Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Baffled. Cyrus is STILL keeping his right eye shut, has gotten a dose (8000iu) of Vit A (R. palmitate) last Thursday and will get another today. But I am discouraged that there has been no improvement. He is eating and drinking and pooping, but he will often go off to a "corner" and just sit (memories of Luna - not making me feel good and kind of scary). He will let his dripper just drip.

The vet and I agree that it is not just dry air (he gets showers, humidifier, etc.). Those who know me have an idea of how I work hard at fighting our dry winter air.

When it is open it looks OK and he is able to shoot his food, look around, etc. I asked the vet about blood work but he does not know how much that will show and we might overreact to something that is not a problem. Your thoughts? This has been going on since a shed in mid October. he has shed at least one more time since then, it is not stuck shed.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated! here is a link to pics - the last one taken today. (ignore funny poop pics - the white things were undigested silkie eggs).

lele
and link to discussion Vit A
Cyrus eye pics

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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Hi Lele, just a thought, but maybe it's scar-tissue. He could have gotten something in his eye that messed with the skin. Stitch had a similar issue a while back, I finally got to the point where I was rubbing his eye with some saline. He would pull his eyeballs back far enough that I could "pinch" the skin around his eyes and eventually worked out a little round "pebble" about half the size of a silkie egg. It was a piece of something from his vines. But since Cyrus isn't rubbing his eye, maybe it's just a cut inside or scar tissue that is bothering him.... Wish I could help more!
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TFFF
(Tootie Freakin' Fruity Feenie)

Hey! Boy, I have not been spending much time here at all! Hope all your "family" is well!

In fact he is rubbing, bulging and closing. He has gotten to the point where he will let me be his rubbing tool! I spritz his eye and then put my finger to it and he will just rub like crazy - much like a cat will lean into you when you are scratching a favorite spot on head, ears, etc. He is wonderfully "tame" - quite different from the little fierce guy who came to me last year!

When his eye is open it is fully functioning. Did Stitch keep it closed all the time? When you first pinched the skin could you feel something thru the skin or was it just luck on popping it out? I will be giving him a shower tomorrow morning and may try to see if I can feel anything. Did he oblige when you got the skin? Since Cyrus is so good about letting me handle him and be his personal rubber
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Hi there,
Sounds Exactly like Stitch!! He would LOVE for me to give him my finger to use as a scratching post! I couldn't feel anything in his eye, so what I did was I bought some "Turtle eye drops" which is pretty much just saline. I would put about 10 drops directly in his eye and let him move his eye around, then I would put some more drops and kinda pinch/massage the loose skin around his eye. I only had to do it two or three times and that's when I noticed the little black pebble thing on my finger... I think it got stuck in the folds of skin on his inner eye and he was unable to take it out himself. Poor thing had grabbed his eye with his back foot and was squeezing it I had to take action Now I don't hesitate to lend a helping finger when any of the kids appear to be having problems!
Keep me posted!!

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TFFF
(Tootie Freakin' Fruity Feenie)

thanks feenie! Someone else suggested Natural Tears which I was going to get since it contains a lubricant. I did some research on the WIDE selection last night and found one with no preservatives and single use "bottles." I have been using both water and saline so will get the Tears today. The only pet store close by is REALLY expensive and I'm not going near any malls for at least a week! lol!

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Just curious what type of vines you use for him... I use the Jungle vine that is not the smooth one, but the bumpy one.. I've been condsidering changing but haven't made up my mind yet...
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TFFF
(Tootie Freakin' Fruity Feenie)

I use the bumpy one, too. Used it for Luna with no problem, but...

Cyrus has weird toenails. Some of them are sort of stumpy (think I might have some pics on flickr or webshots) and I find that he doesn't always "cling" well when climbing a smooth branch. His grip is firm, but the "dig" is lacking on some. I am not sure if this is something genetic or not as I only noticed it one day when he was climbing up me and sometimes had a little slip b/c he couldn't grasp the fabric. I'll look for those pics later. Right now need to mail some holiday packages. ME? Procrastinator? It's my middle name! lol!!

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Ya, I hate the stubby toes! The only one of my guys who has them is Lou.... Then again he's the only cage climber. Stitch and Rana have the longest by far......

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TFFF
(Tootie Freakin' Fruity Feenie)

Cyrus is a cage climber! No matter where I put branches, vines, etc. will choose screen - sometimes just to turn around! Goofy guy! Luna rarely did except when she was young - that is on part how she got her name.

I know some people put the large "fencing" material on the inside (pics have been posted here several times) for just this reason. I may think about doing something inside. I do have a few bird ladders which he uses, but I am sure they will get moldy at some point unless I treat which I really don't want to do.

I put the Bion Tears in his eyes tonight so let's hope we see some improvement in the morning.

Btw, HAVE you talked/emailed with anson lately??
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Any luck with the eye??
Hopefully he's feeling better!!

And no I haven't talked to Anson.. I think she might be busy (fishing with Billy)!!! LOL!
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TFFF
(Tootie Freakin' Fruity Feenie)

I have been using the drop and they seem to give him some relief. I was gone most of today and when I got home it was closed so I got more drops in. I figured I'd get him used tot hem and then tomorrow in his shower I will see if I can feel anything. He won't quite let me get the skin, but he bulges them a lot in the shower.

Have a happy!
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

Hello,
Have you tried 2 to 3 drops of liquid tears directly into the eye? If there is dust/debris caught inside the eye; the tears may help to dislodge the dust/debris and wash it out. Twice a day should be sufficient.
I had a female Nosy Be Panther with the same syptoms. I suspected dust/debris during shipment. After five days of treatment all was well.
Hope this helps.

Hi,
Actually I have only been using saline, but had not thought of natural tears. It has some sort of lubricant, I think. So long as it isn't mineral oil I will pick some up and give it a try. I guess I just figured it has been going on for so long that with all the showers, spritzing, rubbing etc. that it would have worked out by now (2 months). The vet looked with his surgical binocs and couldn't see anything but he even said you can't see all inside or flip an eyelid quite like you can a human's.

Thanks for the tip! I just feel so bad for him

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

although there is no physical signs of it i have had a similar situation with one of my hatchling ambilobe's which turned out to be conjunctevitus (spelling) which is highly contagious.

might be worth seeing what your vet thinks..cos even if they open the eye slightly and continue to do what hes been doing that could be a sure sign of it.. though also heavy spraying will reduce it maybe a hydration chamber?

Hi,

thanks, but he's been to the vet and we've had several phone consult. He has no crust, swelling, oozing etc. which is usually present with conjunctivitis (I used to get it as a kid ALL the time - it's really awful. Woke up one morning with both my eyes crusted closed and I couldn't open them! I screamed to my mom that I was blind!! lol!! at the time it was pretty scary!)

As for hydration he gets showered misted a humidifier that runs frequently and for long periods. I have to do that every winter no matter what. I live in NH and it is dry as a dead bone here!

thanks for your thoughts

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet

ok, was just a thought could as the others have said be a small piece of debris which is causing him aggrevation do you have msn at all? would be good to have an american keeper on my list as im from the UK is always handy swapping info with other cham keepers.. mines dreadlordjax@hotmail.com if you do happen to have it.

not much of an IM person - have a hard enough time keeping up with forums and email! lol! But this fourm is relatively active and you may know that there are a couple other good cham forums online (both U.S. and UK). Not sure if I can link to them without having my post pulled. If you want links email me via my name above.

lele
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Chameleon Help & Resource Info
1.0 Nosy Be Panther Chameleon - Cyrus
0.1 Veiled Chameleon - Luna. She's now hanging from her big jungle gym in the sky
1.0 Beardie - Darwin
1.1.1 Side-blotched lizards - Ana and Stan
0.2 felines - Kyndra and Lita
0.1 African Clawed Frog - Skippy
0.1 Chilean Rose Hair Tarantula - Rosa Leigh, Died 4/21/06
0.1 Goliath Bird-Eater Tarantula - Natasha, donated to science 4/4/06
?.? Pinktoe Tarantula - no name yet