Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello everyone, I haven't posted here in a while because my Male Veild Chameleon has been doing magnificantly. He has been very healthy, in tip top shape with a fairly balanced diet and clean cage. So this is the first time I have noticed some physical problems. About 2 days ago I noticed that there was a bumb on the bottom right hand side of his mouth. The bumb is fairly small, nearly about size of a period (.) on this page. The bumb is small and slightly slowen and a brownish color (inside the mouth), and when he opens his mouth the bumb is just on the side of it. A similar yet smaller bumb has also appeared on the top front of his mouth. Also, as he has been growing quickly, i've noticed his casque has become slightly crocked (thats what I am most concerned about). I just wanted to know if anyone could identify these problems and give some advice before I go to the next step and contact my vet (which I plan to by the end of today).Besides the bumb and the crocked caque, he has been acting fairly normal, eating, drinking, basking ect. and I haven't noticed any change in his routine. Here are come cage and daily facts if anyone needs them:

Cage is all screen 2ft by 2ft by 1 1/2 ft
1 heatlamp with regular 60 watt bulb
1 halogen lamp
fake plants and branches inside (havent tried real ones yet because I give him plenty of veggies)

diet includes, crickets, meal worms, strawberries, blueberries, bannana slices, oranges and lettuce. I use gut load with crickets.

Cage is cleaned once a week, and sprayed 2 times a day with room tempurature water, high quality drinking water.

He is taken out to bask in the Sun two times a week for 30 minutes.

The last time he shed was approx. 6 days ago.

Any other information you need just ask, Thank you in advanced
-phibia5

The little discolored bumps could be scabs from sores in the mouth, or they could be food items stuck to the gum. Do they move? Is the gum reddened around the bumps? If they are not moveable they are probably sores, and will need to be cleaned and disinfected. Sometimes chams get small nicks on their gums from cricket legs or other hard insect shell parts. You don't want to ignore this, so I would suggest having a herp vet examine them close up. He may have to open the sores up to remove any infectious matter and culture the bacteria causing it. He will probably have you swab the areas with a disinfecting scrub like Betadine and may prescribe a systemic antibiotic. I've read that giving feeder insects citrus fruits helps prevent mouth sores too. I did not see a UV light in your setup list. A regular halogen light won't produce UVB nor will the basking light. Putting him out in real sunlight for 30 minutes a couple of times a week is good, but probably not enough. You should add some type of UVB/UVA emitting light to your indoor setup. A safe one that does not produce a lot of extra heat is the ReptiSun 5.0. Brands DO make a difference!

Oh, and about the crooked casque...it may be a sign of mineral deficiency or may just be genetic. Not all casques grow straight. However, my comment about adding a better source of UVB may help him metabolize the calcium in his diet and keep any problems from getting worse. If the casque was collapsing or was soft or discolored I would worry more.

After reading your post I examined my chameleons mouth. The bumps do not appear to be moving or red in color, they are just slightly swollen and brown on the inside. So far the sores do not asppear to affect my chameleon, he is not bothered by them at all, but I still plan on contacting my vet and making an appointment. As for his casue, the walls of the Casque feel sturdy and stiff, how "stiff" are they supposed to feel? And about the UVB, I forgot to mention that the Uv is included in his Halogeon strip, but if you feel that, that might not be enough UV rays for him, what would be the best recommended brand so I don't over do it? Thanks for your help!

-phibia5

I think it's best to have a vet check those spots just to be safe. Stomatitis (generic term for mouth rot) can be a real mess to treat and it's best to catch it early. It is also best to have your vet see your cham when he is in good shape so they know more about him if problems come up in future. What is the brand of halogen strip? I don't know of any strip lights other than the ReptiSun 5.0 by Zoo Med that produces much if any useable UVB. If it's not a Reptisun 5.0 I'd replace it, or plan to let your cham bask outdoors much more than he does now. It is very hard to "overdo" UVB exposure using artificial bulbs. Too much UVA from incandescent spots like the Dragonlite, Active UVHeat, mercury vapor, or halide types can burn, but using fluorescents is not likely to cause problems.