Eye issues! Please help!

[kearle97]

Hello everyone. I have a female veiled chameleon about 2-3 months old who is having issues with her eyes. I originally purchased her sick tank mate from the pet store trying to nurse her back to health. She had double eye infections and did not make it. I went back to the store and got her healthy tank mate (they separated them when the other got sick). Now this one will not open either of her eyes, the one is bulging the other looks a little sunken in. Because she won't open her eyes she hasn't been able to eat or drink on her own. I will bring her to the sink to drink (filtered water) and force feed her meal worms (she will spit out crickets). She is more fussy than normal and likes to rub her bulging eye on me. I began giving her small doses of my first's antibiotic. Anyone have ideas of what I should do? Thank you in advance!

 

[chamfriend1]

the very first veiled I had came up with the same problem... if you haven't gotten her to a vet I highly suggest you do that...
the vet gave me both drops (to put directly in her eyes 2-3 times a day) and an antibiotic (given once a day orally)..
I used warm water on and around her eyes (very lightly with a cue tip) every night to remove any gunk or build up that was on them...
I ended up hand feeding her for over 6 months.. what I did was kinda smash up crickets and worms up in some warm water (so she can get her fluids too) and small amounts of vitamin supplements... i would use tweezers to give her the bulky parts of her food and an eye dropper to give her some of the "juices"... I fed her twice a day the best I could.. as you've probably figured out its difficult to feed an ailing cham but you kinda do the best you can...
you need to make sure the humidity is kept fairly high while she is trying to get over this (according to my vet)... it will help keep everything "moist"... that's how it was explained to me (whether its right or wrong) and it did seem to help some... still took her (IMO) a long time to get over it.. so have patients with her....
the rubbing is normal... its because her eyes hurt and itch... same as if your eyes are bothering you...
I wish you the best of luck...

 

[Howpanther]

I had a similar problem with two panthers babys here, I used eye drops called ciprofloxacin dexamethasone, put 1 time a day, and 10 days were 100% better.

 

[kearle97]

Thank you so much for your ideas!! The mashed crickets and worms is such a good idea! I am currently giving her Baytril oral once a day. Thanks again!!!