Help! Swollen eye!

[craiganthony9]

Please help. I have a two-year-old veiled chameleon. I have had him under a repti-sun day bulb. 12 on 12 off. Two weeks ago I put his terrarium outside on the porch to see if the natural son woods spur some growth and happiness. I noticed his right I became inflamed and swollen. He is still eating and drinking. I have researched some and found it could be caused by a vitamin a deficiency, or bacterial infection. I have been using Nolvasan antiseptic ointment in his eye twice daily with sterile sodium chloride solution. I have read where some owners have been Lansing the eye and I do not want to go that far due to the trauma it could cause to my lizard. A vet bill would cost more than what I paid for him. I know that sounds like a shitty thing to say but I took a Jackson's to the vet once and the treatment killed him. I will take him if there is nothing I can try to do myself. Thank you. Have also read about beta-carotene supplement and refresh tears. If anyone has any advice please let me know.

 

[JoeVet]

Swollen eyes are common in chameleons. Many are due to lack of pre-formed vitamin A. Chameleons cannot convert Beta Carotene into vitamin A and many mutivitamins use Beta Carotene as their vitamin A source. Other possibilities are infection and renal failure. If the animal is otherwise healthy, I would try adding a multivitamin with pre-formed vitamin A. Increasing humidity often helps.

 

[Trace]

Unfortunately you have a lot more going on with your pet than just the swollen eye. It does look like he has Metabolic Bone Disease and that is quite painful. He needs proper medical attention to get better.

You can read a little about the disease here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/healthx/legs-feet/

If you can tell us your location we can suggest a good reptile vet in your area. In the meantime here is a list of reptile specific vets in the US.

http://arav.org/find-a-vet/

 

[carol5208]

Yes, I agree with Trace, your chameleon has severe Metabolic bone disease. Here is another link on the disease.
https://www.chameleonforums.com/wha...ase-mbd-looks-like-how-happens-how-fix-95071/
Your chameleon most likely has broken bones and is suffering.

 

[Tyzoone]

I had a 2 to 3 month old panther whose eye was doing the same thing. My cage was as clean as it gets and the best I can figure was that he got something from the distributer before I bought him...I spent a good penny on him but kept pushing off a visit to the vet fearing it'd be too expensive. I sincerely regret it because a month later the eye swelling/rubbing got exponentially more frequent (despite treating the eye with solution) and he died within a few nights. I'm obviously not sure exactly what the cause of death was but I assume something with the infection in his eye got to him as eye problems are one of the main issues with Chams...

 

[JoeVet]

I agree with Trace and carol that there is more than a swollen eye going on. It part of a bigger picture of poor husbandry. Best option is to list all of your husbandry parameters so they can be corrected. I'm new but I know there is a form for requesting help. There is a sticky about how to ask for help:

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?

If you give this information the forum can help you correct your husbandry.

 

[craiganthony9]

Wow, really? He's a veiled. Had for 2 years. Stayed small. How can you tell it's MBD? I have Nolvasan on his eye. That's why it looks like it's scanning

 

[Eric Adrignola]

The fact that he "stayed small" is a good indicator on its own that he has MBD. Read up on the above link supplied by Trace.

 

[craiganthony9]

Thank you... I had no idea! I use a UVB bulb daily, and I have dust my crickets but I obviously don't do it enough.