Veiled Chameleon that won't open one eye

[Fuzzypenguin]

Chameleon Info:

• Your Chameleon - Veiled Chameleon, baby/juvenile, had about 3 weeks
• Handling - Arlo is held every morning and evening and sometimes in between
• Feeding - Mainly crickets that are feed repti cricket with calcium gel cubes and a little carrot, have fed 3 wax worms in past week, looking to get different worms as well and some fruit veg mix, tried some carrot and no interest there.
• Supplements - Crickets get the calcium gel so saw no need to powder them with calcium, have used the heptivite multivitamen twice- It seemed the dusted crickets didn't stay dusted so rolled a wax worm and hand fed. Feel like 3 of the insects with multivitamen have been eaten.
• Watering - Cham is seen drinking at least once a day. Dripper is used twice a day. Cage is misted at least twice a day.
• Fecal Description - No parasite testing. Poop is brown with some white around it. Looks normal from what I've been able to compare.
• History - New cham, no history but the past 3 weeks. Seems lively, interactive and relatively healthy except for its one eye. Will eat while being held.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Repti breeze 18x18x36 cage, will upgrade to bigger when Arlo is bigger (he fits on a forefinger at present)
• Lighting - UV long bulb zoo med repti bulb. Heat bulb is a Daytime Exo Terra 60 W bulb.E
• Temperature - Lowest overnight temp seems to be 72. Basking spot is low 80's, use a Zoo Med
  
  temperature probe
• Humidity -I do not know about humidity, would appreciate recommendations on that end.
• Plants - One live Pothos plant in pot at bottom of cage that reaches bottom of fake branch and fine structure.
• Placement - Cage is on a cabinet about 30 inches off floor, on opposite end of room as the air vent and window. Housed between 2 bookcases.
• Location - Lower SE TN, near Chattanooga area.

Current Problem - One eye failed to open about a week ago. That is when I bought wax worms and rolled them in the vitamin dust and hand fed to make sure he received vitamins. He is alert and interactive. Heat source was about 5 inches from top of cage and I adjusted it to 7 inches.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

The calcium cubes do not replace the need for dusting.

She should be getting calcium dust without D3 at every feeding. Also should be dusting with calcium with D3 twice a month. She also needs a multivitamin twice a month. What are you gutloading your feeders with?

 

[Brodybreaux25]

You are not providing your Cham with enough opportunities to clean his eyes, that’s prob why one won’t open. Your misting sessions should last at the very least 7mins and should be happening at least 3 times a day. Chams use rainstorms to clean their eyes in the wild and you simply are not providing him with a suitable replacement in captivity.

 

[Tucklander]

I would take him to the vet about the eye being closed for a week. I would also dust every feeder with calcium without d3...use calcium with d3 once every two weeks, and reptivite multi-vitamin dust every opposite 2 weeks from the d3 calcium. Also cage mistings need to increase to at least three a day for 3-4 minutes (and use the dripper)...Read up on chameleon husbandry, available in search bar, I read-up in the beginning, I definitely wasn’t doing anything right at first . But the eye has been closed a week, I would have an exotic/reptile vet have a look. But supplementation, hydration, and mixed variety foods is a must, some vieleds will eat a little veg. and certain fruits, but they are insectivores .... (Dubai and/orange roaches) are for sale at most pet stores, great to add in to food routine (saw you say you were looking for more diversity).... good luck,definitely not a know it all...I got some of the same advice I’m giving you... read up on husbandry and supplementation and my humble opinion: have the eye checked out by a vet good luck

 

[Fuzzypenguin]

Brodybreaux25 thank you for your quick reply! The calcium cubes I'm feeding the crickets says that it does replace the need for dusting crickets, BUT I can definitely go ahead and dust them as well! I've only had the cham 3 weeks and he has received the multivitamin 2 days ago, plan on doing that again in 8 days... I will mist more frequently and see if that helps as well. I was reading about cham showers and just had Arlo do his first one! I think I read that people do that once a week? I aimed the shower head at the side of the stall, had Arlo on his pothos plant and spritzed the plant with his mister while the shower was going. Do you have a recommendation for a brand of calcium dusting powder? I've seen a lot of discussion on repashy- was just looking that up when I saw your response.
Thank you again!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Brodybreaux25 thank you for your quick reply! The calcium cubes I'm feeding the crickets says that it does replace the need for dusting crickets, BUT I can definitely go ahead and dust them as well! I've only had the cham 3 weeks and he has received the multivitamin 2 days ago, plan on doing that again in 8 days... I will mist more frequently and see if that helps as well. I was reading about cham showers and just had Arlo do his first one! I think I read that people do that once a week? I aimed the shower head at the side of the stall, had Arlo on his pothos plant and spritzed the plant with his mister while the shower was going. Do you have a recommendation for a brand of calcium dusting powder? I've seen a lot of discussion on repashy- was just looking that up when I saw your response.
Thank you again!

Can you post a pic of the calcium cubes so I know exactly what we are dealing with? This is what I use.

And I forgot to mention this in my original post, but Tuck is right. Your priority should be getting him to the vet FIRST and implementing the husbandry changes second.

 

[Tucklander]

Thanks @Brodybreaux25 ... 7 minutes for misting? Trust me I’m trying to learn something, and you know a lot more than me. I’ve been doing four...is the 7 minutes based on adult enclosure? Mines 18x18x36 right now? Really just trying to understand why 4 minutes has worked well for me and not at all trying to contradict...( take Brody’s advice @Fuzzypenguin ) I did not see your reply before I posted mine and didn’t think anyone had tried to help ( delay on my end maybe?) but help me understand...

 

[Tucklander]

I’m getting my Mistking Tuesday...part of why I’m asking too...

 

[Fuzzypenguin]

Can you post a pic of the calcium cubes so I know exactly what we are dealing with? This is what I use.

And I forgot to mention this in my original post, but Tuck is right. Your priority should be getting him to the vet FIRST and implementing the husbandry changes second.

 

[Fuzzypenguin]

These are what I've been using.
Planning on calling vet in the morning.

 

[yodathepanther]

Flukers isnt a good got loading source for your cricket, ive tried and my crickets dont last as long and i can tell they arent as healthy, you should drop that and invest in a better food source, something natural with plenty of nutrience

 

[yodathepanther]

gut*

 

[NDO]

Thanks @Brodybreaux25 ... 7 minutes for misting? Trust me I’m trying to learn something, and you know a lot more than me. I’ve been doing four...is the 7 minutes based on adult enclosure? Mines 18x18x36 right now? Really just trying to understand why 4 minutes has worked well for me and not at all trying to contradict...( take Brody’s advice @Fuzzypenguin ) I did not see your reply before I posted mine and didn’t think anyone had tried to help ( delay on my end maybe?) but help me understand...

To answer your question "why does my 4 minutes work" -- You're not going to see any short-term differences from a chameleon who gets 3 minutes vs 7 minutes of misting, as long as they're both hydrated. You're misting your chameleon and he's drinking and cleaning his eyes, that's why your misting is working. I mist the entire cage in the early morning, around noon, and before lights go out. Each time takes about 2ish minutes and my chams are always drinking, cleaning eyes, etc. pretty shortly after I start misting.

Also, mistking is an excellent investment. I personally use a pressure spray for my juvenile/adult panthers, and then I have mistkings on my clutches of babies. Never encountered issues.

 

[Tucklander]

To answer your question "why does my 4 minutes work" -- You're not going to see any short-term differences from a chameleon who gets 3 minutes vs 7 minutes of misting, as long as they're both hydrated. You're misting your chameleon and he's drinking and cleaning his eyes, that's why your misting is working. I mist the entire cage in the early morning, around noon, and before lights go out. Each time takes about 2ish minutes and my chams are always drinking, cleaning eyes, etc. pretty shortly after I start misting.

Also, mistking is an excellent investment. I personally use a pressure spray for my juvenile/adult panthers, and then I have mistkings on my clutches of babies. Never encountered issues.

Yeah and his urates are good so \o/ I’m running with it, and read in hydration and humidity within the husbandry thread. It didn’t have a definitive time. But I do monitor my little dudes poop whenever I can, to make sure everything looks good...as long as it’s white urate I feel like he’s hydrated...thanks!

 

[Brodybreaux25]

View attachment 211820 View attachment 211821 View attachment 211822

I recently made the switch to this gutload, very highly recommended by this community.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

Thanks @Brodybreaux25 ... 7 minutes for misting? Trust me I’m trying to learn something, and you know a lot more than me. I’ve been doing four...is the 7 minutes based on adult enclosure? Mines 18x18x36 right now? Really just trying to understand why 4 minutes has worked well for me and not at all trying to contradict...( take Brody’s advice @Fuzzypenguin ) I did not see your reply before I posted mine and didn’t think anyone had tried to help ( delay on my end maybe?) but help me understand...

This is another one of those things that are Cham specific. If yours are staying hydrated and cleaning their eyes with a 4 min session there is no need to change it. Many members of this site advocate for 10 mins or longer. For someone having eye problems I’m going to recommend at least 7 mins as a starting point. Ultimately every Cham owner needs to sit down and literally watch how your Cham reacts to the misting and how long it takes them to react. Some will start drinking and cleaning as soon as it comes on or, like mine, don’t start till about the 3 min mark. For me that means that even though I’m misting for 7 mins only 3-4 mins are actually being used by my Cham.

 

[Tucklander]

This is another one of those things that are Cham specific. If yours are staying hydrated and cleaning their eyes with a 4 min session there is no need to change it. Many members of this site advocate for 10 mins or longer. For someone having eye problems I’m going to recommend at least 7 mins as a starting point. Ultimately every Cham owner needs to sit down and literally watch how your Cham reacts to the misting and how long it takes them to react. Some will start drinking and cleaning as soon as it comes on or, like mine, don’t start till about the 3 min mark. For me that means that even though I’m misting for 7 mins only 3-4 mins are actually being used by my Cham.

Thanks again for the insight @Brodybreaux25

 

[Fuzzypenguin]

Update- went to vet-he couldn't get a good look into his eye but discerned the eye is still there. My little guy only weighs 8 grams and is a less than a forefinger long (not counting tail) so pretty small. He was able to work with the cone a bit and there is now a small opening and some eye movement and a bump that was there is gone. I have antibiotics to put in the eye in hopes that'll help. Vet said all the rest of Arlo looked great and it could have been a scratch, a parasite, a bit of "stuff", hard to tell since he wasn't able to get to eye today. With his size, anything further will be quite risky so we are starting with antibiotics and hoping that does the trick. Been improving the husbandry and I'm hoping little Arlo can get better and have a happy spoiled life.

 

[Brodybreaux25]

but discerned the eye is still there.

That's one heck of a vet you've got there! keep us posted...

 

[Fuzzypenguin]

His right eye that was closed! This is how it was after this mornings antibiotic and a bit of sunning time! It was a tich more open than this but he was getting camera shy. ALSO saw him washing it (went for a mist straight away). So excited! Fingers crossed he continues on the mend! Hoping to get my worm order tomorrow ( I ordered phoenix worms and hornworms for variety and to help perk him up a bit!)