Eye Issue

[dlwalla9244]

Hey everyone,

I’m new to posting here but I often use this forum for advice. I have a 3 year old veiled chameleon. He has been healthy without issues until about a month ago. His right eye started swelling intermittently. I was showering him and he was rubbing his eyes on the wet leaves of the plant to get whatever was in his eye, out. The swelling went away but he still wasn’t opening the eye. This whole time I have been hand feeding him or he won’t eat. There’s no signs of infection. He started opening the eye recently, but I can’t see his actual pupil. All I can see is the internal eye lid. See photos for reference. I’m not sure what to do or if this will heal itself? If not, will he be blind now? He moves it around as if he can see me, but I’m not sure he can. Please help!

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi and welcome. I’d like to see some pics of his entire enclosure and what supplements are you using?

 

[Kodyf]

Vitamin A deficiencies commonly bother the eyes in chameleons especially veileds although it could be a broad range of things including illnesses, damage to the eye from injury/fall, incorrect humidity or temperature, and all the rest of that fun stuff. Do you feed him fruit/veggies. I agree with what @MissSkittles said what is his diet, what supplements we would need more info to give an informed opinion.

 

[dlwalla9244]

I found spiders in his enclosure so I have everything taken apart currently. I will take pics and post once I put it all back together. I use calcium without vitamin d as well as liquid calcium with magnesium. I also have calcium with vitamin D.

 

[Kodyf]

It’s good you cleaned the enclosure, some spiders can be poisonous but I doubt that’s the reason. Check his humidity levels, uvb bulbs go bad it might need replaced. I’d use a multivitamin supplement so your chameleons can get all those vitamins they need in case they are deficient. I recommend reptivite with d3 use it twice a month.

 

[dlwalla9244]

Vitamin A deficiencies commonly bother the eyes in chameleons especially veileds although it could be a broad range of things including illnesses, damage to the eye from injury/fall, incorrect humidity or temperature, and all the rest of that fun stuff. Do you feed him fruit/veggies. I agree with what @MissSkittles said what is his diet, what supplements we would need more info to give an informed opinion.

He won’t eat vegetables. We have a mealworm farm and we feed the mealworms carrots, avocado, lettuce, etc. We also gut load them with calcium.

 

[Kodyf]

When do you spray the cage/how often.

 

[Kodyf]

Yes veileds are very picky they eat veggies when they want some don’t eat as much as others. They don’t actually need the plants bc we gutload the bugs, but I recommend a vitamin supplement gutloading the feeders is great but sometimes the chameleon can still get a deficiency. It’s smart to give the multivitamin supplement to prevent a deficiency/help a chameleon who has a deficiency.

 

[dlwalla9244]

Here’s a pic of his cage, empty from the cleaning. But I’m getting it put together now. It’s an exoterra screened terrarium. My husband and I altered it and removed the screening on 2 sides and replaced with plexiglass to hold in moisture.

 

[dlwalla9244]

When do you spray the cage/how often.

We spray the cage several times each day on the two plexiglass sides. I also wet his bark and substrate once a week if it’s dried out.

 

[Kodyf]

We spray the cage several times each day on the two plexiglass sides. I also wet his bark and substrate once a week if it’s dried out.

My recommendation(I have a veiled) I would spray the cage twice a day. Once in the morning when the lights come on and once after the lights go out. Spray for 2-4 minutes until you reach %90-100 humidity.

 

[dlwalla9244]

Thank you. I will try that starting tonight.

My recommendation(I have a veiled) I would spray the cage twice a day. Once in the morning when the lights come on and once after the lights go out. Spray for 2-4 minutes until you reach %90-100 humidity.

 

[Kodyf]

I don’t think that is the issue still though. I think obviously a vet would have better knowledge to diagnose this. But from my knowledge if he isn’t sick it is either his supplements/vitamins being off or his basking area/uvb is not correct.

 

[Kodyf]

I would take him to a vet if you’re financially prepared for a visit as the most safe decision they can properly diagnose it. It still could be a broad range of things. I’d still throw in that reptivite with d3 it’s $10 at your local pet store and replace his calcium with d3 that you give him twice a month and use the reptivite instead. I think if it is what I think it is, that should help his eye recover with time. If it is a deficiency he is not permanently blind it will heal.

 

[Kodyf]

I will leave the husbandry review and what other think to the rest. Everyone here on this forum helped me fix my veiled chameleons husbandry, so of course they will probably help you as well. Once you’ve put it back together post some more photos for the others to take a look and give advice. I hope your guy gets to feeling better

 

[MissSkittles]

If you’re only giving the plain calcium both with and without D3, then I’m going to say that lack of multivitamins (specifically vitamin A) is at least part of the problem. Here’s what I advise (in addition to a vet visit to rule out infection or other issue) keep the plain phosphorus free calcium powder and lightly dust every feeding. Get some Repashy calcium Plus LoD and start giving that once every other week. Even though lack of vitamin A may be the problem, you need to be cautious in giving it as certain forms of is can be easily overdosed.
When I asked to see your enclosure, I was specifically looking for two different things - correct lighting and types of vines or branches being used (And plants). From your pic, I don’t see correct uvb…just one dome light. The standard is a T5 HO fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Without correct uvb, not only can there be eye issues, but many other issues as well including mbd. If the strength of the uvb is too high (10.0, 12%, 14%) that could definitely hurt the sensitive little eyes. Same goes for red and other colored lights. Exo Terra makes these popular black vines that look nice…but tend to shed off micro particles that somehow always make their way into the eyes. Plastic/artificial plants are abrasive and some are sharp and could cause injury if eyes are rubbed on them. Plus, if accidentally eaten can cause bowel obstruction. For our veileds, only clean safe live plants should be used. Humidity and misting can have an effect upon the eyes, especially if not misted for anything close to the full two minutes and/or the air is too dry.
There’s so many other things that can affect the eyes, but these are what can be determined and ‘fixed’ by us. For the rest, only a vet will do. Most definitely though get that supplement and start it asap. Even if that is the entire problem, it will take time for it to resolve.

 

[MissSkittles]

He won’t eat vegetables. We have a mealworm farm and we feed the mealworms carrots, avocado, lettuce, etc. We also gut load them with calcium.

Mealworms are not the best feeder and should be seldom if given at all. I’d skip the avocado as it can be toxic to some reptiles (bearded dragons) and lettuce is mainly just water. Here’s a couple of graphics that should help.

If you’d like to do a full husbandry review, just say the word and someone will provide you the questions, or you can look for them under chameleon health, how to ask for help.

 

[dlwalla9244]

If you’re only giving the plain calcium both with and without D3, then I’m going to say that lack of multivitamins (specifically vitamin A) is at least part of the problem. Here’s what I advise (in addition to a vet visit to rule out infection or other issue) keep the plain phosphorus free calcium powder and lightly dust every feeding. Get some Repashy calcium Plus LoD and start giving that once every other week. Even though lack of vitamin A may be the problem, you need to be cautious in giving it as certain forms of is can be easily overdosed.
When I asked to see your enclosure, I was specifically looking for two different things - correct lighting and types of vines or branches being used (And plants). From your pic, I don’t see correct uvb…just one dome light. The standard is a T5 HO fixture with either ReptiSun 5.0 or Arcadia 6% uvb bulb. Without correct uvb, not only can there be eye issues, but many other issues as well including mbd. If the strength of the uvb is too high (10.0, 12%, 14%) that could definitely hurt the sensitive little eyes. Same goes for red and other colored lights. Exo Terra makes these popular black vines that look nice…but tend to shed off micro particles that somehow always make their way into the eyes. Plastic/artificial plants are abrasive and some are sharp and could cause injury if eyes are rubbed on them. Plus, if accidentally eaten can cause bowel obstruction. For our veileds, only clean safe live plants should be used. Humidity and misting can have an effect upon the eyes, especially if not misted for anything close to the full two minutes and/or the air is too dry.
There’s so many other things that can affect the eyes, but these are what can be determined and ‘fixed’ by us. For the rest, only a vet will do. Most definitely though get that supplement and start it asap. Even if that is the entire problem, it will take time for it to resolve.

Thank you for the advice! I do have a reptisun 5.0 bulb, it was just on its “off” time when I took the picture. I use the red bulb for basking but it goes off at night. Is there something else I should use instead of the red heat bulb?

I will go get new supplements tomorrow.

 

[MissSkittles]

Thank you for the advice! I do have a reptisun 5.0 bulb, it was just on its “off” time when I took the picture. I use the red bulb for basking but it goes off at night. Is there something else I should use instead of the red heat bulb?

I will go get new supplements tomorrow.

You can use a plain old fashioned incandescent light bulb for basking (if you can find them), a halogen bulb or a reptile basking bulb, like this. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006L2UBK/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1 Usually a 60w or 75w will give you the desired basking temp of 82-85.

 

[Kodyf]

I agree with @MissSkittles, the red bulb you’re using can potentially cause blindness. Incandescent bulbs are the preferred bulb for a chameleon but reptile basking bulbs from your local pet store also work. Just make sure it isn’t daylight blue, red or colored as those all cause eye problems in chameleons.