Hard mass in abdomen

[Mirandasue]

My little guy hasn't been eating at all and very lethargic and his sides right above his hind legs seems really swollen. He has also been black bearding for days. Took him to the vet today and basically they do not think he is impacted but rather think it's a mass or tumor... does anyone have any insight on this? They basically told me it's time to put him down I got some pain meds and brought him home even if it's just for a little while....

 

[SkittlesK]

I'm sorry about this.
Maybe someone else will have some insight for you.

How old is the little guy.?

 

[Mirandasue]

I'm sorry about this.
Maybe someone else will have some insight for you.

How old is the little guy.?

He is 4 years old so I figured I had a few more years with him

 

[Cuttlefishh]

Hi there, my girl Taro had something like this. Same thing happened to her. They did XRay and found a mass. They opted for surgery and found it was an abcess. Beardies abcesses are hard rather than soft- Taros was somewhat calcified. The vet successfully removed it but she passed away a month later to suspected liver failure. If she had not had fatty liver she may have survived vet remained optimistic with her prognosis.

Is surgery an option? It may be resolvable.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That is a sad situation, which has become somewhat common. Are they willing to do an exploratory
surgery or can they tell you if it is attached to the liver or other organ?
Is he still eating anything? If he is black bearding then he is probably in some pain. Did they give any
pain meds at all?
My heart goes out to you, I know what a difficult situation this is for you.

Tracie

 

[Mirandasue]

Hello,

That is a sad situation, which has become somewhat common. Are they willing to do an exploratory
surgery or can they tell you if it is attached to the liver or other organ?
Is he still eating anything? If he is black bearding then he is probably in some pain. Did they give any
pain meds at all?
My heart goes out to you, I know what a difficult situation this is for you.

Tracie

They did give me pain meds which I gave to him today, they didn't mention surgery or anything to me just it's his time... he hasn't eaten in over a week but I did get him to take some water yesterday. They put a catheter in to "feel around with" but came back to me with nothing... if he is in pain I don't want to prolong this for him but it's so hard to just give up and accept it too...

 

[Mirandasue]

Hi there, my girl Taro had something like this. Same thing happened to her. They did XRay and found a mass. They opted for surgery and found it was an abcess. Beardies abcesses are hard rather than soft- Taros was somewhat calcified. The vet successfully removed it but she passed away a month later to suspected liver failure. If she had not had fatty liver she may have survived vet remained optimistic with her prognosis.

Is surgery an option? It may be resolvable.

The vet didn't even give me that option. I am thinking I need to get a second opinion.

 

[Cuttlefishh]

The vet didn't even give me that option. I am thinking I need to get a second opinion.

Might be worth for sure, an exotic vet who is experienced would be willing to look further into it I feel

 

[SkittlesK]

The vet didn't even give me that option. I am thinking I need to get a second opinion.

2nd opinions are great.
It's probably your best bet...

Do you have money for a 2nd X-ray
sometimes doctors don't know what they are talking about or physically lie about your case...

It's not that bad.
I was just talking about how I might have to let go of my bearded dragon due to 'forced institutionalization.'
He won't survive out here without me, I might as well do the right thing. You know?


Be strong.!

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I think it would be worth getting a second opinion at
least, since this vet didnt really offer much information.
How is he doing today, is he black bearding any or has
he moved around at all?
Try to keep him comfortable & keep him warmer over
night, around 75-80F to help boost his system.
Please keep us updated on him.

Tracie

 

[CooperDragon]

An ultrasound might provide some more information about the mass. There are probably other diagnostics available if you have the resources available. They might not provide a solution, but could provide more insight into what's going on. How does he look overall? Are the fat deposits on his head depleted/sunken? Is he showing a constant black beard?

 

[Mirandasue]

An ultrasound might provide some more information about the mass. There are probably other diagnostics available if you have the resources available. They might not provide a solution, but could provide more insight into what's going on. How does he look overall? Are the fat deposits on his head depleted/sunken? Is he showing a constant black beard?

His fat deposits on his head seem fairly normal... but yeah he is pretty much constantly black beard

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Is he still black bearding tonight? You have another vet appointment, correct
Let us know how that visit goes, I hope you are able to find out more information. Bless him, I hope
he is able to recover & that you get some good news.

Tracie

 

[Mirandasue]

Hello,

Is he still black bearding tonight? You have another vet appointment, correct
Let us know how that visit goes, I hope you are able to find out more information. Bless him, I hope
he is able to recover & that you get some good news.

Tracie

After getting a second opinion, I made the difficult decision to put him down as the mass he had was growing at a very fast rate and the fact he wasn't eating, I was told was due to the mass. It was taking up 70% of his abdomen.so it felt like he was full all the time. Thank you to everyone who commented, I really appreciate it.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Oh no, I am so sorry for your loss, very devastating. My heart goes out for you. I know your dragon
knew how much you loved him. It is very unfortunate when a health issue can't be fixed.
My sincere condolences.

Tracie