Strange behavior, closed eyes...?

[And_peggy]

Hi everyone, I have a 4 month old female Veiled Chameleon named Pip that we bought about a week and a half ago. I'm really concerned about her, and since she's my first Cham I lack experience, so any advice or insight to her problems would be extremely appreciated.
Pips eyes seem to be bothering her. When we first got her, she kept her right eye shut most of the time. Now it's both eyes, and she will only open them if she's moving or eating. We've tried saline solution because a lot of people seem to suggest it, and it seems to be helping a bit, but her eyes still stay mostly closed. There isn't any puss or bulging, but she'll often rub her eyes on things like they bother her.
She seems to be lazy and slept for a few hours during the day yesterday, which i hear is unusual for them.
She tolerates handling magnificently, or at least, she used to. When we first got her, she would readily climb onto our hands and refuse to get off. Now, she 'puffs up' and tries to snap at me if I even look at her.
And the strangest thing I've noticed is that she spends hours hanging upside down from the top of her enclosure like a bat, directly under the heat. She's been doing this for days and it's very strange, and concerning because I haven't heard of anyone else seeing their chamelons doing this.
I've grown extremely attached to Pip and if anything is wrong with her, I want to help. So please, if anyone has any ideas or suggestion, please let me know. Thanks!

 

[kinyonga]

Please answer the questions in the how to ask for help thread at the top of the health forum so we can help you better. Please be specific.please post a couple of recent photos too.

 

[And_peggy]

• Your Chameleon - veiled female, got her on June 11th, a week and two days ago
• Handling - usually daily
• Feeding - right now im only feeding her crickets because that's all she seems to recognize as food. I cup feed her 5 and set loose 3 more in her cage for her to hunt during the day.
• Supplements - I dust all crickets with Zoomed Repticalcium
• Watering - I heavily mist her enclosure in the morning and at night. I've tried a diy dripped but it didn't really work out. I've never seen her drink before.
• Fecal Description - her urate is pretty much white, nothing is runny. It just looks pretty normal. She has never been tested.
• History - we got her from a couple that bought her from petco amd kept her crammed in 10 glass terrurium and a pothos plant. She had loose, coconut husk sort of substrate, and insufficient lighting that was litterally hanging by wires from the fixture and broke in my hand when I tried to remove it. Her right eye was squintend shut most of the time, but now both eyes are having problems.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - she's in a 16' by 16' by 36' all screen cage
• Lighting -ZOO MED, Tropical Reptile UVB and Heat Lighting Kit (has both Reptisun 5.0 UVB and a 60 watt ZooMed DayLight blue) it's not exact but I try to turn both lights on at 9 AM and both lights off at 9 PM
• Temperature - her basking spot is in the high 70s - low 80s
• Humidity - We haven't gotten a hydrometer yet but we will soon. Honestly it's probably not as humid as it needs to be and I'm working on getting a mister
• Plants - she has a fake ivy and a fake vine, but a large and living pothos and a living fiscus.
• Placement - Its in a room where a fan is ususally on high. I put it in the lowest traffic area of my room I can. She has a betta and a bearded dragon next to her, but i dont think shes noticed either. Part of a mirror is positioned behind her, but I don't think she can see her reflection
• Location - Texas

I could really use help now, today she won't even open her eyes if she moves or if I touch her. She's just blindly moving around. Last night she spent most of her time in her plant near the very bottom of her cage. If there's anything I can do for her, please let me know! Thank you!

 

[And_peggy]

Here's a picture of her hanging upside down

and a picture of her eyes

 

[serenaj25]

if she is that close to her uvb light it could be irritating her eyes maybe try to get her out into some sunlight and away from the artificial bulb for awhile and It looks like you could use some more foliage and more misting. She shouldn't be going to sleep in a wet cage. will you post pictures of her back feet? in the second photo I Maybe see a tarsal spur which could mean she's a boy but it could be the angle too.

 

[Gannon]

My new chameleon Zoro I got three days ago is doing the same thing, I'm very worried and I don't know how to make a help post on these forums. He's behaving very similar to how your chameleon is behaving and I'm not sure what to do.

 

[serenaj25]

My new chameleon Zoro I got three days ago is doing the same thing, I'm very worried and I don't know how to make a help post on these forums. He's behaving very similar to how your chameleon is behaving and I'm not sure what to do.

I reccomend you make another thread so we can help you out with zoro, but this thread we are supposed to be helping another user

 

[Gannon]

I reccomend you make another thread so we can help you out with zoro, but this thread we are supposed to be helping another user

 

[Gannon]

I reccomend you make another thread so we can help you out with zoro, but this thread we are supposed to be helping another user

i know, I'm not really sure how to post a new thread? Am I able to do it from my phone?

 

[serenaj25]

i know, I'm not really sure how to post a new thread? Am I able to do it from my phone?

yes, click here and pick the one that best suits your issue

https://www.chameleonforums.com/forums/

 

[kinyonga]

Gannon...Once you click the link serenaj25 gave you you will pick a forum and click on it...the next page that CO e up will have a box that says post new thread...click on it and you can post a thread.

And_Peggy....it could be the lights as suggested.

Regarding your husbandry...the basking temperature should be in the low 80's F.
I would recommend.that you dust twice a month with a Vitamin powder that has a beta carotene source of vitamin A and twice a month with a phosphorous-free calcium/D3 powder.
Its important to feed/gutload your crickets well. I use a wide assortment of greens (dandelion greens, kale, endive, escarole, collards, etc), veggies (carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red pepper, etc) and a bit of frut (melon, berries, apples, pears, etc.).
I would move the mirror and make it so she can't see the beardie too.

 

[And_peggy]

Thank you so much for your help!
Is it that her light is bad, or am I just using the wrong type of UVB? I'm going shopping for her in a few hours and I'd like to know what to look for.
Aslo, in regards to gut loading crickets, is it better to feed them greens or commercial cricket food, like the gel type?
I misted Pip alot yesterday afternoon and luckily her eyes have opened up a little. She keeps blinking, for a long time, but she's active again and moving around again. I've heard some people use a shower method, where they spray the wall and the reflected water can be rained down on the Chameleon. Would trying this maybe help to get her eyes cleared up, or would it just stress her out more? She does not tolerate water.
Thanks again so much!

 

[kinyonga]

I never use commercial feeds/gutloaded for insects....I use what I recommended...fresh greens and veggies and a bit of fruit.

If her eye was already shutting when you got her it might not be the light. It could be the beginning of an infection or a nutrient issue of so ething stuck in the eye, etc.

Some of the UVB lights can irritate the chameleons eyes though. I always use the long linear 5.0 Repti-sun tube light and have no problems with that one. There are some compacts that seem to bother some chameleons eyes. This might help...
http://www.uvguide.co.uk/phototherapyphosphor-info.htm

People do try the showering and sometimes it helps. Its up to you to decide.

 

[And_peggy]

Thanks!
I tried the shower method a few nights ago and though she didn't care much for the shower itself, her eyes opened up immediately after and stayed that way for a goof amount of time. She opens them alot more since the shower. I think I'll try it again, it really seems to be doing good.
I've been gutloading her crickets what you suggested since Friday along with calcium dusting them. She refused to eat on Friday, but we tried wax worms and she ate them.
I have a new compact coming in the mail because I can't get a tube light, it wouldn't fit on top of her cage.
I finally got a hydrometer and found out that it was much too low, around 38....I've been misting much more heavily and I've bought foliage that might help keep this moisture in. I also have a dripper coming in the mail as well. I think this humidity increase is also helping her open her eyes.
Overall, Pip has been way more active, perky, and open-eyed, and its very wonderful to see her getting better. Soon I think it's possible she'll be good as new. Thanks for helping fix my husbandry and helping my chameleon!