chamfan93
New Member
Hello,
I have filled out the help questionnare and will be posting up some photos in just a few minutes here as well to show the issue.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? -- j Small Jackson's Chameleon, don't know exact age but would approximate 3 months old. Has been in my care for only a week and three days.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? -- I have only handled him once, to take a photo of his kinked tail to the company I purchased from.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? --- I was feeding 4 crickets daily. He stopped taking interest, so I have been feeding two small dubia roaches and a superworm daily (but he only eats every other day it seems). Have been using "Fluker's Calcium water crystals for Crickets" for water source for all feeders, feeding carrots and lettuce to the super worms, dog food and carrots to the dubias.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? -- Have used Reptivite without D3 once since I got him. Also have been spraying calcium on all feeders daily, but am going to cut back to every other day now. Going to use Reptivite with D3 once a month.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? -- I spray the ficus in his cage down with a mister twice a day until all leaves are soaking and dripping (2 minutes), humidity stays about 55-60. I see my chameleon drinking almost every time I mist the cage.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? -- Dark brown, but not hard. Not runny either. Glossy brown droppings. The chameleon has not 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? -- Screen Cage 18x18x36
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? -- ReptiSun 10.0 18" 15 watt UV bulb, one ceramic 60 watt heat lamp, both stay on from 9am to 9pm
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? -- Basking spot gets up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, bottom of the cage sits at 70 degrees. Both have been measured with a digital thermometer / humidity monitor. Overnight lows hit no lower than 55 degrees F with window cracked.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? -- The relative humidity here ranges from 45-55%, so I have just been misting twice a day and watering the ficus that he lives on. Consistently keeps it from 55-60% RH.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? -- Ficus plant, bought at the local Miner's Hardware here. Have not done any trimming to the ficus in about two weeks (five days before I obtained my chameleon).
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? -- Cage is right next to a window in the home that I generally keep cracked open all the time. The top of the cage sits about 2 to 3 feet from our ceiling, the cage is perched on a stand. In the living room, if that counts as high traffic. Me and my roommate walk by the cage whenever we are home.
Location - Where are you geographically located? -- Los Osos, CA. A coastal town in Central California. We have a colony of Jackson's Chameleons living in Morro Bay, one town over.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--My chameleon only opens one of his eyes at night. I know he can open it, because he was doing the same thing last night, but it looks like he is sleeping, then I walk up and he has one eye wide open and the other looks swollen or just closed. He will open it back up if misted, etc. but he really seems to avoid it. Again, he can use it fine during the day.
I am looking for advice on things I can do to help the little guy. I was thinking if it doesn't get better in a week or so that I might take him to a vet. My roommate is more experienced with reptiles and seems to think that it will work itself out, but wanted to get a second opinion.
I will post pictures of his closed eye here in just a moment.
I have read that sometimes it can be a Vitamin A deficiency, but it looks more to me like it is irritated or he bumped it on something and doesn't want to open it while it heals.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks,
chamfan93
I have filled out the help questionnare and will be posting up some photos in just a few minutes here as well to show the issue.
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care? -- j Small Jackson's Chameleon, don't know exact age but would approximate 3 months old. Has been in my care for only a week and three days.
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon? -- I have only handled him once, to take a photo of his kinked tail to the company I purchased from.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders? --- I was feeding 4 crickets daily. He stopped taking interest, so I have been feeding two small dubia roaches and a superworm daily (but he only eats every other day it seems). Have been using "Fluker's Calcium water crystals for Crickets" for water source for all feeders, feeding carrots and lettuce to the super worms, dog food and carrots to the dubias.
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule? -- Have used Reptivite without D3 once since I got him. Also have been spraying calcium on all feeders daily, but am going to cut back to every other day now. Going to use Reptivite with D3 once a month.
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking? -- I spray the ficus in his cage down with a mister twice a day until all leaves are soaking and dripping (2 minutes), humidity stays about 55-60. I see my chameleon drinking almost every time I mist the cage.
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites? -- Dark brown, but not hard. Not runny either. Glossy brown droppings. The chameleon has not 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? -- Screen Cage 18x18x36
Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule? -- ReptiSun 10.0 18" 15 watt UV bulb, one ceramic 60 watt heat lamp, both stay on from 9am to 9pm
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps? -- Basking spot gets up to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, bottom of the cage sits at 70 degrees. Both have been measured with a digital thermometer / humidity monitor. Overnight lows hit no lower than 55 degrees F with window cracked.
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity? -- The relative humidity here ranges from 45-55%, so I have just been misting twice a day and watering the ficus that he lives on. Consistently keeps it from 55-60% RH.
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind? -- Ficus plant, bought at the local Miner's Hardware here. Have not done any trimming to the ficus in about two weeks (five days before I obtained my chameleon).
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? -- Cage is right next to a window in the home that I generally keep cracked open all the time. The top of the cage sits about 2 to 3 feet from our ceiling, the cage is perched on a stand. In the living room, if that counts as high traffic. Me and my roommate walk by the cage whenever we are home.
Location - Where are you geographically located? -- Los Osos, CA. A coastal town in Central California. We have a colony of Jackson's Chameleons living in Morro Bay, one town over.
Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--My chameleon only opens one of his eyes at night. I know he can open it, because he was doing the same thing last night, but it looks like he is sleeping, then I walk up and he has one eye wide open and the other looks swollen or just closed. He will open it back up if misted, etc. but he really seems to avoid it. Again, he can use it fine during the day.
I am looking for advice on things I can do to help the little guy. I was thinking if it doesn't get better in a week or so that I might take him to a vet. My roommate is more experienced with reptiles and seems to think that it will work itself out, but wanted to get a second opinion.
I will post pictures of his closed eye here in just a moment.
I have read that sometimes it can be a Vitamin A deficiency, but it looks more to me like it is irritated or he bumped it on something and doesn't want to open it while it heals.
Let me know what you think!
Thanks,
chamfan93
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