Is my chameleon sick? please help!!

[eweaver500]

I got my chameleon three weeks ago from the pet store. He is a male vailed chameleon. He has been eating crickets and mealworms. He has a huge vertical enclosure with live plants and live vines and a misting machine that mists the enclosure for a few seconds every hour. He has a long light that the reptile person suggested. He has a dripper, and all of his food has been dusted with the calcium supplement. This morning I noticed that his eye is pretty swollen. This past weekend he was pretty lethargic and just sat on the same vine with his eyes closed. I put him on his vine in the shower and he started to perk up more, but when I put him back in his enclosure he didn't move much. I haven't had him for very long, but I am really not sure what is wrong. I attached photos of his eye.

 

[Ambilobe123]

Hello, and welcome to the forums! I’m not sure what’s going on with his eye, but we can try to troubleshoot the issue better if you fill in the husbandry form:

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.

 

[eweaver500]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Vailed Chameleon, 3 months old, had it for a little less than 3 weeks
• Handling - I pick him up like once a day, thats about it, very little handling
• Feeding - feeding the chameleon small crickets and mealworms dusted in supplement. I like to rotate each day between the two. He gets like 3-4 in the morning and 3-4 in the evening
• Supplements - I have the calcium supplement with D3 I think. I have just dusted all of his food in it.
• Watering - He has a scheduled mister that goes off for a few seconds each hour and a dropper.
• Fecal Description - Never been tested, dark brown and white about the size of a quarter
• History - He is very new. This is my first one.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen enclosure, about three feet tall. He also has vines on my window that he likes to be on when I let his out of the cage to free roam
• Lighting - I am not sure of the brand, but I have two lights, one is a long white light that spans from one corner to the opposite. The other light is the blue chameleon light. I have the lighting on a schedule to turn on at 7 am and off at 9pm
• Temperature - I have two thermometers for the cage, one at the top and one at the bottom. The bottom is about 78 degrees and the top is about 98.
• Humidity - I have a humidity measure thing that I got from the pet store. It sits in the middle on the wall. It reads about 80-90% usually.
• Plants - I have live plants mixed with fake moss covered bendable sticks. The live plants are vines.
• Placement - The cage is on my desk in my room. It is not in the direct line of the vent. The room is kept at 70 degrees
• Location - Texas

Current Problem - swollen eye, pictured above

 

[Alastair&Anna]

Ok so I'll leave the rest of the husbandry for one of the more experienced keepers, but I think it problem is the vines with moss. Take those out. He/she probably rubbed their eye on it and now has moss in their eye.

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

98F is way too hot for the basking temperature for a chameleon that is only 3 or so months old. The rest of the cage is too hot too....you're cooking him.

 

[kinyonga]

I'm going to answer in caps...

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Male Vailed Chameleon, 3 months old, had it for a little less than 3 weeks
• Handling - I pick him up like once a day, thats about it, very little handling
• Feeding - feeding the chameleon small crickets and mealworms dusted in supplement. I like to rotate each day between the two. He gets like 3-4 in the morning and 3-4 in the evening
  MEALWORMS ARE NOT THE BEST FEEDER FOR CHAMELEONS. ARE THE CRICKETS THE RIGHT SIZE....THE WIDTH OF THE SPACE BETWEEN HIS EYES? SMALL SILKWORMS, ROACHES, BSFL WOULD ALL BE GOOD TO ADD TO THE DIET. MAKE SURE THEY ARE WELL FED/GUTLOADED. ROACHES AND CRICKETS CAN BE FED DANDELION GREENS, KALE, COLLARDS, ENDIVE, SQUASH, ZUCCHINI, SWEET POTATO, SWEET RED PEPPER, ETC.
• Supplements - I have the calcium supplement with D3 I think. I have just dusted all of his food in it.
  THE INSECTS SHOULD BE DUSTED JUST BEFORE FEEDING THEM TO HIM AT ALL FEEDINGS BUT ONE A WEEK WITH A PHOSPHOROUS FREE CALCIUM POWDER LIGHTLY. AT THE ONE FEEDING THAT YOU DON'T USE THIS, ALTERNATE BETWEEN A PHOS FREE CALCIUM/D3 POWDER LIGHTLY AND A VITAMIN POWDER WITH NO D3 AND A PREFORMED SOURCE OF VITAMIN A LIGHTLY.
• Watering - He has a scheduled mister that goes off for a few seconds each hour and a dropper. DO YOU FOG AT NIGHT?
• Fecal Description - Never been tested, dark brown and white about the size of a quarter
• History - He is very new. This is my first one.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - screen enclosure, about three feet tall. He also has vines on my window that he likes to be on when I let his out of the cage to free roam IF YOUR CAGE TEMPERATURE IS HIGH 70'S TO 98F AND YOURE MOVING HIM BACK AND FORTH TO THE ROOM WHICH YOU SAID IS AT 70F THAT WONT BE GOOD FOR HIM.
• Lighting - I am not sure of the brand, but I have two lights, one is a long white light that spans from one corner to the opposite. The other light is the blue chameleon light. I have the lighting on a schedule to turn on at 7 am and off at 9pm . ARE THENLIGHTS OFF AT NIGHT? WHAT ARE THE NIGHT TEMPERATURES?
• Temperature - I have two thermometers for the cage, one at the top and one at the bottom. The bottom is about 78 degrees and the top is about 98. THIS IS TOO HOT FOR THE BASKING AREA....EVEN THE CAGE TEMOERATURE IS TOO HOT. IS THIS AT NIGHT AS WELL?
• Humidity - I have a humidity measure thing that I got from the pet store. It sits in the middle on the wall. It reads about 80-90% usually. IS THIS THE DAYTIME OR ALL THE TIME?
• Plants - I have live plants mixed with fake moss covered bendable sticks. The live plants are vines. IMWOULD REMOVE THE MOSS COVERED STICKS AND USE REAL BRANCHES FROM TREES THAT ARE NON TOXIC.
• Placement - The cage is on my desk in my room. It is not in the direct line of the vent. The room is kept at 70 degrees
• Location - Texas

Current Problem - swollen eye, pictured above

HIS EYES BEING SHUT DURING THE DAY ARE A PROBLEM TOO.