Scary shed

[MrsM]

Hi everyone,
My guy Terry is going through a shed after recovery from a uri.
His body shed fine, but his eyes and head look so bad. It is day four and the bits left look uncomfortable to him. He doesn’t actively rub, and I don’t know where to go from here. I’ve tried taking him in a steamy room. He had dark areas on his side I dabbed with polysporin. I tried gently dabbing with q tip. I don’t know where to go from here he looks uncomfortable.
It makes me want to help but I’ll probably make it worse.
Look at my poor guy. Is this normal?
He’s still got half his eye shed and he’s really mad at me in these photos.
Betty’s shedding was so easy compared to this. I just want to help and if any of you have had this happen what did you do?

• Your Chameleon – Panther- Male- 8 months. Handling – Daily to feed
• 
  
• Feeding – calcium dusted gutloaded crickets, silkworms, bsfl hand feeding.
• On days he won’t hand feed sometimes I use reptiboost or repashy grub pie with lots of water and a drop of electrolytes.
• Today he had a butter worm too.
• 
  
• Supplements – Repashy plus lod Calcium, vitamin A monthly
• 
  
• Watering – I mist- more frequently lately not directly to him. Just can’t trust him around humidifiers he doesn’t move himself if it’s in his face.
• 
  
• Fecal Description – Brown, infrequent, mushy
• 
  
• History - Given to me by someone who thought he had MBD. In fact, he has a spinal injury and needs daily help to feed and get water, as he has trouble moving fast.

Cage Info:

• 
  
• Cage Type – Screen- 18x18x36
• 
  
• Lighting – Lugarti T5 UV 22” (diagonal across top) w reflector, basking bulb, heat bulb if temp drops during day
• 
  
• Temperature - 78-90 by day 72 exactly at night.
• 
  
• Humidity – Use hand misting often,
• Tried bringing him to steamy bathroom to ease shed...
• 
  
• Plants – Combined fake plants and vines with screen canopies. Set this one up a little different because he looses balance, so there are canopies and a substrate to prevent him losing balance and falling.
• 
  
• Placement – enclosure is in a sunporch by day, slide indoors into dark nook at night.

 

[Beman]

Hi hun. See Red bold. We will need a bit more info as well.

Hi everyone,
My guy Terry is going through a shed after recovery from a uri.
His body shed fine, but his eyes and head look so bad. It is day four and the bits left look uncomfortable to him. He doesn’t actively rub, and I don’t know where to go from here. I’ve tried taking him in a steamy room. He had dark areas on his side I dabbed with polysporin. STOP THIS NOW> will make it worse... I tried gently dabbing with q tip. Nope not this either... I don’t know where to go from here he looks uncomfortable.
It makes me want to help but I’ll probably make it worse. Do you have actual branches that he can rub on or are you using all fake vine?
Look at my poor guy. Is this normal?
He’s still got half his eye shed and he’s really mad at me in these photos.
Betty’s shedding was so easy compared to this. I just want to help and if any of you have had this happen what did you do?
Your Chameleon – Panther- Male- 8 months. Handling – Daily to feed

• 
  
• Feeding – calcium dusted gutloaded crickets, silkworms, bsfl hand feeding.
• On days he won’t hand feed sometimes I use reptiboost or repashy grub pie with lots of water and a drop of electrolytes.
• Today he had a butter worm too. Are you feeding every other day now?
• 
  
• Supplements – Repashy plus lod Calcium, vitamin A monthly
• 
  
• Watering – I mist- more frequently lately not directly to him. Just can’t trust him around humidifiers he doesn’t move himself if it’s in his face. Humidifier we only want to use at night... You can set this up next to the cage if he has a mobility issue.
• 
  
• Fecal Description – Brown, infrequent, mushy
• 
  
• History - Given to me by someone who thought he had MBD. In fact, he has a spinal injury and needs daily help to feed and get water, as he has trouble moving fast.

Cage Info:

• 
  
• Cage Type – Screen- 18x18x36 This is too small but with his spinal issues I don't know how important this is.
• 
  
• Lighting – Lugarti T5 UV 22” (diagonal across top) w reflector, basking bulb, heat bulb if temp drops during day What bulb strength? Is is a single bulb, Dual bulb, Or a quad?
• 
  
• Temperature - 78-90 by day 72 exactly at night. 90 at basking is a little hot for a panther that is 8 months. ? How far below the lights is your basking level?
• 
  
• Humidity – Use hand misting often, What are you actual humidity levels and how are you measuring them?
• Tried bringing him to steamy bathroom to ease shed... Nope don't do this... They need the layer of air between the skin and the shed for it to shed properly. Also with the RI history the last place you want him to be is in a hot steamy bathroom breathing hot moist air.
• 
  
• Plants – Combined fake plants and vines with screen canopies. Set this one up a little different because he looses balance, so there are canopies and a substrate to prevent him losing balance and falling.
• 
  
• Placement – enclosure is in a sunporch by day, slide indoors into dark nook at night. Sun porch... Does he get direct sun and is it through a screen?

 

[MrsM]

Thank you so much, Becca!

Here are the clarifications:
Ok,

I will not do any more dabbing or have him near steam. I’m still leery about humidifiers and am setting another vet visit.


Are you feeding every other day now?
I alternate between liquid supplements and feeders. When he came to me it was only liquid but now he’s eating more and starting to try to hunt.


I like the idea of setting up the humidifier outside the cage.


Vet recommended I do a horizontal setup for him and turn the enclosure sideways. Once he gets moving more stably I’ll give him more space.

Lighting – Lugarti T5 UV 22” single bulb

• 90 is a maximum but it’s usually upper 80s and he seems to prefer this temp.
• How far below the lights is your basking level? 8 to ten inches, 12 on the top canopy
• Humidity – I use a side mount gauge and try to keep it at 50 but I recognize I need a probe and possibly a thermostat/ hygrometer control at this point to eliminate human error
• He gets indirect sun as his screen is in an open (screen only) large sunny window, but he enjoys more direct sun 6 hours a week

So now I’m at a place where I really have to first acknowledge that I made the wrong interventions and I feel terrible, but Terry is what matters.
I need to change Terry’s setup considerably and get him to a more experienced vet who can give input on his othapedic needs. With changes maybe he can get better and thrive without needing so much handling ( based on a better suited setup) that is what i want. He’s just not an easy case for me but I want to do whatever I can for him.

 

[Chameleomom]

Supplements – Repashy plus lod Calcium, vitamin A monthly

Be careful not to over do the vitamin A because Repashy Calcium Plus Lo D has that supplement in it

 

[MrsM]

Ok so here is an update on how Terry is looking. The skin seems better overall whereas the worst areas from before scabbed up so I’ve been using silver wash just on those to keep it clean.
I’m concerned about the scabs but his color is brighter and he seems more perky. If you experienced folks could look at the skin here please let me know any thoughts.
Otherwise I’ve ordered a hygrometer probe and got an ink bird thermostat switch just not set up yet.
Terry took an enormous crap yesterday ( in my hand unfortunately) but after that got really happy.
He is suddenly way more active and drinking a lot on his own which is new, but still I’m going to do supplementary water in the syringe still with his feeding.
Here’s a picture of him today.

And one more where you can see the skin better...

 

[MrsM]

Be careful not to over do the vitamin A because Repashy Calcium Plus Lo D has that supplement in it

Thank you

 

[MrsM]

Well today when I dabbed the silver wound treatment the upper layer of dead scab tissue came off and revealed a white scab layer.
The areas have shrunk but are way more noticeable due to color.