Do I need to go to the vet?

[Max W]

This is Donny, he's a veiled chameleon and he's about a year old. Within the past month or two every once in a while I'll catch him blink and there seems to be this bump under his eyelid. I've also noticed the skin arround his eye swelling up? Maybe swelling isn't the right word but hopefully the video and pictures show it well. There's also this redness, mostly arround where the bump is. Some days he will bearily blink, if at all, and other days he would blink every few moments. I usually catch him doing it in the mornings and it gets better throughout the day, but on bad days he can still be blinking through the afternoon. I've also seen him itch this eye very rarely, usually on bad days. I've done research but I'm still not sure if I should be concerned, and could the swelling arround his eye be fixed with vitamin A? The pictures attached are of Donny in mid blink, he can still use his eye like normal and there's nothing leaking from it. I'm sorry if this is all messy, I just have all these worried thoughts and I'm not sure how to organize them. I'm still in highschool and don't have access to take Don to the vet myself, if I needed to I'd have to convince my parents to take him. At the moment they aren't convinced and tell me not to worry. Maybe I'm just scared over nothing but every day I worry this could be something putting him though pain and it could be getting worse. If somethings wrong and someone on here says so I could convince my parents to get him help. And even if it turns out I'm freaking out over nothing the recurrence here will give me some peace of mind.

 

[Beman]

Hi there welcome to the forum. Do you have a few more pics of him without the blinking? He is a bit overweight. What are your current supplements and schedule?

 

[jannb]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Donnie should have went to the vet when you first notice the bump. Where do you live? I might be able to recommend a good chameleon vet. You don’t want to waste your parents time and money going to a vet that doesn’t have good chameleon knowledge. They will take your money and Donnie with still have the same problem.

 

[Max W]

Hi there welcome to the forum. Do you have a few more pics of him without the blinking? He is a bit overweight. What are your current supplements and schedule?

Yes, here are some pics from him earlier today (his cask is a little burnt, I don't want to make excuses but when he was still new I thought he was shedding before I realized what really happened, I've been keeping a close eye on it and it seems to be healing ok) I feed I'm 10-15 crickets every 4-5 days, I used to feed him 3-4 superworms a day but he's refused to eat any latly, and one hornworm a day. Now writing this down I should slow down on the treats shouldn't I?

 

[Beman]

Yes, here are some pics from him earlier today (his cask is a little burnt, I don't want to make excuses but when he was still new I thought he was shedding before I realized what really happened, I've been keeping a close eye on it and it seems to be healing ok) I feed I'm 10-15 crickets every 4-5 days, I used to feed him 3-4 superworms a day but he's refused to eat any latly, and one hornworm a day. Now writing this down I should slow down on the treats shouldn't I?

I would love to be able to give you very thorough feedback. Yes, little man looks very overweight. But did the swelling to the caque start after the burn or has it been gradual? But I do not like giving specifics on something like this involving multiple aspects without all the info from the keeper. So if you could fill this out thoroughly by copy pasting it into your response and answering each question I can then give you feedback for your cham specifically.


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.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[Max W]

Hello and welcome to the forums. Donnie should have went to the vet when you first notice the bump. Where do you live? I might be able to recommend a good chameleon vet. You don’t want to waste your parents time and money going to a vet that doesn’t have good chameleon knowledge. They will take your money and Donnie with still have the same problem.

Thankyou for telling me he needs a vet. I live in Leauge City Texas, there's a vet named 'Furs Feathers and Freinds Veterinary Hospital' near where I live, would that be a good place?

 

[ERKleRose]

Thankyou for telling me he needs a vet. I live in Leauge City Texas, there's a vet named 'Furs Feathers and Freinds Veterinary Hospital' near where I live, would that be a good place?

I’m in Houston as well, and Dr. Pacheco at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists is AMAZING!

 

[jannb]

I’m in Houston as well, and Dr. Pacheco at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists is AMAZING!

I highly recommend Gulf Coast.

 

[Max W]

I’m in Houston as well, and Dr. Pacheco at Gulf Coast Veterinary Specialists is AMAZING!

Thankyou so much!!

 

[kinyonga]

Can you post a couple of photos of all of him from the side so I can see both sides of him?

 

[Ramrod]

This is Donny, he's a veiled chameleon and he's about a year old. Within the past month or two every once in a while I'll catch him blink and there seems to be this bump under his eyelid. I've also noticed the skin arround his eye swelling up? Maybe swelling isn't the right word but hopefully the video and pictures show it well. There's also this redness, mostly arround where the bump is. Some days he will bearily blink, if at all, and other days he would blink every few moments. I usually catch him doing it in the mornings and it gets better throughout the day, but on bad days he can still be blinking through the afternoon. I've also seen him itch this eye very rarely, usually on bad days. I've done research but I'm still not sure if I should be concerned, and could the swelling arround his eye be fixed with vitamin A? The pictures attached are of Donny in mid blink, he can still use his eye like normal and there's nothing leaking from it. I'm sorry if this is all messy, I just have all these worried thoughts and I'm not sure how to organize them. I'm still in highschool and don't have access to take Don to the vet myself, if I needed to I'd have to convince my parents to take him. At the moment they aren't convinced and tell me not to worry. Maybe I'm just scared over nothing but every day I worry this could be something putting him though pain and it could be getting worse. If somethings wrong and someone on here says so I could convince my parents to get him help. And even if it turns out I'm freaking out over nothing the recurrence here will give me some peace of mind.

Well a trip to the vet is always a good thing if worried about health issues and It's a smart thing to ask for help from forum members as many have had years of hands on experience with cham issues. Opinions and advice tend to go in different directions at times so if you can find a good vet that has experience with chams then I would take his/her diagnosis as a final answer and end any confusion.
Not familiar with your area but looks like you have recommendations already from members.
Welcome to the forum and fill out the health question form.

 

[ERKleRose]

Dr. Pacheco is very experienced and knowledgeable with cham eye issues, too!