Cyst? Tumor? Lump near jaw/beard

Status
Not open for further replies.
Poor figgy had a minor respiratory infection back in late September that was treated and he’s been making lots of improvement since then, with his appetite and energy back where it used to be. However, about two days ago I noticed this hard lump right underneath his jaw. At first I almost thought he might’ve dislocated his jaw or something because it seemed to be pushing out the left side of his mouth. The bump feels hard, and there’s no issue inside his mouth.

I’ve been using a betadine solution (diluted ofc) to clean his teeth because he was on a baby food diet while on his medication and has recently switched back over to worms/crickets/veggies. When cleaning his teeth, I always check around his gums/by his tongue to make sure there’s no issues and he’s been absolutely fine. Not even discoloration or anything. The lump is definitely in his beard/underneath the skin. Since the lump appeared, the skin on his neck has seemed looser as well. He hasn’t lost anyway but I don’t know if the skin is stretching to accommodate the lump?

Has anyone had this issue? Is it a cyst? Will it go away on its own? My car is currently unusable so i can’t take him to the vet at the moment so is there anything I can do at home to help until my car is fixed?
106435-8015706860.jpg
106435-5656891973.jpg
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Need a REPTILE VET to examine this and take bloods and a small needle aspiration of the contents of the lump.

Being so close to the airway and the throat, this should be regarded as a serious health issue and not delayed seeking treatment.

I wont hazard a guess what the lump is as you've not given enough information.
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Does he seem to be in any pain or does he draw back & away when you touch that area
at all?
Is it hard, or soft to the touch?
It is probably either going to be an abscess/infection of some type or a cyst. Can you think
of any time he could have fallen & hit his beard area, or not?

Tracie
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
Drache613":bt1nkwtw said:
Hello,

Does he seem to be in any pain or does he draw back & away when you touch that area
at all?
Is it hard, or soft to the touch?
It is probably either going to be an abscess/infection of some type or a cyst. Can you think
of any time he could have fallen & hit his beard area, or not?

Tracie

He doesn’t appear to be in pain, doesn’t pull away when I touch it. His beard hasn’t darkened and neither has his tail so I don’t think it’s hurting him. It’s hard and solid. He bumped his head against the window the other day trying to get a closer look outside but not severely and he’s done it before when he tries to move closer. His appetite has been great and he’s been very active. No issues with going to the bathroom and he doesn’t seem overly tired or anything so idk! His lower jaw is pushed out slightly on the left but he has no issue chewing on the side still so idk if he’s even noticed it!
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hi how's he doing today?

Could you get us a picture of him from the side?
This most likely wont be something that goes away on its own. More than likely it will need vet treatment.

Do you have a good reptile vet near you?

It's good that it doesnt seem to be bothering him. Has it grown over time or did it kinda just show up one day?

I dont think I'd continue with the bedatine in the mouth. I'll let tracie speak on that though. Raw unpasteurized honey would be a good thing to supplement with though as it should help fight off infection as it travels down the throat.

Oh yeah, how old is fig?

-Brandon
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
claudiusx":5m6xmkqu said:
Hi how's he doing today?

Could you get us a picture of him from the side?
This most likely wont be something that goes away on its own. More than likely it will need vet treatment.

Do you have a good reptile vet near you?

It's good that it doesnt seem to be bothering him. Has it grown over time or did it kinda just show up one day?

I dont think I'd continue with the bedatine in the mouth. I'll let tracie speak on that though. Raw unpasteurized honey would be a good thing to supplement with though as it should help fight off infection as it travels down the throat.

Oh yeah, how old is fig?

-Brandon

Figment is a lil over a year old. Prob around 14 months? I got him late November last year (11/23) as a baby (abt 4 inches?).

I noticed a lil before this (when cleaning his teeth) that his jaw line felt a lil hard on that side but no visible bump and I couldn’t feel any raised skin. Just because obvious the other night.

The betadine was recommended to help w some discoloration/browning of his teeth bc he was on a mostly baby food diet for several weeks due to the respiratory infection and his reaction to the baytril. They were worried his teeth would be dirty/soft w out crix and worms. Would the honey help w that? I have a bottle bc I used it when he had a slight injury from shedding that caused a scab and it helped a lot with clearing that up.
Since the issue is underneath the skin this time how would I apply it? Like in his mouth?

I do have an animal hospital that has a herp vet (I saw him w the respiratory infection) but I’m relying heavily on public transportation atm because of car issues so idk when I’d be able to get him there!

I haven’t noticed it get any bigger but it also has not gotten any smaller.
106435-16805716.jpg

And here’s vvv u can kind of see where it’s forcing his jaw to jut out slightly.
106435-7183115943.jpg
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":2q9gadv4 said:
Need a REPTILE VET to examine this and take bloods and a small needle aspiration of the contents of the lump.

Being so close to the airway and the throat, this should be regarded as a serious health issue and not delayed seeking treatment.

I wont hazard a guess what the lump is as you've not given enough information.

Definitely want to get him to a vet ASAP (I took him to a nearby animal hospital when he had his RI that has a reptile vet) but I don’t have a car atm and am waiting to hear back from the mechanic to see when I will have my own vehicle again.

Don’t want him to get worse while I wait tho! When he had his RI the vet told me to keep his CHE on during the day to keep temps higher than normal and help clear out anythn in his lungs. Should I be doing that again? His normal basking temps are around 98-102 (he’s a lil over a year old). I have reptiboost as well but have no given him any. Should I start?

Am glad he’s not showing signs of distress/pain but worried this means he could worsen without me realizing.
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
If you can't get him to the vet, maybe the vet can send out one their nursing assistants to collect him and take him to their surgery to examine the "growth" / mass.

In the mean time , invest in an Artline 70 and mark periphery / the edge of the mass , these a "permanent markers" and the ink will not harm him on his skin.
This way you will be able see if the mass is subsiding or growing.

I don't think it's wise to delay getting him to a vet ,
>> If it's an abscess ( it's full of bacteria and if it invades the bloodstream it's bad news ) , will require draining and perhaps surgical debridement of the infected tissues
>> if it's a tumor, sooner you deal with it the better the prognosis and the simpler / cheaper the surgical removal
>> if it's a cyst , the vet will be able to tell you and give suitable meds to inject to get it to subside and disappear.

I doubt if it will go away off it's own accord, if anything , it's going to grow and perhaps invade other soft tissues and perhaps even the jaw bones and teeth . We've seen this kind of thing here before and the result of delaying has never been cheap or good and resulted in significantly more suffering post surgery .
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":1bopid1s said:
If you can't get him to the vet, maybe the vet can send out one their nursing assistants to collect him and take him to their surgery to examine the "growth" / mass.

In the mean time , invest in an Artline 70 and mark periphery / the edge of the mass , these a "permanent markers" and the ink will not harm him on his skin.
This way you will be able see if the mass is subsiding or growing.

I don't think it's wise to delay getting him to a vet ,
>> If it's an abscess ( it's full of bacteria and if it invades the bloodstream it's bad news ) , will require draining and perhaps surgical debridement of the infected tissues
>> if it's a tumor, sooner you deal with it the better the prognosis and the simpler / cheaper the surgical removal
>> if it's a cyst , the vet will be able to tell you and give suitable meds to inject to get it to subside and disappear.

I doubt if it will go away off it's own accord, if anything , it's going to grow and perhaps invade other soft tissues and perhaps even the jaw bones and teeth . We've seen this kind of thing here before and the result of delaying has never been cheap or good and resulted in significantly more suffering post surgery .

Unfortunately I live in a low income area and the animal hospital is quite small (and unfortunately understaffed) so idk if they would offer a service like that but I will certainly email them to see! Thank u!

In the mean time, besides keeping an eye on the size of the lump, is there anything else I should be doing? Raising temps, offering more supplements, using honey? He had a slight issue w his calcium levels within his first month home that I had to bring him in to a vet to check out. I have powder & liquid calcium now that I use on all his foods, but should I increase the amount?
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
babyfigment":38j901vl said:
kingofnobbys":38j901vl said:
If you can't get him to the vet, maybe the vet can send out one their nursing assistants to collect him and take him to their surgery to examine the "growth" / mass.

In the mean time , invest in an Artline 70 and mark periphery / the edge of the mass , these a "permanent markers" and the ink will not harm him on his skin.
This way you will be able see if the mass is subsiding or growing.

I don't think it's wise to delay getting him to a vet ,
>> If it's an abscess ( it's full of bacteria and if it invades the bloodstream it's bad news ) , will require draining and perhaps surgical debridement of the infected tissues
>> if it's a tumor, sooner you deal with it the better the prognosis and the simpler / cheaper the surgical removal
>> if it's a cyst , the vet will be able to tell you and give suitable meds to inject to get it to subside and disappear.

I doubt if it will go away off it's own accord, if anything , it's going to grow and perhaps invade other soft tissues and perhaps even the jaw bones and teeth . We've seen this kind of thing here before and the result of delaying has never been cheap or good and resulted in significantly more suffering post surgery .

Unfortunately I live in a low income area and the animal hospital is quite small (and unfortunately understaffed) so idk if they would offer a service like that but I will certainly email them to see! Thank u!

In the mean time, besides keeping an eye on the size of the lump, is there anything else I should be doing? Raising temps, offering more supplements, using honey? He had a slight issue w his calcium levels within his first month home that I had to bring him in to a vet to check out. I have powder & liquid calcium now that I use on all his foods, but should I increase the amount?

Emailing will not elicit a timely response. In most cases , vets wont even read the email, it'll go to their "junk" folder and be purged.
Only way your email stands a chance of even being seen is to call the vet ahead of time and tell them that you are sending an email with photos and other details included. The vet will not offer a diagnosis or treatment without physically seeing you and the sick dragon. Nor are they going to offer free vet advise by email or over the phone.

Pick up the phone and call them and speak to them.

I'm pretty sure all vets have surgeries on the premises as well as ultrasound and xray imaging gear.
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":2ijf8i37 said:
babyfigment":2ijf8i37 said:
kingofnobbys":2ijf8i37 said:
If you can't get him to the vet, maybe the vet can send out one their nursing assistants to collect him and take him to their surgery to examine the "growth" / mass.

In the mean time , invest in an Artline 70 and mark periphery / the edge of the mass , these a "permanent markers" and the ink will not harm him on his skin.
This way you will be able see if the mass is subsiding or growing.

I don't think it's wise to delay getting him to a vet ,
>> If it's an abscess ( it's full of bacteria and if it invades the bloodstream it's bad news ) , will require draining and perhaps surgical debridement of the infected tissues
>> if it's a tumor, sooner you deal with it the better the prognosis and the simpler / cheaper the surgical removal
>> if it's a cyst , the vet will be able to tell you and give suitable meds to inject to get it to subside and disappear.

I doubt if it will go away off it's own accord, if anything , it's going to grow and perhaps invade other soft tissues and perhaps even the jaw bones and teeth . We've seen this kind of thing here before and the result of delaying has never been cheap or good and resulted in significantly more suffering post surgery .

Unfortunately I live in a low income area and the animal hospital is quite small (and unfortunately understaffed) so idk if they would offer a service like that but I will certainly email them to see! Thank u!

In the mean time, besides keeping an eye on the size of the lump, is there anything else I should be doing? Raising temps, offering more supplements, using honey? He had a slight issue w his calcium levels within his first month home that I had to bring him in to a vet to check out. I have powder & liquid calcium now that I use on all his foods, but should I increase the amount?

Emailing will not elicit a timely response. In most cases , vets wont even read the email, it'll go to their "junk" folder and be purged.
Only way your email stands a chance of even being seen is to call the vet ahead of time and tell them that you are sending an email with photos and other details included. The vet will not offer a diagnosis or treatment without physically seeing you and the sick dragon. Nor are they going to offer free vet advise by email or over the phone.

Pick up the phone and call them and speak to them.

I'm pretty sure all vets have surgeries on the premises as well as ultrasound and xray imaging gear.


Oh yeah they definitely have surgeries/xray/etc. just meant that I do not believe they offer any kind of pickup/car service! Sorry for the confusion!

With the RI i was able to contact vet directly via email which was nice but I will definitely call hosp in morning!
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

How is your dragon doing this evening?
It definitely wont go away on its own most of the time, especially if it's an abscess, cyst or
a tumor. I hope it isn't cancer but we have seen cases with abscesses here on the forum
& usually with treatment it does help out.
I hope you are able to get him into a vet soon though. Keep us posted on him!

Tracie
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
Drache613":1yjpnvu3 said:
Hello,

How is your dragon doing this evening?
It definitely wont go away on its own most of the time, especially if it's an abscess, cyst or
a tumor. I hope it isn't cancer but we have seen cases with abscesses here on the forum
& usually with treatment it does help out.
I hope you are able to get him into a vet soon though. Keep us posted on him!

Tracie

No difference! He’s still eating and active but the lump hasn’t changed size at all. Hoping to get him into the vet on Tuesday (it’s my day off and i think my coworker may be willing to drive me) any idea what I should expect from vet trip? Anything I should be asking about?
Thank you!
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Oh that is good news you may be able to get him in next week. They should examine
him & feel the lump. I would personally ask if they were going to aspirate any fluids from
that area to culture it so they can see what is going on there.
I'm glad he is eating so hopefully it isn't bothering him too badly.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie
 

babyfigment

Member
Original Poster
Drache613":1g7dml24 said:
Hello,

Oh that is good news you may be able to get him in next week. They should examine
him & feel the lump. I would personally ask if they were going to aspirate any fluids from
that area to culture it so they can see what is going on there.
I'm glad he is eating so hopefully it isn't bothering him too badly.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

Since I still have another day or so before he will go, should I do anything in the meantime? I have raw honey, would that help at all to apply? Anything I can do to reduce the swelling?
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Staff online

Members online

Still Needs Help

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,897
Messages
1,255,656
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom