While lounging on the couch with my big guy (yes, he’s a bit of a chunkster), I noticed he had some sort of weird growth on the inside of his mouth. He let me take some pretty great pictures, so I’ll include those. His mouth seems to stay open a bit on the side, too, I assume because of the growth/swelling. I woke up on a Sunday to find he had dried blood in his mouth. I cleaned him up and got him into the vet on Monday. The vet, however, has never seen something like this and recommended “watching it” or putting him under for laser surgery and a biopsy. He was poking around, opening his mouth with a pen for a minute, and then took him to the back to try to see if he could use a needle to get some fluid out of the mass. When he got to the back, Spike had blood in his mouth and coming out of his nose. He explained that the blood in his mouth could come out of his nose, but I’m still worried. He cleaned him up and still managed to use a syringe on the mass but all he saw under the microscope was blood. The size did not go down at all, either. Does anyone know what this may be or a direction I can go with home treatment?
I’m really worried about him, and the vet was no help at all. I have another appointment with a different vet in two weeks, but they didn’t have anything sooner. I’m worried the mass is getting bigger, though I honestly don’t know for sure. He still drinks, eats bugs (has no appetite for fruits/veggies/greens), and moves around more than he was. You can definitely tell it’s uncomfortable for him though.
Spike was eating “sandwiches”, or greens with some pumpkin on them for a while but eventually lost the appetite for them and became incredibly lethargic; I’m not sure if it was brumaction, a reaction to moving houses, or both, but he just stopped eating and slept most of the day. Once the weather improved we found some superworms, he got his excitment back and is much more active. He’s alert more often than not, though continues to spend a lot of time in his cave.
I’m still planning to get him to another vet for a second opinion before going ahead with the surgery, as the tech mentioned multiple times that putting him under anesthesia is risky, but I’m hoping someone here may have some insight because it’s breaking my heart.
I’m really worried about him, and the vet was no help at all. I have another appointment with a different vet in two weeks, but they didn’t have anything sooner. I’m worried the mass is getting bigger, though I honestly don’t know for sure. He still drinks, eats bugs (has no appetite for fruits/veggies/greens), and moves around more than he was. You can definitely tell it’s uncomfortable for him though.
Spike was eating “sandwiches”, or greens with some pumpkin on them for a while but eventually lost the appetite for them and became incredibly lethargic; I’m not sure if it was brumaction, a reaction to moving houses, or both, but he just stopped eating and slept most of the day. Once the weather improved we found some superworms, he got his excitment back and is much more active. He’s alert more often than not, though continues to spend a lot of time in his cave.
I’m still planning to get him to another vet for a second opinion before going ahead with the surgery, as the tech mentioned multiple times that putting him under anesthesia is risky, but I’m hoping someone here may have some insight because it’s breaking my heart.
Attachments
-
180F04BB-CBE7-489E-A3A3-94BCB460B302.jpeg282.7 KB · Views: 3,202
-
498D3286-8D4D-445B-AE4E-416C9F78B3A9.jpeg207.3 KB · Views: 120
-
AFB5D763-545E-4D79-96FB-0E664FB26007.jpeg231.1 KB · Views: 91
-
1CF1AD0A-B803-4447-A17D-AC06D65BA3E3.jpeg160.6 KB · Views: 126
-
04D59AF5-7525-459B-BC66-9D663099288F.jpeg284.2 KB · Views: 164
-
94ECAEE5-CEDC-4662-9751-04DBCBF0A733.jpeg222.6 KB · Views: 125
-
94260EE7-149C-426C-8565-6603E50088D3.jpeg253.3 KB · Views: 156