Lip swollen

[elocineiram19]

My young female chameleon has Her left cheek swollen and Her lip has a purplish coloration. I'm new with chameleons so idk what to do. She has eaten and slept. Pls help

 

[Trillian]

Could you post a picture and give us details of her setup? If you look at the 'How to ask for help' thread at the health forum you'll see the questions we need answers to before we're able to give you appropriate advice.

 

[elocineiram19]

..........

 

[JoeVet]

Looks like inflammation of the temporal glands in the corners of the mouth. It can be initiated by vitamin A deficiency but is likely infected or impacted now. Best to have it cleaned out by a vet.

 

[elocineiram19]

It's a bit better

I have applied triple antibiotic to the area and it seems a bit better

 

[Lathis]

You will need to have a vet clean out the pus and prescribe an antibiotic. Chameleon pus is thick and cheesy, not liquid, so antibiotics, both topical and ingested, have a hard time penetrating the pus. If it's not cleaned out, the infection can spread to the jaw bone. That's a worst case scenario, but it's horrible to see and can cause the partial or total loss of the lower jaw and death.

Jax are prone to this type of infection, and sometimes by the time the swelling appears, the infection has been present for a very long time. Luckily, it's easy to treat with a vet's help.