beardeds7587
New Member
i dnt knw why my chameleon keeps her right eye shut.......??? i feed her crickets....a 5.0 uvb light and 60 watt basking light in a screen cage..
Chameleon Right Eye Shut!!!
- Thread starter beardeds7587
- Start date
beardeds7587
New Member
hi jannb i knw ur an expert so i trust you......i dnt mist her that often i mist her 2 a day and got a lil dripper going my uvb light is real close to the cage....the heat light is a 60 watt .....the uvb is a 5.0 reptisun...... this is my third cham that has had eye problems it drives me nuts i want her to be healthy i brought her from a repti expo in NY the man said she approx 6 months.....
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
Fill this out and the more details you can give the more info we can have to try to figure out what's going on. I never put a basking light on a female.
How to ask for help
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
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?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Pictures are helpful
How to ask for help
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
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?
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Pictures are helpful
beardeds7587
New Member
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled,Female, 6 Months Old. I Had her since sunday...
Handling - Not Once Since I got her...
Feeding - Crickets maybe 6 a day and meal worms every 3 days...i gut load them with apples and lettuce
Supplements - REP CAL Herptivite with beta carotene every other day i dust them with that.. then vitamin with D3 i used it once so far since i only had her since sunday.
Watering -I use a little dripper and also mist cage twice a day and yes i been seeing her drink
Fecal Description - water clumpy and white tip on end.... Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? not but sprayed her with some mite spray when i first got her with jurassi mite.........
History - Not That I Know Of
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen, 2 feet high and maybe 2 feet wide
Lighting - UVB Reptisun 5.0.......basking light 60 watt......12 hours on 12 hours off
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 85..... Lowest overnight temp? 74 How do you measure these temps? Digital
Humidity - Keep it around 50-99% but right now its 28% How are you creating and maintaining these levels? misting---- What do you use to measure humidity? Hygrometer
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?....not sure of kind but bought them from pet stor and there non toxic
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? its near a window in the corner and its 5-6 feet from floor
Location - Where are you geographically located? NJ USA
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Her Right Eye is Closed......
Your Chameleon - Veiled,Female, 6 Months Old. I Had her since sunday...
Handling - Not Once Since I got her...
Feeding - Crickets maybe 6 a day and meal worms every 3 days...i gut load them with apples and lettuce
Supplements - REP CAL Herptivite with beta carotene every other day i dust them with that.. then vitamin with D3 i used it once so far since i only had her since sunday.
Watering -I use a little dripper and also mist cage twice a day and yes i been seeing her drink
Fecal Description - water clumpy and white tip on end.... Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? not but sprayed her with some mite spray when i first got her with jurassi mite.........
History - Not That I Know Of
Cage Info:
Cage Type - Screen, 2 feet high and maybe 2 feet wide
Lighting - UVB Reptisun 5.0.......basking light 60 watt......12 hours on 12 hours off
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? 85..... Lowest overnight temp? 74 How do you measure these temps? Digital
Humidity - Keep it around 50-99% but right now its 28% How are you creating and maintaining these levels? misting---- What do you use to measure humidity? Hygrometer
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?....not sure of kind but bought them from pet stor and there non toxic
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? its near a window in the corner and its 5-6 feet from floor
Location - Where are you geographically located? NJ USA
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
Her Right Eye is Closed......
elrojo
New Member
I know I'm new here and only have long-term experience with veileds. But after producing over a hundred last year, then having to try and "fix" what is wrong when issues arise, I've run into more than a few eye problems with animals weeks/months after sale. My policy is to take the animal back for 14 days (if it hasn't been in contact with another animal or it's cage), and observe if there is a visible medical issue. If not, I see if proper conditions don't right that problem. More often than not it does.
First question is what species? If it's not a veiled, take my advice with a grain of salt. But the first thing I usually notice is the animal with an eye issue is visibly dehydrated. Commercial screen cages are great, but for our animals, they really need a drainage system on the bottom. You have to drip a LOT of water! I tried waterfalls, which worked great for some. But they have to be cleaned daily, and sterilized after one defecation or drowned insect which is more work than they are worth. These animals (at least veileds and my panther) drink a LOT! A dixie cup with a pinprick or a couple of manual mistings a day are not enough, especially if the cage is warm/room is dry.
One animal I took in had a piece of eye shed stuck under the eyelid. Poor guy went to the vet over and over and my "douching" saline made the edge of shed stick out for me to remove it with a cotton swab. After a week or so, his fella was back to normal. Upper respiratory also makes the eyes close (like ours would if we had pneumonia), and often shows in one eye first. This is a temp/humidity issue over time, typically -for any reptile with eyelids. You'll normally see periods of rest when they should be active, first. But if one eye is at 100% and the other is shut, I tend to think either foreign object or a bad compact fluorescent bulb. I lost an entire batch of hatchling beardies to blindness from a faulty cf bulb, Google keratoconjunctivitis. Many lizards have the habit of turning the same side of their body/head towards the light to bask every single time. I don't *think* that is likely, since you seem to be using a linear bulb, not a coiled cf.
Gosh. I really meant to be quiet and just ask questions for at least a few weeks! I'm both sorry for the long-winded post and hoping I helped...
EDIT: some questions answered while composing my post...
First question is what species? If it's not a veiled, take my advice with a grain of salt. But the first thing I usually notice is the animal with an eye issue is visibly dehydrated. Commercial screen cages are great, but for our animals, they really need a drainage system on the bottom. You have to drip a LOT of water! I tried waterfalls, which worked great for some. But they have to be cleaned daily, and sterilized after one defecation or drowned insect which is more work than they are worth. These animals (at least veileds and my panther) drink a LOT! A dixie cup with a pinprick or a couple of manual mistings a day are not enough, especially if the cage is warm/room is dry.
One animal I took in had a piece of eye shed stuck under the eyelid. Poor guy went to the vet over and over and my "douching" saline made the edge of shed stick out for me to remove it with a cotton swab. After a week or so, his fella was back to normal. Upper respiratory also makes the eyes close (like ours would if we had pneumonia), and often shows in one eye first. This is a temp/humidity issue over time, typically -for any reptile with eyelids. You'll normally see periods of rest when they should be active, first. But if one eye is at 100% and the other is shut, I tend to think either foreign object or a bad compact fluorescent bulb. I lost an entire batch of hatchling beardies to blindness from a faulty cf bulb, Google keratoconjunctivitis. Many lizards have the habit of turning the same side of their body/head towards the light to bask every single time. I don't *think* that is likely, since you seem to be using a linear bulb, not a coiled cf.
Gosh. I really meant to be quiet and just ask questions for at least a few weeks! I'm both sorry for the long-winded post and hoping I helped...
EDIT: some questions answered while composing my post...
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
It could be the spray you sprayed her with. It's also a good idea for a new cham check up from the chameleon vet and a fecal.
You have ALLOT you need to change in your husbandry. Way too much for me to type right now. Below is the info that I send everybody that got one of my babies. It should help you allot.
Below I have a list of thing (name brands) that you will need for the babies to survive and stay healthy. EVERYBODY getting a baby gets this info.
You need a Reptisun 5.0 tube light. You can see a pic of it here: It's the best UV bulb.
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...por-bulbs/-/zoo-med-24-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/
She will probably never need a basking light. I use a double fixture with one UVB bulb and one regular fluorescent bulb and that works perfect. As a baby her basking temps should be at 80. Being female 80 or 81 her entire life unless you breed then you could up it a bit...84 or 85......you'll still want a small clutch. If your house is REALLY cold you might need a 15 or 25 watt basking bulb.
Your lights need to be across the top of the cage and you need allot of vines and branches 8 inches or so down from the top.....under the lights. Veileds love to bask and you don't want her rubbing her veiled on the screen or get a burn. You also need to keep the lights at least 6 inches away from the chameleon. 8 inches if it's a new UVB bulb.....the new ones put off too much UV for a baby.
Right now I am just misting 3 times a day but later she will need a dripper. You can buy the little dripper or you can make a homemade dripper. Take a plastic cup or bowl and poke a couple of very small holes in the bottom. As adults you can use a plastic milk jug. Fill it with warm water and make sure it drips very slow over a vine with leaves so your little guy can drink from the leaves. Also mist for a pretty long time. It takes awhile for them to start drinking. I would mist 3 times a day for 3 minutes or so at first. Then you could probably go to two good mistings a day. Just make sure the cage dries out real good between each misting or they can get an infection from staying to moist. As adults I mist twice a day for about 5 minutes and mine drink water from a dropper. You will need drainage for your cage. Maybe some holes in the bottom with a bucket or pan sitting under it to catch the water.
Branches from outside are ok from most trees. Clean them well and some member bake them in the oven. Cut the branch the size you need and thumb tacks can be use on each end to hold the branches up.
You really need the 5.0 UVB bulb like the one in the link above. It has to be the tube style to prevent eye problems and blindness. A must to keep her from having eye problems or MBD. If it's fairly warm in your house at 2 to 3 months old you will not need a basking bulb, when older or if your house is cold you might need a very low watt household light bulb. Measuring the heat is very important. I have a temp. gun. They are very fragile and can fry in a very short time in the heat. At night they needs to be dark, no light, and cool so she can rest. She should be 10 degrees cooler at night than in the daytime but not below 65........70 as a baby.
The feeders have to be "lightly" dusted with 3 kinds of supplements......very important to prevent MBD. Plain calcium (no d3) at just about every feeding...... if you skip one or two days a month that's ok. 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/
Between 8 and 10 months you can go to dusting with the calcium without d3 to every other feeding.
You need to gut load the feeders with collard greens they are excellent. You can also use kale, carrots, butternut squash apple and orange. You also need a premixed gut load. My vet makes one that I use and one of the Forums members sales it. https://www.chameleonforums.com/dry-gutload-sale-37717/
The Raising Kitty link on keeping veileds is excellent. I still refer to it from time to time.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchamele...-max=2008-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=11
This blog is VERY IMPORTANT for keeping a female: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
You have ALLOT you need to change in your husbandry. Way too much for me to type right now. Below is the info that I send everybody that got one of my babies. It should help you allot.
Below I have a list of thing (name brands) that you will need for the babies to survive and stay healthy. EVERYBODY getting a baby gets this info.
You need a Reptisun 5.0 tube light. You can see a pic of it here: It's the best UV bulb.
http://lllreptile.com/store/catalog...por-bulbs/-/zoo-med-24-repti-sun-50-uvb-bulb/
She will probably never need a basking light. I use a double fixture with one UVB bulb and one regular fluorescent bulb and that works perfect. As a baby her basking temps should be at 80. Being female 80 or 81 her entire life unless you breed then you could up it a bit...84 or 85......you'll still want a small clutch. If your house is REALLY cold you might need a 15 or 25 watt basking bulb.
Your lights need to be across the top of the cage and you need allot of vines and branches 8 inches or so down from the top.....under the lights. Veileds love to bask and you don't want her rubbing her veiled on the screen or get a burn. You also need to keep the lights at least 6 inches away from the chameleon. 8 inches if it's a new UVB bulb.....the new ones put off too much UV for a baby.
Right now I am just misting 3 times a day but later she will need a dripper. You can buy the little dripper or you can make a homemade dripper. Take a plastic cup or bowl and poke a couple of very small holes in the bottom. As adults you can use a plastic milk jug. Fill it with warm water and make sure it drips very slow over a vine with leaves so your little guy can drink from the leaves. Also mist for a pretty long time. It takes awhile for them to start drinking. I would mist 3 times a day for 3 minutes or so at first. Then you could probably go to two good mistings a day. Just make sure the cage dries out real good between each misting or they can get an infection from staying to moist. As adults I mist twice a day for about 5 minutes and mine drink water from a dropper. You will need drainage for your cage. Maybe some holes in the bottom with a bucket or pan sitting under it to catch the water.
Branches from outside are ok from most trees. Clean them well and some member bake them in the oven. Cut the branch the size you need and thumb tacks can be use on each end to hold the branches up.
You really need the 5.0 UVB bulb like the one in the link above. It has to be the tube style to prevent eye problems and blindness. A must to keep her from having eye problems or MBD. If it's fairly warm in your house at 2 to 3 months old you will not need a basking bulb, when older or if your house is cold you might need a very low watt household light bulb. Measuring the heat is very important. I have a temp. gun. They are very fragile and can fry in a very short time in the heat. At night they needs to be dark, no light, and cool so she can rest. She should be 10 degrees cooler at night than in the daytime but not below 65........70 as a baby.
The feeders have to be "lightly" dusted with 3 kinds of supplements......very important to prevent MBD. Plain calcium (no d3) at just about every feeding...... if you skip one or two days a month that's ok. 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/
Between 8 and 10 months you can go to dusting with the calcium without d3 to every other feeding.
You need to gut load the feeders with collard greens they are excellent. You can also use kale, carrots, butternut squash apple and orange. You also need a premixed gut load. My vet makes one that I use and one of the Forums members sales it. https://www.chameleonforums.com/dry-gutload-sale-37717/
The Raising Kitty link on keeping veileds is excellent. I still refer to it from time to time.
http://raisingkittytheveiledchamele...-max=2008-01-01T00:00:00-08:00&max-results=11
This blog is VERY IMPORTANT for keeping a female: http://raisingkittytheveiledchameleon.blogspot.com/2007/12/keeping-female-veiled.html
beardeds7587
New Member
u say i have alot wrong with my husbandry...but alot of the things u tell everyone that buys ur babies i use for mine the only thing that might be wrong is the basking light.....what temp should it be during day and at night and how high should i keep the humidity? Thanks
jannb
Chameleon Enthusiast
small cage
gutload
supplements
high temps
basking light
mealworms are not the ideal feeder....hard to digest
I would mist extra times for extra long with very warm water and if the eye dose not improve in a day or two I'd get her to the vet for a check up and fecal.
beardeds7587
New Member
2' high is small for a 6month old cham?? and i meant to put wax worms i gutload my feeders and supplement them the same way i do for my 6 adult beardies and my hatchling beardies.. ya meal worms hard shell hard to digest ...but whats a ideal temp for day and night sorry for all questions just want her to be ok .....
beardeds7587
New Member
and one more thing how to keep the humidity high in a screen cage...and what do u use for substrate i use carpet....
elrojo
New Member
Small cages are ideal for young veiled chams. You will need at least two during it's lifespan, to keep it easily. I feed other insects when available, but as gutloading crickets goes, you feed crickets everything from collard greens to citrus on a regular basis, and no substrate in the cham's cage. Supplements depend on age, but calcium is daily on babies, CA +D weekly if not getting real sunlight. As they grow, lessen the additives. Mind you crickets groom themselves of the powder while in cage. If not eaten quickly, much of that precious stuff is lost... which makes it IMPOSSIBLE to measure such nutrient intake. High temps: depends on the animal. Some I have temp-gunned at over 100 F when basking, that are healthy breeders. And have a few I've had to remove branches to not allow them get themselves that warm. Natural sunlight can do wonders. Don't let 'em cook, but putting them outside in the full summer sun can really shake what ails them, if they are not indeed diseased. AND you are getting enough water into them, which is the only hard part of keeping veileds. Reptile Basics, Bean Farm, etc. has a sweet yellow temp gun for under what your next veiled would cost. I'd consider one. But hydration is my first concern, if your issue hasn't gone farther.
Yeah, I'm new. But I've turned around a few blinky veileds in my day.
Yeah, I'm new. But I've turned around a few blinky veileds in my day.
Monkeykungphu
New Member
If it's not now, it will be very soon. I'd start looking for something bigger in the near future.
Jannb posted info on this above along with some other really good info... in case you didn't see it.
