chameleon not having a working tongue
- Thread starter inferno
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eisentrauti
Avid Member
Do you supplement the food of the chameleon ?
ColorCham427
Avid Member
were you cup feeding him prior to the tongue problem?
Titan
New Member
Yes that is one way, by injecting the feeder before feeding off. OR the Vet if asked will usually have flexable tipped syringe, that looks like a needle, oniy its plactic. You can insert the plastic tip into the very front of the Chams mouth even when closed or mostly closed and inject at the front of the tongue, Since its mouth is already closed is will swallow it down.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
Is this toungue issue a sudden change, or has the problem got gradually worse over time?
Nutritional deficiencies (insufficient calcium or vitamins) are typically a slower, more chronic loss of tongue function. The chameleon tongue's aim may become misguided, or the tongue's reach gradually decreases until the chameleon can project it just a little or not at all. Missing the insects is often a sign of a deficiency in B vitamins (and sometimes vitamin A deficiency).
A good supplement or improved gutload containing these vitamins usually helps within a couple weeks if vitamin deficiency is the reason and the case is not too far gone.
Gutloading insects with leafy fresh greens such as dandelion will provide adequate Vitamin B (and of course other vits) to the diet. Another very good source of vitamins including B vits is Bee Pollen. Alfalfa is also a good choice for B Vitamins - its an easily digestible source of protein, B-complex vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium. Many pastas are fortified with Vitamin B, There is thiamin in Sunflower seeds and wheat bran, B2 riboflavin in green leafy vegetables, fish, legumes, whole grains, B3 Niacin in cereals, legumes, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and Yams / sweet potatoes also have some B vits.
Other possibilities are mouth or tongue infection or abscesses, damage to the tongue itself (hit something sharp or cricket leg spines), parasites,...
There are a couple threads related to tongue issues already - try a search
Nutritional deficiencies (insufficient calcium or vitamins) are typically a slower, more chronic loss of tongue function. The chameleon tongue's aim may become misguided, or the tongue's reach gradually decreases until the chameleon can project it just a little or not at all. Missing the insects is often a sign of a deficiency in B vitamins (and sometimes vitamin A deficiency).
A good supplement or improved gutload containing these vitamins usually helps within a couple weeks if vitamin deficiency is the reason and the case is not too far gone.
Gutloading insects with leafy fresh greens such as dandelion will provide adequate Vitamin B (and of course other vits) to the diet. Another very good source of vitamins including B vits is Bee Pollen. Alfalfa is also a good choice for B Vitamins - its an easily digestible source of protein, B-complex vitamins, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and potassium. Many pastas are fortified with Vitamin B, There is thiamin in Sunflower seeds and wheat bran, B2 riboflavin in green leafy vegetables, fish, legumes, whole grains, B3 Niacin in cereals, legumes, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and Yams / sweet potatoes also have some B vits.
Other possibilities are mouth or tongue infection or abscesses, damage to the tongue itself (hit something sharp or cricket leg spines), parasites,...
There are a couple threads related to tongue issues already - try a search
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
I suggest a vet visit regardless, to ensure you know the real nature of the issue. You didnt answer my previous question regarding how fast this issue came on. But if it is a minor vitamin deficiency issue, improving your gutloading should resolve the issue within a couple weeks.
luismi126
New Member
well a couple months ago he got really sick, i took him to the vet and he said he had a blood infection. He sent him some medicine, I had to inject him every couple days for like two weeks, and I had to feed him with a syringe for a few days until he got better to feed on his own. After a week or so he started to get better. He shed his skin and looked a lot better, he started to eat on his own but his tongue only came out about an inch. He eats normally, but he wont shoot out his tongue like he used to.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
oh so it may be a result of the medication or from the original infection I guess. Did the vet suggest this may be a side effect? Perhaps the problem will correct itself as the chameleon gets stronger/recovers from the infection.
What was the medication that you gave the chameleon when it was sick? Did the vet say what the infection was?
Did the vet give it any other shots or medications during your visit?
What supplements (be specific, please) do you use and how often do you use each? What do you gutload/feed to the insects? What UVB light do you have and is it a compact, spiral, long linear tube, etc.?
Did the vet give it any other shots or medications during your visit?
What supplements (be specific, please) do you use and how often do you use each? What do you gutload/feed to the insects? What UVB light do you have and is it a compact, spiral, long linear tube, etc.?
luismi126
New Member
the medicine he gave him was ceftazidime, I dont remember the kind of infection he said the cham had, i just remember he said it was in his blood. on the day of the vet visit he took a blood sample and he injected him with something, I dont remember what.(sorry i have a bad memory, I have to look around for the papers). Before he stopped eating crickets, I used to feed the crickets carrots. I also feed him superworms, pheonix worms, wax worms, and last week I gave him a couple hornworms for the first time, but I dont gutload any of them. I order some roaches yesterday, lets see how he likes them. I give him Rep-cal phosphorus free calcium with vit.d3 once a week, rep-cal herptivite multivitamins once every 2 weeks, and sticky tongue farms miner-all once every 2 weeks. the uvb light is a long tube exo terra 5.0 repti-glo.
You said..."Before he stopped eating crickets, I used to feed the crickets carrots. I also feed him superworms, pheonix worms, wax worms, and last week I gave him a couple hornworms for the first time, but I dont gutload any of them"...its important to gutload them and to feed them after you buy them so that whatever they were being fed before you got them is out of their system IMHO. You can feed crickets a wide variety of greens (dandelions, kale, collards, endive, escarole, mustard greens, etc.) and veggies (carrots, squash, zucchini, sweet potato, sweet red peppers, celery leaves, etc.) so that you will be giving your chameleon healthier insects.
Its also important to dust them properly. Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. I dust the insects at most feedings with a phos. free calcium powder. I also dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin D3 and twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder.
Poor tongue function can be caused by an imbalance of calcium, a tongue injury, etc. A vet could tell you what the problem is.
Its also important to dust them properly. Since many of the feeder insects have a poor ratio of calcium to phos. I dust the insects at most feedings with a phos. free calcium powder. I also dust twice a month with a vitamin powder that contains a beta carotene source of vitamin D3 and twice a month with a phos.-free calcium/D3 powder.
Poor tongue function can be caused by an imbalance of calcium, a tongue injury, etc. A vet could tell you what the problem is.
sandrachameleon
Chameleon Enthusiast
oh dear. So he's only been eating crap, essentially. As i said in my first response, Nutritional deficiencies are a common cause of tongue (and other health) issues. Good gutloading is very important. I highly recommend you start gutloading, and perhaps offer a better variety of feeder insects as well.
The roaches will be easy to gutload, supers can be gutloaded. I suggest you Stop offering waxworms at all - they are high in fat and low in anything useful. Some chameleons will stop eating crickets and other insects in favour of fatty larva - kinda like human children (and some adults) will choose candy and fast food over healthy vegetables. I would guess that an improved diet will go a long way to improving the health of your chameleon.
Here are some links to information you may find helpful:
Gutloading http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=101
Gutloading https://www.chameleonforums.com/gutloading-recipes-1803/
Gutloading http://www.screameleons.com/site/3602/default.aspx
Bug nutrition http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=92
Bug nutrition https://www.chameleonforums.com/cha...t-having-working-24348/nutri...22/#post171073
List of feeders: https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/74-feeders.html
