Cannot Solve Eye issue

[DelBoy]

Just to update, i'm 5 days in to the change of supplementation and have made sure there is 9-10 inches from the base of the UV to his highest basking spot. I've increased to duration of misting sessions to help encourage him to wash his eye - unfortunately still no results, his right eye is still closed 50% of the time and i can see he's still having a hard time with it.

When i took him to the Vet, she said if we don't see progress here then the next step would be an MRI to see if theres any blockage somewhere, am i mistaken for thinking an eye flush should be the next step before an MRI?

Keen to hear the feedback from the experts here, really want to help this little guy with his eye.

@Beman, one thing that did come to mind, if it was a lighting issue, does it seem strange that one eye has been completely unaffected here?

 

[Tarzanfam]

Not an expert, but have been dealing with something similar. Our vet did flush his eye and it didn't help our situation at all. I have now been told to go to a clinic that costs $400 just to walk in the door, so that is a no go and outrageous, but our little guy seems totally fine otherwise and as husbandry has been improving thanks to this group, I am kinda waiting to see how he does with the changes. Good luck

 

[Inky]

Hey bud, I have a girl who I kid you not has had a swollen right eye/ constant scratching and rubbing of the right eye, it lasted like a whole 6 months and It started right after she had her first shed in my care but she’s coming up on a year and 5 months and she’s perfectly healthy , laid a fertile clutch and all and currently waiting for them to hatch. I just sprayed her occasionally gently from a distance and left her be , she overcame it and is a happy girl now . I’m assuming I got lucky , I was never able to take her to a vet due to the pandemic a lot of vets in my area wouldn’t take new exotics.

 

[Pickle-cham]

Personally i would change the Ceramic heat emitter for a dome and floodlight incandescent bulb. The CHE are purely infra-red, where the reptile bulbs (i use Arcadia solar flood) have a source of uva with Infrared which is beneficial to chameleon wellbeing.
The exo terra vines do have a loosely bonded flock attached, i soaked and scraped away the loose bits in hot water in a bucket.

 

[DelBoy]

Still no changes, really worried about him. He's spending more time in the lower parts of his vivarium which isnt like him, and he's keeping that right eye shut 60% of the time.

 

[Tarzanfam]

In my limited experience, hanging out in the bottom of the cage is a bad sign. You should have your vet take a look.

 

[ConfusedHornwormGuy]

My ambilobe is still experiencing issues as well, I haven't been able to get a fecal to take her to the vet, the vet also isnt in on certain days of the week so it makes it difficult to time properly.

There could be a number of issues causing it, it has been happening for about a month at this point. Perhaps it's a burn, her eye doesn't seem cloudy, she opens her eye for a bit after eye drops, and when she is outside of her enclosure she opens her eyes more, but when under the UVB and basking she is keeping it closed - an odd behavior.

She has her vitamin A and calcium and is eating and drinking regularly, it's just her eye that is bothering her. I'm looking forward to getting a fecal so I can see if it's something related to her parasite load. I have this feeling that it is something else however, like she has a tear duct that is dry and the eye is bugging her. Frequent mistings have helped with the symptoms but only temporarily, she likes to get the eye wet but when it dries out she starts closing it again.

I figured I'd share these behaviors I've been noticing as maybe yours is behaving similarly. As has been stated there can be multiple causes, this has been a difficult issue to diagnose without a fecal, I just wish she'd friggin poop when I'm watching! lol

 

[Pickle-cham]

Something of a risk to eye health of captive chameleons is ficcus trees & some other latex producing plants plants. Causes irritation especially the milky sap might be worth checking especially if vit A deficiency ruled out & not debris or foreign object.

 

[Tarzanfam]

Something of a risk to eye health of captive chameleons is ficcus trees & some other latex producing plants plants. Causes irritation especially the milky sap might be worth checking especially if vit A deficiency ruled out & not debris or foreign object.

This ficus tree issue is one I haven't heard before. My cham has eye issues but loves to come out and hang out on the ficus in our kitchen(far back corner, not where people are jetting by). He has never tried to eat it and I have never seen sap on it. Thoughts? Where did this info come from originally? Thanks!

 

[Pickle-cham]

This ficus tree issue is one I haven't heard before. My cham has eye issues but loves to come out and hang out on the ficus in our kitchen(far back corner, not where people are jetting by). He has never tried to eat it and I have never seen sap on it. Thoughts? Where did this info come from originally? Thanks!

Thread 'Ficus Plants & Eye Irritation' https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/ficus-plants-eye-irritation.633/

Also its documented;

And albeit not specified reptile toxic https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/ficus-benjamina/

https://en.garden-landscape.com/ficus-is-toxic-to-people-and-pets-4137

Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants & pretty much every book of poisonous plants will have ficcus plants entries stating that its latex like sap proteins causes contact dermatitis, eye irritation & even respiratory issues.



I must stress though all these relate too human & pets not sure any studies are done on reptiles.
Lots of chameleons have been kept with ficcus without issues, so would keep it in mind but eliminate other causes first like: vitamin A deficiency, foreign object in eye, lighting & even ventilation of enclosure.
Ceramic heat emitter's imho should only be used as a secondary heat source, when ambient temperature is too cold. a heat lamp producing UVA as well as heat much more natural then dry heat from a CHE.

 

[Sonny13]

I also kicked-out the ficus benjamin, because I had lots of sticky sap (white gum like stuff) on the branches and leaves and that just frustrated me. And just wanted to play safe, replaced it for a Schefflera and my cham does love it more then the ficus.

 

[Pickle-cham]

I also kicked-out the ficus benjamin, because I had lots of sticky sap (white gum like stuff) on the branches and leaves and that just frustrated me. And just wanted to play safe, replaced it for a Schefflera and my cham does love it more then the ficus.

I believe its only the sap that is toxic or irritant. Some chameleon are more delicate with plants than others.

 

[Sonny13]

I believe its only the sap that is toxic or irritant. Some chameleon are more delicate with plants than others.

Jip, it´s only the sap, that´s true. Mine just give too much sap and too many spots, just wanted to play safe and it´s real messy stuff.

 

[Tarzanfam]

Thread 'Ficus Plants & Eye Irritation' https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/ficus-plants-eye-irritation.633/

Also its documented;

And albeit not specified reptile toxic https://www.gardenersworld.com/plants/ficus-benjamina/

https://en.garden-landscape.com/ficus-is-toxic-to-people-and-pets-4137

Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants & pretty much every book of poisonous plants will have ficcus plants entries stating that its latex like sap proteins causes contact dermatitis, eye irritation & even respiratory issues.



I must stress though all these relate too human & pets not sure any studies are done on reptiles.
Lots of chameleons have been kept with ficcus without issues, so would keep it in mind but eliminate other causes first like: vitamin A deficiency, foreign object in eye, lighting & even ventilation of enclosure.
Ceramic heat emitter's imho should only be used as a secondary heat source, when ambient temperature is too cold. a heat lamp producing UVA as well as heat much more natural then dry heat from a CHE.

Thank you so much. This is so interesting!

 

[redhorse]

can you share pic of eye open and when closed. and updates

Sorry- should have said current pic. I did see 1st set.

 

[Breeannsmom]

I am having a bit of trouble with Ivy's left eye. Shes only been here..well today is her third day. She is a 1 to 3 month old baby. When we bought her she had just started to shed and that night at home with us she completed her shed...but she left a small piece of skin on her eye..we can no longer see the piece of skin but her eye is partially closed some of the time..I think it is just a little irritated from having to scratch so much to get that piece of skin loose and today it looks better than yesterday...still should I see an exotics vet or let it work it's course??? I just decided to take a sterile watered q tip to wipe it gently and I hope this works but I di believe it will there is no sign of drainage of swelling of any type ...still any and all feedback is more than welcome! Thanks

 

[redhorse]

Can you share a clear picture? some of us might be able to help but I always recommend a vet. They have tools that most of us do not.

 

[Breeannsmom]

thank you for the reply and good advice! My husband and I took her out of her enclosure and wiped her eye with warm sterile water...her eye is open again! She tried to help us by rubbing her eye on the Q tip! so cute!