Eye Update


New Member
Well this is how curly is doing..I got a humidifier because I came home from school one day to find the humidity down to 20 :)eek: ) And he was doing pretty bad..eyes closed and he wasn't picking himself up to walk. So I sprayed him and he drank allot, ate a cricket and he opened his eyes and was checking out his whole cage, even the bottom (never goes down there)..Now when he opens his eyes they stay open for an hour or so and then he closes them..Why could this be? And, If I blow on him a little when his eyes are closed he will open them up right away. (sometimes he just ignores me,opens them up a little and moves to where I cant see him and closes them again)..I bought distilled water and mist him with that all the time and he seems to like it..He blinks allot and then rubs them both and then drinks every last drop of it..He is always a nice bright lime green color too..Im using ReptiVite to powder his crickets with and powder the other crix with repti-cal..We didn't get to a vet yet because it is so far away.(turns out that the one that was 2 hours away doesnt like working on chams so now the closest one is 3 hrs away..) I have the money but I cant drive and my mom and dad both work and own a business at home (but they are both home when i am..My moms a lunch lady:p )How does he sound


New Member
1 more...Sometimes when he closes his eyes he will just stay there for a long time (hour) and I know he isnt sleeping because if I blow on him he opens his eyes.moves a bit and does it again..


New Member
You really need to try and convince your parents to take him to the vet, is it possible to have a short family meeting and see if you can compromise with them - like asking how many chores you can do to compensate the fuel money etc.
Or do you have any friends parents who would take you?
It's great that you've got the money now but Curly sounds like he really needs a vet.
In the mean time, do you have a drip system? It sounds like he might not be getting enough water if your humidity dropped so low, extra mistings won't hurt either try misting for longer on a more regular basis if you can - is there any way you can set up an automatic mister so he gets water while you're at school?
Hope you get things sorted, keep us informed.



New Member
I have a drip system..Im gonna try to call the local vet (7 miles) to see if he will look and get some eye drops and see how much it is..if i buy a mister i probaly wont have the money for the vet so ill wait until he is done at the vet and then buy 1.


New Member
I'm calling the vet as soon as I get home from school...but in the mean time i need all the help i can get...I need to find out how to feed him and water him (how do i open his mouth)and make him the most comfortable...All I need is help...and all i get is "take him to the vet", I KNOW THAT. Just help....
Last edited:

Dave Weldon

Avid Member

Eye closure is more likely to be a sign of serious health/husbandry issues rather than something that eye drops will fix. Antibacterial eye drops work very well when it is a bacterial eye infection. What you are describing is a classic symptom of a really "sick" chameleon. You have to go back and look at your temps again. If you incorrectly measured basking temps, he could be too cool to digest. If he cannot get within 6-12 inches of an appropriate UVB source then troubles again. If he hasn't been getting enough water, organ failure can be the result. Do NOT use distilled water. Either use regular tap water or if you want, use regular bottled drinking water. Distilled water has ALL of its minerals removed. Great for irons bad for consumption. Up the misting schedule. Try at least twice a day for 20 minutes. Once in the morning and again in the afternoon. Use water that is warm to the touch. An otherwise previously well-fed chameleon can go for a week without eating even two weeks without death. Water is where you have to concentrate your efforts. Mist his body with the idea that it will get in his system through various entry points. I think you need to re-think everything that you are doing. Double-check everything that you are doing. List all of the husbandry variables and post new photos of your setup and your critter.


New Member
Here is the setup
He is in a 65 gal. reptarium..
I have a humidifier and a little dripper set up.
I mist about 3-4 times a day for 5-10 minutes each
I have crickets and mealworm, I have flukers orange cube and fish food
I have repti-cal that i powder with daily and reti-vite he gets powder once every other week
He has a 18 In. retisun 5.o.
He has a 100 watt reptiglow heat bulb.. bask is at 110F and ambient is between 65 to 75F
The humidity is between 50 and 70.


New Member
It is frustrating to attempt to help when the info is incomplete. Lets revisit the details.

Lets try more info ...again.

What is the immediate environment that your cham is in?
Is it in a high traffic area?
Are there other pets or children passing by the cage?
Is the cage densely foliated?
Is there a breeze passing the cage or open window during part of the day?
Is the heat in the house turned down during the day?
When did the cham last eat?
Is it showing any signs of gaping or tremors?
Does it show light colours during the day or dark colours?
Is there any foaming of the mouth or noises from the throat?

I'm totally guessing but you may be up against stress or URI.

Did you try the Vitamin A gel cap you mentioned in a previous post?

Try changing feeders. Can you get any silkworms or butterworms. It may trigger the chams appetite and it may also insure it is hydrated well.

And lose the quote... you are asking us to judge this issue for you sight unseen. You really need a vet.

Is it possible to find someone locally that has more experience than you ( I know this might not be possible, seeing as you have 187 posts to date and you are rated as a senior member) or even a local pet store that may have a resident herp hobbiest.

Time is running out


New Member
He isnt in a high traffic area..My dog come by every once in a while, the cage is densly foliated(ill get pics of that and curly soon)..the only breeze is the humidifier and it comes through all day..The heat in my room is about 75F..I dont know when he last ate..I put about 20 crix in this morning and only found about 10 so maybe he ate today..he has really light colors..like a lime green most of the time, no foaming or weird noise either..He hissed at me the other day and i scared me because it was loud..there wasn't a squeak or anything either..I did try a vit. A gel cap but I don't know if he ate the crix i coated with either..I set 2 an a leaf and when I came back about 1 hour later he was sitting near the leaf and they were gone and the weren't on the bottom so he iether ate them or he walked across the leaf and they slid off


New Member
he is really week..He drank but i didnt bother trying to feed him..he is probably too stressed.



New Member
I checked on hima and his eyes arent sunken as much..im spraying him with warm water..he has some strength back but he is still weak


New Member
The poor little guy, he looks terrible. I thought you were taking him to the vet today. You have a very sick little guy on your hands and the only hope for him now is a vet.


New Member
I know..it scares me that he looks like that..I tryed calling the vet today but he was out and then he closed..


New Member
Why are your parents not helping you by calling a vet first thing in the morning while you are at school and taking him to the vet for you? You are a child and there is only so much you can do without your parents help and guidance. Are they aware of how sick he is and needs a vet as soon as possible and that he may not make it without one? The outcome does not look good.


New Member
Sadly, Curly is in very rough shape but not past the point of no return IMO … but pretty darn close. He looks VERY dehydrated and under weight too. I am not sure if forcing water into him is a good idea with your current experience, the stress may be too much and he could possibly aspirate (inhale) water but maybe look into showering him. Look for the showering thread on how to do it. I would do it last least once a day on top of daily mistings until you can get him to a vet. Getting him food is important too but I think hydrating him properly should come first. See what other have to say too.



Chameleon Enthusiast
Your chameleon looks like he is on death's doorstep. I looked at some other pictures that you posted a while ago and he has gone downhill a lot since then. IMHO he won't be with you much longer. If you don't take him to a vet NOW I'm sure you will lose him.

I can't tell you what is wrong with your chameleon...I'm not a vet....but said you are gutloading with fish food and flukers orange cubes....there might be preformed vitamin A in the fish food and there is in the cubes...you said you are using repti-vite which has preformed vitamin A in it and quite a bit of phosphorous too and to top it off you gave him some vit. A gel cap...it makes me think that you are oversupplementing and don't have a balance which may be at least part of the problem.
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