Right eye closed

[Chameleonaire13]

So a couple of days ago I noticed that my veiled chameleon keeps its right eye closed a lot of the time. I thought that something fell in it's eye but I'm starting to believe that there is something wrong with it. It does open it sometimes but then it just goes back to closing its eye again. Any as to what might be wrong?


Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - it's a veiled chameleon o bought about a month ago, think it might be a female.
• Handling - rarely maybe twice a month.
• Feeding - I am feeding it crickets and superworms, I place 4 crickets in his cage every other day and I throw in a couple superworms during the week to add variety. I just started gut loading with a petco brand of some green jelly cubes.
• Supplements - I am using reprisal to dust twice a week and I use reptivite once a week.
• Watering - I have a little dripper running at least 12 hours a day with maybe one drop per 3 seconds and I have a monsoon rs400 that is timed to mist every 4 hours for 45 seconds
• Fecal Description - white tip with dark brown and pretty moist. Never tested for parasites.
• History - bought at petco, his eye was fine.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - reptibreeze chameleon kit.. not sure of dimensions.
• Lighting - I keep him outdoors 24/7 So natural sunlight lol.
• Temperature - he stays outdoors atm so the temp doesn't drop below 59° and his basking spot is usually like 80-85° and where he has shade it ranges from 65-75°. I I use the digital zoomed thermometer and a zoomed hydrometer and thermometer.
• Humidity - I have a zoomed thermometer/ hydrometer combo and the humidity stays from 50-90% humidity.
• Plants - no plants.
• Placement - I have it outside.
• Location - Los Angeles, CA

 

[kinyonga]

I can't see the photos

 

[Lostzen71]

I can't see the photos

Try clicking on the top line with date. I can't see the thumbnail either, but clicking opened it up.

 

[serenaj25]

only 4 crickets every other day? that's not enough for a cham that little, or any cham for that matter

 

[Chameleonaire13]

only 4 crickets every other day? that's not enough for a cham that little, or any cham for that matter

Oh well I throw in a few more in its cage, just in case it gets hungry in between me actually feeding it. How many is normal. Idk if it's a boy or girl yet -_-

 

[kinyonga]

Check the heels for tarsal spurs. Males have them and females don't...
http://web.archive.org/web/20060819...m.com/html/husbandry/glossary/tarsalspur.html

If it's female you'll need to set up an egglaying CO rained inside its cage once it's sexually mature.

 

[kinyonga]

Couple of things that are not likely related to the eye but I think you should know in addition to what you've been told already..
I would suggest that you feed/gutload the crickets, superworms, etc with a wide assortment of greens and veggies such as dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, carrots, etc and a small amount of fruit such as apples, pears, melon, berries.

It's reform that the insects be dusted at almost every feeding with a phosphorous-free calcium powder tomnhelp make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects.

It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest of it from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues. D3 produced from exposure to UVB won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out if it at will.

It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources don't build up min the system like prEformed sources do so that leaves it up to you to decide if/when it needs prEformed vitamin A.

While veiled chameleons can take temperature drops down to 59 or so I'm not a fan of doing it to them regularly...but some seem to think it's OK.

 

[kinyonga]

There's not much cover/shade in the cage. Is it in the sun outside of in the shade?

 

[Chameleonaire13]

Couple of things that are not likely related to the eye but I think you should know in addition to what you've been told already..
I would suggest that you feed/gutload the crickets, superworms, etc with a wide assortment of greens and veggies such as dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, squash, zucchini, sweet red pepper, sweet potato, carrots, etc and a small amount of fruit such as apples, pears, melon, berries.

It's reform that the insects be dusted at almost every feeding with a phosphorous-free calcium powder tomnhelp make up for the usually poor ratio of calcium to phosphorous found in most feeder insects.

It's recommended that you dust twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder to ensure that the chameleon gets some D3 without overdosing it and leaving it to produce the rest of it from its exposure to the UVB light. D3 from supplements can build up in the system and lead to health issues. D3 produced from exposure to UVB won't as long as the chameleon can move in and out if it at will.

It's also recommended that you dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene prOformed source of vitamin A. PrOformed sources don't build up min the system like prEformed sources do so that leaves it up to you to decide if/when it needs prEformed vitamin A.

While veiled chameleons can take temperature drops down to 59 or so I'm not a fan of doing it to them regularly...but some seem to think it's OK.

It's usually always in a shady area, the sun maybe hits it directly for like 2 hours a day.

 

[kinyonga]

It needs a place to get away from the sun. That might be part of its eye problem.

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

4 crx every other day?! My adult eats 10 crx every other day. Generally until they are about 6 months old u should be feeding 10-15 everyday (that's what I did) then wean them off a little to maybe 15 every other day. If I can remember correctly, I believe my vet said about 70 crickets per week for a baby is the ideal number of crickets to be feeding . Don't forget to dust your crickets with calcium w/o D3 every feeding and multivitamins twice a month and calcium with D3 twice a month.

 

[serenaj25]

only 4 crickets every other day? that's not enough for a cham that little, or any cham for that matter

my Cham that is 4 months old gets as much as he will eat daily dusted properly and gut loaded. usually thats around 8- 12 crix daily or 6-8 if they are on the larger side. Post a picture of his/her back feet so I can tell you the sex of your Cham

 

[Chameleonaire13]

my Cham that is 4 months old gets as much as he will eat daily dusted properly and gut loaded. usually thats around 8- 12 crix daily or 6-8 if they are on the larger side. Post a picture of his/her back feet so I can tell you the sex of your Cham

Yea I just threw like 10 crickets in there.. I dusted them just before I put them in. Sure I think it's hard to see tho.

 

[Veild Cham Owner]

Looks female from that angle...is her eye still closed?

 

[Chameleonaire13]

Yes her eye is still closed, I'm thinking that it's the sun that's hitting her eye since she always sits in the same place during the day time.. So how big does a laying bin have to be, and how do i go about making one?

 

[serenaj25]

from that angle it looks to me she is female but not 100% sure from the angle of the picture I can't really see the full back feet.