blue_cham
Established Member
Chameleon Info:
Cage Info:
Current Problem - First noticed eye problem around 5 months old I think. He occasionally closed his right eye (just the one, not both) and rubbed it. It seemed better some days and worse others, not consistent. He could open it, just preferred to keep it closed.Took him to vet (reptile vet, although chameleon experience is so-so). Vet said she could not see anything wrong and sent me on my way after questions about husbandry, which she found good. He continued to go through same motions but I figured as long as the eye looks clear when it is open that he might be fine?
Last month eye suddenly got worse, crusted over slightly, and would not open. Made appointment immediately. Same vet office, but saw different vet (vet tech said he actually has more reptile experience than the first). He sent me home with BNP ointment (bacitracin neomycin polymyxin) to apply 3x a day with qtip, to continue a couple days after eye appears better. It was no time in all for him to open his eye. I have a feeling it had more to do with wiping the eye with an ointment than the actual antibiotic effects, but continued as directed. His eye did seem to benefit quite a bit.
Here we are again... No more crust but he STILL keeps rubbing and does not like to open the eye. He will open it when he needs/wants too, like feeding time and the eyeball looks clear. Eye turet looks sunken sometimes/sometimes not, and he does that bulging thing like hes trying to clean sometimes. He hates the mister running, and does not sit under it to clean his eyes. I see no obvious dead skin or debris. He's gone through several sheds and it never sticks around the eyes. Left eye is completely normal. And my Nosey Be (same age, breeder, habitat, etc) has no eye issues at all.
I've debated starting routine showers to force him to clean his eyes, but I know it will stress him a lot. Should I take him to the vet again??? It know vets can only do so much in a cham exam... idk if there is anything they can do?? Ahhhh!!! Please help!
If I do it right... will post pics of bad eye open and closed and one of his post-4day-constipation poop (sorry, lol).
- Your Chameleon - Ambilobe Panther, male, 9 months old. Had him since 3 months old, bought at reptile expo from local breeder Cryptic Chameleons. My first cham. He's my avatar (when he was about 7 months old)
- Handling - Only for vet trips or deep cleaning
We have not worked up to stress free handling, he is feeding from hand though.
- Feeding - Diet base is crickets (Gut loaded on fresh mix, primary ingredients are collard greens, mustard greens, sweet potato, butternut squash. And a bit of mango, apple, orange, and carrot. Started Flukers Quencher recently to provide crickets a more dependable water source). Feeding 10-12 crickets every other day, and every other feeding adding a couple of superworms, silkies, hornworms, occasionally wax worms, and dubias when I can get them.
- Supplements - Calcium without D3 every feeding, Vitamin Supp alternated every other week with the Calcium +D3 (so each every 2 weeks)
- Watering - Monsoon mister runs while lights are on, off at night. Every 4 hours for 2 minutes. If humidity in room drops too much, I switch to every 2 hours for 30 secs to keep cage humidity more stable. He drinks well.
- Fecal Description - Dark with nice white urates, although he recently became constipated for 4 days, and just passed a very large poo. Was bit slimy looking and had a urate that was half white and half orange. (will try to post pic, bc why not) Not sure if this is normal after constipation? Waiting to see if his bowl movements will return to normal.
- History - n/a
Cage Info:
- Cage Type - Screen with removable plexi siding on three sides. 18x18x36 Reptibreeze (yes I know this will be small when he gets full sized, there are plans in the works )
- Lighting - On at 7 am and off at 7 pm. Zoo Med's linear UVB 5.0 and heat bulb is... 60watt? heat lamp bulb by Exo Terra.
- Temperature - Basking is 85 and ambient runs about 70-75. Nighttime absolute lowest in winter, apartment gets down to 63. Right now, nights stay around 70.
- Humidity - Lowest to 45, 60 at highest, fluctuates between mistings, 50 average. When summer hits and the swap cooler runs, humidity will hit 70 easy. Plexiglass sidings to help retain humidity in winter.
- Plants - Half and half. Mostly using fake plants until the pothos grows in more (I have a black thumb).
- Placement - Medium traffic area. But I live alone... so there isn't much traffic at all... ha! Across from window that I rarley open curtains. Top of cage is about 5ft.
- Location - Central California
Current Problem - First noticed eye problem around 5 months old I think. He occasionally closed his right eye (just the one, not both) and rubbed it. It seemed better some days and worse others, not consistent. He could open it, just preferred to keep it closed.Took him to vet (reptile vet, although chameleon experience is so-so). Vet said she could not see anything wrong and sent me on my way after questions about husbandry, which she found good. He continued to go through same motions but I figured as long as the eye looks clear when it is open that he might be fine?
Last month eye suddenly got worse, crusted over slightly, and would not open. Made appointment immediately. Same vet office, but saw different vet (vet tech said he actually has more reptile experience than the first). He sent me home with BNP ointment (bacitracin neomycin polymyxin) to apply 3x a day with qtip, to continue a couple days after eye appears better. It was no time in all for him to open his eye. I have a feeling it had more to do with wiping the eye with an ointment than the actual antibiotic effects, but continued as directed. His eye did seem to benefit quite a bit.
Here we are again... No more crust but he STILL keeps rubbing and does not like to open the eye. He will open it when he needs/wants too, like feeding time and the eyeball looks clear. Eye turet looks sunken sometimes/sometimes not, and he does that bulging thing like hes trying to clean sometimes. He hates the mister running, and does not sit under it to clean his eyes. I see no obvious dead skin or debris. He's gone through several sheds and it never sticks around the eyes. Left eye is completely normal. And my Nosey Be (same age, breeder, habitat, etc) has no eye issues at all.
I've debated starting routine showers to force him to clean his eyes, but I know it will stress him a lot. Should I take him to the vet again??? It know vets can only do so much in a cham exam... idk if there is anything they can do?? Ahhhh!!! Please help!
If I do it right... will post pics of bad eye open and closed and one of his post-4day-constipation poop (sorry, lol).
