Chameleon Tongue Problems

[Mitcchar]

So I have been cup feeding my panther chameleon ever since I got him at the beginning of February. He has been great and eating a good amount, but over the past week he hasn’t been shooting his tongue right. He misses a decent amount of the time and sometimes it looks like he can’t shoot it out as far as normal. Anybody have any idea what might have caused this or how to fix it. He’s also sitting inside the feeder run I made to eat instead of shooting from the outside, like he normally did.

 

[Beman]

What supplements are you using and in what rotation? What is your UVB type and distance?

 

[Mitcchar]

Calcium without D3 every day except for the 1st and 15th where I use multivitamin with D3. UVB is a zoo med hood that is 5 inches away from the branch raised by 3 inches. I need to check that though real quick

 

[Mitcchar]

Ok so it’s 4 inches off the top and 5 inches below the screen is the branch

 

[kinyonga]

Sorry to hear your chameleon is having tongue issues.
What is the UVB bulb strength? Is it a long linear tube light?
What’s the source of vitamin A in the vitamins?

 

[Mitcchar]

It’s the 5.0 T5HO

 

[Mitcchar]

It’s the Reptivite multivitamin that has the vitamin A

 

[Mitcchar]

These are the ingredients

 

[Mitcchar]

And another one of the chameleon

 

[Beman]

Ok all of that is correct.... What were you feeding him? Any hornworms?

 

[Mitcchar]

I fed him a couple a couple weeks ago

 

[Mitcchar]

Ohhhh, do you think they might’ve bitten him

 

[Beman]

Is that when you noticed the issue? So two things I get concerned about with hornworms... Size being fed because they have a nasty bite and how they are being fed because they suction cup to everything. Both of these can cause damage to a tongue. If bitten you can get infection. If targeted and the hornworm did not release you can get a hyper extended tongue.

 

[Mitcchar]

Ok so if he did get a hyperextended tongue, is there any way that it will heal or will it have to be amputated?

 

[Beman]

Ok so if he did get a hyperextended tongue, is there any way that it will heal or will it have to be amputated?

As long as he is pulling it back in you are good... It will strengthen over time if that is what happened. If he gapes at you try to get a look at the mouth and tongue to make sure there is not a wound.

Take a picture of the entire set up for me so I can see lights on top compared to the branches below.

And I know this is redundant but it is calcium without D3 that you are using? Can you post a pic for me in case it is a brand not used for chams.

 

[Mitcchar]

Yep here is the enclosure and supplements. I am also going to be adding some more foliage to make it a bit fuller. And there is normally a heat light on and I have the thermostat that turns off when it gets a little too hot to make sure he doesn’t get burned.

 

[Beman]

Yep here is the enclosure and supplements. I am also going to be adding some more foliage to make it a bit fuller. And there is normally a heat light on and I have the thermostat that turns off when it gets a little too hot to make sure he doesn’t get burned.

With the home made feeder run. Did you make sure that the cut plastic edges were not sharp? This can be done with a lighter along the edge to melt it slightly.

 

[Mitcchar]

will do

 

[Mitcchar]

How much should I be feeding him per day? He is approximately 6 months old

 

[CalamityCrow]

How much should I be feeding him per day? He is approximately 6 months old

At 6mos you can still feed him daily as much as he'll eat. I'd say just keep an eye on his casque and cheeks to make sure he doesn't get overweight. He's still growing and needs all his nutrients!