bobs not using his tongue any more

[benthirty2]

Can giving my cham a small dose of iodine bought in the vitamin section of a drug store help this? Everything else as far as lighting, water, humidity, proper gut loading of crickets, and enclosure is fine. He exhibits no lethargy at all, still drinks fine, and now i have him eating from a cup. He does not like the cup idea at all and still puts forth effort at free range feeding but he only sticks his tongue out and tries to get as close to the cricket as possible with no avail. I assure you that his tongue has not been bitten off and if it was injured in any way, its been several months since the decline. Hes about four years old and i love him even if he cant use his tongue to smack those crickets for my own entertainment. I`m just at a loss as to what to do anymore. I`ve tried liquid appetite stimulants, special cleansing eye drops that not only cleanse but rid him of any microbes. He seems to be able to see very well. I just don`t know what to do anymore, so if iodine is a possible solution how many cc`s should I administer and how many times a day and for how long? I appreciate anyone reading and that has the proper knowledge on solving this dilemma! Thanks alot for your time and consideration. Peace cham lovers!!!!!!!!

 

[Julirs]

I am not sure why you are even thinking about iodine. How is your calcium supplementation? When chams stop using their tongue or have trouble shooting, it can be early MBD. Have you chanbged your UVB lighting recently?

 

[carol5208]

you mentioned everything in your husbandry except supplementation. What have you been using for supplements?

 

[benthirty2]

my supplementation for bob

i use mineral-all as directed for indoor species and yes i just replaced lighting in november. I gutload w collards, baby yellow squash, sweet potatoe, and a/d catfood occasionally. for the dry mix i use baby rice cereal, oats, ground up bee pollen and kelp along with dry milk. crickets dusted every third feeding and just a pinch of mineral all on food itself. I also flip flop minerall and herptivite monthly. ive recently been gutloading vitall with all the rest. I almost always dust with plain calcium without d3 and sometimes sprinkle a pinch of cal on fresh food. Iodine was just a thought. I had hypothyroidism in my head thats all. Just brain storming out loud for you alls thoughts. Now im thinking about trying reptaid to cure this tongue dilemma, so what do you guys think bout that?

 

[benthirty2]

i use mineral-all as directed for indoor species and yes i just replaced lighting in november. I gutload w collards, baby yellow squash, sweet potatoe, and a/d catfood occasionally. for the dry mix i use baby rice cereal, oats, ground up bee pollen and kelp along with dry milk. crickets dusted every third feeding and just a pinch of mineral all on food itself. I also flip flop minerall and herptivite monthly. ive recently been gutloading vitall with all the rest. I almost always dust with plain calcium without d3 and sometimes sprinkle a pinch of cal on fresh food. Iodine was just a thought. I had hypothyroidism in my head thats all. Just brain storming out loud for you alls thoughts. Now im thinking about trying reptaid to cure this tongue dilemma, so what do you guys think bout that?

 

[benthirty2]

supplementation/lighting

i use mineral-all as directed for indoor species and yes i just replaced lighting in november. I gutload w collards, baby yellow squash, sweet potatoe, and a/d catfood occasionally. for the dry mix i use baby rice cereal, oats, ground up bee pollen and kelp along with dry milk. crickets dusted every third feeding and just a pinch of mineral all on food itself. I also flip flop minerall and herptivite monthly. ive recently been gutloading vitall with all the rest. I almost always dust with plain calcium without d3 and sometimes sprinkle a pinch of cal on fresh food. Iodine was just a thought. I had hypothyroidism in my head thats all. Just brain storming out loud for you alls thoughts. Now im thinking about trying reptaid to cure this tongue dilemma, so what do you guys think bout that?
Edit/Delete Message

 

[kinyonga]

Hrptivite has iodine in it...
http://www.progeckos.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=13&products_id=15

 

[ataraxia]

why iodine? if his tongue doesnt have any trauma or infections..from experience if it is from the lack of calcium. with time it should heal with the correct lighting and dusting. it has taken my guy over 3 months to get his tongue to shoot again. atm he only shoots about 6-8 inches but thats a mile stone from where he was..i see all the minerals and dusting in your post and would naturally think this could only be the case if your lighting is not sufficient and he is not getting d3 to break down the calcium you are giving. simple gut loading 24 hrs before feeding fresh green leaf lettuce, sweet potato, squash and fruits are sufficient or i personally use sticky tongues gut load one week then use fresh veggies and fruits the next. i would not use any animal protein for gut loading (cat food).. calcium w/o d3 every feeding. viatimin/calcium w/d3 twice a month. everyone here uses reptisun 5.0 with a household bulb for heat. i personally use powersun and solarglo bulbs for the uva/uvb and heat. also provide proper temps for him to be able to digest.

Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
* Lighting - What brand, model,how old and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?
* Location - Where are you geographically located?