Is it normal....

Bernie

New Member
....for a Cham to swallow or gulp regularly? (whilst not eating or drinking)

It is the first time we have noticed him doing this and he has appeared a little stressed today.

He seems to be nervous and scared of everything at the moment, could this be related?
 
Not really. Is he salivating abnormally also? Are you seeing saliva and bubbles in his mouth as he's gulping? Is he making popping or gurgling noises while breathing? These are all symptoms of an Upper Respiratory Infection or URI. If thats what your witnessing he needs a vet appt asap. He will need some anitbiotics to fight the infection. The only time my chams hold their heads up and swallow is after a misting session to help them swallow water and keep things going down the right way.
 
I have not noticed any other symptoms regarding bubbles or popping sounds... Here is more info about the little fella....



Chameleon Info:

* Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?Yemen, Male, 3/4months old, around a month in our care
* Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?A couple of times a week briefly
* Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?Crickets, locusts occasional waxworms. Gutloaded with green veggies and carrots. He is fed daily however doesnt always eat every day. When he does eat its usually a few medium crickets/locusts
* Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?Trex calcium plus with every feed
* Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?Dripper system in place. Spray his enclosure about 3 times a day
* Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?Normal looking urate/poop. Not sure on how regular. He is leaving mess though
* History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.


Cage Info:

* Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?Wooden with glass front. 48 high, 36 wide 24 deep
* Lighting - What brand, model, and types of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?100w basking bulb & exo terra UV tube
* Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?95F in the basking spot, 75F at the coolest point (at the bottom)
* Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?Always between 40-60%
* Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?Umbrella & a type of ivy plant. I researched to check non-toxic before purchase
* Placement - Where is your cage located? Is it near any fans, air vents, or high traffic areas? At what height is the top of the cage relative to your room floor?Our cage is in our front room, its generally a quiet household especially during the day. No kids. Top of the cage is 4ft off the ground
* Location - Where are you geographically located?England, UK
 
my cham does that alot of the time,especially when i forget to mist his cage

Sorry to tell you but licking the branches in his enclosure is not the same as holding his head back and gulping or attempting to swallow. If your cham is doing that, then there is something wrong with him/her. Exactly how much exp with chams do you have? If you arent really exp you need to watch out giving help. You can inadvertantly tell someone that something is normal when in fact it isnt and they could wait to long to take the animal to the vet.
 
Sorry to tell you but licking the branches in his enclosure is not the same as holding his head back and gulping or attempting to swallow. If your cham is doing that, then there is something wrong with him/her. Exactly how much exp with chams do you have? If you arent really exp you need to watch out giving help. You can inadvertantly tell someone that something is normal when in fact it isnt and they could wait to long to take the animal to the vet.

I agree. Ive seen this a lot today.
 
95 deg, seems high for a cham that young. My male veiled is a little younge rthan yours and my basking spot is only 85. he may be too hot.
 
95 deg, seems high for a cham that young. My male veiled is a little younge rthan yours and my basking spot is only 85. he may be too hot.

Do you think a lower wattage of maybe 60w would be ok keeping in mind he has quite a large viv?

He also doesn't tend to bask in the hot area that much although he spends almost all of his time in the top third of his viv
 
Do you think a lower wattage of maybe 60w would be ok keeping in mind he has quite a large viv?

He also doesn't tend to bask in the hot area that much although he spends almost all of his time in the top third of his viv

I think that would be fine. if he gets too cold, he will simply move. you dont need to heat the whole viv, and they gasp when they are too hot. try changing it and give it a few days and see how he reacts.
 
I have now placed a 60w bulb in there. His basking temp has reduced by 10-15degrees instantly.

Hopefully this should provide better basking environment now for him. It is quite possible that he has been too warm.

I will be keeping a close eye on him.

One reassuring thing is that there are no signs of RI so far.

Thanks for all advice so far on this matter.
 
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