Mucus in mouth...

[veiledchamguy]

sorry for the title i do not know really how to explain it but when i was misting my veiled he opened his mouth and puffed up, and it looked like when you would have spit build up on the sides of you mouth....

any suggestions advice....

 

[SoCaliSon]

If you can answer these questions with as much detail as possible there are many people here that may be able to help you out.

Cage Info:
Cage Type - Describe your cage construction (Glass, Screen, Combo?) What are the dimensions?
Lighting - What brand, model, and type 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?
Location - 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?

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.
Current Problem - The current problem that you are concerned about.

Pictures are helpful

 

[veiledchamguy]

Cage Type -Its a free range setup i have in a corner of my house sitting in two adjacnet windows. Closed computer room and door is kept shut

Lighting - I have a Reptisun 5.0 linear bulb. and a 80 watt basking bulb
Temperature - At the top the temps 88-95 at the middle to tower level 70-80
i use a termometer i bought from lowes.

Humidity - I dont know what the humidity is but i mist 2 times a day and have an timed mister that mists the plants fairly well for 3 minuties at 3 times a day.
Plants - I have 4 hanging pothos 2 large schflerra trees and 2 larger ficus trees
Location - Low traffic area. He is soo high in his enviroment i cant reach him without a chair soo i know he feels safe

Your Chameleon - Veiled chameleon He is a male. I have had him for his whole life so far and he is three years old.

Handling - never he bites me

Feeding - He gets crickets gutloaded with veggies greens apples oranges carrots and crix protien mix, Blaptic Dubias gut loaded with the same as crickets, silkworms gut loaded with mulberry leaves, Horn worms when i can get ahold of them. Carrots and grapes.

Supplements - I cant remember the brand but i use D3 supplementation for the crix dusting

Watering - I mist and have a misting system and he gets showers 2 times a week to make sure for hydration.

Fecal Description - brown color, urates are white and sometimes his poo is slighty orange is that the carrots?
History - No previous health problems
Current Problem - The mucus looking stuff on his mouth

 

[chamlover]

How much mucus is it? Sometimes when i water mine and the water isn't exactly to their liking they get all hissy and puff up, but that usually doesn't mean anything. IF he has all sticky mucus when he opens his mouth that is different.

Debby

 

[chamlover]

I have to say, i did chuckle when you said you never pick him up cause he bites you. How do you try to pick him up? Sometimes if you go really slow and just put your hand under them and leave it there for a couple of minutes they stop hissing and usually will climb on.Sometimes.

Debby

 

[SoCaliSon]

How is the air quality in the room?

 

[opihiman]

Also can you get a picture up of your chams mouth and the mucous in his mouth?

OPI

 

[veiledchamguy]

The air quality is good i barely crack both windows for a slight slight ventilation..

And sorry no pictures for another week

It just looked like mucus strands on his mouth when he opened it to hiss as if we were to have spit build up in our mouths but his was a clear substance not white like humans..

 

[veiledchamguy]

As i said kinda hard to describe the situation without pictures

 

[veiledchamguy]

Haha chamlover i have tried many many ways to hold this bugger but he is one mean SOB

 

[opihiman]

Any popping or wheezing coming from him...Labored breathing, sitting with an open mouth?

OPI

 

[veiledchamguy]

opihiman that is a big negative....he sleeps like a baby

 

[opihiman]

any new news on you cham....new Sx or problems.?

OPI

 

[sipos624]

If his breathing is labored, mucus in mouth (open his mouth if its like bubbly saliva), puffed up body, wheezing etc.. its probably URI (upper respiratory infection) My advice is to take him to a vet and he could properly diagnose it (no way i can tell unless i can see the cham in person) and he would probably prescribe a antibiotic like baytril. Let us know how it goes.

-Mike

 

[veiledchamguy]

His breathing is normal and not labored and he makes no noises when he sleeps it just looks like he has got the worst case of cotten mouth sometimes

 

[Chameleon Company]

Veiled Cham Guy

A vet check will likely diagnose this with certainty, but it sounds like an upper esophageal infection, which is not all that different from a respiratory infection in some ways. Upper E. infections are due to an excessive build-up of bacteria in the mouth and upper esophagus. It is not caused by temperature/humidity issues as most repiratory infections may be. It is usually due to the introduction of large quantities of otherwise common bacteria into the chameleons mouth via its food, most commonly scavenger bugs like crickets.

Lets assume crickets. What happens is that the cricket is ingesting from a bacterial stew somewhere, which means accesss to moisture and crud. This may be wherever you house your crickets, or possibly, right in the chameleon's cage. If in your cricket bin, any water source that is not removed and disinfected every two days or less becomes a source. If not done at least every four days its a guarantee. This includes those cricket water pellets/bites, sponge-bottom waterers, etc. If using the water pellets (or whatever they are called, I avoid them like the plague), fully take out and wipe clean any corner/dish they are in, and use a different corner/clean dish every two days. In your chameleon's cage, many people have live plants with a plastic dish beneath it to catch/hold water runoff from the plant. Standing water there will be contaminated easily, then consumed by crickets, who can handle high bacteria consumption. All of the above turn crickets into what we call "poison pills".

Symptoms are as you describe. Visual build-up of gummy mucous, but no labored breathing (at first). As it worsens, this mucous will dry outside the lip, forming an ugly crust at times. It will likely not go away on its own, and will eventually overwhelm and kill the animal. This can usually take a month or more. It is also easily diagnosed and confirmed via a culture and sensitivity panel (about $75 at your vet's), and responds to common orally administerd antibiotics. You must find and eliminate the source as well.

It is our experience that this type of infection is more common in the hobby than URI's (Upper Respiratory Infections). It is often semi-diagnosed as such, and with a culture, is then remedied in the animal as if it were a URI, which will work. Problem is, the bacteria source / causitive husbandry deficiency goes unremedied, and it can happen all over again. Hope this helps.

 

[Jeag]

Veiled Cham Guy

A vet check will likely diagnose this with certainty, but it sounds like an upper esophageal infection, which is not all that different from a respiratory infection in some ways. Upper E. infections are due to an excessive build-up of bacteria in the mouth and upper esophagus. It is not caused by temperature/humidity issues as most repiratory infections may be. It is usually due to the introduction of large quantities of otherwise common bacteria into the chameleons mouth via its food, most commonly scavenger bugs like crickets.

Lets assume crickets. What happens is that the cricket is ingesting from a bacterial stew somewhere, which means accesss to moisture and crud. This may be wherever you house your crickets, or possibly, right in the chameleon's cage. If in your cricket bin, any water source that is not removed and disinfected every two days or less becomes a source. If not done at least every four days its a guarantee. This includes those cricket water pellets/bites, sponge-bottom waterers, etc. If using the water pellets (or whatever they are called, I avoid them like the plague), fully take out and wipe clean any corner/dish they are in, and use a different corner/clean dish every two days. In your chameleon's cage, many people have live plants with a plastic dish beneath it to catch/hold water runoff from the plant. Standing water there will be contaminated easily, then consumed by crickets, who can handle high bacteria consumption. All of the above turn crickets into what we call "poison pills".

Symptoms are as you describe. Visual build-up of gummy mucous, but no labored breathing (at first). As it worsens, this mucous will dry outside the lip, forming an ugly crust at times. It will likely not go away on its own, and will eventually overwhelm and kill the animal. This can usually take a month or more. It is also easily diagnosed and confirmed via a culture and sensitivity panel (about $75 at your vet's), and responds to common orally administerd antibiotics. You must find and eliminate the source as well.

It is our experience that this type of infection is more common in the hobby than URI's (Upper Respiratory Infections). It is often semi-diagnosed as such, and with a culture, is then remedied in the animal as if it were a URI, which will work. Problem is, the bacteria source / causitive husbandry deficiency goes unremedied, and it can happen all over again. Hope this helps.

This sounds like exactly what my panther has going on. He is currently on SEPTRA but doesn't seem to be responding. Any idea what antibiotic is best used for this type of infection?