Urgent!! Chameleon eyes are closed 24/7

[chameleonlover1060]

Hello,

I am seeking urgent help because my male jackson's chameleon eyes are constantly closed. I have done some reading and it is a sign of the chameleon emotionally shutting down. I am extremely worried because I don't want him to be so stressed that he could pass away. I believe part of the reasoning his eyes are closed is because yesterday I badly needed to completely clean his cage out. He absolutely HATES handling (I have never held him unnecessarily because I know he hates it.) During this time I needed to take him out, I used a stick to try and get him out and he immediately started hissing and running away, eventually I did get him on the stick, clean the cage, and put him back in. I felt SO bad because he was completely dark green and he did close his eyes then. I am so so SO worried and thinking about calling a vet; but I am worried that bringing him to the vet will only make him worse. I feel so bad for the little guy and I am so worried, please help.

Some info about him:

• Your Chameleon - "Rainbow" Jackson's Chameleon, male, and 5-6 months or younger (I am not sure). Has been in my care for 4ish weeks as of now (9-21-20)
• Handling - I have only handled him to get him into his enclosure when he arrived, and to clean his cage (this recent time)
• Feeding - I am feeding him only crickets as of now. 10-15 small. every other day. Gut loading them with mostly carrots and apples, anything I can find in the fridge.
• Supplements - Calcium - Repti Calcium, with D3, once every other week. Vitamins - Reptivite, without D3, once a month.
• Watering - I mist him a bit in the morning, none during the day, once before I turn the lights off, and then turn on the fogger the whole night. He loves to drink water, doesn't like to be sprayed though.
• Fecal Description - His feces seems normal, nothing unusual, he goes every other day. He has NOT been tested for parasites yet, but I am planning on it in the near future.
• History - I don't think there is much to say, I have only had him for a short amount of time that we are still getting used to one another. He seems to not like me very much, whenever I come in the room or around his cage he gets very grumpy.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Repti breeze, all screen cage. I believe it is the large cage, 18x18x36.
• Lighting - I honestly cannot tell you the brand or model the lights are, they are from my last chameleon I just changed out the bulbs. Usually it is 8 AM wake up call and I turn them off at 7:30 PM. But I do have a heat lamp and a UVB lamp that he always lays under, I moved it to his favorite brand so he could soak it all up.
• Temperature - Cage floor is 70-75, basking spot is 80-85. The heat lamp is 5 inches away from the basking branch. The lowest overnight temp is 65. Our air conditioning system has a thermometer for general temp, but I have placed the thermometer in almost every part of the cage.
• Humidity - If I were to not mist the humidity would be 30-40. At night I run the fogger the whole time so 90-100%. I have a Zoo Med duo thermometer and hydrometer.
• Plants - Right now there is one live umbrella plant that is doing quite well.
• Placement - The cage is in an office space of mine, I spend a lot of time in here. There is an air vent, not aiming at the cage, I have been running a fan recently, because I am not running the air conditioning.
• Location - I am in the United states. I don't feel comfortable with the rest but, I am in a place where the climate is usually dry, and hot in spring/summer, gets cooler in fall and winter.

Any information would help, planning on calling the vet today.

 

[Pearl Fields]

post pics of the setup and lighting. closed eyes may also be a sign of illness

 

[Chase]

Is the UVB bulb the linear kind or not?

Can you post a picture of him?

Your supplementation schedule is a little off. With montane species, they don’t require the same supplementation that others would. I’d suggest the following: calcium WITHOUT D3 twice a week, multivitamin once a month, calcium WITH D3 once a month as well.

I’d also strongly suggest gutloading a little different. I’ve attached a photo that gives some good suggestions. I’m also going to put a link here: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/feeder-nutrition-gutloading.75/

Gutloading is just as important if not more important than giving the supplements.

Edit: You also will want to mist more often. These chameleons come from a very cool humid environment. I’ve had good success doing three misting sessions a day lasting 20-30 seconds each.

 

[kinyonga]

@JacksJill

 

[Mawtyplant]

Hello,

I am seeking urgent help because my male jackson's chameleon eyes are constantly closed. I have done some reading and it is a sign of the chameleon emotionally shutting down. I am extremely worried because I don't want him to be so stressed that he could pass away. I believe part of the reasoning his eyes are closed is because yesterday I badly needed to completely clean his cage out. He absolutely HATES handling (I have never held him unnecessarily because I know he hates it.) During this time I needed to take him out, I used a stick to try and get him out and he immediately started hissing and running away, eventually I did get him on the stick, clean the cage, and put him back in. I felt SO bad because he was completely dark green and he did close his eyes then. I am so so SO worried and thinking about calling a vet; but I am worried that bringing him to the vet will only make him worse. I feel so bad for the little guy and I am so worried, please help.

Some info about him:

• Your Chameleon - "Rainbow" Jackson's Chameleon, male, and 5-6 months or younger (I am not sure). Has been in my care for 4ish weeks as of now (9-21-20)
• Handling - I have only handled him to get him into his enclosure when he arrived, and to clean his cage (this recent time)
• Feeding - I am feeding him only crickets as of now. 10-15 small. every other day. Gut loading them with mostly carrots and apples, anything I can find in the fridge.
• Supplements - Calcium - Repti Calcium, with D3, once every other week. Vitamins - Reptivite, without D3, once a month.
• Watering - I mist him a bit in the morning, none during the day, once before I turn the lights off, and then turn on the fogger the whole night. He loves to drink water, doesn't like to be sprayed though.
• Fecal Description - His feces seems normal, nothing unusual, he goes every other day. He has NOT been tested for parasites yet, but I am planning on it in the near future.
• History - I don't think there is much to say, I have only had him for a short amount of time that we are still getting used to one another. He seems to not like me very much, whenever I come in the room or around his cage he gets very grumpy.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Repti breeze, all screen cage. I believe it is the large cage, 18x18x36.
• Lighting - I honestly cannot tell you the brand or model the lights are, they are from my last chameleon I just changed out the bulbs. Usually it is 8 AM wake up call and I turn them off at 7:30 PM. But I do have a heat lamp and a UVB lamp that he always lays under, I moved it to his favorite brand so he could soak it all up.
• Temperature - Cage floor is 70-75, basking spot is 80-85. The heat lamp is 5 inches away from the basking branch. The lowest overnight temp is 65. Our air conditioning system has a thermometer for general temp, but I have placed the thermometer in almost every part of the cage.
• Humidity - If I were to not mist the humidity would be 30-40. At night I run the fogger the whole time so 90-100%. I have a Zoo Med duo thermometer and hydrometer.
• Plants - Right now there is one live umbrella plant that is doing quite well.
• Placement - The cage is in an office space of mine, I spend a lot of time in here. There is an air vent, not aiming at the cage, I have been running a fan recently, because I am not running the air conditioning.
• Location - I am in the United states. I don't feel comfortable with the rest but, I am in a place where the climate is usually dry, and hot in spring/summer, gets cooler in fall and winter.

Any information would help, planning on calling the vet today.

If you can post picture of him it might really help, please include close up to cornet of the mouth, if possible a video of you pinching the skin and relase it and if you can pictures from the inside of the mouth. if you can provide him natural outdoor time it can help for the moment

 

[kinyonga]

@Mawtyplant ...
There's one photo in this thread (before the thread went way off track). It's not close...but might help...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...ameleon-never-seems-to-cheer-up.177761/page-6

 

[JacksJill]

basking temp is a bit high for one so young stay closer to 80 max.
UVB might be to high for him if your old bulbs were for a veiled or panther. stick to 5.0 or 6%.
for now try lifting them up of the cage top a few inches.