My awesome blue panther sick?

[SKITTLES]

I am new on the forum but I really need help. Skittles is my cham and latley has not been doing to well. His activity has lowered and his left eye has not opened for 4 days. At first I thought it was a vitamin defficiency becuase his left eye still opens. But the other day I say a white crust in his left eye so I removed it gently with a qtip. He hasnt been eating so iv been dusting crickets and feeding him 2 a day and spraying water in his mouth twice a day. I live in gainesville, Florida and the herp vets suck around hear. I was thinking maybe a shower or a vet visit for eye drops....any ideas?

 

[SKITTLES]

Also, I spray 4 times a day wit a mister and I have the big dripper. He is currently in a 2 foot screen cage.

 

[Julirs]

If you answer these questions from the health forum people will be able to better help...
Cage Info:
Cage Type - What kind of cage are you using? What is the size?
Lighting - What kind of lighting are you using? How long do you keep the lights on during the day?
Temperature - What temperature range have you created? Basking spot temp? What is the temperature at night?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon.
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What kind of schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What are you dusting your feeders with and what kind of schedule do you use?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings.
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures can really help as well.

 

[CleanLineChameleons]

It can be caused by a number of things. The most common are from bacteria or something got into his eye and irritated it. I would put him into the shower for a good 15 minutes as well as treat him with some terramycin. If it doesn't start to open in about 4 or 5 days, take him to the vet. Or take him now and see what the vet says, because I definately am not one.

Good luck.
-Chris

 

[SKITTLES]

Lighting - 7am to 7 pm a ceramic mercury vapor
Temperature - 72 at night with a heat lamp in the corner giving him a basting spot of 80 and during the day basting spot 85 down to 72
Humidity - Misting 4 times a day and a big dripper
Plants - live plant I dont know the name but it is in the picture of chris's icon above.
Location - Aluminum wire mesh ventalated cage about 2 feet tall 1 foot depth with vines

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Male 6month old nosy be from Jim at chameleon company
Feeding - Live crickets usually 6-8 a day and i use Fluker's criket high clacium feed and cricket quencher and I put oranges in the cricket tank for v-A
Supplements - I dust with calcium 2 days in a row and then one day of vd-3
Watering - Alot of fake vines and leaves along with live plant in tank drinks of those when big dripper drips them sometimes I squirt him in the mouth. I mist 4 times a day with a drip.
Fecal Description - a black pinky nail for size with white ring around no discolorations
History -Has been very healthy
Current Problem -I noticed his right eye was not opening and has stayed closed for four days. He is usaully very active and has been laying around alot with his eyes closed until I open the cage to mist. The other day I removed a white resedue from his right eye and today he opened it for the first time when I was misting in the morning. My concern is that his eyes were usually opened all the time and he was very attentive. I am comptemplating a vitamin dificiency, an infection, or something in the eye. All opinions help. I also wanted to give him a shower do you turn the shower on hot till it forms a misty environment and sit with him in there and how long? maybe the vet?

 

[SKITTLES]

It can be caused by a number of things. The most common are from bacteria or something got into his eye and irritated it. I would put him into the shower for a good 15 minutes as well as treat him with some terramycin. If it doesn't start to open in about 4 or 5 days, take him to the vet. Or take him now and see what the vet says, because I definately am not one.

Good luck.
-Chris

where do I find terramycin and what is it?

 

[dodolah]

my GUESS, he got conjunctivitis.
Probably from your mercury vapor bulb and some bacteria activities.
try to substitute the lamp with reptisun 5.0.
Basking lamp should be off during the night unless if your room temp drop below 60 F during that time.
o.. get your cham to a vet asap.
it won't improve by itself without meds and changes in the enclosure.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Skittles........

Sounds like your boy needs some eye drops or Terramycin ointment for sure. Your local herp vets may not be the best, but they can at least prescribe drops or ointment. I would get him to the vet ASAP. It's not likely its going to improve on it's own.

Also, I would not use a mercury vapor light for your cham. I would get a tube light fixture and tube light like Reptisun 5.0. Very few cham keepers use the mercury vapor lights. I have a lot of different lizards in my collection. The only lizards I use mercury vapor lights on are for my two adult iguanas. They live in an enormous stainless steel wire cage. They also have several Reptisun lights on top of their cage. I recommend you use the tube type UVB lights that are being used by the majority of cham keepers. There is a reason that they are used by most keepers. Mercury vapor lights, in my opinion, are only suitable for large room size cham housing applications. A few very lucky people have those situations, but most of us don't.

I sure hope your guy improves

 

[SKITTLES]

I appoligize those are the dimensions of his old cage his new cage is 2 ft deep and 4 feet tall is the mercury bulb still to much?
Also where do I buy terramycin and how should I apply this?
Would you also recommend a steam shower?

 

[ChromaChameleons]

http://www.herpsupplies.com/product.cfm?id=KV50701

 

[bucky]

Hi,my chameleon is going through the same thing skittles. I went out and bought a 5.0 reptisun,it seems better than a 10.0. And still take him to the vet,i have one scheduled this thursday. Try putting some warm watter on his eye too,my cham after a little while seems to react ok with that. And a shower would be great. It takes alot of patience,trust me.

 

[SKITTLES]

BUCKY have you tried tarramycin or any type of drops? Also, I adopted a sick female before and I tried to restore her the vet gave me gentamicin sulfate 0.5 ml eye drops,Silver sulfadiazine cream for her lips to apply two times a day.Should I buy these drops off line? I dono if i should go back to this vet becuase he is known to do pointless things to your cham for the money(gainesville, Florida) All creatures vet is the place. and the only herp vet in gainesville....any suggestions?

 

[chrisandpugs]

Hi Skittles,
The smaller Mom and Pop pet shops might carry the Terramycin oitment(That's where I got it from) or try a Livestock and grain store. I would get out the yellow pages and just call around before you special order it thru the internet since it would be ideal to get the stuff as soon as possible!

Christine

P.S: You're lucky you don't live in CA. It's illegal to obtain thru the Internet or pet store...Don't ask me why?? I had to go to AZ to get the stuff from a Mom and Pop store since I do live in CA.

 

[TRI0N]

From my understanding of looking into Mercury Vapor Bulb use an enclosure must be 6' (feet) or taller for such needs and that the atleast a foot from the highest possible climbing spot (upside down hanging from cage is possible). These light have massive UV output and are designed for large enclosures.

ReptiSun 5.0 tube (not compact) is best for anything smaller setups.

 

[SKITTLES]

Alright...I gave him a long shower today. He seemed to like it and the bathroom got nice and humid. He had his eye open and at full size for a while. I plan on switching the mercury for the reptisun 5.0 and a heat bulb. I would much rather not take him to the vet and will find the eye drops. With the corrected environment and the drops should he be alright?

 

[TRI0N]

Thats good that he has opened his eyes in the shower.. The steam is grea t from them and they love the moister.

Yes with a ReptiSun 5.0 and a spot lamp for basking this will be great for that size of setup. Make sure that your chameleon can get within 12" of the ReptiSun 5.0 or even closer while making sure that the spot lamp doesn't get within 12" to avoid burns. This is better mesured from the spot lamp in temp. But 12" is a good safe distance till you can measure the temp of the basking spot. I position my basking spot lamp just off the edge of the ReptiSun 5.0 Fixture so that my cham gets the heat and is exposed to the UV Rays of the ReptiSun 5.0. My spot lamp hangs about 12" from the top of my enclosure and is 18" from her basking spot using a 100 watt bulb which give the basking spot a 96.7 degree tempature while the ReptiSun 5.0 is less then 6" from that spot and position to expose her with rays when basking in the heat.

 

[dodolah]

Hi Skittles,
The smaller Mom and Pop pet shops might carry the Terramycin oitment(That's where I got it from) or try a Livestock and grain store. I would get out the yellow pages and just call around before you special order it thru the internet since it would be ideal to get the stuff as soon as possible!

Christine

P.S: You're lucky you don't live in CA. It's illegal to obtain thru the Internet or pet store...Don't ask me why?? I had to go to AZ to get the stuff from a Mom and Pop store since I do live in CA.

really? mannnn.. that's lame.. I see an online meds store that sells terramicin for 13 bucks.
so, i thought i could just get it.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Terramycin......

Here's a link for the place I buy Terramycin:

http://www.1800petmeds.com/pdetail.asp?SK=10190

I always have that stuff on hand. It is over the counter. A little goes a long way. Gentamicin is an antibacterial eye drop that has to be prescribed by the vet. I don't know any eye drops that are over the counter. Keep up the showers. Getting him to open the eye for a while is a good sign.

 

[davider]

can we see a picture of your awesome blue panther?

 

[SKITTLES]

Update please read

I am updating this post so please respond if you read....... I will be posting pictures in two days, I lost my charger for my camera so I ordered a new one.

I changed out the mervury to a reptisun 5.0 (long tube) and added small purple heat light in the corner. The basking temp in the corner is 88 and under the reptisun is 75 and the lowest point is 70. He is very strong still but is not hunting I had to drop two in his mouth and have been misting the cage atleast four times a day with two shots of water in his mouth a day. I placed oranges in the cricket container for vit-a and bought vd-3 powder to dust the crickets twice a week. I ordered the terramycin but have not received it yet. I also gave him two showers which helped alot he opened his eyes and took 4 poops. He only opens his eyes now when you sneak up on him but will not open them when he crawls around his cage which is weird. But atleast he opened his right eye. I am still worried though and am still comptemplating the vet. Any suggestions about current diet or going to the vet?