Gaping - not uri

snitz427

Chameleon Enthusiast
Around Christmas I noticed Charlie gaping outside of his basking spot. He’s always been a gaper when basking but this was unusual. Around the same time, his basking bulb burned out and went unnoticed for about 2 days. I figured it was the making of a URI so off to the vets we went. The vet did not see any other symptoms but prescribed an antibiotic out of an abundance of cation.

Its been 2 months since then and I still see him gaping now and then, outside of the basking area. He will sometimes let his tongue push out a little... but not dangle. I dont see any other unusual behavior for him, and no other signs of URI. He is currently on his last dose of pancur for pinworms (but not on it when symptoms originally presented).

He’s been seen by the vet twice (and two diff vets), both did thorough inspections of his mouth and listened to his chest. No bloodwork was done. He is otherwise behaving normally.

I was giving the whole gang Repashy LoD but recently switched to the traditional method after reading about other forum
Members issues with females on it. My guys are outside a lot in the summer, which is why i switched to LoD, but not at all fall-spring. I figured it was worth a shot to see if anything changes, especially since another cham currently has an unresolved eye issue.

Any thoughts? I am wondering if he is not drinking as often as his plants had grown in pretty thick and blocked much of the mist (and Charlie found the “dry” corner). I rearranged and thinned out the enclosure after a deep clean today and am bumping up the mistings (currently a total of 4.5 mins daily).

Any one have any thoughts on other possible causes? I’ve read kidney/organ issues can cause gaping, blocked airways, and nutrient imbalance. I have been to the vets 3x in the past 2 months, an hour away, so I’d like to go in with some talking points, if possible.

Thanks in advance - sorry for the long winded explanation. Pics below were gaping, and then the second was a yawn/stretch where I was fast with the camera! You may notice a bit of gular edema, as I did, but upon reviewing my photos he seems to have always had a similar shape to it (he is approaching 1.5 yrs old)

0E711841-DF50-44C5-9F99-A20D5EEF68A9.jpeg 9C698E36-D7E6-4FF3-B387-2667B888029E.jpeg B81ECF60-312C-46D0-96F3-D19BBDA50CBA.jpeg A322DA0B-11CB-4BBB-B2A3-E26E71370EC4.jpeg AD996BF2-2CDF-4D1F-9AF9-8387E0FB3B22.jpeg
 
All photos were taken this evening. At times his eyes dont seem as full to me, as i think they should... but then other times I look at him they seem ok. What do ya’ll think?

I cant wait for spring for these guys to go back outside. I feel like I have been helicopter mom’ing them... and they desperately want to go outside. This winter has been tough on us all.
 
What are the Temperatures in your enclosure I think he’s hot, I had that same issue but once I lowered the temperature it stopped.
 
Kismet will occasionally stretch her jaw a few times and keep it a little open after eating a big meal. Has Charlie had something large to eat, recently by any chance? Last time Kiz did it was about 2 weeks ago when I gave her a slightly too large hornworm, and lasted almost 24 hours.

You're super on top of it. Keep an eye in him, and if it worsens or persists then I guess it's back to the vet... that must be so frustrating! I'm sorry your guys are giving you grief. :(

Hopefully someone else will chime in.
 
Kismet will occasionally stretch her jaw a few times and keep it a little open after eating a big meal. Has Charlie had something large to eat, recently by any chance? Last time Kiz did it was about 2 weeks ago when I gave her a slightly too large hornworm, and lasted almost 24 hours.

You're super on top of it. Keep an eye in him, and if it worsens or persists then I guess it's back to the vet... that must be so frustrating! I'm sorry your guys are giving you grief. :(

Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Thank you! I will pay close attention to it in relation to meals, but I did not feed the crew yesterday he was gaping. He did get a decent meal the day before, though. Of course when he sees me notice it, he closes it up. I am not seeing it enough to think he is struggling to breath, but often enough to know it is abnormal.

I need to update the vet on Penne's eye issue, so maybe I'll try to slid Charlie's update in the email (although it was a different vet at the same hospital that saw Charlie).
 
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