Is my chameleon going blind or going to die?

[Smileypeeler11]

I need help you guys. I have a chameleon named George . When I first got him he was completely fine for the first 2 weeks and then he started having eye issues. At first it was his left eye that he would keep shut for 85% of the time... he would open it to eat and to move around and when I turned his lights on I noticed they were both open until later in the day... so I bought some ointment for his eye called terramycin because his eye eventually became sealed shut... using it helped him open his eye up but he would still shut it most of the time. So I eventually took him to the vet which was a waste of $100... she wanted me to turn his cage sideways and put his leaves on the OUTSIDE.... does that make sense??? No... she also gave me some saline to flush his eyes ... so I’ve been doing that and I feel that it made it worse because now both of his eyes are shut 100% of the time and he can’t see when he walks or to eat... he hasn’t eaten or pooped in almost a week so now I am force feeding him... I need help... I feel like he went blind or is going blind or might even die. Also did I mention before his eye issue started the guy at the pet store said it was okay to house chameleons together so when I was buying him more crickets I bought a female one and that same day I saw her chasing him around the cage so I took her out and got another cage... maybe she damaged his eye?? I have no clue..

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Look into Retinol Vitamin A deficiency in reptiles. Sounds like your guy could maybe use some in his diet.

 

[Beman]

Additionally I would fill out this form with as much detail as possible and include pics of your enclosure lighting down. This will give us the info to see if it is something else. It is very common for people to be given the wrong husbandry info for chameleons.

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.

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Please Note:

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

 

[Smileypeeler11]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, male, and Not sure on age I’m guessing around 2-3 months old. It’s been in my care for a month?
• Handling - Before the problem maybe 2 times a week and now every day to force feed him
• Feeding - I feed him crickets and wax worms. About 6 crickets in the morning and a few at night. What is the schedule? I’ve been putting potatoes and a cuisine type food for the crickets to eat. I got the cuisine stuff online for the crickets
• Supplements - I dust the crickets with repti-cal Herptivite with beta carotene multivitamins once a week and repti calcium with D3 every day.
• Watering - I have a dripper and I also mist their cages at LEAST 5 times a day. Yes I see him drink but here lately I haven’t seen him drink. I am about to purchase a misting system.
• Fecal Description - he used to have normal poop but now doesn’t poop much at all. The last poop he just did today was translucent and brown and it was only a little amount. No he has not been tested for parasites.
• History- I bought him at a pet store

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen cage, 16x16x30
• Lighting - I have a heat lamp and UVB light on a timer .. on for 12 hours off for 12 hours (picture of receipt with picture uploaded)
• Temperature - 88F-78F range. I have a digital reader
• Humidity - I have his cage in my closet to keep in the heat and a trash bag wrapped around to help with humidity and a fogger as well.
• Plants - Fake plants
• Placement - Located in my closet away from my husbands fans. His cage sits middle height of the wall on my night stand in the closet.
• Location - Indiana

Current Problem - Problem with eyes staying shut, not eating, pooping etc.

 

[Beman]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled, male, and Not sure on age I’m guessing around 2-3 months old. It’s been in my care for a month?
• Handling - Before the problem maybe 2 times a week and now every day to force feed him
• Feeding - I feed him crickets and wax worms. About 6 crickets in the morning and a few at night. What is the schedule? I’ve been putting potatoes and a cuisine type food for the crickets to eat. I got the cuisine stuff online for the crickets
• Supplements - I dust the crickets with repti-cal Herptivite with beta carotene multivitamins once a week and repti calcium with D3 every day.
• Watering - I have a dripper and I also mist their cages at LEAST 5 times a day. Yes I see him drink but here lately I haven’t seen him drink. I am about to purchase a misting system.
• Fecal Description - he used to have normal poop but now doesn’t poop much at all. The last poop he just did today was translucent and brown and it was only a little amount. No he has not been tested for parasites.
• History- I bought him at a pet store

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Screen cage, 16x16x30
• Lighting - I have a heat lamp and UVB light on a timer .. on for 12 hours off for 12 hours (picture of receipt with picture uploaded)
• Temperature - 88F-78F range. I have a digital reader
• Humidity - I have his cage in my closet to keep in the heat and a trash bag wrapped around to help with humidity and a fogger as well.
• Plants - Fake plants
• Placement - Located in my closet away from my husbands fans. His cage sits middle height of the wall on my night stand in the closet.
• Location - Indiana

Current Problem - Problem with eyes staying shut, not eating, pooping etc.View attachment 227783

Ok stop the calcium with D3 everyday immediately.. I think you have a d3 overdose issue. This should only be given every other week so two times per month. You will need to make sure he is drinking. Although D3 is fat soluble so it stores in the fat and organs... It will take much longer then say vitamin B which is water soluble to flush from his system. You should be using calcium without D3 each feeding. Multivitamin is used 2 times a month on the opposite weeks from the calcium with D3.
Is he taking any food? Do you have access to hornworms? These are very hydrating.
At 3-4 months old he should be eating about 15 or so feeders a day. Waxworms are high in fat be careful of using these as a staple they are more like a treat. He should be fed in the morning so that he has all day to digest in the heat. Heat at basking level (highest branch) should be no hotter then 85 degrees.
Is your uvb light a long linear T5HO or T8 fixture or is it the double dome compact bulb. If compact this will need to be replaced asap. The new fixture should have a 10.0 uvb bulb and be placed directly on the cage.

He is very sick... I would consider taking him to a reptile Vet for treatment of the D3 overdose and to make sure that there is nothing else going on.

Here are some additional graphics that will help you.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

OK so a few husbandry issues to address.
First is cage size. Your boy is going to grow and grow fast! 2x2x4' is the smallest you should go.
Secondly your lighting. 1) it's way to far away from the top of the screen. You want it off the screen to prevent thermal burns but not so far away where he's not getting the heat he needs. 2) Ditch the coil UVB bulb you got in that and buy a 24" T5HO linear UVB hood with a 10.0 bulb.
Third and also very important is your dusting regiment is off. You want to dust with Calcium without D3 everyday, multivitamin once every 2 weeks, and calcium with D3 once every 2 weeks. You can overdose reptiles on D3. But because your UVB lighting was doing absolutely nothing I think he will be ok. But you need to stop the D3 everyday like now!
Wax worms are a treat and very high in fat and not much else.
More horizontal branches at basking level as well. Chameleons should really not be hanging upside down on the top of the screen. Humidity should be between 40-70% being on the higher side at night and temps should never be over 85* for a young veiled.

 

[Beman]

Vitamin A is a fat soluble as well not a water soluble!

I meant to type B my mistake. I edited it. You have this one covered. Thank you.

 

[Smileypeeler11]

Ok stop the calcium with D3 everyday immediately.. I think you have a d3 overdose issue. This should only be given every other week so two times per month. You will need to make sure he is drinking. Although D3 is fat soluble so it stores in the fat and organs... It will take much longer then say vitamin B which is water soluble to flush from his system. You should be using calcium without D3 each feeding. Multivitamin is used 2 times a month on the opposite weeks from the calcium with D3.
Is he taking any food? Do you have access to hornworms? These are very hydrating.
At 3-4 months old he should be eating about 15 or so feeders a day. Waxworms are high in fat be careful of using these as a staple they are more like a treat. He should be fed in the morning so that he has all day to digest in the heat. Heat at basking level (highest branch) should be no hotter then 85 degrees.
Is your uvb light a long linear T5HO or T8 fixture or is it the double dome compact bulb. If compact this will need to be replaced asap. The new fixture should have a 10.0 uvb bulb and be placed directly on the cage.

He is very sick... I would consider taking him to a reptile Vet for treatment of the D3 overdose and to make sure that there is nothing else going on.

Here are some additional graphics that will help you.

View attachment 227787View attachment 227788View attachment 227789View attachment 227790View attachment 227791

Thank you. It is a double dome with the spiral uvb light.

 

[Smileypeeler11]

OK so a few husbandry issues to address.
First is cage size. Your boy is going to grow and grow fast! 2x2x4' is the smallest you should go.
Secondly your lighting. 1) it's way to far away from the top of the screen. You want it off the screen to prevent thermal burns but not so far away where he's not getting the heat he needs. 2) Ditch the coil UVB bulb you got in that and buy a 24" T5HO linear UVB hood with a 10.0 bulb.
Third and also very important is your dusting regiment is off. You want to dust with Calcium without D3 everyday, multivitamin once every 2 weeks, and calcium with D3 once every 2 weeks. You can overdose reptiles on D3. But because your UVB lighting was doing absolutely nothing I think he will be ok. But you need to stop the D3 everyday like now!
Wax worms are a treat and very high in fat and not much else.
More horizontal branches at basking level as well. Chameleons should really not be hanging upside down on the top of the screen. Humidity should be between 40-70% being on the higher side at night and temps should never be over 85* for a young veiled.

Thank you guys a lot. I am going to make these changes... I do have to force feed him now so do you have any advice on that and how to make his eyes better and open up?

 

[Smileypeeler11]

Can I use these

 

[Lennoncham]

In addition to what Beman said I would give a dose of vitamin a now. It can block the effects of d3. So give vit a then stop all supplements for a week or 2 to let his body adjust. The start with the plain calcium then add in the multivitamin and the d3

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Can I use these

Yes those should work.

 

[timw1]

I do have to force feed him now so do you have any advice on that

Here is a recipe: http://www.adcham.com/html/husbandry/bug-juice.html you will need a decent syringe. I have not had to do this, but this is what I would do if my guy needs force feeding.

 

[Char333p]

Thank you guys a lot. I am going to make these changes... I do have to force feed him now so do you have any advice on that and how to make his eyes better and open up?

Can try using the shower... look up on youtube for info on that... he needs to be misted indirectly by putting the shower head facing the wall an bouncing off... luke warm water..and a tree or something he can hold onto

 

[Smileypeeler11]

In addition to what Beman said I would give a dose of vitamin a now. It can block the effects of d3. So give vit a then stop all supplements for a week or 2 to let his body adjust. The start with the plain calcium then add in the multivitamin and the d3

Thank you

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Thank you

If you can't find Repashy Vitamin A Plus at a pet store near you (very possible only my reptile shop had it) you can try Walmart or Walgreens for Human Retinol Vitamin A in a gel cap. Pop a pill with a pin and put 1 small drop on the back of a feeder insect once a month.

 

[Smileypeeler11]

I can’t seem to find anything to measure the humidity ... can someone send me a link? I use amazon

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

I can’t seem to find anything to measure the humidity ... can someone send me a link? I use amazon

This is what I use in all my enclosures
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digi...20&s=gateway&sprefix=Zoomed+digi&sr=8-1-fkmr0

 

[Smileypeeler11]

This is what I use in all my enclosures
https://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Med-Digi...20&s=gateway&sprefix=Zoomed+digi&sr=8-1-fkmr0

Thank you that’s exactly what I wanted

 

[Lennoncham]

I would just like to add that we are just guessing what we think is wrong. If you don’t see any improvement in a few days to a week I would take him to a good exotics vet to make sure your doing the right thing.