veiled chameleon- shedding open sore?

[remmy]

I have had my veiled chameleon for almost two weeks and he is at the end of his shedding- some of the pointies on his back are still covered with white and the very tip of his veil(?) had white. I have been giving him good 5 minute showers 2 times a day for the past few days. I just looked and the stuff at the top of his "veil" came off, but more than the white dead skin came off. At the top of his veil it almost looks as if he has an open sore- possilby the scales came off. I cannot get a picture becuase my camera does not get that close and it is all out of focus. I looked at the piece that came off and a small sliver of his scales(?) are in side and at the very middle it looks pink - like possibly some blood.

Any ideas? what to do next?

 

[JoshCrane1]

what kinda lights are you using, might be getting burnt.

 

[remmy]

I have a long flouresent light and a basking light in one of those metal round holders- that is higher off the cage than the original owers had. I was kind of thinking the same thing, however, the part that fell off is black, however the stuff over it is white- so it might have been burnt a while back.

 

[remmy]

must be a burn- worse than i thought

I just changed his highest basking spot and lowered it, however, he is a climber and is often at the top of the cage basking. Now that it is night,and he is sleeping- he is really light, however almost all of the front of his veil- around his eyes and the top of his nose is still a really dark brown/black color...i am assuming this is a burn as well...

what should i do?

I do have hydorocortozone cream, should i put that on the open sore for now?

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I just changed his highest basking spot and lowered it, however, he is a climber and is often at the top of the cage basking. Now that it is night,and he is sleeping- he is really light, however almost all of the front of his veil- around his eyes and the top of his nose is still a really dark brown/black color...i am assuming this is a burn as well...

what should i do?

I do have hydorocortozone cream, should i put that on the open sore for now?

We have a veiled who displays black in those areas, even when at rest. So, yours does not necessarily have burns all down his face in those black areas. But, he might. It's difficult for folks on this forum to know without seeing a photo. Do not put hydrocortisone any where near his eyes. That ointment would be for inflammation, anyway, not burns. There is an ointment that is great for burns called Silvadene. I believe it is available without prescription, but am not certain. Google it, or do a search on this forum. I have to go, now. Let us know how he does, and please post a photo if at all possible.

 

[remmy]

I took pics of him the first day I got him - 2 weeks ago- when he was awake. He does not show the dark colors in those photos so I am pretty sure it is a burn.

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

I took pics of him the first day I got him - 2 weeks ago- when he was awake. He does not show the dark colors in those photos so I am pretty sure it is a burn.

From what you described of that top part it does sound like a burn. Perhaps the other areas are burns, too, but I wouldn't know without at least a photo. I would recommend the Silvadene for all the affected areas. When you mentioned hydrocortizone, I was thinking antibiotic ointment. Hydrocortizone is indicated for inflammation and hives and such, not open sores. I have put antibiotic ointment on a cham's open sore in the past, before I had anything else available and because I was concerned about infection. If you do that, just don't get it near his eyes. And get the silvadene for the burns. And you can place a lower wattage light bulb in his basking light, or raise the light higher away from the top of the cage, if possible.

Thermometers are very inexpensive. You need one. Seriously. I use them all the time. We set the lights for our chams using a temp probe, and then I periodically check temps as the weather changes and adjust the lighting frequently.

Let us know how he does.

 

[remmy]

pics

there was a 75w light and i lowered it to a 50w light- temps now are at 74 in the basking spot. before it was 89.

here are some before pictures: the second one you can see the black part of the crest

After Pictures: