Suspected tumour in cloacal vent

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jdmt889

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Hello everyone, my ~6 year old (I adopted her since she was a juvenile) girl has been suspected of having a tumour in her cloacal vent after a vet consultation (its unlikely to be an abscess because it feels very fleshy) . The vet told me surgery is the only method of removal but chances are slim. Chances are they can't fully remove it so it'll regrow, or they can't remove it due to the crucial tissues around it. I'm really stuck at this point, and I have to make a decision by Monday. Has anyone ever had similar experiences before with their beardies and could possibly provide me with some guidance?

Image: https://ibb.co/nMfvQq0

P. S. I've went through all the housing, diet discussions etc. With my veterinarian and she said everything was being done properly.
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
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Poor girl.

Even if husbandry was sub-par, it wouldn't lead to a tumor developing.

I'm sure the vet ruled out a slight prolapse? Inflamed or infected?

Did the vet pull bloods? That would be helpful in making a decision.

How is she acting for you right now? Is it really bothering her? It doesn't look very comfortable.

Tumors are tricky, I've never seen one pop up in that location, but they really can pop up anywhere. Was any scanning done to at least confirm it's an actual growth?

I know this is such a tough decision. But these are questions I'd want answered before making my own decision.

-Brandon
 

jdmt889

Member
Original Poster
Yeah prolapse was ruled out.

An infection wasn't mentioned at all.

No blood was taken for testing.

I think it's worth mentioning that my girl is born with deformities (shorter lower jaw with missing teeth on the right side, a shorter respiratory tract), so I guess it would be reasonable to suspect a tumour?

It doesn't seem to cause her any discomfort but she is moving alot. She doesn't want to eat though, won't even look at her favourite silk worms...

I actually lost a boy 5 months ago due to the atadenovirus, we did all sorts of testings (fecal, blood, xrays etc.) and by the time a reports came back, he already left me. Drake wasn't housed with him at all but I'm worried she might be a carrier too, and issues may arise at a later stage...
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Aw, poor thing. Are you sure she's a girl ? Some very important questions.....did this come about gradually or did you all of a sudden notice it ? Has she been pooing while it's been like that ? When was the last poo ? And what has she been eating ?
 

jdmt889

Member
Original Poster
I haven't done proper testings to prove she's a girl. But from her previous owner, the vet and comparisons to online images, shes most likely a girl. 2-3 days ago we noticed reduced appetite, i suspected it was brumation or something. Yesterday when I let her roam around the floor, I noticed a bump in vent area (nothing protruding out of it) and she walked around just like she normally would, showing no signs of discomfort. In fact she's trying to poop alot more frequently, but it seems like there's a mass there that's clogging up her vent, so it's mostly a watery substance that's coming out. Just now she managed to strain really hard and pooped out a piece of solid feces. She's been eating collars greens, silk worms, and repashy veggie burger.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
O.K., with the position she's in there it looks like there are hemipene bulges under the tail but it could be tendon/muscle. Her diet sounds good, is she on loose substrate or is there any possibility that she ate something to block her up while she was roaming outside of her tank ? That's good that she had a real poo just now. Check to see if her vent looks the same. Take pics of it anytime she poo's like that.
 

jdmt889

Member
Original Poster
She lives on a silicon mat, whenever she roams around I place her in an open area and keep an eye at her at all times.
 

jdmt889

Member
Original Poster
Her cloacal seems to be a bit more swollen after straining it hard. Im starting to think its irritating her because she keeps moving around, window surfing and bobbing her head (with the latter two being something which she never does normally). Do u think I should soak her vent in a pedialyte solution? Would that help with the swelling?
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Poor little sweetie. She feels the obstruction and her natural instinct is to push anything out. It may go back down a little after a while. Actually the best thing you could put on it is raw honey. Do you have some ? It's a natural antimicrobial and the sugar reduces swelling.
 

jdmt889

Member
Original Poster
Unfortunately I don't have any raw honey, but I have tried the sugar paste method before going to the vet. But now I'm wondering whether it's the right thing to do to apply anything with sugar onto what potentially could be a tumour cell. I'm not sure why I didn't ask the vet at the time, but could it be an inflammation from straining too hard when she poops? Are there any vet prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs available that may help with her swelling?

I'll be contacting the vet again on Monday (since they're closed on sunday) to ask the same question regarding inflammation.

Thanks for everyone's suggestions so far ?
 

Drache613

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hello,

Poor thing! It did somewhat appear to show hemepene bulges but also as AHBD said, it
could have been muscle or tendon, too.
Has she ever laid any eggs? That just seems like an odd spot for a tumor, but anything is
possible.
Definitely try a sugar paste if you don't have any honey to see if that helps her out any. Let
us know how she is doing.

Tracie
 

jdmt889

Member
Original Poster
Update: Good news is that the "tumour" seems to have reduced in size, I'm starting to think it may be an infection or at least something else... . Hopefully I can get an appointment tmr (Monday) with another reptilian clinic, I think having more opinions will help me decide what steps to take next. Drake also ate two silk worms this Morning! But no signs of pooping thus far. I gave her a bit of water today since my vet said it'll help her If she strains her cloacal again.

I'll try looking for some raw honey around. Is there a specific name to the honey I should be aware of? Do I let her ingest it or apply it onto the area? If its external application do I apply it onto the exterior i. E. Scales or inside her vent where it would be in direct contact with the tissues?

I've been trying to contact multiple vets today for advice but sadly all of them are out of operational hours and the emergency hotline for my province doesn't provide services for reptiles. So this forum is my only source of help right now.

.
 

AHBD

BD.org Sicko
Well that's good to hear ! Can you post a pic of it ? And any raw honey [ just look that it is unpasteurized] will be very helpful. It does not have to be Manuka, any raw honey is good. Any health store will carry it or look for a beekeeper in your area. It will be good to apply right on the vent and slightly inside to coat the tissue liberally , using a Q-tip . It will be good to offer just a bit if she wants a taste of it as well.
 
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