Tongue damage

[devin]

My senegal chameleon's tongue fell out today. She was being hand fed and her tongue missed the cricket and stuck to my son's hand and he pulled back causing damage. All I can see when she tries to stick her tongue out is the bone. It looks like a fish bone? The tongue (black muscle?) actually fell out of her mouth. She tries to eat but can't. I tried crickets and worms.
I have a vet appointment tomorrow but am wondering if the tongue will grow back/regenerate? Does anyone else have experience with this?
Thanks!

 

[sandrachameleon]

My senegal chameleon's tongue fell out today. She was being hand fed and her tongue missed the cricket and stuck to my son's hand and he pulled back causing damage. All I can see when she tries to stick her tongue out is the bone. It looks like a fish bone? The tongue (black muscle?) actually fell out of her mouth. She tries to eat but can't. I tried crickets and worms.
I have a vet appointment tomorrow but am wondering if the tongue will grow back/regenerate? Does anyone else have experience with this?
Thanks!

if the tongue is at all still attached, keep the tongue moist until you get to the vet - its an emergency, so try to get an emergency appointment RIGHT NOW.
it may have to be amputated - but the animal can still live (eat from bowl)

 

[carol5208]

no it will not grow back. You willhave to handfeed her from now on and train her to do so. There are a few other members whose chams have lost their tongues. Hoj is one of them. Maybe he can give you a few pointers.

 

[devin]

Sad day

We took our chameleon to the vet this morning and the vet said there was no way that she could live and we had to put her down
I was surprised but we went to a reptile vet and she said the type of chameleon we have cannot live without the tongue. The vet said if we brought her home she would really suffer for the next week and die on her own.
I am so very, very sad about it. I really loved her

 

[devin]

Thanks Sandra and Carol for you responses

 

[reptilover]

We took our chameleon to the vet this morning and the vet said there was no way that she could live and we had to put her down
I was surprised but we went to a reptile vet and she said the type of chameleon we have cannot live without the tongue. The vet said if we brought her home she would really suffer for the next week and die on her own.
I am so very, very sad about it. I really loved her

I wouldn't put her down. My cham is a veiled. But none the less if i use my tongs and put food right near his mouth he doesnt use his tounge. Just chomps it down.

 

[HolyToledo]

So sorry to hear that you put her down on your vet's recommendation.
Losing loved ones is tough enough but even worse in these circumstances...

 

[Olimpia]

I'm sorry they talked you into putting him down, because several chameleons from various species have lost their tongues and go on to live years longer. I had a veiled who lost her tongue and lived another 8 months until something else caused her to die. It just takes a little for them to get used to eating from tongs/bowl/hand, but they do catch on.

I'm sorry for your loss!

 

[Trillian]

Devin, I'm so sorry for your loss. Following your vet's recommendation was absolutely the right thing to do. I don't know how long you had her, but Senegals can find adaptation difficult, and even if you did manage to have the tongue amputated and heal nicely, the stress of force-feeding her initially and trying to help her adjust to feeding a completely different way could well have been too much for her or for you.

If you think you may like another chameleon in the future, stay on this forum, whether you post or just lurk, you will learn a lot which will help your decision.