Mouth Hygiene

[flowapowagirl]

Hi there, I was wondering whether anyone could point me in the direction of information about a chameleons mouth.... whats healthy... whats not.

And also, should I be cleaning my chameleons mouth? I wouldn't even know how to get him to open his mouth. He's a big softy and only really opens his mouth in the morning, any tips and information would be great! THANK YOU

 

[Kath44]

I see no reason why we need to clean a chams mouth as a usual routine.
You may need to if there is someone wrong, infection, puss, things like that. Which would be done with advice of your vet.
I'm sure there is a thread regarding healthy mouths around the forum. Maybe do a search for it.
Kath.

 

[flowapowagirl]

Yeah, I did a search for a couple different version of mouth problems. The only reason I ask is because I noticed the bottom of his tounge is a grey colour, so I wanted to know what was healthy....

 

[Chuck G]

You should be checking your chameleons regularly. Some species seem to have more mouth problems than others. Parson's and Deremensis in particular. I use a great product called OraZn pet oral care. It's made by Addison Biological Laboratory. Vet checks should be made regularly and checking the mouth should be part of it.

 

[Carlton]

Yeah, I did a search for a couple different version of mouth problems. The only reason I ask is because I noticed the bottom of his tounge is a grey colour, so I wanted to know what was healthy....

Hard to say anything about the actual colors of the tongue without a picture. The coloration can vary individually.

Common mouth problems include infections in the temporal gland at the corner of the mouth. Not all species have problems with it. Sometimes a cham will cut its gum or lip on a hard feeder shell or a cricket leg spine. Sometimes residue or bits of exoskeleton get stuck along the gumline. Mouth injuries can result in stomatitis (aka "mouth rot") which is an infection that will need to be treated. Signs of infections include pinkish or reddened area around the cut, patches of pale cheesy material building up at the sore, and swelling.

 

[Carlton]

You should be checking your chameleons regularly. Some species seem to have more mouth problems than others. Parson's and Deremensis in particular. I use a great product called OraZn pet oral care. It's made by Addison Biological Laboratory. Vet checks should be made regularly and checking the mouth should be part of it.

I'd add jackson's to your list because of the temporal gland issues.

 

[flowapowagirl]

Thank you so much! That is really good information. I would just prefer to be in the know before something bad happens rather than wait and then wonder what's going on. I think my Cham is probably fine. He will drink from a Pipette and I just noticed his tongue and couldn't remember if it was all pink or grey and pink so thoughts if ask. Some time when he is drinking he makes a clicking noise possibly when he has too much water and he's not swallowing properly. Then I though I've never actually checked in his mouth for any checks. how do you grey them to open their mouths without making them stressed? Is it actually possible? Thank you so much everyone for your help