Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have had my chameleon for over six months without problems.
Suddenly one of his eyes seems irritated. The other eye is normal, but the irritated eye is usually kept closed. He does open the eye sometimes but not as wide as he should. There is no sign of swelling or infection with the eye. He sometimes tries to blink the eye. He is well hydrated and well fed. Does anyone have any suggestions?

It is impossible to say much, as we don't have enough info. MOST times "eye problems" are due to husbandry issues such as dehydration and nutritional imbalances. It's always possible (but not all that common) there is a small injury from a twig or leaf tip or a localized infection that may be in the early stages. Chams can be dehydrated from both too low relative air humidity as well as not enough chance to keep their eyes washed when you spray them. Imbalances can be overdoses or deficiencies of specific vitamins, but there are often other symptoms to go along with the eye. If you are certain dehydration is not the problem (describe your setup, humidity and spraying) you should probably have a vet look at the eye with a scope. This might rule out an injury or infection. DON'T just shotgun the eye with an ointment or systemic antibiotic until you know for sure there is an infection. You can do more harm than good.

Spray him with warm water early in the morning. Do it soon after he wakes up, but not immediately when he wakes up. Fill your spray bottle with HOT water (don't worry, it will be only slightly warm when it hits him). Spray him for about 5 or 6 seconds then wait a few seconds, then repeat. This may stimulate him to do the "eye cleaning thing", which is a natural behavior. It involves him popping his eye out of it's socket and rubbing it with the inner muscle. It looks very wrong, but it is normal, healthy behavior. This is how he cleans it. He may just have something in his eye and this may help clear it. If he never gets the stimulation, he may not be cleaning his eyes.

He will almost certainly not perform this behavior unless he gets the warm shower.

My male Jax does this every morning when I spray him and his eyes are 100%. He seems to take advantage of the shower every day to clean his eyes. He will even sometimes rub them on a branch.

Make sure the water is warm. Cold water will probably only make him cringe or move away.

If the problem persists or gets worse, you may try flushing the eye with a saline solution, like the kind people use with their contacts. If that doesn't help, see a vet. Another possibility is a lack of vitamin A, but this is rare in Jackson's.

good luck.