Respiratory Infection (RI)

Symptoms

  • Foamy saliva
  • Bubbles/mucus around the mouth
  • Runny discharge from the nostrils
  • Popping/crackling sounds while breathing
  • Gasping
  • Swollen forehead and/or eyes
  • “Snoring” while asleep

Cause

  • Low temperatures
  • Humidity too low/high
  • Poor ventilation

Treatment

Do not attempt to treat a respiratory infection by yourself. Make an appointment with a certified reptile veterinarian, who will prescribe an antibiotic and may require a culture to determine the exact cause if the initial antibiotic doesn’t work.

Meanwhile, check your enclosure’s temperatures and humidity with digital thermometers and hygrometers. Analog (stick-on) devices often provide wildly inaccurate readings. If your chameleon is in a glass enclosure, switching to a mesh enclosure will help prevent the symptoms from returning.


Other chameleon health topics: