Both eyes closed and mouth gapeing open to breath

P

prosat5

New Member
For 4 days eyes have been closed, this morning the open mouth breathing started? Chameleon is hydrated and drinking? Has not eaten since 6 days ago? I am very concerned, i have called the Vet and will take her today, however; I live in a very small town, while my Vet is supreme and is knowledgable in a variety of species I want to make sure, i have all the tools I need to give him the best possible scene of what is going on and what may be the cause of this? Concerned about this and about what types of meds if any it will need? Please give any insight to this issue, if possible.
Thanks!
 
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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.


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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful
 
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Prmary cage is 3x3x4 wire all 4 sides and screen top with astro turf bottom. recently moved cham into house due to climate change( had been living outside on back porch in cage, during ummer). For last 3 days moved cham back to starter cage - which is an exo terra for cham's the smaller one. with the bark at the bottom

Lighting - I use exo terra brand I use a uvb/heat bulb 75 watt in the day time and heat glo infrared 75 at night. Cham lighting is keep on a normal day to night cycle, change out lights when the sun goes down here.

Temperature - cage floor in current habitat is around 78, basking is close to 103. I have an exo terra therm on 2 different sides of cage to measure heat.

Humidity -When Cham lived outside would just hose it off and since I live in Deep East Texas outside humidity has never been a problem, not until I moved it into the house. I would mist but since the enclosure is all open..hmm you got me thinking here now - no humidity - right? I have moved it like i said back to starter cage and for last 3 days keeping and monitoring humidity at around 70-80%. I use a mister filled with purified warm water

Plants - 1 live plant in main structure - Japanesse Boxwood . No live plants in starter cage


Placement - Primary cage is in the corner of the kitchen and sits 5 feet from ground level. traffic level is normal, maybe I should seclude her more? starter cage she has been residing in for 3 days now is on the corner of kitchen table and about 3 feet from floor. Maybe she is to close to us -- btw we don't eat this table.


Location - South East Texas

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - viel cham, she is about 1.5 years old, has been in my care for about a year - never a problem

Handling - I try not to - I know they don't like that. only when i have to.

Feeding - Crickets about 5 to 6 every other day, gut loaded with Flukers gut load( the orange cubes you keep refrigerated) I alos feed meal worms on occasion as a treat.

Supplements - I use a calcium dust made by reti vita or something like that it comes in a white container with a pink label. I use it everytime i feed.

Watering -I use a drip system and I warm mist at least 3 times daily, More often these past few days.

Fecal Description -Last BM was 6 days ago and the stool looked good not to fim nor to runny, good consistency. The urinate white with a hint of yellow at end of urinate. Never tested for parasites since i have had it, was tested and negative before i purchased.

History - Has always been very healthy, i did describe the enviroment change and I am thinking that may be my culprit

Current Problem - Eyes have been closed for about 4 days now and this morning is breathing with an open mouth, did drink yesterday and alot the day before. Wondering if this a respiratory infection? No mucus anywhere or have I just jacked up it's living enviroment and dehydrated it?
 
You are cooking her. Turn the heat lights off. Her basking temp (the hotest place in the cage) should be 80 to 82.

Your UVB light bulb, is it a long tube bulb or coil? The coil causes eye problems that lead to blindness. This is the UVB bulb you need. http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...por-bulbs/-/zoo-med-18-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/

She needs live plants in her cage and it sounds like she needs a biger cage. The boxwood that you were using....I'm not sure if that's a safe plant or not.

The feeders have to be "lightly" dusted with 3 kinds of supplements. Plain calcium (no d3) at just about every feeding. Calcium with d3 twice a month and a multi. vit. once a month. In this link I use the 1st, 3rd and 5th one.
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog/reptile-supplies/vitamins-medicines-and-cage-cleaners/

You need to gut load the crickets with collard greens they are excellent. You can also use kale, carrots, squash and orange. You can also buy a premixed gut load. One of the members here sales it. https://www.chameleonforums.com/cricket-crack-sale-23533/

Pictures would be helpful.

This link below will give you some great info on the female veiled.

http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
 
Last edited:
After furture inspection it looks as though she has swollen lymp nodes in her throat area, if that is even possible.
 
he said that he is very familiar with reptiles your common iguana, gecko and has treated a few cheameleons.. i am now freakking out, went and googled gular edema and that is what her throat looks like.
 
prosat5 said:
he said that he is very familiar with reptiles your common iguana, gecko and has treated a few cheameleons.. i am now freakking out, went and googled gular edema and that is what her throat looks like.
Click to expand...

My female has had if before too. She gets it around egg laying time. Has you girl laid eggs lately?
 
she has never laid eggs since I have owned her. Do i need to go get some sand and a box? Does the vet need to do something to her?
 
I would keep a laying bin for her at all time. It needs to be about 12 inches deep and I use washed play sand. If your vet know chameleons he should be able to tell if she has eggs....an xray will tell for sure. They do stop eating before laying but if your girl has had her eyes shut she wouldn't be able to see to eat.
 
ok she went to the vet, he gave her a shot? I need to know is this laying bin to be in her cage at all times?
 
You said the vet gave her a shot....of what??

Its recommended that any female egglaying chameleon that is sexually mature have a suitable place to dig in the cage so she can let you know when she is ready to lay eggs. If its big enough, she can/should/will lay them there...if not once she starts digging she can be moved to a larger container.

The minimum size the container should be is large enough that when empty the female fits into it with a couple of inches to spare on all sides including above and below. The container should be opaque.

You said the cage has bark at the bottom...its recommended that there be no substrate in the cage. It can be ingested and cause impaction and some of the barks contain oils that are toxic to chameleons.

You said..."exo terra brand I use a uvb/heat bulb 75 watt in the day time and heat glo infrared 75 at night. Cham lighting is keep on a normal day to night cycle, change out lights when the sun goes down here"...if its the compact bulb some of them can cause problems with the eyes. The most often recommended UVB light is the Repti-sun 5.0 long linear fluorecsent tube. For basking/heat you can use a regular household incandescent light in a domed hood...but for my veiled females I don't because I keep their cages cooler than I do the male's. You don't need heat (or light) during the night unless the room temp. is cooler than 65F.

You said..."Temperature - cage floor in current habitat is around 78, basking is close to 103. I have an exo terra therm on 2 different sides of cage to measure heat."...I keep the females' cages in the low 80'sF. Even the males' cages are only in the high 80'sF to low 90'sF.


You said..."Japanesse Boxwood"...I have no idea if this is safe or not. You said there are no live plants in starter cage...veiled chameleons have been known to try to eat fake plants.

I don't know what's in Flukers gut load (the orange cubes you keep refrigerated) but I gutload/feed crickets with a wide assortment of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, sweet red peppers, celery leaves, sweet potato, etc.)

You said..."Supplements - I use a calcium dust made by reti vita or something like that it comes in a white container with a pink label. I use it everytime i feed"...do you mean Rep-cal? Does it have D3 in it? I use three supplements...on most feedings I use phos.-free Rep-cal calcium. Twice a month I use Herptivite and twice a month I use phos.-free calcium/D3 powder.
 
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