Chameleon without UVB, please help!

[kinyonga]

Hi Miss Skittles, just an update on AJ, he is doing well but unable to shoot his tongue. I took him to the vet today and my vet gave me calcium meds and directions to increase his vitamin a. The vet also gave him a multi vitamin shot to jump start his healing. He thinks it’s a nutritional deficiency that likely started before I got him. His tongue should heal within two months but if he doesn’t learn to use it again it will not hurt his quality of life. Just wanted to keep you and everyone else updated.

Calcium should help the tongue if it's MBD that's causing the tongue issue....but only if you have the correct D3 supplements as well....and a good UVB light. Vitamin A won't fix the tongue IMHO.
Did the vet mention D3 and UVB at all?

 

[MissSkittles]

Hi Miss Skittles, just an update on AJ, he is doing well but unable to shoot his tongue. I took him to the vet today and my vet gave me calcium meds and directions to increase his vitamin a. The vet also gave him a multi vitamin shot to jump start his healing. He thinks it’s a nutritional deficiency that likely started before I got him. His tongue should heal within two months but if he doesn’t learn to use it again it will not hurt his quality of life. Just wanted to keep you and everyone else updated.

Glad to hear! Hopefully with correct supplementation he’ll recover use of his tongue. I don’t know if you’ve yet gotten him some proper supplements. I suggested the Reptivite with D3 as it has preformed vitamin A along with D3 and you’d need to use one feeding every other week. I’d suggest switching to a T5 linear uvb fixture with either an Arcadia 6% or ReptiSun 5.0 uvb bulb, which would then need to be about 8-9” above basking area. It takes time, but hopefully your little guy will make a full recovery.

 

[Ryan4eagles]

Glad to hear! Hopefully with correct supplementation he’ll recover use of his tongue. I don’t know if you’ve yet gotten him some proper supplements. I suggested the Reptivite with D3 as it has preformed vitamin A along with D3 and you’d need to use one feeding every other week. I’d suggest switching to a T5 linear uvb fixture with either an Arcadia 6% or ReptiSun 5.0 uvb bulb, which would then need to be about 8-9” above basking area. It takes time, but hopefully your little guy will make a full recovery.

Thanks! I currently have the t10 with a 10.0 - do you think that will work as well? It’s going through mesh so I’d figure to go with the more powerful bulb. I also ordered repashy calcium plus LoD and repashy vitamin A plus to alternate according to the schedule my vet gave me

 

[Ryan4eagles]

Calcium should help the tongue if it's MBD that's causing the tongue issue....but only if you have the correct D3 supplements as well....and a good UVB light. Vitamin A won't fix the tongue IMHO.
Did the vet mention D3 and UVB at all?

Hello, yes I will be providing him with additional supplement: repashy calcium plus LoD and repashy vitamin A plus to alternate according to the schedule my vet gave me. My vet says he prefers for them to make their own D3 but I can provide d3 supplements about twice a month or so

 

[MissSkittles]

Thanks! I currently have the t10 with a 10.0 - do you think that will work as well? It’s going through mesh so I’d figure to go with the more powerful bulb. I also ordered repashy calcium plus LoD and repashy vitamin A plus to alternate according to the schedule my vet gave me

Do you mean a T8 with a 10.0 bulb? If so, yes, that will work. I believe the Repashy LoD also has preformed vitamin A, but I may be mistaken. Vitamin A is fat soluble and can easily build up to dangerous levels. Did your vet say why he wants you to give so much A?

 

[Ryan4eagles]

Calcium should help the tongue if it's MBD that's causing the tongue issue....but only if you have the correct D3 supplements as well....and a good UVB light. Vitamin A won't fix the tongue IMHO.
Did the vet mention D3 and UVB at all?

To clarify, he thinks lack of calcium contributed to the tongue problem as well so I will be giving him oral calcium medicine again once a day including an alternating multivitamin schedule. Happy to report that the vet said he looks good overall and no bone deformations

 

[kinyonga]

You might like to read the parts in this thread about the vitamin A and vitamin D3. I know it's in a gecko site...but Dr. Lopez wrote it for chameleons too...
http://www.geckosunlimited.com/comm...ard-gecko-care-sheet-geckos-unlimited-10.html