Whats with the eyes?

Nic Pic

New Member
Hey guys, I've been having a problem with my veiled lately: he hasn't been opening his eyes. This is causing him not to notice his food, his water dripping and he just isn't moving around... any help?:confused:
 
Hey guys, I've been having a problem with my veiled lately: he hasn't been opening his eyes. This is causing him not to notice his food, his water dripping and he just isn't moving around... any help?:confused:

you should fill out the how to ask for help on the health clinic...
 
What brand and type (spiral, compact, long linear tube) UVB light are you using?
When did this start?
Please fill out the questions in the thread indicated.
 
Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - Veiled, male, year and a half old, been in my care for about a year.
Handling - About once a week.
Feeding - I am feeding crickets mealworms and butterworms, about 10 crickets 2 meals, 2 butters, once a day around 5 o clock, no i feed the crickets carrots and potatoes.
Supplements - herptivite and one in a blue container... i use these everyday
Watering - i use a dripper i usually mist twice daily and ive seen him drink but not recently
Fecal Description -brown, white, both normal. never been tested for parasites

Cage Info:
Cage Type - screen cage about 6 feet tall 2 and a half feet wide and long
Lighting - total of 200 watt lights for 12 hours in the day 150 watts at night
Temperature - basking spot is 90 to 100 and drops as you gget lower in the tank
Humidity - fogger, misting, live plants
Plants - i dont remember their names, but i made sure they are safe
Placement - it is placed on the floor of my room in the basement under a vent (helps with heating)
Location - southern ontario

Current Problem - wont open eyes
 
You should be using calcium with and without d3 for starters. Calcium without at every feeding. Calcium without twice a month and a multi twice a month too. You should be feeding your cham every other day at his age. You are feeding late in the day. You are feeding too much. I would feed in the morning or early afternoon. you should not be using any light at night at all! You mean your cage is lit up all night with a 150 watt bulb? You should have your basking spot at about 85 degrees for an adult. You should be using a 40-50 watt regular house bulb for basking and for UVB it is recomended to use a Reptisun 5.0 tube. I have never heard of a 26 watt UVB? and it is a spiral which is not the best, as there have been some issues with compact bulbs. Most likely all your lighting incorrections are causing your chameleon to close his eyes. i would not place your cage directly under a heating vent either. If it is in a basement I would especially get the cage up off the floor and elevate it on a table or something.
If you are using calcium with d3 and giving that everyday you have overdosed your chameleon on d3.
 
Also your crickets need a much better gutload than just carrots and pototoes. there are many other fresh fruits and vegetable you can use. Get some darky leafy greens into your gutload. Potatoes don't serve much nutrition other than hydration.
 
thanks... but with the size of the tank my lights seem to be doing the job... and i only use the d3 every other day and ill start giving the crickets different foods
 
yes, but you don't want to overfeed. It is not healthy. Think about how they live in the wild, they can go for days without finding food. Too much is no good, just as it is in people. Obviously there is something that is causing your chameleon to close his eyes. You do not need to add extra uvb just because your cage is bigger. You cham will go under the uvb when it needs it and should have a place to get away from it just as it would in nature. You do not need all that light wattage in the cage. If you want to brighten up the cage, use some low wattage regular house bulbs. So do you have a light on at night then?
 
ok, thanks for the food tips :) but ya without the night light it gets too cold and i only have the one UVB light and he has areas to get away from the heat and light
 
get yourself a small ceramic heater. Chameleons should have complete darkness to sleep. how low are the temps getting at night?
 
you mean your ambient cage temp is 80 at night? Is that with the light on or off? If that is with the light off that is plenty warm enough and actually even too warm. The low 70's is perfect. You can get down into the low 60's and it is even ok.
 
ok thats with the light on but under the light the rest of the tank is usually in the 70s at night but should i call a vet?
 
yes, I would definitely. I do not agree with you on the lights but I think that you have had your chameleon for quite awhile and if the lights were effecting his eyes it probably would not have just started now after all this time. I am not 100% positive on this though. I hope someone else will chime in here and give an opinion. there is something that is obviously causing him to close his eyes all of the sudden. Is there anything you changed just recently? did you add any of the lights? Get a new bulb? Anything you can think of? Have you temps changed dramatically? BTW how long has this beeen going on?
 
I haven't really done anything differently... and this has only really started within the last month/ month and a half. Before he would just shut his eyes when hes basking or in the evening
 
honestly, he should not be shutting his eyes to bask. I think your light is too intense. My chameleon basks out in the sun everyday and I never have once seen him close his eyes and i live in Florida.
 
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