I was asking to see if, when she drinks, it’s on her own or with a syringe. If she opens and closes her mouth while she is drinking or eating the liquid diet, you could try sticking a small to medium sized bug, head first, so it ends up between her teeth, to see if she will eat it. It might get her back to eating insects.
Chameleon tongue completely detached
- Thread starter KailieBug
- Start date
KailieBug
Member
Oh, unfortunately she is not voluntarily opening her mouth yet. She's not fighting as much, but we do have to use the side of the syringe against her gums to force her to open her mouth. I've thought about trying to get a bug in that way, but I need a third hand to hold her, the syringe, and the bug!
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Do you have a feeding station in which you can leave a bug or two and see if she’ll eat it later on her own? She will learn but needs to be given opportunity to work it out.
KailieBug
Member
Yes, I've bought her a feeding station for this, and have 2 wax worms and 2 meal worms in it right now
KailieBug
Member
I've also bought her a larger cage, I was planning to upgrade anyway, but this prompted me to buy the cage sooner rather than later. It's bigger than I thought though (going from 18x18x30 to 24x24x48) so I need get more plants before I move her. Don't want to move her while she's still under a ton of stress though either.
KailieBug
Member
She may have issues targeting into that one and with in not being very stable. The ones that full throttle feeders makes are more secure without movement or the shooting gallery that Tk chameleons makes in a size large hooks totally against the screen. Very easy for them to get to and pick off feeders if they do not have the ability to shoot.
If that is a waterfall in the bottom you want to pull that out... Not only are they bacteria growers so they are not recommended for chameleons but very dangerous to have electrical like that in a cham cage that gets so much moisture.
KailieBug
Member
Thanks for the advice. I'll remove the waterfall (never seen her actually use it anyway) and will get the shooting gallery.
Since we're here... Any advice for drainage at the bottom of the cage? I can't keep it dry!
Yeah you will never have a dry bottom. You need a drain pan that you either wet vac or have it plumbed so that it will drain into a bucket.
This one would work well and is 26x26 so it would work for the big cage too... Then you can just hook pvc pipe fittings up to the drain and have that pour into a bucket. https://www.amazon.com/DiversiTech-...re+water+heater+pan+with+drain,aps,137&sr=8-7
KailieBug
Member
Orrr not... says it can't deliver to my address. Possibly because I'm in Canada. I'll keep looking for something similar though.
oh yeah I am in the states so pulling from amazon US. Look up the name of the product on the Canada Amazon. Might be available through there.
KailieBug
Member
She's eating, she's eating, she's eating! Leaves... But still. It's been 2 weeks today since Kailie lost her tongue. For the past few days I have been able to get her to take one wax worm or meal worm along with her syringe feeding. I still have to use the syringe to open her mouth, but she will eat the one. Today, I managed to get her to swallow 1 meal worm and 2 wax worms before she clamped down and refused to open her mouth even with the syringe. But tonight I was watching her in her cage, and at first I thought she was trying to drink from the leaves... Until she tore a pothos leaf right off and started chomping away. I was a bit worried at first, as I didn't know they could eat leaves, but upon some research, pothos and ficus are safe, and apparently they'll eat them for roughage to help digestion. So it's encouraging at least!
she's still sleeping more than I would like, but tonight she was more active than she has been since she lost her tongue.
she's still sleeping more than I would like, but tonight she was more active than she has been since she lost her tongue.
Gloriawood
Chameleon Enthusiast
Do not get me started on them eating plants
my guy LOVES to eat his pathos. Stripped a small money tree of leaves ones (a little help from my poor gardening skills and we managed to completely kill it 
) I’m so glad to see that your girl is improving 
elizaann2
Chameleon Enthusiast
Thanks for the update. Sending you a hug. I’m so happy to hear she is eating. Even if it is just her pothos. That’s a start
KailieBug
Member
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/yhAzTFiuJ4u6xmPx/?mibextid=oFDknk
Look at her try to eat bugs!! She hasn't quite figured it out yet, but she's trying
Look at her try to eat bugs!! She hasn't quite figured it out yet, but she's trying
MissSkittles
Chameleon Enthusiast
Maybe try a smaller bowl that she can get up close to. That one she can’t get close enough to reach the wax worm. Sweet little honey will get it figured out. It’s great that she’s working on it.
It’s great that she’s working on it.
