Our Panther/Nosey-be has been having problems with his tongue, he was just sticking it out a bit and not retracting it fully, but now he has progressed to hanging upside down with it fully extended and letting it dry out. He has been gnawing at it and pulling on it with his front feet. We have been relentlessly spraying it and soaking it in a dish of spring water, but he seems to want to take it off! Not many exotic vets in the area so we are having a problem getting an appointment, ('just drop him off and we will try to work him into our schedule!" is the answer I got, but I don't wan't to stress him out more!) Any suggestions?
Cham seems to want to get rid of his tongue!
- Thread starter TamRundus
- Start date
Dez
Chamalot Chameleons
it sounds to me that if there is a problem and damage to his tongue and not functioning properly it may need to be amputated. Unfortunately I think that is something a vet will have to do.. Or maybe it can be re-set in his mouth. I am not sure though. again a vet would know better than me
I have heard of chams biting off their tongues before and even swallowing them.
I have heard of chams biting off their tongues before and even swallowing them.
Unfortunately you need to get him to a vet. If the tongue hangs out it will dry out and have to be amputated...and also he can't chew with it hung out. If its hanging out, you need to keep it moist...perhaps by putting him in a petpal with some water on the floor of the cage deep enough to cover the tongue without drowning the chameleon until you can get it to the vet.
It could be that something is stuck where the tongue is stored, or that the tongue isn't sitting/folding back on the hyoid spike properly...or a number of other things.
It could be that something is stuck where the tongue is stored, or that the tongue isn't sitting/folding back on the hyoid spike properly...or a number of other things.
Rune
New Member
Aww.. Well hope the little guy is allright.Well, he got his way, the vet did have to amputate his tongue. Now to try and train him to eat with out it! Thank you for your help though, I love this site and all the people on here willing to help each other!
I saw you lived in denton, I live in richardson, and Im wondering what vet did you use? I need to find a good cham vet.
If you hold the insects close to him (allow him to see it first) if he's hungry he will likely eat it. Eat time you feed him after that, move the insect a little further away so he learns to chase after it. Most of them can learn within a few days how to eat without a tongue.
Hoj
Friendly Grasshopper
hey, so i have a cham who lost his tounge about 8 m ago and it will be difficult at first to get him to eat as his mouth will hurt and it will be awkward.
i had to forcefeed my guy for a few weeks to keep him going. but there is hope and they can learn to be exclusivly hand fed and even get the bug on thier own.
to give my guy more of a chance and make feeding easier, i remove the jumping legs from crickets and use more soft bodied food ie, butterworms.
to remove the legs i put the crickets in the fridge for 3 or 4 min witch slows them down then i cut off their legs with little cuticle scissors.
i you goto my profile and check thread by me you will find many that are about my little veiled "Camo" when he lost his tounge.
my guy also to a liking to fruits and veggies at this time as well, to get him interested i starte by rubbing the juice from a pc of kiwi on his lips and he went from there.
feel free to pm me and i will help you as much as i can. i was a bit of a battle but im proff that you can keep a cham with no tounge alive and healthy.
best of luck my thoughts are with you and your cham
hoj
i had to forcefeed my guy for a few weeks to keep him going. but there is hope and they can learn to be exclusivly hand fed and even get the bug on thier own.
to give my guy more of a chance and make feeding easier, i remove the jumping legs from crickets and use more soft bodied food ie, butterworms.
to remove the legs i put the crickets in the fridge for 3 or 4 min witch slows them down then i cut off their legs with little cuticle scissors.
i you goto my profile and check thread by me you will find many that are about my little veiled "Camo" when he lost his tounge.
my guy also to a liking to fruits and veggies at this time as well, to get him interested i starte by rubbing the juice from a pc of kiwi on his lips and he went from there.
feel free to pm me and i will help you as much as i can. i was a bit of a battle but im proff that you can keep a cham with no tounge alive and healthy.
best of luck my thoughts are with you and your cham
hoj
