chameleons tongue stuck

Question
My veiled chameleon got his tongue stuck outside of his mouth and could not retract it.  With about an inch and a half sticking out he ran around the cage rubbing it into the floor and corners until it bent back over itself and looked flopped and broken, he was then able to retract it but there was a lot of substrae (bark) stuck to it.  Why did this happen, and could he have broken his tongue?  What can I do to be sure he is ok and what do I do if it happens again?
Thanks,

Answer
Hi Paul, Tongue problems are not uncommon with chameleons. The prevailing theory is that it may be caused by calcium deficiency. They can also injure the tongue apparatus from hitting glass tank walls with the tongue while hunting. With luck, yours was just an isolated incident of hyperextension. It was a good sign that he was able to retract it relatively soon. The ingested substrate is always a concern, but small pieces should just pass through. If he is old enough to be taking plant material, I would encourage it to help move those substrate pieces along his digestive tract. Keep an eye on his droppings for the next few days. There should not be any injury from the tongue folding over. It is stored inside the mouth folded in an accordian position, there is no boney structure present at that distance from the tip.
The tongue is propelled out from hyoid bone and retracted through a specialized muscle. Calcium problems can affect both the structure of the hyoid bone and the ability of the retractor muscle to effectively contract. Chameleons with this problem often have "aim problems" with their tongue, missing the prey completely. They also cannot achieve the same distance and start to take prey from closer and closer distances. If you have not been noticing any other problems then, as I said, this may be an isolated incident. Now, if it does happen again the recommended treatment as outline by de Vosjoli is to move the chameleon to a temporary cage with a single low branch so that the tongue does not dangle or hang too far. Remove any substrate clinging to it and use wet paper towel as a substrate to keep the tongue moist.  Let the cham rest in a warm, dark area and it should retract and regain normal function without further treatment.
I have taken in neglected chameleons that have lost the use of their tongue because of calcium deficiency and they do fine. Contrary to what you would think, they don't starve.  They just start eating in the style of other lizards. Good luck with your veiled.