Over all health and possible start of mouth rot

[Sang]

All right so here is my sambava at 5 months old.

http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s356/Sangai_2008/IMG_1101.jpg
http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s356/Sangai_2008/IMG_1100.jpg
http://i511.photobucket.com/albums/s356/Sangai_2008/IMG_1098.jpg

do the photos of his mouth show any signs of mouth rot, he had some shed that i thought came off of his mouth retained, i thought it fell off but it looks like it may still be on the lips torwards the front, can this cause mouth rot?..



Overall he appears healthy , weighs in at 65 grams. and looks like he is begining his shed soon.

reptisun 5.0.
automister 4 -10min sessions a day, i changed this because his fecal was starting to look dehydrated. very orange with a head of white on it.
hopefully upping his misting times will remedy the situation.
*humidity ranges as low as 55 and as high as 80.
lights are on from 6:00am-6:00pm
temps at night 65. day tems low 70's and basking temp is 85.

Overall my concern would be the one spot on his lip that is showing kind of a dry/not smooth lining on his lip.

 

[Chamgirl]

Personally I couldn't imagine retained shed causing mouth rot. His lips don't look disfigured to me in those photos. The only way to know for sure would be to look into his mouth, especially the roof and look for pus. I would say though that from the evidence you have presented there is no sign of mouth rot. My late Globifer chameleon suffered and died from mouth rot BTW, so I know its a nasty condition

 

[sandrachameleon]

Im no expert about mouth rot, but I dont see anything too serious looking. Keep an eye on the area that looks like it has retained shed. Get him to gape at you and check in his mouth for thick saliva or cheesy-like yellow or green goop in the mouth, look for swollen infected gums, red or black or pussy looking gums, watch to ensure he fully closes his mouth (leaving the mouth partially open could mean sore gums). watch for signs of appetite reduction. If you are worried, see a vet for check-up.

 

[ciafardo 4]

sandra is right on, also if you can look out for ulcers in the mouth. Is he still eating ? In my expierience when they have stomatitis they won't eat.

 

[ciafardo 4]

Oh and by the way he's a real looker!

 

[Chameleons Northwest]

Sang
Is this the little Sambava you got from us? He looks great.
The mouth situation does not look bad. You are probably right on about the residual shed but I would keep on eye on it.
To look in his mouth the very best item to use is a very small rubber spatula like from the grocery store. Just don't put it back into the kitchen after you use it for your cham. Gently rub it between his gums. He may open his mouth and start to bite the rubber. That is good. Just turn it in his mouth until you can see the gums and inner lips. If he squirms a lot and you can't seem to get him to sit still, wrap him in a towel. Warm and dry helps.

As for lip rot it is an awful affliction that affects many reptiles not just chams. But Reptaid will knock out lip rot in a hurry. There is no reason why anyone should lose a reptile to lip rot anymore. Just spread the word about Reptaid and the incredible benefits it provides for reptiles. On our website there is a testimonial with before and after pictures of a very sick bearded dragon who had lip rot. Reptaid cleared it right up. Check it out.

 

[Sang]

he eats when he wants, havn't rreally tried going for a few days without feeding him, usually through out the day he'll pick off a cricket or a few, maybe 2-3 supers depending..


his appetite seems to be down in comparison to what it used to be..... im not sure if its time for him to slow down to only a few every couple of days though...

 

[Fate X]

my female sambava just recovered from liprot she got a month or so ago.it started as a small ulcer then in like 4-5 days infected her lip.i used a powder that i got at the petstore and i made a paste from it and put in on her mouth.
the ulcer showed up after she laid eggs so i gave her some calcium too.
she had stopped eating for a week,shes eating good now.

 

[Nicodemayo]

Take a look into his mouth. His teeth should be miscolored, maybe even some brownish "plaque" looking stuff along his teeth. If his teeth are really white at the area where you think the mouth rot is starting, keep an eye on it. Also i think your 10min sessions 4 times a day is a bit overkill.

 

[ciafardo 4]

Take a look into his mouth. His teeth should be miscolored, maybe even some brownish "plaque" looking stuff along his teeth. If his teeth are really white at the area where you think the mouth rot is starting, keep an eye on it. Also i think your 10min sessions 4 times a day is a bit overkill.

how bout it waste water much hahaha!

 

[Sang]

keep in mind nico, this is arizona. its very dry here all year around with an average of 10-20% humidity.


the 4 sessions are more like, my hand misting in the morning for 5 mins. then 3 10 mins sessions.

ive had much advice from many different members on the forums about it.

 

[sandrachameleon]

Im all for saving water and not wasting, but please continue to Mist and drip however much is necessary to provide the correct ambient humidity and sufficient drinking water.