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My female jackson chameleon is very sluggish lately and doesn't open her eyes very much. She sits at the bottom of the tank usually and just wont open her eyes. she has something on her mouth as well liek a cut on the side. She wont even open her eyes when I pick her up. Please help me out thanks

I added an image of the mouth sore

Well, a big red flag went up for me when you mentioned "tank". Is she in a glass tank enclosure? If so, she needs to be in a fully screened enclosure to allow for proper ventilation...sooner than later! I would get her to a vet ASAP as she may have an upper respiratory infection. She needs to be seen immediately.

Kristen
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1.1 pygmy leaf
1.1 carpet
1.0 jackson
0.0.3 red eared sliders

my bad I was typing fast
Shes in a big screen cage

Looks like well-developed stomatitis or infected temporal gland to me. Jax have a small gland at the corners of their mouth and infections are fairly common there. She's probably in pain, can't eat or drink because of it, and is now depressed. Infections like this can abcess under the skin and spread to the eye and jawbone, so her whole face may be sore too. She needs an experienced vet ASAP. The sore needs to be cleaned out, any infective matter removed, and she'll probably need systemic antibiotics as well as local treatment. These infections can be stubborn, so have the vet do a culture to target the right bacteria before choosing the drug and make sure you keep up on local cleaning until it is completely healed. Good luck! Also if she's not eating anything solid try the "bug juice" recipe posted on www.adcham.com

Hi There. Here are some possible reasons why she is sick. You mentioned that she is in a tank. I have heard of some people keeping them successfully in tanks. Especially in colder weather. But the general consensus seems to discourage the use of tanks in favor of screen cages.

Bacteria will build up easier in a glass tank since chams genereally require humidity and lots of water. Bacteria may be making your cham sick.

The mouth sore is hard to see, but check that it isn't crusty food. If thats the case you have nothing to worry about. If it is indeed a sore, it may have been caused by a cricket leg. Sometimes a cricket leg will puncture their mouth. If left untreated, it can develope into a mess. I'd take him to a vet to get him on some anti biotics. There is also a topical liquid you can put on the lip to help clear it up. There is one particular good one that I've heard of but have never used. Its supposed to smell like very strong garlic, and if applied on a regular basis, will help prevent future problems.

In any event, its best to get him to a vet. Once he stops eating, the effort required to get him back to good health is going to be alot more than taking him to the vet NOW.

Peece.