to it, he hasnt moved very much today other then to snap up some crickets and drink a little water.. so i put him on the perch and he opened his mouth several times, not hissing but puffing up and i say alot of clear, sicky, bubbly mucus in his mouth call the emporium i got him from and am gonna take him in to be checked out by the local reptile rescue vet.... i'm super worried and rather irrated that when i took him in last night they said he was perfectly healthy. now today his mouth is full of mucus and he's lethargic... im worried i might lose my lil guy

 

[ReptileLove18]

Pablo died sometime last night...... it appears that he was suffering either from a tumor in his head or internal problems due to the breeder the pet store got him from inbreeds all of their chams and he was born with a defect... he had been lethargic the last several days, still eating and drinking but sleeping alot and walking around with both his eyes closed. the reptile vet thats been helping us said when his eye started closing that if the other eye did the same thing he might have a tumor. yesterday he started keeping both closed and sleeping all day... this morning when we went to uncover his tank and turn his lights on we found him dead on the bottom of his tank.... it was very unexpected and tragic. im heartbroken that he is gone and looking up at his empty dark tank is horrific. we did everything we were supposed to do but he started going downhill after his shed, the reptile vet says this is from him growing and the defect taking more of a toll on him... i cant believe that little Pablo is gone...

 

[dmscats]

I'm so very sorry.

 

[ReptileLove18]

i just wish there was something more i could have done for him.. but he was born that way and it lead to his death. im just glad i was able to give him the life he deserved for his short time with us and that he didnt die in a dirty tank at the pet sore where i got him, unloved. he died very loved and cared for with people who wanted nothing more then to make him happy and healthy.... its really hard to know i wont see him again..

 

[carol5208]

I am so very sorry you lost Pablo. From what you are describing it sounds like he did indeed have a respiratory infection. Also, I have heard alot of reasons for chameleon closing their eyes and a tumor not being one of them. How do you know it was a tumor? I would be a little leary of your vet if that is what he/she told you without doing a necropsy to find out. I think your cham had a respiratory infection that went untreated and that is why your chameleon died. I do not want to sound mean or harsh, but I would hate for you have something happen like this again if you get another chameleon. EDIT My keyboard is sticking and I am not realizing it is posting, so I have doubling up on posts. Sorry!

 

[carol5208]

I am so very sorry you lost Pablo. From what you are describing it sounds like he did indeed have a respiratory infection. Also, I have heard alot of reasons for chameleon closing their eyes and a tumor not being one of them. How do you know it was a tumor? I would be a little leary of your vet if that is what he/she told you without doing a necropsy to find out. I think your cham had a respiratory infection that went untreated and that is why your chameleon died. I do not want to sound mean or harsh, but I would hate for you have something happen like this again if you get another chameleon. Chameleons will close their eyes when they are very sick and sometimes ready to die.

 

[ReptileLove18]

I am so very sorry you lost Pablo. From what you are describing it sounds like he did indeed have a respiratory infection. Also, I have heard alot of reasons for chameleon closing their eyes and a tumor not being one of them. How do you know it was a tumor? I would be a little leary of your vet if that is what he/she told you without doing a necropsy to find out. I think your cham had a respiratory infection that went untreated and that is why your chameleon died. I do not want to sound mean or harsh, but I would hate for you have something happen like this again if you get another chameleon. Chameleons will close their eyes when they are very sick and sometimes ready to die.

the vet said they believed it was a tumor after observing him, but like you said its hard to know because we dont have the money right now to have a necropsy done on him.. it absolutely could have been a respirtory infection that was not found when the vet saw him earlier this week.. either way it breaks my heart because i told them i thought he had a repiratory infection, both the vet and the owners of the pet store said they didnt think he had one. if thats what he died from i feel horrible because it could have been prevented if only they had seen it, i thought it was an infection the first time i took him in and he went twice after and they said they thought it wasnt.. to know that it could have been prevented if there had been another vet to take him to is heartbreaking. i tried so hard to keep him with us and i wish that i didnt live in this tiny town with only 2 people to take him to because they may have wrongly assessed him and caused his death...

 

[carol5208]

I don't want make you feel bad! What I am saying is without xrays that is a complete guess about a tumor. What I was trying to get across is that chameleons close their eyes when they are very sick. Sure if there was a tumor, I suppose it could press on a nerve or something like in a human and cause eye closing. Does your vet realize that your chameleon was just plain sick and that is why it was closing its eyes? You said there was bubbles and lots of mucous..that is not normal. Coughing is not normal. Maybe your vet does not know chameleons at all and if you get another you might want to consider someone that is more qualified that knows about chameleons.

 

[ReptileLove18]

they obviously didnt realize. yes if i do get another i will go to a different town to get a better vet. im sad tho and i want to get another but i also dont want to if you know what i mean..

 

[carol5208]

I hope you will get another. You seem to have a great heart and I know you will give a new chameleon a great home. It is a very sad thing to part with these animals. There is something very special about them.

 

[ReptileLove18]

well ive been doing lots of research on different types of chameleons, trying to figure out what kind of baby to get when were ready.. my mom and i are thinking either a veiled or a panther. any kind of info or thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated everyone! we want to get a new baby soon and i searching for a really good breeder that is dependable and doesnt inbreed their chams

 

[Kate]

That sounds great Jasmine. I have had two veiled and now have panthers. Their care is similar although they say veileds are more forgiving of minor mistakes in there care. Whatever you choose good luck.