tongue issue

[drumbum18]

My female Senegal has had a problem extending her tongue for a few weeks now. I have been giving her calcium, multivitamin supplements, and plenty of UVB. I have done only that much on recommendation from several breeders. She has not been malnourished though, I have been helping her with feeding. Her tongue can extend to only right outside of her mouth, so I've been holding crickets a small distance away for her to catch. I want to take her to the vet soon, but there aren't any vets in my area that are good with chameleons. I'm looking into vets that a bit farther away.
Anyone have any suggestions, or experiences with tongue problems like this? I hate to see anything wrong with her.
Thanks for the help

 

[Julirs]

Please answer the following to help us help you. There are some great cham Vets in Orlando if you are willing to drive there.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type of lighting are you using? What is your daily lighting schedule?
Temperature - What temp range have you created (cage floor to basking spot)? Lowest overnight temp? How do you measure these temps?
Humidity - What are your humidity levels? How are you creating and maintaining these levels? What do you use to measure humidity?
Plants - Are you using live plants? If so, what kind?
Location - 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?

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - The species, sex, and age of your chameleon. How long has it been in your care?
Handling - How often do you handle your chameleon?
Feeding - What are you feeding your cham? What amount? What is the schedule? How are you gut-loading your feeders?
Supplements - What brand and type of calcium and vitamin products are you dusting your feeders with and what is the schedule?
Watering - What kind of watering technique do you use? How often and how long to you mist? Do you see your chameleon drinking?
Fecal Description - Briefly note colors and consistency from recent droppings. Has this chameleon ever been tested for parasites?
History - Any previous information about your cham that might be useful to others when trying to help you.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

 

[drumbum18]

She is currently in a glass enclosure, but that will be changing in a few days. I will be picking up a screen enclosure for her, with dimensions of about 16x16x36. I honestly don't remember the type of light for her heating lamp, but it was recommended by some other chameleon owners I know in the area. Same with the UVB. I do plan on using a Reptisun 5.0 with her new enclosure (unless it is suggested otherwise). I don't really know the temperature of her enclosure. I know the area under the heating lamp gets very warm, and at night it doesn't get too cold; maybe only about 75 degrees. I was also told not to keep her enclosure too humid, only to mist her several times throughout the day. The plants are live, and on every safe plant list I have found, but I can't remember the type. I got it for her a while ago. The top of the cage is about 5 feet off the floor. I know it isn't the best thing for her, but I will be fixing that soon. The traffic level isn't very high, there is a fan in the room, but it doesn't run very often.
The chameleon is a female Senegal, and I've had her since July. She was a gift to me, and she was purchased from a feed store. Her conditions were terrible there. I had to do a lot of work just to get her eating again. She shed quite a few times before her tongue problem, and was doing incdredibly well. I handle her every few days, not enough to really stress her, but enough to keep her friendly. she has never had a bad attitude. I feed her crickets, which are gut-loaded with Fluker's Orange Cubes, and Zilla gut-load cricket food. She used to eat about 15-20 a day, but since her tongue issue, she only eats about 10 a day. She refuses to eat anymore than that. The watering as I mentioned earlier is done with a misting bottle every few hours. Her droppings are about 1/3 white and yellow, and the rest is brown. She used to go every other day or so, and now it's only once a week.She has not been tested for parasites as far as I know. I don't know what they did or didn't do for her at the feed store.
The current problem is a lack of ability to extend her tongue much more than about a quarter inch out of her mouth.
I do understand that a lot of these conditions aren't ideal for her.
I appreciate all of the help. I will make absolutely all adjustments necessary to make her living conditions perfect.
I also have 2 juvenile Veiled chameleons in the same room that I have raised since they were very young. They have been doing amazingly well. Their cage set-up is much different though. I wish to model my Senegal's enlosure after it as soon as I am able to aquire all that is needed.

 

[sandrachameleon]

If I were you I'd get a temperature and humidity guage - you ought to know the conditions you are providing to ensure they meet the chameleons needs!

There are many possible causes of tongue issues.

Did she stop using it rather suddenly, or did her range of tongue reduce slowly? Not to be alarmist, but one of the many possibilities is hypocalcaemia or vitamin deficiency. Nutritional deficiencies are typically a slower, more chronic loss of tongue function. The chameleon tongue's aim may become misguided, or the tongue's reach gradually decreases until the chameleon can project it just a little or not at all. Missing the insects is often a sign of a deficiency in B vitamins (and sometimes vitamin A deficiency). A good supplement or improved gutload containing these vitamins usually helps within a couple weeks if vitamin deficiency is the reason and the case is not too far gone.

Other possibilities are mouth or tongue infection or abscesses, damage to the tongue (hit something sharp or cricket leg spines), parasites,...


It also sounds like she is dehydrated (urate should be white, not yellow)

I would visit a vet as soon as you can.

 

[kinyonga]

You didn't mention dusting the crickets with any calcium powder. If you are not dusting with calcium, then it could be a calcium issue. I recommend dusting at most feedings with a phosphorous-free calcium powder.

Also...look in whatever commercial products you are using as supplements or as gutload to see what is in them in the way of preformed vitamin A, D3, calcium and phos.

 

[Titan]

I raise and breed Chameleons In a very dry climate and It is hard here to
keep Chameleons hydrated, This would be worth a try as I have seen this
tounge issue breifly in my colonies, & was always remadied to my satisfaction and years of the Chams life after that. By GETTING them water. I mean watch and make sure they are drinking daily! You can hold a dripper up
near them before you feed, and they usually go for it especially if they have
an empty stomach, or try injecting the insects with water as you feed, that insures they get some in. also at times if your Cham seems to have defication probs, you can inject a small amount of clean new vegitable oil into its food item, and It really helps lubricate the bowels! But only do that on distant occasions. Just a Dry Climate Chameleon lover and this undoubtedly has worked for me. I really do like the suggestions posted above, Its nice to get on a site with all this available help and Knowladge!!! Thanks All Keeping our Chams Healthy and SRONG!!

 

[drumbum18]

I did forget to mention that I do dust the crickets every other day for her to make sure she is getting enough calcium to make up for any deficiency she may have. I use Tetrafauna ReptoCal as my calcium, and Rep-Cal Herptivite for the multivitamin. I do watch her drink water several times a day. I have always watched to make sure she drinks, so I don't really know if that's a problem or not :/
To answer your question, sandrachameleon, it was a very sudden stop to her tongue usage, and I do remember some white coloration to her fecal matter, but there was a bit more yellow than white.
Thank you everyone for your help so far. I will be getting her to the vet soon, and I will be sure to follow everyone's advice here. I'll also post what the vet says.

 

[PITBULL]

Is she gravid? This might be the reason for loss of appitite.

 

[sandrachameleon]

To answer your question, sandrachameleon, it was a very sudden stop to her tongue usage...

That to me suggests trama to the tongue.
from getting the tongue wrapped around or entangled or caught on something in the enclosure; or a puncture wound from hitting something sharp in the enclosure; or damage to the tongue by a live prey item (i.e. the spiky legs of adult cricket); or, hand-feeding injuries (if the human accidentally grabs or pulls the tongue when it makes contact with the fingers); or, something caught or lodged in the mouth or tongue tissue.

Urates should be almost entirely white, not yellow, not orange. She may need to drink more, or you may need to provide her feeder insects with a wetter gutload so that they in turn provide more hydration to the chameleon.
I am not a fan of the orange cubes. Try instead: dandelion leaves, carrot, yam, squash, coconut, etc. Read up on gutloading.
http://www.chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=92
http://webhome.idirect.com/~chameleon/owners/chapter4-sub1.html
http://chameleonnews.com/?page=article&id=101
https://www.chameleonforums.com/gutloading-tips-new-owner-15262/

Crickets can be lightly dusted with calcium without D3 every time. Vitamins much less often. Calcium with D3 not everyday either.

What other insects do you use?

 

[drumbum18]

thanks for the links sandrachameleon!
i'll try a different gutload for the crickets. i have tried other insects in the past, and just today i tried giving her superworms, but she refuses to eat anything but crickets.
to answer your question PITBULL, i don't believe she is gravid.