Panther chameleon - tongue issue (with video)

[mikouba]

Hi guys, first see the video here:

You should slow it down to see the detail perhaps.

https://youtu.be/9XC-nTweqbQ

This is my second chameleon, I am familiar with a concept of keeping chameleons so I will describe my issue now.

My chameleon has this problem since March, he is now 10 months old. I wasnt successfull with catching him on my camera until now, because since this issue appeared I have been feeding him with dubias (which are only feeders he is able to catch from like half inch distance and he is very stressed when people are around, so this is why I was able to film it now with a stick insect he couldnt ignore and tried to eat it (he shoots like three inches above it in video).

I have visited a vet when I first saw this was happening (in March), vet couldnt find any damage in his mouth and no other problem so I got liquid vitamins altough I was dusting feeders properly and was doping him in mouth with syringe. Nothing was getting better so I decided to quit bothering him and let him feed the way he still could.

I was using vitamins more (once a week) and pure calcium other times.

He is active and otherwise seems healthy (although he is little skinny).

So my question is, could that be some kind of genetic issue? Like a crippled individual who wouldnt survive in nature?
Or is there a chance he could learn catching prey properly by time?

 

[jannb]

It's not uncommon for a chameleon to have a tongue problem. I'm just always thankful I can get mine to eat. I normally hand feed or cup feed a variety of feeders when they have a problem. It could be an eye problem. I had a panther that had an eye injury when he was young and had to have his eye ball amputated. He lead a completely normally life up to old age except he shot his tongue about two inches to the side of his food. We babied him so that we never tried cup feeding. I just held the bugs close and allowed him to take them from my hand. I have had to hand feed most of my chameleon when they get old. As their muscles get old they seem to relax and they can't shoot like they use to. Right now I have two young boys, brothers 15 months old and they both only shoot their tongue 2 to 3 inches but they do hit their food. My vet and I think this was probably caused from MBD that they both had before they came to me. If not an eye problem it's possiable it could be an imbalance in supplements. Does your boy ever get any outside time? Natural UVB is one of the best things you can do for your chameleon. Did you vet do x-rays and blood work? That gives allot of information on how they are doing supplement wise. Here on the forums it is generally recommend to lightly dust calcium witout D3 just about everyday, calcium with D3 twice a month and a multi vit. with A in it twice a month.

 

[mikouba]

Hey jannb, thanks for the input. I wasnt around for a while. My vet found nothing, we have no clue what could be the cause. I got used to it and only hand feed him to mouth (when he is about to shoot his prey).

He looks fit otherwise and finally started getting used to me, thanks to the hand feeding probably.