So annoyed and Upset .... Still no recovery HELP!

[Ladynyce]

Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Screen, Height 32" x 2' x 2'
* Lighting - UBV 150
* Temperature - Day 110 F at baskin spot 85 F in shade, Night 70-75 F
* Humidity - 60-80% heavy misting 3-4 times daily about 5 minutes of misting
* Plants - Mandevilla vine, some plastic plants
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Indoors next to window where he can get natural sunlight as well, the room that he is in is very warm. The sunlight shining on him I thought would just be a bonus (including his UBV light)
* Location -Toronto (Canada)

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon male. Got him at P.J.s Pet store, unknown age but looks about 4 months (MAYBE)
* Handling - Not to often, but I do take him out abit to put him on the sticks in my livingroom which he seems he loves.
* Feeding - 3-4 crickets a day 3 in the morning and 1 in the evening. I tried silk worms but he was unable to chew it.
* Supplements - Calcium no phosphorous with D3
* Watering - Misting 5-10 minutes at time 3 - 4 times a day.
* Fecal Description - brown, dark green in cage, bright green while in hands.
* History - My cat has knocked the cage over, the second day I bought him trying to get to him. Had a broken tail but has recovered. Vet said he had marks on his skin from being to close to the light (apparently)

* Current Problem - About 3 weeks ago, I had wrote a forum on here asking for advice on my Cham. His left eye was swollen shut and it was never opening, he was rubbing it onto branches in his cage which tend to make his eye pop out. His eating was fine and stayed the same. Since then I has brought him to the vet where they had kept him there for a few hours trying to look into his eye. They had sedated him so they can look into his eye and see what was causing this problem. When I went to pick him up the vet had told me that they eye was way to small for her to actually diagnose him, but that she was going to treat it as an infected eye/ tumour. She put him on Tobrex which is a cream that I put on his eye about every 8 hours. Since the trip to the vet his eye never opens now, which I have noticed now his right eye is doing the same, where it looks like as if he is sleeping all day .... UGHHHHH WHAT CAN I DO, OR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH HIM??? Even when he eats now after swollening the crickets he leans all the way back which his mouth in the air and closes his eyes while smacking his lips, he will stay like that and not move. I have been hand feeding him his food, which I can acknowledge how much he is eating and so that the crickets wont crawl on him where I caught that a few times. After he eats he does this weird twist and turn with his body as if the food is annoying him. I have no idea what is going on, there is no good vets around here at all and I am indeed of need with some advice on how I can care and try to save my cham PLEASE .... He is still young and I love him .... I NEED HELP FROM SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THESE REPS !!!!

PLEASE HELP ME ....... I LOVE HIM TO MUCH TO SEE HIM SUFFER .... ADVICE IS NEEDED ASAP

 

[jannb]

Exactly what kind of lights do you have? One thing that really jumps out are his temps. I keep young veileds in the low to mid 80's for the basking temp and in the mid 70's for the coolest points. At night he should be kept at the mid to low 70's. Also he need calcium without D3 at most feedings and d3 and a multi vit twice a month.

This is how I keep young veileds and panthers. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

 

[carol5208]

your saying your basking temp is 110 and your ambient cage temp is 85? That is way high of temps for a young veild. As Jann B asked, what lights are you using to achieve these high temps? I do not know what uvb 150 is. Can you elaborate more on the lights you are using. Look at the bulb and read what it says. If you are using the incorrect lighting, you could be damaging his eyes.

 

[Ladynyce]

Exactly what kind of lights do you have? One thing that really jumps out are his temps. I keep young veileds in the low to mid 80's for the basking temp and in the mid 70's for the coolest points. At night he should be kept at the mid to low 70's. Also he need calcium without D3 at most feedings and d3 and a multi vit twice a month.

This is how I keep young veileds and panthers. https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-keepers-young-veiled-panther-chameleons.html

THIS IS THE LIGHT THAT I HAVE BEEN USING, PLUS HE IS SITTING INFRONT OF A WINDOW WHERE THERE IS ALWAYS SUN SHINING THREW. I DONT USE HEATING LIGHTS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THIS BULB SEEMS TO MAKE HIS CAGE TEMP UP TO 110. I DONT KNOW WHY THE UVB LIGHT MAKES SO MUCH HEAT BUT IS THIS WHAT YOU BELIEVE IS CAUSING THIS TO HIS EYES.

I told the vet that I have cooled down his cage temp to about 90, and she told me no it should be at 110 the highest. I always check his temp to see how hot it is or how cool it is. I also told her that I signed up on this page and everyone was telling me 110 is too hot, mostly for his age I am believing he is 5 months. He had his first shed a few weeks ago so I thought that he was growing he was getting better but he is getting worse. Should I take him out of the window and maybe put him in a cooler place with the light ??? When the sun shines on him he goes very dark dark brown green but still which his eyes closed. I took out the dirt from the bottom of his cage because the vet told me to, due to him eating and getting the dirt caught in his stomach. UGHHH chams are soo much work and money, but mostly stressful when you love them so much!

 

[carol5208]

I would get rid of that bulb. That is probably way too intense for your chameleon. Get a Reptisun 5.0 tube style bulb or a Reptiglo. Don't use the 10.0. Also, I know I am not a vet but unfortunately sometimes vets do not know chameleons. Sounds like this the case. We have experience with chameleons and success in raising them. Does she? You can listen to who you want, but obviously the vet advice and treatment you are getting is not working.

 

[Ladynyce]

your saying your basking temp is 110 and your ambient cage temp is 85? That is way high of temps for a young veild. As Jann B asked, what lights are you using to achieve these high temps? I do not know what uvb 150 is. Can you elaborate more on the lights you are using. Look at the bulb and read what it says. If you are using the incorrect lighting, you could be damaging his eyes.

I am going to be uploading pictures right now to show you what I mean

What am I doing wrong ???? Here is everything!

 

[Ladynyce]

your saying your basking temp is 110 and your ambient cage temp is 85? That is way high of temps for a young veild. As Jann B asked, what lights are you using to achieve these high temps? I do not know what uvb 150 is. Can you elaborate more on the lights you are using. Look at the bulb and read what it says. If you are using the incorrect lighting, you could be damaging his eyes.

I am going to be uploading pictures right now to show you what I mean

What am I doing wrong ???? Here is everything!

 

[Ladynyce]

I would get rid of that bulb. That is probably way too intense for your chameleon. Get a Reptisun 5.0 tube style bulb or a Reptiglo. Don't use the 10.0. Also, I know I am not a vet but unfortunately sometimes vets do not know chameleons. Sounds like this the case. We have experience with chameleons and success in raising them. Does she? You can listen to who you want, but obviously the vet advice and treatment you are getting is not working.

No it isn't, I am going to take your advice and go buy a new bulb ASAP! you said the 5.0 should be good enough for him? I must be frying him and it must be too much for his eyes, between the light and the sun coming threw the window. I am also going to move his cage in the meantime maybe he has to much heat in my sons bedroom. But thank you so much for the advice, so with a 5.0 I should also buy a heating light as well right ??? I never did due to the fact at how hot this light makes his cage, that would be deadly on him. What type of heating light should I buy with a 5.0 uvb ??

 

[Hannah04]

You can get that same bulb in a 5.0.. I have it. Mine was also purchased from pj's pets. But I would recommend spending the money and getting the reptiglo or reptisun linear bulb, my Cham has been doing much better since I switched to the linear bulbs

 

[jannb]

Get rid of those lights and get the one recommended in my blog (Reptisun 5.0). The lights and heat could have possibly caused the eye problems. Just turn them off and get the new one as soon as possible.

 

[Ladynyce]

You can get that same bulb in a 5.0.. I have it. Mine was also purchased from pj's pets. But I would recommend spending the money and getting the reptiglo or reptisun linear bulb, my Cham has been doing much better since I switched to the linear bulbs

GREAT! Thank you so much I appreciate it .....

 

[Ladynyce]

Get rid of those lights and get the one recommended in my blog (Reptisun 5.0). The lights and heat could have possibly caused the eye problems. Just turn them off and get the new one as soon as possible.

I will, I am going to get the 5.0, Thank you guys so much for all your help I appreciate it .... Lets hope my cham will recover properly now

 

[squiggles13]

do you have a digital thermometer/hydrometer? those round ones tend to not be as accurate.

 

[Ladynyce]

do you have a digital thermometer/hydrometer? those round ones tend to not be as accurate.

NO not at the moment, but this one is right by his basking spot, I just pulled it out to take a picture of the temp, but I will look into on of those as well. If you noticed in the pictures that's the only thermometer that I have.

 

[jannb]

do you have a digital thermometer/hydrometer? those round ones tend to not be as accurate.

Agree.

To the OP, while you're at it get a digital temp gun and calcium without D3 too.

 

[squiggles13]

Agree.

To the OP, while you're at it get a digital temp gun and calcium without D3 too.

yes those too.

 

[Lovereps]

In addition to the other sound advice you've received--particularly about replacing the UVB bulb with a 5.0 Reptisun---I thought it worth mentioning that UV light is converted to heat whenever it passes through glass and/or many types of plastics.
There is no UVB getting to your cham through a closed window and it may be better to position the cage away from the window to prevent temps from rising too much on sunny days.

Your cham would likely benefit from a few days without any UVB bulb, just to give his eyes a better opportunity to heal.

Can you securely close the door to the room where your cham is, so the cat cannot possibly get near the cage?

When cats do get to a cham, the result is very often fatal, even if the wounds don't look serious.
To quote veterinarian and cham-keeper Ferretinmyshoes:

Yes, he does need antibiotics. Cats have a lot of very nasty bacteria in their mouths, which is now in your chameleon. A healthy bird can be killed by the bacteria from a single puncture wound in less than 24 hours. Reptiles aren't as sensitive but it is still a very serious concern. I put my own chameleon on antibiotics for a minor puncture wound from my cat.

Full thread is here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/jake-cat-attack-108436/

Fortunately, this particular one ended happily but many, if not most cat/cham encounters don't end well.

 

[chamillion]

you should use this http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_uvb100.php

 

[Ladynyce]

In addition to the other sound advice you've received--particularly about replacing the UVB bulb with a 5.0 Reptisun---I thought it worth mentioning that UV light is converted to heat whenever it passes through glass and/or many types of plastics.
There is no UVB getting to your cham through a closed window and it may be better to position the cage away from the window to prevent temps from rising too much on sunny days.

Your cham would likely benefit from a few days without any UVB bulb, just to give his eyes a better opportunity to heal.

Can you securely close the door to the room where your cham is, so the cat cannot possibly get near the cage?

When cats do get to a cham, the result is very often fatal, even if the wounds don't look serious.
To quote veterinarian and cham-keeper Ferretinmyshoes:


Full thread is here:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/jake-cat-attack-108436/

Fortunately, this particular one ended happily but many, if not most cat/cham encounters don't end well.

Hello, well since my last post I have turned off the UVB light and haven't put it on since, The light that he has been having in my suns room is the light from the sun only. The temp without the light now is in the 80s. Since then his right eye has opened back up but not to much the left which was the problem eye in the first place, but he does open his left eye now and keeps it open a lot longer then before and for his right eye ... it just says open now. Now I really know it was the light that was damaging his eyes. I am going to keep it like that with no heating light or no uvb light until his eyes get better then I will go and buy the new UVB and the Heating light. I don't know if the heating light will make his basking hotter then what it is if the temp is suppose to be at 80 but I will try it out. Also my cat doesn't even really bother with the Cham anymore but we keep them far apart just in case. Since the light has been off I notice my cham is so much more active and eating a lot more, climbing and he looks very happy now. Another thing I just notice, My cham drinks from the dish on the bottom even though His cage is sparyed 4 times a day for 5 minutes he prefers the bowl ... that's a little weird but yet cute lol ... his whole face gets in that bowl LOL

 

[Ladynyce]

you should use this http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_uvb100.php

I am most likely going to use the 5.0 due to how hot the room gets anyways, I know he is getting his heat the only thing I might be a bit concerned about is if he actually has his cooling spot!