Closing eyes often - is this normal?

[m1ndless]

My baby cham came in on thursday, and since I got him I noticed he closes his eyes alot, during the day with all the lights on even. He will close them for a few seconds, and then open up and look around.


Is this common among veileds or is something wrong?

Temps - 78-80f in basking / 68-75 ambient

Humidity - 30% when I wake up, and then after I mist, it stays between 45%-75%, usually around 60%, and then drops back down to ~40% until I mist again.

Cage - Glass 30WX24LX12W (was told this is okay for a baby for another 1-2 mos) - Screen Top w/ fan above.

Feeders - 1/4" crix dusted with calcium w/d3 (Monday & Wednesday), calcium without d3(Friday & Sunday), and herptitive(Tuesday and Thursday) (sp?) multivitamin. Also tried mealworms, I am not sure if he has eaten any of those yet, I put in 5 yesterday but I think the crix ate them.

He was dark the first day or two when I got him, but latley has been bright green, doesnt show any signs of any problems, besides closing his eyes alot.

Here is a pic I just took.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Congratulations on your new baby. Could you provide info on his enclosure, lighting, temps, humidity, feeders, misting? How old is he?

And, do you mean he keeps his eyes closed for periods of time throughout the day?

 

[Julirs]

https://www.chameleonforums.com/he-finnally-arrived-8950/

 

[m1ndless]

Updated first post.. No one was responding to my other thread, sorrry for making a new one.

Congratulations on your new baby. Could you provide info on his enclosure, lighting, temps, humidity, feeders, misting? How old is he?

And, do you mean he keeps his eyes closed for periods of time throughout the day?

I was watching them today, it almost seems like he was sleeping, but would open his eyes if he felt me walking or anything. He will close them for a few seconds, or a few minutes.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I didn't read your other thread. Thank you, Julirs, for the link. This may have been covered in the other thread (which quite a few people responded to)- when you say you have a glass tank with screen and fan above the screen, is the fan blowing into the tank? Or just blowing across above the tank, to create some indirect airflow? If it is blowing into the tank, then that may be the problem. Or, when you mist him, is he able to get the mist on his face and clean/lubricate his eyes?

Closed eyes can also be a sign of other, more serious, problems such as infection or dietary deficiency. We usually try to correct any environmental issues first, and then work from there.

 

[m1ndless]

I didn't read your other thread. Thank you, Julirs, for the link. This may have been covered in the other thread (which quite a few people responded to)- when you say you have a glass tank with screen and fan above the screen, is the fan blowing into the tank? Or just blowing across above the tank, to create some indirect airflow? If it is blowing into the tank, then that may be the problem.

There is a ceiling fan about 6' above the tank, and about 2ft over, I am sure it gets some air flow in there.

Its not blowing hard enough for it to irritate his eyes if that is what your asking.

 

[Nicodemayo]

whats his sleep schedule?

 

[m1ndless]

He is usually up by 7 or 8, when the sun comes up. I turn his lights on at 8 when I get up in the morning, dust some crix and throw them in, and mist, and then leave him alone for a few hours until its time to come back in mist 1-2 times before work at 1pm. Then he gets misted at 3-4 pm again if needed by my roomate, he owns chameleons so he knows what he is doing, I trust him.

He usually sleeps around 7 or 8 at night, sometimes earlier. He turns BRIGHT green at night, that is normal right? '

Is he too young to mist directly? I was told the water droples could irritate his eyes.

 

[spatulars]

I think water is what they use to clean their eyes. They swish it around. I wouldn't point the mister at him and spray him directly, but if the mist falls on him indirectly he shouldn't mind, plus he can duck out of the way if he wants.

My chameleon (a panther) can be light brown or grey or dark brown (in the morning), and when I make him mad he can get bars with either a red or blue tint, but at night he turns cream/peach/yellow body with red/orange bars! It's crazy. Anyway, what I mean is, I don't think you should be worried about his night colors, they can be drastically different.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Yes, spary a fine mist and allow some of the mist to fall over him so he can clean his eyes. He may have dry eyes, or stuff in his eyes. They do like to clean their eyes and perform regular "maintenance" on them. Normally, with ours, when the mist gets on them they roll their eyes around and sometimes bulge the eyeball WAY out like a balloon to get into their bilge area behind the eye. Sometimes during the cleaning they might gently wipe their eyes on a branch, too. Especially if they are trying to remove debris. I have watched baby pygmy chams complete this procedure after a misting.

 

[Chameleonboy]

i think i am having this problem aswel today i let my guy get some nice real sunlight no not through glass it was pure sunlight althoe it was a lill cold i would walk up to him and see one of his eyes are closed and tilt my head over to see his other side and the other eye was open i dunno i left and came back and the same thing happend

sometimes i cant seem to spray around him so i just spray and eather he will run away or just sit there is that bad? sorry not trying to steal the sunshine off of reptar but i think you might benifit from this llollll

 

[dodolah]

same problem with mine. It was the case of an irritant/ dust/ debris that are stuck in his eye.
A regularly shower therapy can help (unfortunately since your chameleon is still too small this method cannot be used).
I also put a drop of gentamicin on the problematic eye.
(I got the antibiotic eye drop because i do went to the exotic vet for this problem. He clean the problematic eye with saline wash and prescribe me that medicine. The med seems working).

 

[Chameleonboy]

my guy is about 4 months or 4and a half months old should i just give him a shower ?

 

[Chameleonboy]

i regularyl shower him one time evry 2 weeks thoe

 

[m1ndless]

I think he is doing better, he was ALL over his cage yesterday, he got excited everytime I misted cause he would go up to the glass, and lick all the water off, so now I know for sure he is drinking.

I saw him eat 3 crix yesterday too, that was good to see.

 

[Julirs]

That is great-sounds like he is getting settled!

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Glad to hear he's doing so much better! Do his eyes look fine?

 

[m1ndless]

He is lookin alright, still shuts them a few times a day, like he is napping or something. He was much more active yesterday, but he has not been that active today..

 

[ChromaChameleons]

what type lights are you using? He may be blinded by bright light or a faulty CF bulb.

 

[m1ndless]

I am using a ReptiGLO 5.0 bulb and a 45W normal light bulb.

Basking Temps are 78-80, ambient temps are 68-70.

The humidity drops to 25% at night, I am working on getting humidifer for my room (tomorro when I get paid) could it be that he is dehydrated? During the day I keep the humidity up, I mist 4-5 times a day since it drops so quickly here in AZ, I make sure to let it dry out COMPLETY between mistings though.

Any other suggestions?

Its not that bright in his cage, and he never gets close to the basking light, but close enough to get warm.