Chameleon can’t open mouth all the way-not able to eat

[aubslemond]

Chameleon Info:

Your Chameleon - panther chameleon , make, around 2 1/2 years old. I’ve had him for a year and 4 months.

Handling - i take him out once or twice a week to roam on a fake tree by the window and he loves being out of the cage and climbing on me.

Feeding - made the switch to Dubai roaches as the staple for his diet started a colony of them about 3 months ago? 2-3 medium/large roaches every other day to every 3 days. I feed them fresh vegetable and fruit scraps

Supplements - zoo med repti calcium without d3 every feeding besides the one time a month I do Rep-Cal multivitamin and Rep-Cal calcium with d3

Watering - I have an automatic misting system that sprays the cage every 3 hours for 20 seconds and I do usually see him drink from it.

Fecal Description - never been tested for parasites, most recent dropping was large but he had just eaten a larger roach. Looks normal.

History - has been super great and haven’t had any problems till just now, has never had an issue with handling or not eating or drinking



Cage Info:

Cage Type - screen cage. 18x24x34 inches

Lighting - from the hours of 8am to 9:30 pm he has zoo med tropical UVB and heat bulbs

Temperature - have a heat gun to measure the temp, basking spot is 84 cage floor is 73 night temperatures are in the 70s

Humidity - i don’t have anything to the measure humidity

Plants - I have two live plants, a large umbrella tree and a mother in laws tongue

Placement - cage is near a window but not by any ventilation

Location - austin Texas



Current Problem - two days ago I noticed his colors seemed dull and he wasn’t moving around as much as normal but didn’t think much of it bc he is starting to shed but I just went to feed him and something is definitely not okay. He tries to get his food but doesn’t seem able to stick out his tongue all the way and tries to get as close as possible until his tongue touched it but then he can’t open his mouth to grab it if anyone has any ideas of what’s wrong it would be much appreciated. It wouldn’t let my upload the video but here’s the frame by frame of his failed attempt to get the roach.

 

[kinyonga]

Please post a photo that shows just his mouth/head from the side so I can see the end of the nose too (without the nose pointing up).

 

[aubslemond]

Please post a photo that shows just his mouth/head from the side so I can see the end of the nose too (without the nose pointing up).

 

[Beman]

Is the only lighting the compact screw in UVB bulb?
Cage size is too small for an adult male. needs a 2x2x4tall

@kinyonga do you think it could be an issue with correct UVB... Other thing I see is that they are using herbivite multivitamin by repcal which does not have preformed A.

 

[kinyonga]

This is the only thing I can think of that it might be...there might be a swelling on the lower part of the jaw below where the lips meet on the right side but I'm not sure...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/lockjaw.92490/

It's possible @Beman is right too.

 

[aubslemond]

This is the only thing I can think of that it might be...there might be a swelling on the lower part of the jaw below where the lips meet on the right side but I'm not sure...
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/lockjaw.92490/

I feel like that might be more likely than an issue with anything else bc he’s never had an issue before. It took him a little while to eat his last roach and there was a leg stuck to the side of his mouth still I had to pull off, maybe he injured his mouth while eating ? I read the other forum you tagged about the lock jaw, that sounds similar to what looks like is happening with him since he is trying to eat but just can’t open his mouth all the way

 

[kinyonga]

If it's an infection you need to see a vet to get meds to clear it up.

 

[Prince of Duval]

Is the only lighting the compact screw in UVB bulb?
Cage size is too small for an adult male. needs a 2x2x4tall

@kinyonga do you think it could be an issue with correct UVB... Other thing I see is that they are using herbivite multivitamin by repcal which does not have preformed A.

Would you recommend increasing D3 supplementation to maybe twice a month as well?

 

[Beman]

Would you recommend increasing D3 supplementation to maybe twice a month as well?

Yep but I think the OP feels that the incorrect lighting, supplementation, and cage are not the issue.

 

[Carlton]

Somehow I doubt the trouble is that he CAN'T open his mouth enough, but that there's some other problem going on that prevents him from either shooting the tongue itself, or coordinating eyes/tongue well enough in order to shoot. Many times a cham that can't successfully coordinate the aim/shoot/capture sequence eventually stops trying. If there was a painful injury or infection in his mouth you'd probably see some evidence of it but the pics aren't very close.

FWIW, "lockjaw" is a muscle spasm due to a tetanus infection. He doesn't have any deep penetrating wounds does he? Now muscle tetany is slightly different. It can be one of the symptoms of severe metabolic bone disease and it would probably not permit him to move his tongue, jaws, or swallow at all. Based on your pics, if he has MBD its borderline, not severe.

Definitely increase the D3 and multivitamin to twice a month. I'd also make sure he's hydrated. Dehydrated chams often stop eating. Start monitoring the cage humidity. What you don't know can be important.

 

[aubslemond]

Somehow I doubt the trouble is that he CAN'T open his mouth enough, but that there's some other problem going on that prevents him from either shooting the tongue itself, or coordinating eyes/tongue well enough in order to shoot. Many times a cham that can't successfully coordinate the aim/shoot/capture sequence eventually stops trying. If there was a painful injury or infection in his mouth you'd probably see some evidence of it but the pics aren't very close.

FWIW, "lockjaw" is a muscle spasm due to a tetanus infection. He doesn't have any deep penetrating wounds does he? Now muscle tetany is slightly different. It can be one of the symptoms of severe metabolic bone disease and it would probably not permit him to move his tongue, jaws, or swallow at all. Based on your pics, if he has MBD its borderline, not severe.

Definitely increase the D3 and multivitamin to twice a month. I'd also make sure he's hydrated. Dehydrated chams often stop eating. Start monitoring the cage humidity. What you don't know can be important.

Okay thank you! No he doesn’t have any wounds besides a scar on his head from a year ago that happened from getting too close to the light while someone else was watching him for the week. I hadn’t suspected anything else because it was so sudden and the only thing I noticed was it took him longer than usual to get his roach down two days ago. And like I said the video couldn’t post but he slightly opens his mouth trying to grab the roach isn’t able to stick his tongue out all the way and fails. I did have incorrect lighting but that was fixed around 4 months ago, I hadn’t had a proper uvb light, he never had any issues and was directly in the sunlight everyday, but my other Cham I went to get a new uvb and realized this one (Michelangelo) didn’t have the right one. But if it’s fixed now that’s odd that something is happening after the issue. So if the same thing happens and he’s not able to eat today, do I try syringe feeding him liquids? Or water mixed with vitamins? is there any other information I can give that could help ? My dad found a product by Fluker’s called repti-boost that claims to give A complete nutritional supplement that provides immediate energy and fluid support for reptiles, in recommendations on that?

 

[aubslemond]

Okay so just now I tried feeding him the smallest roach that was in the tub it was about the size of a dime and same thing happened where he couldn’t stick his tongue about but because it was smaller he was able to grab this one, but he looked absolutely pitiful trying to eat the big he could not open his mouth more than about a centimeter maybe less? he seemed to try super hard to open it but it just wouldn’t. I took a video again and looking at it closely it looks like it’s the back of the right side of his mouth that won’t open. The other side seems to get slightly wider. Here is some frame by frames of him getting the roach and swallowing it. The angle in the first pictures is the side that looks like is having issues opening. The 6th and 7th photo is the other side that looks like it opens wider and the last photo is the widest that side is able to extend

 

[aubslemond]

Do y’all notice here how the corner of the mouth on one side doesn’t open and the corner of the other side can? It seems like it’s glued shut right there ! And he’s currently doing his best to drink water off the leaves so that’s good atleast.

 

[Carlton]

Okay thank you! No he doesn’t have any wounds besides a scar on his head from a year ago that happened from getting too close to the light while someone else was watching him for the week. I hadn’t suspected anything else because it was so sudden and the only thing I noticed was it took him longer than usual to get his roach down two days ago. And like I said the video couldn’t post but he slightly opens his mouth trying to grab the roach isn’t able to stick his tongue out all the way and fails. I did have incorrect lighting but that was fixed around 4 months ago, I hadn’t had a proper uvb light, he never had any issues and was directly in the sunlight everyday, but my other Cham I went to get a new uvb and realized this one (Michelangelo) didn’t have the right one. But if it’s fixed now that’s odd that something is happening after the issue. So if the same thing happens and he’s not able to eat today, do I try syringe feeding him liquids? Or water mixed with vitamins? is there any other information I can give that could help ? My dad found a product by Fluker’s called repti-boost that claims to give A complete nutritional supplement that provides immediate energy and fluid support for reptiles, in recommendations on that?

It takes a while for corrections to husbandry to "show", but that should have made a difference by now. The effects of lack of proper lighting and the correct vitamin/mineral balance didn't happen overnight either so it will take time to see a change once you do. If he want to drink and eat insects, give them to him any way he'll take them and make sure they are as nutritious as possible.

If he can slurp the mashed guts of insects mixed with water from a syringe, I'd do that and take him to a knowledgeable herp vet for a hand's on exam. Maybe there was some sort of traumatic injury but as we can't watch the video really hard to say. If he does have a vitamin/mineral deficiency going on the bone in his jaw could have softened or suffered partial fractures making it painful or difficult for him to chew. Again, we can't watch the sequence of him trying to eat.

 

[Lennoncham]

what is this that I circled in red? Is it bug chunks or a growth?

 

[aubslemond]

what is this that I circled in red? Is it bug chunks or a growth?
View attachment 265748

It’s a bug

 

[Lennoncham]

It’s a bug

Ok it’s hard to tell in the pic. The bug is to the left of what I circled. What I’m looking at is at the front edge of his mouth In front of the teeth. It could be nothing just thought I could see something there. Notice how the front of his lip is curled out slightly. In fact the pic from the other side that whole lip on that side is curled down for some reason.

 

[aubslemond]

Ok it’s hard to tell in the pic. The bug is to the left of what I circled. What I’m looking at is at the front edge of his mouth In front of the teeth. It could be nothing just thought I could see something there. Notice how the front of his lip is curled out slightly. In fact the pic from the other side that whole lip on that side is curled down for some reason. View attachment 265749

yeah I wish I could upload the video, I think it was because he was trying to open his mouth wider, he looked like he was trying super hard and that side opened wider and he kinda shook his head but couldn’t get that side open. And I rewatched the video and that thing at the front is just a mixture of a shadow and saliva in his mouth

 

[The Wild One]

Maybe one side of his jaw became unhinged? Can that even happen with chams?

 

[aubslemond]

Maybe one side of his jaw became unhinged? Can that even happen with chams?

I don’t knowww but the way he acts that’s what it seems, or like it hyper extended. Because besides the not being able to open the mouth to eat he’s functioning completely normal in all other aspects. His bones feel strong, they aren’t bent funny, he’s wanting to eat and drink so it’s not like he has a lack of any appetite, he’s still moving around his cage like normal.