help!

[happiness]

Emergency! Possible swallowing of the tongue????

My friend went to feed my chameleon a dubia roach and the chameleon went for her hand instead and she pulled back... and I noticed right after the chameleon moved quickly around and her tongue seemed weird and now she doesn't shoot her tongue out all the way!!!!!! It still shoots out but not far like it usually does.. what do I do?!?!

 

[Kath44]

She may have bruised, or pulled it. Not sure what to suggest, apart from make sure she's drinking and eating ok. It could be back to normal after a day or so. If worried and she's not eating etc, I can only suggest a vet visit.kath.

 

[happiness]

She is still eating the crickets I show to her right now but when she shoots her tongue out its purple and very short. Is it possible she swallowed the long part and is using the boney part??

I don't know what to do.

I don't want to just let her be if she swallowed her tongue.. Is it possible the tongue got stuck to itself???

 

[Kath44]

I don't know. Will she let you see in her mouth? Maybe it's worth a vet visit to be safe. Kath.

 

[happiness]

The only way to see into her mouth is to scare her. :\

 

[happiness]

She just shot it out 3inches but she shoots it out a lot slower than usual.. I'm hoping its something that'll heal soon but if not, I'll definitely be taking her to the vet. :'( I feel so bad..

Since she is able to shoot her tongue 3 inches, does that mean she didn't swallow her tongue? or could it be possible that part of it is swallowed?

 

[zsazsa85]

I have a veiled female she is about 4 month as well. I have a similar problem.
I have her for two months now and not long after we got her, her tongue started to act weird. So her appetite was and still is huge,so at least that part was/is ok. But time after time her tongue got worse: she went for the crickets and her tongue didn't stick out,but the bone part. I saw the purpleish,redish veins. She couldn't catch them of course. She went closer and closer. But at the end of the day there were no crickets so somehow she did catch them.
(+When she was about 2,5 months old, she fell down the brench once while she was asleep.
+ I overdosed her accidently with D+ and multivit.)
Not long ago I read about RI and she had almost all the symptoms. So I took her to the vet this Monday, but unfortunately we don't have any reptile vet around. I told the vet what I think it is and she gave her Baytril. I should give the antibiotic for 3 weeks,but after couple of mailing with Dr Alfonso, I've decided I give her only for 10 days at the very most.
Well I don't want to "be happy too early" but she looks better! The RI symptoms are almost gone and her tongue works. Not perfectly yet, so she is close, but it works.
So will see...

Sorry for the long story but I wanted you to know some history about "our" tongue issue.
Dr Alfonso also told me,that tongue issue can be caused by anything,it is so complicated.
Long story short I have no idea what is wrong with her tongue,but she seems to get better in every way.
Another forum member told me that his cham had the same tongue issue and after a while it was just gone and everything was just fine!
Take her to the vet definitely!
I think at least she eats,so that is good news. Do you see her "puking out"her tongue? 'Cause mine did.
I was and still am worried very much,but I was happy knowing she eats!

 

[TruBlu]

It was probably a hypertension and may be bruised or swollen . The fact that its still using the tongue for its main function is a good sign. Give it a few days for any damage to repair and it should return to normal use. If not...... Vets

 

[Olimpia]

You can't swallow your tongue and still shoot it out, a swallowed tongue looks like the attached photo. The only thing that remains is the hyoid bone, and this can't grab food.

 

[happiness]

Thank you Olimpia. A big relief to hear. I don't know how I would have been able to pry her mouth open...

Thanks Trublu.


@Zsasza Great to hear your chameleon is getting better.
When it first happened and my friend pulled her hand back with my chameleons tongue stuck on her hand.. I noticed purpleness sticking out of my chameleons mouth, she was hiding behind the leaves so I couldn't get a good view of the tongue but I knew when my friend pulled her hand back, it wasn't going to be good... It seemed as if my chameleon was choking at first.. then she had her mouth fully closed and hid in the back of the enclosure. I began to try to feed her crickets to see if she could use her tongue and she couldn't shoot it out at all but was still going for the crickets and I'm guessing was able to get one with the bone on her tongue.. when I walked away while she was chewing the cricket, my friend and my boyfriend said that she spit out her tongue and that it "all came out". So I'm thinking she might have swallowed her tongue in the beginning but was able to force it back up because after that she was able to shoot it, very slowly.. but not as far as she can usually shoot her tongue. She would see a cricket and try to shoot it but it would only get 2 inches and the cricket was about 4 inches away. About 30 minutes later she could shoot a little farther.. so I'm hoping today her tongue will be a little better.. I'm scared to feed her but she's gotta eat. Just hoping for the best. If she doesn't get better.. I hope there is a really nice reptile vet around my area..

 

[zsazsa85]

Mine could never catch crickets with the bone part.
I would take her to the vet of course (if there is a good one). Hopefully it will heal itself with time!
All the best for your cham!!! And please keep us informed!

 

[zsazsa85]

How is your cham happiness?