Chameleon Eye Infection

[BPal75]

Hello Everyone!

Our 2 year old veiled cham got an eye infection and has been keeping his left eye closed 24/7 for the past few days. We took him to the vet who gave us an antibiotic eye drop to use twice a day for 10 days, but we are struggling to actually get any of the drop into his eye. Since he is currently keeping it closed 24/7, the vet said to gently pry open his eye while holding him on his side wrapped in a towel, and add a drop into his eye that way. The problem is we can get him wrapped in a towel on his side, but we can't get his eye open and we're afraid to pull/prod too hard and hurt the little guy. Does anyone have any tips to do this? It doesn't help that he's got some pus in his eye from the infection that I think is also making it harder to open his eye. The vet cleared a bunch of it out today but said we may have to clear it out ourselves with a warm wet Q-tip for a few more days.

Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

 

[Beman]

@snitz427

 

[kinyonga]

Doesn't he open it when you annoy him?
Does I seem to be sealed shut?

 

[BPal75]

No he doesn’t open it even when we annoy him. The vet said it wasn’t sealed shut, but “sticky” because of the pus. I don’t see any visible fluid around his eye though.

 

[MissSkittles]

You could try dropping some saline or sterile water over the closed eye to help loosen any debris that may be sealing it. When my guy had eye goop and crusts, I used a saline/sterile water saturated q tip and very gently cleaned around his eye until he could open it fully. It must have felt good as there was a time or two that he pushed and rubbed his eye against the q tip.

 

[snitz427]

No matter what you do, remember there is an eye ball under there - so be gentle, but confident.

I’ve done the drop routine many times, but never had to force the eye open. When I did have to administer antibiotics, I was given both oral and drop form. Maybe they can get him started on oral antibiotics?

The warm qtip is a start, but be very careful. I would personally try to have extended mist sessions to allow the cham to naturally clean his eye and wash away the gunk. If its still bad, try some 100% saline eye wash (not contact cleaner). I bought a box off amazon that I keep with my first aid stuff… but use half a tube whenever I rinse an eye.

So me, personally, would do exactly this for a few days:

1. 10-20 minute mist session with the cham unable to avoid the water (add another mist head if there’s a dry section of cage).
2. Once mist session has ended, use the warm, wet qtip to wipe his eye from front to back (very gently). Flip qtip over and repeat.
3. If still super crusty, use the saline to keep the eyelid wet and wipe again with a clean, wet qtip
4. If you are able to even get a tiny bit open, drop the antibiotic drips in.

He’s going to he scared and uncomfortable so he is going to clench them shut even more… so I think allowing him to naturally clean them as much as possible will help initially.

 

[kinyonga]

The vet has the right approach...wrapping him and laying him on his side. Makes it much easier to get the drop in an open eye.
Hope you can get the eye open. Hopefully you can get the eye open with the info you've been given already. Good luck!

(Also...I'm always careful that the excess from the drop that's supposed to be going into the eye doesn't get into the mouth. Don't know if it matters or not really though.)

 

[snitz427]

The vet has the right approach...wrapping him and laying him on his side. Makes it much easier to get the drop in an open eye.
Hope you can get the eye open. Hopefully you can get the eye open with the info you've been given already. Good luck!

(Also...I'm always careful that the excess from the drop that's supposed to be going into the eye doesn't get into the mouth. Don't know if it matters or not really though.)

For the saline, it wont hurt them at all to drink some (and they likely will get some dripping in through that nasacromal duct (spelling). Not sure about the antibiotics.

Good luck, hope he feels better soon

 

[kinyonga]

Sorry...I should have been more clear...the antibiotic eye drops not the saline was what I didn't want to get in the mouth...although some could get into the system through the tear (easier to spell) duct.

 

[snitz427]

Sorry, hope I didnt come across as argumentative! Just wanted to clarify the saline was ok to get in mouth, as you use so much it is unavoidable.