Yawning? Wretching?

[Amanda1801]

Hi,

Yet again, Colin is exhibiting weird symptoms!

He's still mouth gaping, but not as much - x-rays came back with nothing occluding the respiratory tract, but blood tests came back indicating a chronic infection - unfortunately, don't know where though!

He's on antibiotics for another week, and we're getting him liquid calcium with D3 to try and boost it a bit re: his MBD.

The problem: He's still mouth gaping, and today (and once the other day that I noticed) he seems to be yawning? or maybe wretching? I don't know - do chams yawn? Anyone able to shed any light on what this might be?? He also seems tired - I've noticed him once or twice sitting on his favourite branch but only holding on with 3 legs and resting his chin on another branch (it's higher than the one he sits on - it's almost like he is just being lazy because its there infront of him, but I don't know...)

Any ideas??

Amanda

 

[summoner12]

Gaping can happen if temps are too warm. What kind of temps do you have? what kind of enclosure are you using?

my chams sit in lazy positions sometimes... I wouldn't worry to much unless he is lethargic most of the day.

 

[Amanda1801]

Gaping can happen if temps are too warm. What kind of temps do you have? what kind of enclosure are you using?

my chams sit in lazy positions sometimes... I wouldn't worry to much unless he is lethargic most of the day.

He's pretty active still but he's been sick since i got him so its difficult to know.

I've had to change back to his 100W bulb because my house is so cold, and where he sits is at around 80-85F throughout the day now. His cage at the moment is glass, but the doors are open most of the day for ventilation. He gets his new vivarium next week

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Chameleons do yawn, it's surprising how wide they can open their mouths! But it's brief, like our yawn, they don't just sit there with their mouths open for a while. They can actually vomit their food. Mine was vomiting because he had parasites and once I treated him it stopped. The vomit looked almost like feces - same shape and size - but it was poorly digested and occasionally there would even be a cricket still squirming a little. Or if the feeders are too big it might hard for him to swallow them and they can look like they're gagging.

My cham is very lazy looking too. He'll hang his belly off the branch and most of his tail and let one foot dangle. It worried me at first but now I realize he's just very comfy!

 

[pssh]

They can and do yawn, especially when they need to shed. They wiggle around and stuff to 'pop' the shed.

My panthers will sit on branches with their feeties completely relaxed and almost not even holding on, and with a leg and/or the belly hanging off the branch. Occational chin on branch happens too.

 

[Amanda1801]

Hmm maybe he's just being lazy then, and I'm worrying too much!

It's just like a big shuddering yawn (with an extremely big mouth!), I dont think theres any vomit, and he eats his feeders well. He's also been treated for intestinal parasites recently as a preventative measure anyway.

I'll keep an eye and try and get a photo - if it is a chameleon yawn, it's almost as cute as a tortoise yawn!

 

[summoner12]

He's pretty active still but he's been sick since i got him so its difficult to know.

I've had to change back to his 100W bulb because my house is so cold, and where he sits is at around 80-85F throughout the day now. His cage at the moment is glass, but the doors are open most of the day for ventilation. He gets his new vivarium next week

I think 100w is too much. How cold is the ambient temp in your home? I still think hes gaping from heat.

 

[Amanda1801]

I think 100w is too much. How cold is the ambient temp in your home? I still think hes gaping from heat.

He's been gaping for 2 weeks now, he's had the 100W lamp since yesterday, so he's not gaping due to heat.

With the 100W lamp (which is hanging around 4" from the top of his cage and his branch is around another 4" from the top of the cage) his basking spot is 80-85F - with the 60W bulb it was 60-70F so no option but to change it really.

The ambient temp in my house is around 50-55F - yes, its THAT cold...

 

[summoner12]

He's been gaping for 2 weeks now, he's had the 100W lamp since yesterday, so he's not gaping due to heat.

With the 100W lamp (which is hanging around 4" from the top of his cage and his branch is around another 4" from the top of the cage) his basking spot is 80-85F - with the 60W bulb it was 60-70F so no option but to change it really.

The ambient temp in my house is around 50-55F - yes, its THAT cold...

That is cold.... is you lamp just a 'bulb' or is it a spot or flood type of lamp?

This is how I provide heat for my melleri... it works well using a halogen flood, sometimes spot type lamp. Halogen lamps are warmer than normal household lamps, so care is needed when picking the wattage.

 

[Amanda1801]

It's an incandescent spot type bulb, same type we use for our tortoises. It's set up at the moment as a temporary measure but his temperatures are looking good