Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I recently had my 3 1/2 year old male panther at the vet with an eye infection. She gave me gentamycin drops for him. I am to open the eye with tweezers (it's swollen shut) and put the drops into the affected eye. How do I accomplish this??
I have never had to "hold him down" for anything before, and no matter how I try to hold him, I can't keep him still. I guess he's pretty large for a panther, because the vet said he's the biggest panther she's ever seen. I'm afraid of being too rough and hurting him, and I've also got these tweezers near his eye and don't want to end up stabbing him while he's throwing his head around. I can't find a way to hold him still with one hand, while I have the tweezers in the other, and my daughter standing by with the eye drops waiting for me to get the eye open.
I thought about trying to drop the temperature to make him a little lethargic, but I'm afraid of hurting him by doing that.
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jen

Jen-

Looks like you may need two people for this job. Since the eye drops are liquid and not a gel based. I found that if I rub the eye with my finger, the chameleon (Jackson female) would turn her head to my finger and start rubbing up and down on her own. While she was doing this her eye would open and I could get the Terramycin (which is gel based) in the eye and around the eye. Also I could use a Q-tip to apply the meds. Now that being said if those two options wont work then try putting him on someone's arm else's arm while you open the eye and apply the meds. One last way is take a towel and drape over him, pick him up, upside down and have your helper or you which ever is not holding the chameleon open the eye and apply the meds. This is very stressful but the only way, I hope he is friendly, all my male F. pardalis are, the females are another question. This is what my chameleon vet does when giving injections, tubing, meds, and so on. Hope this helps!
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John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

Usually he is very friendly (I raised him from a baby), and he is fine as long as I don't go near his eyes or try to hold him still. As soon as I touch his eye or try to hold his head still, he starts flopping around violently. He actually jumped off my hand and flew about a foot across the table. I know chameleons aren't supposed to jump, but I guess no one told him that. I did also try the towel thing, big mistake. As soon as I got it around his back he went nuts (I believe touching the back is considered aggressive ???), and bit the towel and ripped small holes in it.
I know that part of my problem is fear of holding him too tightly and injuring him. I will keep trying, and I really appreciate the suggestions.
Thank you
Jen

Jen-

Good luck! Yes chameleons JUMP, I have had both male and female pardalis along with some of my pygmy chameleons jump right out of my hand and on to the grass. FYI they can run fast too!LOL
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John @ Chameleon Paradise
1.1 Ambilobe Panthers
1.1 Nosy Be Panthers
1.1 Sambava Panthers
1.2 Rhampholeon uluguruensis

Hi Jen,

I think I have your cham's brother... LOL

We have a male panther that is fiesty and will not let us clean his eyes and apply ointment or drops. He has got to have his drops - so I wrapped a towel and tried that route. Yup... holes in the towel.

So, I got the "drop" on him. I decided to sneak up on him with the eye drops. While sitting in his cage on a good branch - I get the mister bottle (warm water) and start misting him. He naturally closes his eyes...... but when he opens them - I am dropping the eye drops in there - just drizzle down over the eyelid and aim for the center.

Do this however often the drops need to be applied.
Hope this works for you...

Morgana - Reptayls, Ltd.