Chameleon eye swollen badly...

[Carlton]

I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't get that fluid analysis done. It might have solved the mystery and avoided the stress of meds that couldn't help. The draining should help anyway. Hopefully the meds will keep it under control until it can heal.

Try hanging plastic on the back and sides of the cage, not just around the bottom. This will provide a lot more surface area for spray and slow evaporation. If you have any room for more live plants in the cage add them. They do a lot to raise humidity. Mist more often...low intensity misting that covers all the leaf and cage surfaces over a longer time rather than a quick flooding. Montane species like fischeri really need this.

The reality is, chams are relatively expensive to keep healthy. Just no getting away from it. Please don't take this wrong, but maybe you should consider putting it in someone else's care until you have the money to give it what it needs.

 

[Carlton]

Oh sorry, I meant to respond about the fogger. Do you mean an ultrasonic humidifier? A room humidifier might be less expensive than a little fancy terrarium fogger. The technology is the same but the room humidifiers seem to be more reliable over time. Don't put the unit inside the cage, but right next to the screen and let the fog pour onto the cage plants. Depending on the humidity in the cage now, this might be the best thing to do. You don't need it to run all the time, but can cycle it off and on (in the morning and afternoon), letting the cage dry out between cycles. A multiple setting lamp timer is great for controlling one.

 

[Oatmealeon]

I'm sorry to hear that you couldn't get that fluid analysis done. It might have solved the mystery and avoided the stress of meds that couldn't help. The draining should help anyway. Hopefully the meds will keep it under control until it can heal.

Try hanging plastic on the back and sides of the cage, not just around the bottom. This will provide a lot more surface area for spray and slow evaporation. If you have any room for more live plants in the cage add them. They do a lot to raise humidity. Mist more often...low intensity misting that covers all the leaf and cage surfaces over a longer time rather than a quick flooding. Montane species like fischeri really need this.

The reality is, chams are relatively expensive to keep healthy. Just no getting away from it. Please don't take this wrong, but maybe you should consider putting it in someone else's care until you have the money to give it what it needs.

Good advice about the plastic wrap. I know they aren't cheap to care for but im expecting a few thousand dollar refund check from my college this week and i plan on getting him a larger cage and a digital thermometer/hygrometer as well as a larger tube reptiglo 5.0. Me and my girlfriend split the costs so that eases the blow a bit. The cage is filled to the brim with live plants, i actually removed 2 of them as recommended by the vet to give him a bit more of an open area...The vet complimented me on his environment and health of the plants but recommended i go a bit larger with the cage which i had planned on doing all along. Im deciding whether to DYI one or buy a large 65 gallon screen cage from Petsmart for $70 that is much wider and taller than my current cage.

I have an extra timer that i can plug a fogger into so he can get the humidity he needs while im at school/work. Believe me im not giving this little guy up to anyone else, I am in it for the long haul and it has recently been brought to my attention that the breeder i got him from has a reputation for selling sick/WC animals. I've learned so much just having this guy for 3 weeks. Also i don't think i'll use up all his meds so now I'll have extras if ever needed... also my terramycin ointment should be here any day.

I found a local petstore with gorgeous hornworms that were much to big for esteban, but they are getting a new shipment tomorrow. I picked up some wax worms hoping he'll take to them once he's feeling a bit better. Also i bought smaller crickets so he won't be as intimidated...whoo well homework time


Oat

 

[Oatmealeon]

Oh sorry, I meant to respond about the fogger. Do you mean an ultrasonic humidifier? A room humidifier might be less expensive than a little fancy terrarium fogger. The technology is the same but the room humidifiers seem to be more reliable over time. Don't put the unit inside the cage, but right next to the screen and let the fog pour onto the cage plants. Depending on the humidity in the cage now, this might be the best thing to do. You don't need it to run all the time, but can cycle it off and on (in the morning and afternoon), letting the cage dry out between cycles. A multiple setting lamp timer is great for controlling one.

I plan on setting the fogger up on top of his cage so the fog drifts downward into his enclosure...can you point me in the direction of a cheap humidifier to use? i saw how to attach pvc to them via Chameleon E zine.

 

[lizardboy119796]

LLL reptile, has the best screen cages I think you should look to buy one from that site, lllreptile.com

And also, you need a reptisun 5.0 linear(Long tube) Not the reptiglo 5.0.

I think the 24 by 24 by 48 is only seventy dollars on LLL. I would go with that.

 

[Oatmealeon]

LLL reptile, has the best screen cages I think you should look to buy one from that site, lllreptile.com

And also, you need a reptisun 5.0 linear(Long tube) Not the reptiglo 5.0.

I think the 24 by 24 by 48 is only seventy dollars on LLL. I would go with that.

It is $90 but it includes shipping...Reptisun linear, got it...thanks lizboy

Oat

 

[Carlton]

The type of humidifiers many of us have used are the room cool mist types with a removable round directional spout on top of the reservoir. They tend to work with 2" pvc pipe fittings. I've used the Sunbeam or Sunmark brands found at many larger drug stores or big box stores like KMart. Holmes also used to make one. Price shop...they should be around $35-40 and will last much longer than the specialized terrarium foggers. There should be more detail on making the fogger unit in that Chameleons Ezine article. Pretty straightforward really. Remove the spout and build up a a hose attachment that aims the fog down into the cage. Either pvc or vinyl flexible pool hose will work, you just have to match the size of the spout. If you have hard water you'll need to keep the unit clear of mineral deposits as they will kill the nebulizer that creates the fog. Clean the nebulizer with vinegar and the reservoir and tubing with a bleach solution regularly.

 

[Carlton]

Make sure to use the meds for the full time prescribed. Chams can harbor infections for a long time and respond slowly...cutting it short will just create resistant bacteria strains which you certainly don't want.

Most likely your fischeri was wc and suffered through all the stress of capture, exportation, importation, less than perfect care and housing, exposure to all sorts of bacteria and dehydration along the way. There is the chance that the eye problem is a virus he was carrying in the wild and the stress of shipping and immune supression brought it out. But, without cultures you may never know. I hope it improves...hate to see a beautiful fischeri look like that.

Oh, also, one other thing I like about using a room humidifier...when the fog cycles it also provides a really good cage air exchange which is important in high humidity setups.

 

[Oatmealeon]

Esteban is not doing well at all. He was laying at the bottom of his cage this morning. I gave him his eye drops already but his medication will have to wait until after work. I plan on feeding him bug juice to get some energy in his system. He has not eaten since Saturday...soo. another 3 hours and i can feed him/medicate him...

Oat

 

[Oatmealeon]

bug juice...

I'm making bug juice as we speak. I have small syringes from the medication to feed him with. I will add the antibiotics to a small dose of bug juice and I will give him the pain medicine straight because he accepted it. Wish me luck. I found out that indeed my fischeri is WC. When i asked the breeder at the show "why is he only $30?" the guy responded> I dont know...He knew, thanks a lot Outlaw Reptiles...

 

[Oatmealeon]

Impossible, he's not responding to anything and i cannot force his mouth open...he keeps closing his "good" eye and will not even drink now. He's show weird bright yellow splotchy colors in random places including between his horns...HELP i tried using a q tip to force his mouth open but it wont budge past his lips flapping open!!

EDIT: We successfully delivered his meds and the bug juice and his color changed to green!!! I hope he gets some energy from this feeding. I gave him about 2-3 eye droppers of "bug juice"...He ended up hissing for the 1st time ever and we were able to get everything we needed into his system. No regurgitation, and he swallowed it all...

 

[jannb]

I've got my fingers crossed for the both of you. Jann

 

[Fidget321]

Hi Oatmealeon,

How are things going with your cham?

 

[GooglezNvincent]

update please, we all are hoping for the best, n e update helps relieve some tension. Also any recent pictures? has his eye gotten bigger or smaller?

 

[Oatmealeon]

Update...

Esteban is doing better but still on the way to recovery. He's being hand fed bug juice daily along with his antibiotics and eye drops. Also we've started putting terramycin on his eye...The swelling has reduced drastically and hes been more active. The vet said it would take the full 10 days to see a full recovery if that. Wish him luck!!

Oat

 

[Oatmealeon]

RIP esteban...he didnt make it despite my best efforts

 

[Warrix642]

RIP esteban...he didnt make it despite my best efforts

Sorry for your loss...

 

[meaghan]

Oatmeleon,
so so so sorry for your loss, the same thing happened to me with a female wild caught fishers. Except it wasn't the eye thing, she had a parasite. I know how attatched you can get to those little guys. You really did try your best, and it isn't your fault it is the breeder for selling you a sick chameleon.
All the best,
Meaghan

 

[GooglezNvincent]

OH NO! im soooo sorry, i thought he was going to pull through! you did everything you could and should be proud of yourself.