Possible cancer

[Mr Wilson]

The best I can get is a stand by appointment on the 4th 150 miles away. But it looks like this place regularly does surgury on beardies so I am hopping it is my best choice for another opinion. Amazing there are not enough reptile vets to service the area very well. They are all booked out a very long time. The problem I have with the stand by is I will have to drop him off in the morning and come back in the afternoon. Not sure how he will handle that we hve never been apart that long. I think if he does get surgery then I have to leave him overnight, scary for me

 

[Hatchi]

My beardy Mr Wilson broke his jaw about 2 and a half years ago. It did heal but we have had periodic complications ever since. his lower jaw does not align properly on one side. Because of this I mostly gave him horn worms because he loved them and it was easy for him to eat. about 5 months ago I was worried about his teeth and decided to try roaches for a while. after a couple weeks of roaches I noticed some infection in his mouth and thought the roaches must have been too hard for him. So I took him to the vet and we started on cipero. it seemed to almost clear it up except one small spot. So we continued. Then I noticed on the side that had the break his gum had began to swell. I thought that maybe he reinjured the jaw somehow because when he first hurt it it swelled in that area and eventually released a blood clot. The vet was able to clear it and it appeared to heal. However this tim e the swell of that gum does not go away and hasnot responded to antiinflamitory meds. more recently he has developed a lump that seems to originate from the area of the break that can be felth through the beard. That lump is growing and it is causeing his tounge to be pushed aside, and he doesnt eat. I was feeding him by syring. On our most recent visit to the vet yesterday she has now gone back to the belief Wilson has cancer. Mr Wilson is my best friend and I am heartbroken. My vet said it has nothing to do with the break and these things happen. I now am tube feeding him. he also still has the infection spot on the otherside. My vet is telling me that is a secondary infection caused by the cancer. At one point the vet did a culture and it came up with nothing. So we are now giving him injections for the infection and tramadol to see if the swollen gum reacts. He is only about 7 years old. The lump seems to have grown more in the last week than in the last couple months.so my questions are. If he does have cancer does it thrive if he thrives? Also because it is in the area of the old break i find it hard to believe it is cancer and not a hematoma or maybe even a cyst? Should I do a byopsy? the vet said it would be too tramatic for him and I kind of agree but again your talking about cutting my dragon so I naturally will say no. I dont know what to do. If I put him through surgery removing the lump rather than just a byopsy would seem to be best however it seems to extend from a swollen gum to a lump in his beard and that much work will be tramatic.. I am heartbroken that he is going through this and I want him to be happy as long as possible. Is this really the begining of the end for him?

Hi I am the one who said "I would recommend surgery right away! Go for it!"
I just wanted to let you know that what your beardie has is not cancer! I am a specialist in those things so you can trust me. I still think you should do the surgery since the lump is a great burden for Mr. Wilson.

 

[Mr Wilson]

Hi I am the one who said "I would recommend surgery right away! Go for it!"
I just wanted to let you know that what your beardie has is not cancer! I am a specialist in those things so you can trust me. I still think you should do the surgery since the lump is a great burden for Mr. Wilson.

Thanks for the input. I do hope you are correct. It has been growing more this week than in the prior months. So far it has not responded to anything we give him. Im worried it will grow more before we get to a surgeon. I do feel because it ;looks to be originating from the previous break it is more likely a reinjury that has a swelling pocket or maybe even an infection filled cyst. I am attaching a picture that shows it from the outside. it is between my fingers.

 

[xp29]

With everything thats going on the lil guy he still has an orange beard, he looks like a little sweetie. I know full well how attached we get to them. I hope this story has a happy ending.

 

[Mr Wilson]

With everything thats going on the lil guy he still has an orange beard, he looks like a little sweetie. I know full well how attached we get to them. I hope this story has a happy ending.

He really is an amazing dragon. He does pretty much everything with me. He has met thousands of people and they all say he is the biggest most well behaved coolest dragon ever. Some would say we are contraversial. Although neither one of us would have it any other way. He is a free roming dragon and even though our house burned down last year in the Caldor Fire and he now has no cage he never used it anyway. We lived in the mountains and temp swings and power outages kinda dictate this lifestyle. He is so use to being free and with me that even in the event of no power we know how to stay together and he gets his heat from me. He has been to some of the highest mountains of california, swam in many lakes and rivers including rivers in the high mountains I can drink. He gets natural sun everyday. He has done everything with me from camping in a tent, sleeping in the dirt, to staying in fine hotels. He has always been in good health and loves when we are on the move. So to say he is part of the family is an understatment. He is my strength and my best friend. I do thank everyone for your positive vibes it means alot.

 

[xp29]

Man that is AMAZING. I take my dragons all over also, once they get used to it they seem to thrive on that kind of enrichment. You both will be in my prayers.

 

[xp29]

I didn't get a chance to say in the last post(the boss walked up lol), but I'm sorry to hear you lost your home in those fires. That has to be hard.

 

[Mr Wilson]

I didn't get a chance to say in the last post(the boss walked up lol), but I'm sorry to hear you lost your home in those fires. That has to be hard.

Thanks It can be, we lost everything and no insurance. currently stuck in an RV on bare land. But it could be worse. I use car batteries dedicated for power to keep Mr Wilson warm at night. Here is Wilson resting his chin on some ice. he seems to be happy with it. hoping it will releave some pressure.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh my, how terrible that you lost your home, that is awful. I am glad you & Mr. Wilson made
it. The RV setup sounds fine right now, I hope you are able to stay cool then.
His beard is a nice orange so he doesn't seem to be stressed out too badly. I wish you could
find a closer vet for another opinion, that is a hike. I have had to go that far & further so I totally
understand. We are all here for you.
Let us know how he is doing.

Tracie

 

[xp29]

Other than his unjury he looks really good, and in every pic he looks really content. I wish more people would take the time to bond with their beardies the way you have.they are truely amazing little animals.

 

[Hatchi]

Thanks for the input. I do hope you are correct. It has been growing more this week than in the prior months. So far it has not responded to anything we give him. Im worried it will grow more before we get to a surgeon. I do feel because it ;looks to be originating from the previous break it is more likely a reinjury that has a swelling pocket or maybe even an infection filled cyst. I am attaching a picture that shows it from the outside. it is between my fingers.

It is not cancer. You can trust me. You might be right. It could be a reinjury. Try to find a surgeon as quickly as possible.

 

[Mr Wilson]

It is not cancer. You can trust me. You might be right. It could be a reinjury. Try to find a surgeon as quickly as possible.

Best I can get with a surgeon is Thursday morning. I have to drop him off though. Not happy about that but its the best I have for now. I am so hoping you are correct. I also believe it is not cancer but hard to against the doc. she is highly rated in our area. However the ice seemed thelp him a little last night. If it isnt cancer I am hoping the ice will sooth it and help the swelling a bit. Tube feeding him has been a great option now. He handles it well and I can get 7.5 or 8 ml in him for the day. So I know he is getting his nurishment. BTW if anyone is reading that in the future 7.5 to 8 ml is probably too much for your beardy and might asperate him. Wilson is twice as big as your average beard. he is typicly 950 to 1150 grams. Just had to throw that in

 

[Mr Wilson]

Other than his unjury he looks really good, and in every pic he looks really content. I wish more people would take the time to bond with their beardies the way you have.they are truely amazing little animals.

He does get black sometimes at night. I figure when he is asleep he is reacting to the pain. I try and give him love and I think when he realizes it is me the blackbeard fades. thanks for the good vibes.

 

[Mr Wilson]

Today I was trying to think what is it I could be doing wrong. what came to mind was maybe he isnt getting enough UV. Although he does get sun everyday maybe it is not enough when he is ill. I have noticed when UV from the sun is intense he cannot handle it long even if the temps are low. Such as when we are high in the mountains and it is only about 75 deg he does not like the intensity very long. Where I am now it is just hot. right now it is 97 out. I make sure he gets sun every day in the morning and figure he knows best when he doesnt want it. Staying warm is a non issue. That seems fine in the spring but maybe that is just not working for him at the moment. Because of the heat he has not been getting suplimental light. So I broke out this Reptisun 10.0 small zoo-med floresent light I have. The bulb has not been used that much. Im going to try keeping him under this alot and see how he responds. he has not responded much to the antibiotics, so maybe this will help. Timing on that would be about right because he started having infection problems in late spring and has not responded well to the antibiotics. Thoughts?

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Mr. Wilson is very colorful there. How long is he?
What type of fluorescent tube light from Reptisun are you using, is it a long tube or a smaller,
compact/coil type?
They do need a good amount of UVB, yes. It is a possibility he hasn't gotten enough UVB &
that can contribute to poor absorption issues.
Please post a picture of the UVB so we can see it. So, how much sunlight unfiltered does he
get on a daily basis & is that the only UVB he normally gets?

Tracie