my veiled is not using his tounge at all

[benthirty2]

hey guys my cham is as far as i can see doing just fine in all areas except for using his tounge. i thought it might be a sight problem and cleaned up his eyes a bit as i noticed them beginning to shed. Hes not lethargic at all. he moves around the cage like a mad mad especially when i bring him food or water. He manages to drink and when it comes to eating he`ll get as close as he possibly can an then either just grabs the cricket with his mouth or just barley kind of flops out his tounge and just barely makes due. I dont know whats going on he has the proper lights, cage, humidity, basking temp, gutload w/ occasional vitamins and regular pure calcium dusting. His body is nice and hard. The inside of his mouth looks fine. So I dont know if this is just old age or what. I once had a female with calcium deficency that couldnt reel her tounge back in and died within a few days, poor girl, but Ive had this chameleon about 4 years with him getting sick one time last winter. Up til now hes been fine. Any suggestions. And by the way my herp vet sucks so Im counting on you guys. He might could take care of a turtle not to defame a turtle but chameleons are very sophisticated creatures and will not let you know when somethings wrong until its almost too late because they are predatory. If not anything guys please pray for Bob hes a great lizard and deserves the finest life has to offer. Thanks and good luck with you own!

 

[laurie]

Hello, I can only think of a couple to things to offer. Is it possible he was bitten on the tongue by one of his feeder? If so I don't know that you can do much. I have a 6 3/4 year old panther and he is shooting his tongue less all time. Now he actually walks up to prey and puts his tongue on them or just opens his mouth and picks them up. He has been with me since he was 2 months so I know all his history. Except for a URI a few years ago he has always been healthy. He is also not as fast moving, and seems less steady on his branches. I think it is old age and I just let Arnold be who he is. I love him no matter what. If he wants to walk up the food instead of shooting I feel he has earned the right to do as he wants/needs to do. jmo

 

[Titan]

Ive got some time at a computer today, I have seen many posts on this with never any TRUE answeres. So I'm bringing this topic back up for more evaluation by all.
I have experienced one Cham I have had, & a very healthy one at that, eats great, have perfect live weight, supplimentation has been exact, with timed intervals regularly. This particular Cham has either intensionally, or unfortunatly, (being non life threatening tounge injury) developed a higher desire to just grab its food. Here are some highlights I borrowed of other related posts. to Speculate things I attribute to this topic. I would like to solve most reasons for this issue so that many here can search this situation with hopeful closure results.


Posted By tkilgour: senior member
I received a chameleon that has always missed insects since the day I received her. I took her to the vet had all her levels checked and she had a clean bill of health. I told the vet about her tongue issue and the vet seems to think she damaged her tongue early on and that caused the issue permanently.
The good news is my female can still catch prey. She almost always misses free range crickets, especially if they are far away. However, she will end up catching them by rushing close and snatching them up. I can also cup feed her and she will just go to the cup and grab them easily.

Posted By ChromaChameleons: senior member
Bad eyesight will impede your chams ability to triangulate its prey.

 

[kinyonga]

Tongue issues are usually the result of calcium issues, an injury, an infection, dehydration, etc. The inability to shoot the tongue out seems to occur in old age too...but I suspect it could still be a calcium issue in most cases....just as humans develop osteoporosis in their later years.