Lazy Tongue?

[cla2806]

Hello Everyone,
I posted this in an old thread I had started many many months ago but no one got back to me and I really want to know what I can do for my little guy.
Quick info on his enclosure hes about 2 years old in a large screen cage with an artificial ficus tree (couldn't seem to keep anything living alive!) sprayed 3-4 times a day with water, repti-sun 5.0 and a basking lamp kept around 85 or so degrees. He goes outside on sunny days as well.

As I mentioned in my last thread Urkel had been sick from over supplementation but got better after about a month or so. That was about a year ago. The current problem I am having is that I had stopped varying his feeders (I was giving him super-worms, that were gut-loaded with various veggies and fruits) for about 2 months. I would throw some crickets in whenever I had bought some for him but he was mainly eating the supers which I wasn't dusting (I know I am an ***).

Now I know this is bad on my part, before this I was varying his feeders with crickets,horn-worms,silks,supers and butter worms (he won't eat dubias). I was dusting his crickets 3 times a week with calcium and once a week with a calcium w/vit d, although sometimes I would skip because I would take him outside when the sun was out, and he would get a multivitamin about once a month.

So last week I tried to feed him some crickets and he was not shooting his tongue very far if at all. His accuracy is bad, and I figured this was due to the lack of vitamins and from eating out of a cup for almost 2 months. Now he was doing fine with he crickets when I did throw them in there I would always stand by to watch him eat a few and he seemed to be doing great. up until this past week or so that he just can't catch them and gets extremely close only to miss anyways. I have been bringing him outside everyday it doesn't rain. He loves crickets and I hate to see him chasing them around his cage only to not be able to catch them. I have been dusting them and gut-loading them with fruits and veggies and hand-feeding them to him.

Is this the best way to help recuperate? What else should I do? I feel so guilty for screwing him up again I guess I underestimate how sensitive these guys are.

 

[sandrachameleon]

no one got back to you? The "hesitant" thread I remember had multiple replies.

if it happened suddenly, its likely due to injury
if tongue function /aim slowly got worse its likely a supplementation issue.
or dehydration.

cup/bowl feeding doesn't cause tongue issues.

How about you answer fully and in detail all the questions in the how to ask for help sticky:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/how-ask-help-66/
it will help people help you and your chameleon.

info about tongue issues:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/sandrachameleon/232-tongue-troubles.html

 

[lancaster0861]

Do you think this may have been going on for some time and you just may have not noticed since he was eating out of a cup and didn't have to shoot far at all ever? I guess what im asking is did you only noticed it because the other day he was forced to have to shoot a decent distance and was unable to hit it then? He may have not been able to shoot accurately distances for sometime and you just now noticed it when he tried for a long shot. My guy got a tongue injury once and he basically quite shooting and eating all together for about two weeks, but that may not be the case with yours. He could have a less severe injury or possibly supplemental issues as all was said before.

 

[cla2806]

I did get responses to the old post, but I added to it in hopes that people would recognize it and help me out again but didn't happen so I posted a new thread. Its all good.

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - Panther Nosy be, about 2 years old have had him since he was a wee baby.
Handling - Never
Feeding - He was eating crickets,horns,supers,silks,butters usually ate about 6-8 crickets a day, and depending on the size of the worms 3-4. He ate well basically.
Supplements - Repashy calcium (not the plus just the calcium) Herptivite multivitamins, Reptivite calcium with vit D. was getting calcium 3x a week vit with d once a week or going outside often and mutli vit about once a month.
Watering - Hand mist 3 to 4 times a day no issues with dehydration from his urine
Fecal Description - has been tested, parasite free, no issues with poop either brown with white as usual.
History - Did get sick because of over supplementation but he recovered well.


Cage Info:

Cage Type - screen cage,lg
Lighting - repti sun 5.0, basking light
Temperature - lowest temp is about 70 ish at night, basking temp between 85-88
Humidity -honestly dont use the humidity gauge I just mist often since I have fake plants and I make sure he drinks, as mentioned never seemed to be dehydrated by the looks of his urine
Plants - artificial ficus tree
Placement - in a room not near vents or windows. sits on a shelf about 4 ft off ground so cage about 7 feet including table.
Location -Norfolk, VA

Current problem as mentioned I stopped varying his feeders and he can't seem to shoot accurately or any kind of distance. He just tries to scoop the crickets up which doesn't work.

 

[cla2806]

I really don't think he injured his tongue although it could be possible, I don't see anything abnormal about it and it isn't hanging out of his mouth. I am guessing its due to the lack of supplements since I was not dusting the supers just gut-loading them.

I was just wondering if I should keep hand feeding him the dusted and gut-loaded crickets and if that would be enough, I am taking him outside everyday I can and watering him a bunch.

 

[lancaster0861]

Yea if you feel like it may be a supplemental issue I would def start with keeping his feeders varied and well gut-loaded. I would take a look at the blog on here i believe it is by sandrachameleon. I apologize if im wrong but there is a really good one one here about gut loading. Make sure they have a good and thorough gut loaded. Also, im sure you know: calcium with no D3 at every feeding and with D3 twice a month or maybe even less if you take him out alot. Then a good multi-vitamin twice a month, and you cant go wrong if you just stick with the basics! Depending on his condition it actually might be a good idea to take him to the vet though. Def all the other stuff first and foremost though is a good start. I would def do what you gotta do to keep well gutloaded and suplemented food in his stomach cause that is gonna key for him to stay strong and recover quickly. A vet may give him a calcium shot but im not real knowledgeable and don't want to give advice that a vet should be giving i could very well be wrong.

 

[sandrachameleon]

a wide range of prey is always preferable. If you can go back to the range of feeders you used to offer, that would be great.

you didn't say how you gutload?

always properly gutload and lightly dust the crickets and any supers (offer not too many supers) with calcium.

don't dust the butterworms, unless its the occasional use of vitamins and youre not gutloading the butterworms.

gutload the silkworms -only need to lightly dust about half of those unless they form a big part of the diet

You can dust with herptivite 2-4 times a month (once a month may not be enough if you're not gutloading well). make sure the gutload provides thiamin (Legumes; yeast; oranges; cantaloupe; spriulina; many kinds of seeds (sunflower seeds, seseame, flax); many kinds of nuts (brazil, macadamia, filbert, pecan); kelp; dandelion leaves) and Riboflavin (Yeast; spirulina; almonds; sweet red/green peppers; lychee; dandelion leaves; legumes)

if you go with a moderate supplementation schedule, and the cham gets what it needs, the tongue issue should resolve if indeed it has been a supplementation issue. Can also resolve dehydration (though I know you've indicated that's not it) fairly quickly.

a blood test from a vet might be helpful

if he is having trouble catching the food, go back to cup/bowl feeding until the issue is resolved.