Connorology
Avid Member
I have a positive update regarding my chameleon's condition: After 12 days of treatment for an oral infection he has improved noticeably (See: https://www.chameleonforums.com/thr...tive-care-for-sick-jacksons-chameleon.146572/). His mouth is almost entirely healed and after about two weeks off feed he willingly ate a dubia roach and a waxworm this afternoon. He is still more lethargic than I would like, but he's awake and alert all day.
I got his weight back up to 50 grams via a week of force feeding with bug juice, and his stool once again appears normal (it had been rather watery when he was refusing food and before I started the bug juice syringe feedings). So, good progress and I think his condition is stable for the immediate future.
That said, there are a whole new set of issues I could probably use suggestions on (and that I'd like to have ideas about before my follow up with the veterinarian).
1) He appears to be having difficulty deploying his tongue. I fed him with a tong and when it became clear he was interested in the food item I just put it next to his head and he gobbled it up without hitting it with his tongue. I'm guessing this could be residual swelling from his infection. Or potentially atrophy from a couple weeks of not using it. Does anyone have experience with tongue weakness after illness?
2) He is willingly eating, but not actively hunting. He has a food dish that I have kept stocked with dubias and waxworms, and he's showing no interest in it unless I dangle one in front of him with tongs.
3) Is there calorie information for feeder insects available somewhere? I want to know how much he needs to be accepting daily in order to maintain body weight. I've been weighing him daily too, but if I need to resume bug juice feeding I don't want to wait for him to drop a bunch of weight again.
Thoughts? Feelings?
Thanks again for your feedback.
I got his weight back up to 50 grams via a week of force feeding with bug juice, and his stool once again appears normal (it had been rather watery when he was refusing food and before I started the bug juice syringe feedings). So, good progress and I think his condition is stable for the immediate future.
That said, there are a whole new set of issues I could probably use suggestions on (and that I'd like to have ideas about before my follow up with the veterinarian).
1) He appears to be having difficulty deploying his tongue. I fed him with a tong and when it became clear he was interested in the food item I just put it next to his head and he gobbled it up without hitting it with his tongue. I'm guessing this could be residual swelling from his infection. Or potentially atrophy from a couple weeks of not using it. Does anyone have experience with tongue weakness after illness?
2) He is willingly eating, but not actively hunting. He has a food dish that I have kept stocked with dubias and waxworms, and he's showing no interest in it unless I dangle one in front of him with tongs.
3) Is there calorie information for feeder insects available somewhere? I want to know how much he needs to be accepting daily in order to maintain body weight. I've been weighing him daily too, but if I need to resume bug juice feeding I don't want to wait for him to drop a bunch of weight again.
Thoughts? Feelings?
Thanks again for your feedback.