Cham opening mouth after eating

[JessicaNance]

Chameleon Info:
Your Chameleon - panther(not sure what kind), male, 5/6 months old. Have had for 3 weeks or so.

Handling - only when he wants to come out, rarely.

Feeding - 5-10 crickets, then horn worms or super worms. maybe an hour after lights turn on. i use a gut loader called total bites that include water, food, and gut load.

Supplements - called repashy super foods. its a calcium plus that is a "all in one" calcium supplement.

Watering - spray with a mister in the morning, then when i get home. he has a fogger on top of his cage for humidity which then drips and acts as a dripper. (i see him drink from this)

Fecal Description - brownish black with white.
History - none.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - 2ft wide then 4ft tall. all screen cage.

Lighting - i know this is super important but i threw away the box so I'm not positive. i know is a uvb light, that is as long as the width of my cage. the guy who sold me my cham recommended this one for the size of my cage instead of the small bulb i originally bought. my lights go off at 8pm and turn on 8am.

Temperature - top of the cage,basking 85F. drops to 75F at night. i have a digital thermometer.

Humidity - still having trouble keeping humidity, but i think its not that bad. when i wake up it is dry-ish, in its 50s. after i mist it jumps to 75 or 80. then stays in the 60s or 70s for a few hours till i mist again. i have a fogger which I'm sure helps a lot, but my humidity won't constantly stay in my screen cage.

Plants - i have a tall ficus and a short croton plant. both in organic soil. i also have a hibiscus plant that i set in front of his cage when he wants to come out and explore.

Placement - the corner of my room across my bed. cage is on a shelf off the ground.
Location - California, not near the coast.

Current Problem - not problem but concern?
the first few weeks with my cham were great. he settled in really nicely and didn't seem too stressed. he ate the first night i got him and now eats worms from my hands.
but recently he has been acting weird. he's never really flared up at me before so it surprised me when he opened his mouth and his throat bulged out. i wasn't even near him when it happened so why would he do that? also, the past 2 days he has been sitting, sometimes walking, with his mouth slightly open.
i thought it was because he was to hot, so i moved the basking spot away.
this morning i saw him to it again. except he opened his mouth SO WIDE! it freaked me out! i immediately turned off the basking light thinking he would stop but he hasn't. now he randomly sits with it slightly open with the basking light OFF. i haven't heard and noises from him, and it doesn't look like he's taking deep breaths.. also he eats like a champ! earlier he ate a huge hornworm from my finger, then seconds later he opened his mouth.. ahhh I'm so confused.

help anyone?

 

[bigant25]

Usually a Cham will open their mouth to cool down if too hot, when they open their mouth, mucus membranes and saliva evaporate which helps them cool themselves down. so in a healthy regard thats what you might be seeing.


other then that i cant really call it, hopefully some more seasoned owners will reply to your post and offer you some help, good luck !

 

[Sticktongue]

Do you hear any Popping noises? Do you see any large amounts of saliva?

Kind of sounds like a RI to me (Respiratory Infection).

I personally dont think its form over heating.

Can you get pictures of this behavior?

 

[JessicaNance]

i haven't heard any noises. everything seems normal except for his mouth open. it almost looks like he is yawning, but several times.

 

[carol5208]

If he is not doing while basking, then he more than likely is not overheating and trying to thermoregulate. What are your cage temps with the basking light off.? When they have RI's they open their mouth to get air. Not saying that is what is going on, but it is a possibility.

 

[JessicaNance]

well he is not putting his head in the air. just opening it a little bit then closing. overall its dropped to in the 70s because i turned off the basking light. should i be worried? should i keep the basking light off?

 

[carol5208]

No I wouldn't leave it off. If he is doing it when not basking, then it is not the basking light. He will need that to warm up. I would watch for other signs of an RI, like pointing nose upwards, popping or wheezing noises, smacking lips, excess saliva...

 

[JessicaNance]

okay, ill keep an eye on him. thanks

 

[Sticktongue]

No I wouldn't leave it off. If he is doing it when not basking, then it is not the basking light. He will need that to warm up. I would watch for other signs of an RI, like pointing nose upwards, popping or wheezing noises, smacking lips, excess saliva...

Yes, exactly what you should be watching for.

Also, yes turn the basking light BACK on. If he is to hot, he wont be in the basking light and will move to cooler temps of the cage.

 

[ratqui24]

Hi Jessica,
Alternatively it could be that he is trying to regurgitate or feels noxious. Did you find undigested preys with mucus in the enclosure? Is he defecating ok?
You can see this type of problem with parasites, digestive obstruction or very slow digestion due to suboptimal temperature (cool). I agree with the previous recommendation to put the heat lamp back on.
If it does not resolve by increasing the temperature, you should consult a vet.

 

[kinyonga]

Is he sticking his tongue out when he does this?

 

[JohnDoe]

My question would be how big are your crickets? When I had my first chameleon i feed him too big of crickets and he would kind of open his mouth repeatedly to swallow the cricket. Just remember rule of thumb is nothing larger than the space between their eyes.

 

[sgiac801]

You said he's been doing this for 2 days... is it all the time or just sometimes that his mouth is open? Could he have bitten his tongue or have something like a small stick stuck in there? I think you should call or visit a vet to get a professional opinion.

 

[Ramrod]

My male veiled does the same thing. No noticeable symptoms at all but has his mouth open quite frequently throught the day.
Usually more in the afternoon than morning. Temps are good as well as appetite. He has been doing this for a month or more and I have been watching very closely. No mucus,saliva,popping,uplifted head,wheezing,or smacking lips. He does drink directly from the dripper tube and really latches on to the end of it. Wonder if it could be an injury from that?

 

[janjan20]

My male veiled does the same thing. No noticeable symptoms at all but has his mouth open quite frequently throught the day.
Usually more in the afternoon than morning. Temps are good as well as appetite. He has been doing this for a month or more and I have been watching very closely. No mucus,saliva,popping,uplifted head,wheezing,or smacking lips. He does drink directly from the dripper tube and really latches on to the end of it. Wonder if it could be an injury from that?

This is an old post, I would recommend starting your own so others can see it better and not have to scroll through previous posts. If you fill the questionnaire out with your new post it will give others an idea on what’s going on. You can just copy and paste, then input your info.

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.

Cage Info:

• Cage Type - Describe your cage (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
• Lighting - What brand, model, and types 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?
• Placement - 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?
• Location - Where are you geographically located?

Current Problem - The current problem you are concerned about.

--------------

Please Note:

1. The more details you provide the better and more accurate help you will receive.
2. Photos can be very helpful.