Beardie has swollen lumps around her eye

[AHBD]

Hi there, I just read this and am glad that Butternut is doing better ! I hope she continues to improve and that the treatment will be the end of the eye problem.

As for Butter's sex, a big head [ which she does not have ] is never something to be used as a certain indication of whether they are m/f. If you want to post pics here we can chime in but the head is def. not large in proportion to her body.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I agree, her head isn't extraordinarily large. If you are sure that there aren't any hemipenal bulges but
one single bulge, then you have a female. The vet didn't really sex Butternut?
Let us know how things are going & how she is doing.

Tracie

 

[affinenine]

Hi there, I just read this and am glad that Butternut is doing better ! I hope she continues to improve and that the treatment will be the end of the eye problem.

As for Butter's sex, a big head [ which she does not have ] is never something to be used as a certain indication of whether they are m/f. If you want to post pics here we can chime in but the head is def. not large in proportion to her body.

Butternut was never "officially" sexed; the vet just took a look down there and seemed pretty certain of his gender. Here's a pic of Butternut's rump... the femoral pores are quite hard to see (which I know isn't always a great indicator of sex). When I used a light, I couldn't see anything except a little bit of shadow at the base. If she is a girl, I think she's a big one at nearly 21 inches long!

 

[AHBD]

Butternut is a female. There's no hemipene bulges, there would be 2 elongated lumps above the vent.

I Edited for typo ' Lumps" not Lumos " , lol.

 

[affinenine]

Butternut is a female. There's no hemipene bulges, there would be 2 elongated lumps above the vent.

I Edited for typo ' Lumps" not Lumos " , lol.

That's what I thought! During her five years, she's never laid any eggs which I thought was odd, but I always thought she looked female down there. Thank you for confirming .

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Absolutely a female for sure. LOL AHBD is an expert at sexing so she would tell you for sure.
Sometimes females lay eggs & sometimes they just don't. Or, they may not lay eggs until later
on in life, for whatever reason.
How is she doing today?

Tracie

 

[affinenine]

Unfortunately, Butternut's biopsy results came back as a malignant tumor squamous cell carcinoma. The infection is likely the result of a compromised immune system due to the cancer. I'm heartbroken. I don't even know what to say.

Her options are for the vet to keep removing the tumor as it resurfaces or remove the entire eye; both procedures I can't afford and would likely be traumatizing for her. The only thing I can do is make Butternut's time with my family as pleasant and pain-free as possible until it's time for her to go. My vet is sending her case to an experimental exotic oncology clinic to see if we can get her treatment discounted or pro bono due to the unusual nature of it.

For now, Butternut seems happy. She has pain meds as her wounds heal, and hopefully her infection will resolve in the coming weeks. I want to thank everyone who has contributed to Butternut's thread. I don't know how much time I have left with her, but I'm going to do my best to make them count.

 

[AHBD]

Oh no, I'm so sorry to hear this ! How devastating for you to get these results. I hope there's some glimmer of hope from the oncology clinic but I know it's a long shot. My heart goes out to you and Butternut. You're a good owner and have done the best that you can with her care and trying to help her.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I really hate to hear that! Poor girl, does it seem like she is feeling ok, or is she is pain?
Did they have any suggestions about treating it at all? Consider trying CBD oil, for help
with cancer. Or, monolaurin which is an agent from coconut oil, is also known for helping
with cancer, too. :-(
We will all be thinking about little Butternut.

Tracie

 

[affinenine]

Hello,

I really hate to hear that! Poor girl, does it seem like she is feeling ok, or is she is pain?
Did they have any suggestions about treating it at all? Consider trying CBD oil, for help
with cancer. Or, monolaurin which is an agent from coconut oil, is also known for helping
with cancer, too. :-(
We will all be thinking about little Butternut.

Tracie

She doesn't seem to be in pain, as far as I can tell. I know beardies are clever about hiding their ailments. She's eating and basking normally, and she isn't squinting or closing the troubled eye. I'll be watching for any abnormal behavior.

The treatment option are out of my realm, and all would involve aggressive invasive surgery and eventually removing the eye. I can only focus on palliative care unless she's taken in by the experimental clinic. I'll look into CBD oil, but I'm unsure how to dose for such a small critter.

 

[AHBD]

O.K yes, palliative care seems the best option and I'm glad that, at least for now, she is still comfortable.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

It is very very easy to dose for the CBD. There has been some research already for reptile dosing,
etc. My husband grows CBD, legally I might add.... so, if you are considering it, let me know. We do
have a website up but are changing pricing so I can get you reduced pricing on it.

I am glad she is hanging in there, bless her! Keep us posted on her.
Tracie

 

[affinenine]

Hello,

It is very very easy to dose for the CBD. There has been some research already for reptile dosing,
etc. My husband grows CBD, legally I might add.... so, if you are considering it, let me know. We do
have a website up but are changing pricing so I can get you reduced pricing on it.

I am glad she is hanging in there, bless her! Keep us posted on her.
Tracie

Thank you so much for keeping Butternut's situation in your thoughts. Our vet got back to us and is prescribing fluorouracil to help keep the lesions at bay, but it's understudied in animals and can be deadly, so I'm on the fence. He's also working to get us a quote for cryoablation of the area to save the eye. It's supposedly a bit more reasonably priced and less invasive. However, the doc is unure if it's ever been performed before on a beardie (or successfully on any small reptile), and it would have to be done at a research hospital a few hours from us. Hopefully, we'll hear back by next week.

 

[AHBD]

Thanks for updating. I can't imagine how difficult this is , I know you'll think things through and make the best decisions in such an agonizing situation.

 

[affinenine]

Some hopeful news! I just received an alternative estimate for laser cryoablation. It would be only $74 plus an additional $70 - $100 for anesthesia and aftercare. We were told Butternut may have to go for multiple procedures depending on how aggressive the lesions are. This would be feasible for us and non-surgical. So much better than the original $900 I was quoted to remove the entire eye and surrounding tissue.

We're still waiting to hear back on Monday from a different research facility that specializes in animal ophthalmology (never knew these places existed!) to see what they can do for her. So long as the cancer hasn't metastasized, we may be able to prolong Butternut's life and preserve her quality of life.

Today, Butternut is much more energetic and alert after a nice warm soak. I'll report back next week with any new info I get. Hopefully, this thread can help others who are in a similar boat.