Tongue problem veiled

[Kodak]

Hi,
My 6 month old chameleon is having trouble with his tongue. I always cup feed him and have been doing this even before this problem surfaced.

So the problem is when he extends his tongue it seems as it gets stuck mid-air and he has to retract it again. He tries over and over and it still gets stuck and can't reach the target and he stops using his tongue and eats without the tongue. This has been going on for a week.

Last month since it was really hot, all the pet stores just had adult crickets and that was the only thing I had to feed him with. They were a little bit to big for him and I always tried to remove their hind legs to not damage his mouth.

Can this have been the cause and will his tongue heal itself?

 

[Decadancin]

Sounds like he either injured the tongue (could have bruised it going for a feeder) or could be a nutritional thing. What is your supplement and feeding schedule? Types of feeders and gutload? What kind of lighting do you use?

 

[Kodak]

Last month I feed him crickets close to every day, and now i feed him dubias 3 times a week. I light dust every time with Calcium Without D3. And every two weeks i dust with a multivitamin containing Vit D3. I gutload the feeders with carrots and oats and the ocassionally romaine lettuce. I currently have an Exo-terra Solar Glo 80W, which is a heat bulb containing UVB aswell.

 

[Decadancin]

If he is not trying to hit the target at all (not simply trying and missing) it sounds like he bruised the tongue somehow.

 

[Kodak]

He is trying to hit the target, but then gives up when he realizes the tongue wont reach the target as it gets stuck all the time, then he nears the feeder and grab it with his mouth.

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

He is trying to hit the target, but then gives up when he realizes the tongue wont reach the target as it gets stuck all the time, then he nears the feeder and grab it with his mouth.

Mine is doing the EXACT same thing! I'm taking her to the vet tomorrow I'll let u know what they say

 

[Kodak]

Thank you! Hope both mine and yours are alright.

 

[alphakenc]

Sometimes freerange the feeders is better for the chams to use their tongues in fully extend since the cup feeding wont stretch their tongues as far as they operating to shoot.
Try bring the cham to go see a vet just to make sure there is no damage inside.

 

[Kodak]

He is still getting stuck with his tongue, he tries endlessy and the gives up. I hope its not because i fed him to large crickets.

What else could it be than just, damage in the tongue?

 

[jajeanpierre]

He is still getting stuck with his tongue, he tries endlessy and the gives up. I hope its not because i fed him to large crickets.

What else could it be than just, damage in the tongue?

Many things can do this. Prey that hangs onto the branch too tightly like a caterpillar. Catching it on a branch. All kinds of things can damage the tongue. Since the tongue is injured, feed him so he doesn't have to use his tongue and let it heal.

I recently found one of my young imports with blood all over her face and in her mouth. Being a new import, I didn't force the issue looking in her mouth--what exactly can anyone do to help an injured tongue anyway?--but it looked as if the tongue was bleeding. She no longer has much use of her tongue and must walk over and grab her prey. I have no idea how she could have cut her tongue. Maybe she bit it. Maybe the bone somehow got broken. There isn't anything a vet is going to do about it as far as I can tell.

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

Hi,
My 6 month old chameleon is having trouble with his tongue. I always cup feed him and have been doing this even before this problem surfaced.

So the problem is when he extends his tongue it seems as it gets stuck mid-air and he has to retract it again. He tries over and over and it still gets stuck and can't reach the target and he stops using his tongue and eats without the tongue. This has been going on for a week.

Last month since it was really hot, all the pet stores just had adult crickets and that was the only thing I had to feed him with. They were a little bit to big for him and I always tried to remove their hind legs to not damage his mouth.

Can this have been the cause and will his tongue heal itself?

Found out that it was from a calcium deficiency. The vet gave her a calcium injection and we have to get one every week until it's back to normal. Good luck with yours!

 

[Kodak]

Found out that it was from a calcium deficiency. The vet gave her a calcium injection and we have to get one every week until it's back to normal. Good luck with yours!

How weird, i dust the feeders every meal, and feed him 3 times a week. Maybe i should feed him more then? I feed him 4-5 dubia roaches, 3 times a week.

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

How weird, i dust the feeders every meal, and feed him 3 times a week. Maybe i should feed him more then? I feed him 4-5 dubia roaches, 3 times a week.

They said that I actually had to dust with d3 every feeding

 

[Andee]

That's wrong, you should not have to dust with d3 every feeding with most calcium w d3. Especially not if you have an up to date uvb, and gutload your feeders well and healthy. Honestly the OP does not have a good gutload. I also would never use a combined spotlight, they produce entirely too much heat and the chameleon won't be able to bask in just the uvb like it should to be able to at any time during the day. Not just when it's cold. Linear uvb bulbs are much more useful.

 

[Lizzie The Chameleon]

That's wrong, you should not have to dust with d3 every feeding with most calcium w d3. Especially not if you have an up to date uvb, and gutload your feeders well and healthy. Honestly the OP does not have a good gutload. I also would never use a combined spotlight, they produce entirely too much heat and the chameleon won't be able to bask in just the uvb like it should to be able to at any time during the day. Not just when it's cold. Linear uvb bulbs are much more useful.

It's because she's also gravid, and you could barely see her bones compared to the tissue in the xray

 

[Andee]

If she's gravid I could understand dusting more frequently with d3 especially if she has made. But the problem with dusting with it every feeding it could easily cause an over dose of d3 which could just as likely kill her. The best way to provide calcium, d3, and all the necessary vitamins is having a good gutload.

 

[Replife]

Hi I'm not a cham expert but a heat bull combined with UvB is really only for things like geckos as it only problem puts off small amounts of UvB rays chams need something more like a 0.5 UvB bulb but I would not use anything stronger regardless I hope your cham gets better

 

[Peachypink]

How weird, i dust the feeders every meal, and feed him 3 times a week. Maybe i should feed him more then? I feed him 4-5 dubia roaches, 3 times a week.

For a 6 month old this does not seem like enough food. Mine is almost 7 months and he gets 10-15 Dubia roaches and 5 or six Black Soldier flies a day. And a couple of hornworms every other day and I throw in some silks sometimes. Also gut loading with romain is like giving the feeders water, no real nutritional value. Try collards, kale, mustard greens. I cut up a bunch at the beginning of the week and have it mixed and ready to go. I do skip Sunday's. 6 months is too young to be cutting back that far, he's still growing and needs the nutrition.

 

[Kodak]

Thank you guys for all your input. I have now bought a reptiglo 5.0 UVB light for extra UVB, but he still basks under the heatlight most of the day. The previous owner told me to feed him every other day 4-5 feeders and thats why i have been giving him less, i will feed him more and try to gutload the feeders better. I hope the little guy gets better.

 

[Replife]

Best of wishes for you and your lil guy and yea that's wat I ment was a 5.0 idk y I put 0.5 lol but as young as he still is I'm sure he's going to be great