Help! Chams eye infected???

[Justachick]

Hello, I'm new to keeping chameleons. I have a veiled chameleon called colin, he's roughly about 6 month old.. I noticed that his left eye is not looking as healthy as his right. It's more wrinkled and seems puffy.. this morning I noticed it's not as opened as the other and has a crusty thing on it!! I've spoke to vets and they do not treat reptiles so the nearest vets is over an hour away and I have no transport.. please help! Hes still eating and moving about ok. Photo of his good eye

These photos are his bad eye taken today

 

[jannb]

Welcome to the forums. I am sorry to say that your boy will mostly likely go blind in that eye and the infection spread through his body if he is not treated. I know a lady with a rescue that will mail you a shipping label and you can send him to her. She has a wonderful rescue and vets and will get him all fixed up and then find him a forever home. Or if you thing you can find transportation if you tell me where you live I might be able to refer a good vet but they are rare and usually not close. I have to drive 4 and 1/2 hours to mine but as owners when we take in one of these little animals it is our responsibility to take proper care of them and that included vet visits when needed.

 

[Justachick]

Is it an infection? It's looks OK now.. I took him in the shower for 20min to see if the humidity helped and it's doesn't look as bad.. I've got a number for a vet that I will ring and see if they can advise me or whether I need to take him in to see them

 

[jajeanpierre]

Justachick, I am sorry your chameleon is not doing so well.

Where are you located?

Perhaps there is a way to get him seen by a vet without you losing your pet as the above poster suggests.

Sometimes vets who don't treat chameleons can be convinced to see the animal so you can get an antibiotic ointment prescription, especially when you go in and say you want a particular drug prescribed. Do you have a dog and cat vet you use? I suggest you go in and plead your case, especially if you know exactly what drug you wanted prescribed.

Maybe someone on this forum could chime in and name a good antibiotic opthalmic ointment. When one of my chameleons scratched her eye, the vet prescribed "Neomycin and PolymyxinB Sulfates and Bacitracin Zinc Opthalmic Ointment" to make sure an eye infection didn't develop. I have no idea if this is a good antibiotic eye ointment for a chameleon, but it was the one my vet prescribed and her eye cleared up.

In the mean time, buy some sterile artificial tears--the kind that don't have any preservatives in them. The preservatives will cause irritation if used more than a few times in the day. Also, the ones without preservatives come in individual one-use packets so there won't be a risk of contaminating the whole bottle. Gently flush the eye to clean all that gunk away from it.

 

[Justachick]

I'm in kendal, Cumbria UK.. I don't want to lose him or for him to go blind.. the only vets in town only treat small mammals and when I was asking this morning they were having none of it.. so I don't think they gonna budge no matter how hard I plead.. I'll try looking for the artificial tears you mentioned and carry on trying to find a vet

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm in kendal, Cumbria UK.. I don't want to lose him or for him to go blind.. the only vets in town only treat small mammals and when I was asking this morning they were having none of it.. so I don't think they gonna budge no matter how hard I plead.. I'll try looking for the artificial tears you mentioned and carry on trying to find a vet

Look for an avian vet. Birds and reptiles share more similarities than birds and mammals. After all, birds are dinosaurs.

Ask a zoo.

Where is Cumbria? South west? I might know someone who has a kazillion parrots in your neck of the woods.

 

[jajeanpierre]

I'm in kendal, Cumbria UK.. I don't want to lose him or for him to go blind.. the only vets in town only treat small mammals and when I was asking this morning they were having none of it.. so I don't think they gonna budge no matter how hard I plead.. I'll try looking for the artificial tears you mentioned and carry on trying to find a vet

Sometimes you need to speak to the vet themselves in person. Receptionists often are a bit testy and territorial about their vets (and doctors).

 

[jannb]

You can try different eye meds but it's a hit and miss that you'll get the correct one for they type of infection that he might have. He should really have a culture and see exactly what infection it is and a sensitive test to see which antibiotic will work on that type infection. Here's a list of different meds my vets have prescribed for eye infections.

Terramycin (which I think you can buy online without a prescription).
Flurbiprofen
neomycin, Polymyxin B Sufates and Bactracin Zinc Ophthalmic
Remend
Neomycin,Polymyxin B Sufates, Bactracin Zinc Ophthalmic and Hydrocortisone
Neomycin, Polymyxin B Sufates and Dexamethasone

Often these are used along with an oral antibiotic

 

[Justachick]

Look for an avian vet. Birds and reptiles share more similarities than birds and mammals. After all, birds are dinosaurs.

Ask a zoo.

Where is Cumbria? South west? I might know someone who has a kazillion parrots in your neck of the woods.

No cumbria is north west

 

[alphakenc]

He looks pretty blind to me,Its going to be a awful time when he needs catch his feeder,if the shower method wont complete help him to heal his crusty bad eye,plz take him to an chameleons eye specialist vet,call ahead before u go there,explain to them with the bad eye situation,and see if the vet has anything to say (how many eye infection chams he been treated before??)
In the mean time,you will have to be his other eyes,see if u can hand feed him to get more nutrition in him,that poor blind chamy must have such hard time to find n catch feeders on his own....
"Drum Roll"...Singing.....rising up back on the street,took my time took my chances,went the distance now im back on my feet,just a CHAM and his will to survive....its eye of the CHAM,its the cream of the fight,rising up to the challange of our rival,as the last known survivor stalks the prey in the day,and hes watching us all in the......EYE OF THE CHAMY...."DRUM ROLL"
Best luck to get his eye fix soon

 

[Justachick]

He looks pretty blind to me,Its going to be a awful time when he needs catch his feeder,if the shower method wont complete help him to heal his crusty bad eye,plz take him to an chameleons eye specialist vet,call ahead before u go there,explain to them with the bad eye situation,and see if the vet has anything to say (how many eye infection chams he been treated before??)
In the mean time,you will have to be his other eyes,see if u can hand feed him to get more nutrition in him,that poor blind chamy must have such hard time to find n catch feeders on his own....
"Drum Roll"...Singing.....rising up back on the street,took my time took my chances,went the distance now im back on my feet,just a CHAM and his will to survive....its eye of the CHAM,its the cream of the fight,rising up to the challange of our rival,as the last known survivor stalks the prey in the day,and hes watching us all in the......EYE OF THE CHAMY...."DRUM ROLL"
Best luck to get his eye fix soon

Don't think he is blind in that eye yet, only had his syptoms since yesterday and not struggling at all to find or catch his feeders.. I hand feed him quite regularly with rocket, he loves his rocket! I shall get him to vet as soon as

 

[alphakenc]

Don't think he is blind in that eye yet, only had his syptoms since yesterday and not struggling at all to find or catch his feeders.. I hand feed him quite regularly with rocket, he loves his rocket! I shall get him to vet as soon as

I wont think he is blind now,the pic jus "look blind"before im glad u can take him to the vet asap,whatever you feeding him,keep on doing it .rocket torpedo missile,Im sure he will be well soon.

 

[jajeanpierre]

He looks pretty blind to me,Its going to be a awful time when he needs catch his feeder,if the shower method wont complete help him to heal his crusty bad eye,plz take him to an chameleons eye specialist vet,call ahead before u go there,explain to them with the bad eye situation,and see if the vet has anything to say (how many eye infection chams he been treated before??)
In the mean time,you will have to be his other eyes,see if u can hand feed him to get more nutrition in him,that poor blind chamy must have such hard time to find n catch feeders on his own....
"Drum Roll"...Singing.....rising up back on the street,took my time took my chances,went the distance now im back on my feet,just a CHAM and his will to survive....its eye of the CHAM,its the cream of the fight,rising up to the challange of our rival,as the last known survivor stalks the prey in the day,and hes watching us all in the......EYE OF THE CHAMY...."DRUM ROLL"
Best luck to get his eye fix soon

You have absolutely no idea whether or not he is or will become blind!!!

Why would you ever say that? All you will do is upset the owner.

I've seen some pretty horribly ulcerated eyes heal and end up with no vision problem at all.

 

[alphakenc]

You have absolutely no idea whether or not he is or will become blind!!!

Why would you ever say that? All you will do is upset the owner.

I've seen some pretty horribly ulcerated eyes heal and end up with no vision problem at all.

The key word is "looks ",I did not say he is blind so please dont jump in the conclusion,and I also reply to the op,so let the past go ,if she still think Im wrong then I will reply her again with the answer,thank you for your opinion