Veiled chameleon eyes sunken?

[Anaaa2182]

Advise please,
I have a female veiled chameleon about a year old. Her eyes look weird to me but I was wondering if they are normal or if she has an eye infection. When she looks to the side or up/down her eye gets like a weird bend/fold is it normal? Also she has always had black and white under her eyes, its very little and I can only see it when she looks up. I was wondering if that very little black and white stain is normal since she is a low end translucent/piebald chameleon. Her arms have pink, black, and white. Yes I do know she is pregnant because of the colors. Any additional things that look out of the ordinary please let me know Thanks!

 

[kinyonga]

Welcome to the forum!

The eyes do look a bit off...not sure why.
Has she been lethargic? Sitting low in the cage? Is she sleeping during the day?

Do you have a suitable egglaying container in her cage? How long has she been showing the mustard yellow and blue spots?
How many insects do you feed her in a week?

What supplements do you use and how often and heavily for each. I'm particularly looking at the calcium, phos, vitaminD3 and they type of vitamin A that's in them.

 

[Anaaa2182]

Hello and thank you for your reply!

She started being lethargic a bit because she is overweight and pregnant so its hard on her joints but I already discussed her new diet with my professor.

My chameleon has had these colors for about a month now. She never sleeps during the day she is awake and her eyes can move in any direction.

She has never been at the bottom of my cage with me except when I purchased her at petco or petsmart I don't remember which but she was at the bottom of the tank the entire time trying to grab the glass, the employee stuck his hand and she immediately climbed people without hesitation like if she was desperate, although I think she was this way because she was one of the only females in there it was a bunch of males and one alpha female.

I use calcium without d3 now but unfortunately i did feed her calcium with d3 for about 4-5months because the employees there told me that was what she needed. Her eyes function perfectly and she can see and aim right but what worries me is that there appears to be "folds" in her eyes. She never has dark colors she is always wearing relaxed or excited colors.

I am confused because she does drink water and is hydrated, I assume this by examining her urates and feces. The only other problem I can think of is that its been about 3-4 months since she last shed and hasn't shedded again. I bought her shed aid spray and shed aid bath soak powder but nothing has helps her shed.

She was in terrible condition when I purchased her she was underweight, had an upper respiratory infection, and her tail wasn't shed properly multiple times and has a lot of deformities. Also I wanted to know if the black and white spots on her eyes is due to stress or if it is normal because she is a low end translucent chameleon. Her arms have black, white and pink. She has always had that black and white so I assume it's because she is a piebald.

This is a lot I know but I am grateful for any help! Thanks

 

[Beman]

Hi there. Welcome to the forum. If you can fill this out by copy/pasting it into your reply then fill out with as much detail as possible we can give you more feedback. Please include pictures of her entire enclosure from her lights on top to the bottom of the cage.

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
• Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
• Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
• Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
• Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
• Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
• History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
• Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
• Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
• Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
• Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.
--------------
Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.

 

[kinyonga]

You said..." I already discussed her new diet with my professor".. What's the new diet and why would you discuss it with your professor?

You said..."My chameleon has had these colors for about a month now. She never sleeps during the day she is awake and her eyes can move in any direction"....good to know.

You said..."I use calcium without d3 now but unfortunately i did feed her calcium with d3 for about 4-5months because the employees there told me that was what she needed"...it's recommended that you dust at all feedings but two a month with phos free calcium powder lightly and the remaining two times a month with a vitamin powder that contains D3 and a prEromed source of vitamin A lightly.

You said..."Her eyes function perfectly and she can see and aim right but what worries me is that there appears to be "folds" in her eyes. She never has dark colors she is always wearing relaxed or excited colors"...the folds are what was bothering me and they look a little sunken too.

You said..."She was in terrible condition when I purchased her she was underweight, had an upper respiratory infection, and her tail wasn't shed properly multiple times and has a lot of deformities"...sad that they can get like this at a pet store. You've done well to correct all these things.

You said "Also I wanted to know if the black and white spots on her eyes is due to stress or if it is normal because she is a low end translucent chameleon. Her arms have black, white and pink. She has always had that black and white so I assume it's because she is a piebald"...I don't see anything that would indicate a health issue due to the black and white.

How many insects do you feed her in a week? What insects do you feed her? Are they gutloaded and fed well?
What light specifically do you use on the cage? UVB..spiral? Or long linear tube? Or? Basking light white? Colored? Etc.

 

[Anaaa2182]

I discussed this with my professor because she is a certified veterinary both exotic and regular(cats and dogs). She has a doctorate and is beyond qualified so diet is not an issue and the help was FREE! The real question is why I even chose to discuss it here when there is no guarantee that I'm talking to someone qualified to give me advice, obviously a staff member is qualified per guidelines I'm sure. I am just going to take her to the vet or my professor if she has time but thanks for the help, I don't want to put my chameleon at risk because people always slam you when you listen to online advice and come for you for listening and just keep slamming you. If this sounded harsh I apologize, I meant no disrespect, I love my chameleon so much and want the best for her. I am genuinely afraid of messing up because they are very sensitive creatures and I'm new to this reptile thing, though I spent a ridiculous amount of time to know everything or at least as close to everything. I thought coming here on the forum would be a cheap and free option but I'm honestly a terrible owner for being cheap and risking my chameleons life over money. Thanks once again!

 

[kinyonga]

You said..."I discussed this with my professor because she is a certified veterinary both exotic and regular(cats and dogs). She has a doctorate and is beyond qualified so diet is not an issue and the help was FREE!"...glad that your prof has that training! My concern with the diet is because the amount fed to female veileds affects the number of eggs they produce and temperature also plays a part. Your female looks quite large in the belly area and I suspect that she is carrying a large number of eggs. This predisposes her to follicular stasis and dystocia....and the possibility that she could die if this is what's going on with her.

You said..." The real question is why I even chose to discuss it here when there is no guarantee that I'm talking to someone qualified to give me advice, obviously a staff member is qualified per guidelines I'm sure"...most of us on here are not vets but have a lot of experience with chameleons. Vets don't always know things that we know from experience.

You said...." I am just going to take her to the vet or my professor if she has time but thanks for the help, I don't want to put my chameleon at risk because people always slam you when you listen to online advice and come for you for listening and just keep slamming you"...some forums do slam people. As a rule we don't.

You said..."If this sounded harsh I apologize, I meant no disrespect, I love my chameleon so much and want the best for her"...we want the best for her too.

You said...," I am genuinely afraid of messing up because they are very sensitive creatures and I'm new to this reptile thing, though I spent a ridiculous amount of time to know everything or at least as close to everything. I thought coming here on the forum would be a cheap and free option but I'm honestly a terrible owner for being cheap and risking my chameleons life over money. Thanks once again!"...Good luck with your chameleon. Hope she gets the help she needs.

Please let us know how she does.

 

[Beman]

Good luck to you... Hope you get the advice your looking for.

Just a note... Those of us that are here helping people. (like @kinyonga) do really know what we are talking about. Kinyonga has more hands on experience with chameleons and breeding them then 10 of us combined do. Should you ever decide you would like guidance we are happy to help.