chameleon has stripes on eyeballs and face

[sarie]

my chameleon carlos had no stripes yesterday and he’s never done this when fired up. today he had these tiger stripes all over. is he okay? i got a bearded dragon yesterday and showed him to carlos so maybe he doesn’t like him but idk. i attached before and after photos. he is a male ambilobe and five months.

 

[Beman]

Keep the beardie away from the chameleon. You freaked him out and he fired up. I would make sure that the cham can not see the beardie from its cage either.

 

[ERKleRose]

I'd also quarantine the beardie and make sure you don't cross contaminate just incase the beardie is sick.

 

[sarie]

Keep the beardie away from the chameleon. You freaked him out and he fired up. I would make sure that the cham can not see the beardie from its cage either.

okay thanks! the cages are placed so they can’t see each other. i just had to take my gibby (my bearded dragon) out for some quick fixes on his new enclosure

 

[Beman]

I'd also quarantine the beardie and make sure you don't cross contaminate just incase the beardie is sick.

Yep, this... Very common for Beardies to carry coccidia.

 

[sarie]

I'd also quarantine the beardie and make sure you don't cross contaminate just incase the beardie is sick.

okay thanks!

 

[sarie]

Yep, this... Very common for Beardies to carry coccidia.

okay thank you. i’m not too informed about what coccidia exactly is. is it also common in panther chameleons / is it something i should be very worried about? i’m definitely going to quaratine him and separate him from my chameleon. thank you for being so helpful!

 

[Beman]

okay thank you. i’m not too informed about what coccidia exactly is. is it also common in panther chameleons / is it something i should be very worried about? i’m definitely going to quaratine him and separate him from my chameleon. thank you for being so helpful!

Coccidia in beardies is common... It is spread through fecal matter and EXTREMELY hard to get rid of. In low stable numbers a lot of beardie ownders do not worry about it... Some do treat for it though.

In a chameleon coccidia can be deadly without treatment. A stress event can trigger the parasite to go into mass production. In low numbers it is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. It effects their growth rate and total weight. It effects their appetite. They can become lethargic. You can end up seeing mucus in the stool and it is very very smelly. When it goes into overproduction chams can die even with proper treatment.

But this parasite is horrible to get rid of. Because it is spread through fecal. they can recontaminate themselves. Cleaning for this one is tedious and often involves throwing all porous cage items away.

 

[CBee7726]

okay thank you. i’m not too informed about what coccidia exactly is. is it also common in panther chameleons / is it something i should be very worried about? i’m definitely going to quaratine him and separate him from my chameleon. thank you for being so helpful!

coccidia is one type of parasite that can infect the intestinal tract of a number of species. There are a number of parasites that can infect our little friends, so It's a good idea to have a fecal exam done on any new pet to ensure that they aren't infected, or if they are, treat it. This is also why it's recommended to quarantine new pets until you get a clean bill of health to prevent spreading any potential infection to others. It may also be a good idea to get a follow up fecal done just to be sure, or have it tested periodically to ensure they stay healthy.

Have you ever had a fecal done on either your cham or beardie?

 

[sarie]

coccidia is one type of parasite that can infect the intestinal tract of a number of species. There are a number of parasites that can infect our little friends, so It's a good idea to have a fecal exam done on any new pet to ensure that they aren't infected, or if they are, treat it. This is also why it's recommended to quarantine new pets until you get a clean bill of health to prevent spreading any potential infection to others. It may also be a good idea to get a follow up fecal done just to be sure, or have it tested periodically to ensure they stay healthy.

Have you ever had a fecal done on either your cham or beardie?

thanks so much! no i have never gotten one done on either. do i just have to go to an exotic vet? i am new to the world of reptiles haha.

 

[CBee7726]

thanks so much! no i have never gotten one done on either. do i just have to go to an exotic vet? i am new to the world of reptiles haha.

I would recommend an exotic vet, and I would also recommend that you ensure they have experience in the species you have specifically, since their care can vary so much and there is tons of misinformation out there.

 

[sarie]

Coccidia in beardies is common... It is spread through fecal matter and EXTREMELY hard to get rid of. In low stable numbers a lot of beardie ownders do not worry about it... Some do treat for it though.

In a chameleon coccidia can be deadly without treatment. A stress event can trigger the parasite to go into mass production. In low numbers it is a ticking time bomb waiting to go off. It effects their growth rate and total weight. It effects their appetite. They can become lethargic. You can end up seeing mucus in the stool and it is very very smelly. When it goes into overproduction chams can die even with proper treatment.

But this parasite is horrible to get rid of. Because it is spread through fecal. they can recontaminate themselves. Cleaning for this one is tedious and often involves throwing all porous cage items away.

thank you so much! you are very knowledgeable. also, about his stripes from earlier, i just saw my panther chameleon and his hemipenes. do you think it was triggered by the beardie or because he is reaching chameleon “puberty?” also, i have never gotten a fecal test done on either of my lizards. do i just like contact my local vet or exotic vet to get one done? and can a chameleon get coccidia on its own or is it only common for it to cross contaminate from a bearded dragon? thanks so much for all your help.

 

[Beman]

thank you so much! you are very knowledgeable. also, about his stripes from earlier, i just saw my panther chameleon and his hemipenes. do you think it was triggered by the beardie or because he is reaching chameleon “puberty?” also, i have never gotten a fecal test done on either of my lizards. do i just like contact my local vet or exotic vet to get one done? and can a chameleon get coccidia on its own or is it only common for it to cross contaminate from a bearded dragon? thanks so much for all your help.

More then likely from maturing... But do not let them see each other. The Beardie won't care but the Panther will.

Contact an exotic vet that knows reptiles, even better if they know chams. Most will want you to bring in a fecal with the animal.

You can cross contaminate simply by wiping out one cage not washing your hands and going to wipe out the other. The oocysts come out in the fecal. They are microscopic. They can literally stay viable for years. So you wipe out the other cage leave the oocyst behind, a cricket crawls on it and picks it up then the other animal eats the cricket. Then the oocyct now reproduces in the new host. Cycle repeats itself.

 

[sarie]

More then likely from maturing... But do not let them see each other. The Beardie won't care but the Panther will.

Contact an exotic vet that knows reptiles, even better if they know chams. Most will want you to bring in a fecal with the animal.

You can cross contaminate simply by wiping out one cage not washing your hands and going to wipe out the other. The oocysts come out in the fecal. They are microscopic. They can literally stay viable for years. So you wipe out the other cage leave the oocyst behind, a cricket crawls on it and picks it up then the other animal eats the cricket. Then the oocyct now reproduces in the new host. Cycle repeats itself.

wow okay thanks so much! i am always careful about washing hands before and after ever handling or cleaning, but i will be more careful! thanks for all your help once again.