Spike’s Progress

[Spider8ait1994]

Spike has just had his annual wellness exam today and its mostly pretty good news.
Still no signs of any masses either in his throat or elsewhere in his body and his weight is building back up nicely. At his heaviest he was around 553 grams and today weight around 527 grams. He had lost some weight over the course of being unwell with the tumor and recovery but he is gradually getting it back.
The vet said that hes doing incredibly well for a dragon whos estimated currently 9-10 years old And who'd been through the sorts of health issue he has.
We've been monitoring a small inflammation mass in one back corner of his mouth lately and theres no immediate concern with that. He'd also developed some swelling of his right eye which we investigated and there isnt any masses or redness present upon examination so the plan is to continue with what ive been doing for that which is applying Chloropt (AKA Chlorsig; Chloramphenicol 1%) to the eye daily as well as topically on the oral inflammation in addition to Meloxicam orally and just monitor how thats going.
All in all Spike is doing well, he actually graced the vet with a fresh poop sample in her sink so a faecal test was done which as we were expecting confirmed no issues with parasites.
Likewise his younger brother Puff also had his annual wellness exam and is also in great condition, estimated 6 years old now, very active and alert, not under or overweight and his weight was recorded at 472 grams which is ideal for his size taking into account he is missing some pieces being tail tip, all but one toe on a rear foot and all the spikes across the back of his head (suspected to have ended up in Spike's stomach while they were kept together by the original owners)

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Health

 

[xp29]

Spike has just had his annual wellness exam today and its mostly pretty good news.
Still no signs of any masses either in his throat or elsewhere in his body and his weight is building back up nicely. At his heaviest he was around 553 grams and today weight around 527 grams. He had lost some weight over the course of being unwell with the tumor and recovery but he is gradually getting it back.
The vet said that hes doing incredibly well for a dragon whos estimated currently 9-10 years old And who'd been through the sorts of health issue he has.
We've been monitoring a small inflammation mass in one back corner of his mouth lately and theres no immediate concern with that. He'd also developed some swelling of his right eye which we investigated and there isnt any masses or redness present upon examination so the plan is to continue with what ive been doing for that which is applying Chloropt (AKA Chlorsig; Chloramphenicol 1%) to the eye daily as well as topically on the oral inflammation in addition to Meloxicam orally and just monitor how thats going.
All in all Spike is doing well, he actually graced the vet with a fresh poop sample in her sink so a faecal test was done which as we were expecting confirmed no issues with parasites.
Likewise his younger brother Puff also had his annual wellness exam and is also in great condition, estimated 6 years old now, very active and alert, not under or overweight and his weight was recorded at 472 grams which is ideal for his size taking into account he is missing some pieces being tail tip, all but one toe on a rear foot and all the spikes across the back of his head (suspected to have ended up in Spike's stomach while they were kept together by the original owners)

Thank you for the update, I've never met Spike or Puff but I still worry about them same as my own.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

That was a great update for them both.
I am so happy that there aren't any traces of any masses now so hopefully he will continue to improve & have a great quality of life!
At least he is gaining weight steadily & active.
I'm sure they are happy having their own tanks,
too!
Keep us updated on them both, anytime!

Tracie

 

[Spider8ait1994]

Got some photo updates of Spike today.

I recently upgraded his UVB bulbs so a T5 tube and reflector since I finally found a place here that actually had them in stock.
He’s definitely enjoying it and this morning I was outside getting some sun where he had a nice drink from his ‘pool’ and a splash around.
It’s good to see that in his older age he’s still somewhat active. Every couple of days I do gently move his arms and legs within their range of motion to help him keep from getting all stiff in his joints and that definitely seems to be helping him keep mobile.

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

Thanks for the pictures. He sure looks alert there, very handsome.
I'm sure that he loves the new T5 tube over him now. At least he is improving & is still a bit active. I
hope that his joints are healing up also. Keep working with him, they are surprisingly resilient!

Tracie

 

[xp29]

Got some photo updates of Spike today.
View attachment 89840
View attachment 89841
View attachment 89842
I recently upgraded his UVB bulbs so a T5 tube and reflector since I finally found a place here that actually had them in stock.
He’s definitely enjoying it and this morning I was outside getting some sun where he had a nice drink from his ‘pool’ and a splash around.
It’s good to see that in his older age he’s still somewhat active. Every couple of days I do gently move his arms and legs within their range of motion to help him keep from getting all stiff in his joints and that definitely seems to be helping him keep mobile.

He looks very happy, his is an amazing story!

 

[Spider8ait1994]

Spike is still doing great. It’s winter here now so my dragons aren’t as active at the moment though I have boosted Spike’s tank temps to keep him up this year while we’re working on building his weight back up after his health scare late last year with the chromatophoroma and his big surgery.
Still no signs of the tumor returning which is great and I’ve worked out a new feeding plan for him to cater to his age and ability and he’s tolerating that well.
I’m doing a bit of ‘old guy physiotherapy’ with him where I gently move and extend his limbs for a few moments every second or third day and that’s just to help him keep from stiffening up in his joints in his old age.
It definitely seems to be helping him as he’s moving around well and still has the strength and mobility to climb up the back stairs unassisted 99% of the time though sometimes on the taller steps I have to give him a boost at the back. He’s also still able to climb to the top of my head since he still likes to be tall and knows which way is up.
He does have a bit of a crusty lip at the moment but that’s just something that pops up every so often as a result of his dental health but I’m working with his vet to treat it whenever it pops up so at the moment we are cleaning twice daily with diluted betadine and applying a topical ointment (Chlorsig which is 1% chloramphenicol)
He’s still loving his cuddles but since his close range vision is gone cuddles have now become ‘sit literally right in your face’ so he can feel I’m there

 

[xp29]

Spike is still doing great. It’s winter here now so my dragons aren’t as active at the moment though I have boosted Spike’s tank temps to keep him up this year while we’re working on building his weight back up after his health scare late last year with the chromatophoroma and his big surgery.
Still no signs of the tumor returning which is great and I’ve worked out a new feeding plan for him to cater to his age and ability and he’s tolerating that well.
I’m doing a bit of ‘old guy physiotherapy’ with him where I gently move and extend his limbs for a few moments every second or third day and that’s just to help him keep from stiffening up in his joints in his old age.
It definitely seems to be helping him as he’s moving around well and still has the strength and mobility to climb up the back stairs unassisted 99% of the time though sometimes on the taller steps I have to give him a boost at the back. He’s also still able to climb to the top of my head since he still likes to be tall and knows which way is up.
He does have a bit of a crusty lip at the moment but that’s just something that pops up every so often as a result of his dental health but I’m working with his vet to treat it whenever it pops up so at the moment we are cleaning twice daily with diluted betadine and applying a topical ointment (Chlorsig which is 1% chloramphenicol)
He’s still loving his cuddles but since his close range vision is gone cuddles have now become ‘sit literally right in your face’ so he can feel I’m there View attachment 91213 View attachment 91214 View attachment 91215 View attachment 91216 View attachment 91217

I've had 3 dragons that would do that, Zen, Chomp, (especially Chomp) and Snicker Doodles. These pictures made me miss them SOOO bad and choked me up a lil, but it also brings back great memories!!!! Man cherish every minute with him (I already know you do )
Spikes story and success always makes me happy, and I'm guessing there's lots of folks here that agree

 

[Spider8ait1994]

Been a bit since I put any new additions here but Spike went in to see the vets today to take a look at an oral mass.
Some of you may remember a couple years ago I had an oral mass in relation to osteomyelitis which was treated and resolved.
This mass he was in for today is in the exact same spot and very much appears to be the same sort of tissue.
For a month or so now we’ve been trialling treatment with a diluted betadine rinse followed by topical chloramphenicol 1% ointment but I wasn’t seeing much improvement.
The mass hadn’t shrunk down but that said it hadn’t been showing tissue growth at the rate it was untreated so this trialled treatment did seem to at the very least slow the progress.
Results of todays appointment was a change in treatment so continuing with the dilute betadine rinses but switching to Ceftazidime injections (same antibiotic that shrunk down and resolved the mass when it initially occurred years ago) and Meloxicam for pain relief and anti inflammatory. So it’s Ceftazidime every third day and Meloxicam every second day.
I’ll be sure to keep him nice and hydrated throughout this.
The plan is to follow this treatment and observe how it’s affecting it then around the 28th of this month we’ll see whether we think we’d need to run any pathology on the tissue and possibly debride it but given his age and how much he’s been through we don’t particularly want to do too much if it’s not absolutely necessary so if this current treatment works well that’s great.
Vet took his weight which from memory was 477 grams which is an improvement from when I took his weight last month and was great to see after he lost so much during his big surgery late last year.
Also took a listen to his heart and lungs and stated that as far as when could be heard it all sounded good which is in line with what I’ve been hearing when I have a listen on occassion at home (I like to check how he’s sounding every so often now he’s as old as he is and hopefully catch anything off early) so no unusual lung sounds and heart rate isn’t irregular.
Overall it sounded like the vets are happy with his body condition and how alert he is given his age and what he’s been through so currently the only real concern is this oral mass but he’s still showing an interest in food and eating alright when I hand feed him and still passes waste alright with what he passes not having any unusual aspects (ie normal color and consistency, no abnormal odour, no blood present and urate is a healthy bright white with no excessive straining to pass the waste.)
Additionally at this stage there’s still no signs of the chromatophoroma returning to the throat or elsewhere which is always great.
He had a bit of a wander in at the vets today while we were trying to listen to his heart and lungs and made a beeline for the edge of the bench but we roadblocked him in time so nosedive averted but at the very least it gave the vet a look at his mobility.

 

[xp29]

I hate to hear he is still having some issues, but his story is still inspirational. I love this lil guy and have never even met him

 

[Spider8ait1994]

I hate to hear he is still having some issues, but his story is still inspirational. I love this lil guy and have never even met him

Yeah this issue is something that’ll probably keep popping back up every so often as a result of his dental health being as poor as it was to begin with when he was rescued.
Back in 2018 when he came into my care his teeth were all brown/black with horrible calculus buildup but at that stage he had more immediate health concerns I wanted to address before putting him through a proceedure since he was very underweight and had a parasitic issue.
He did later have a dental proceedure under anaesthesia where they did remove as much of the buildup as they could but because it had been there as long as it was they couldn’t entirely remove it so his dental care plan became more managing and slowing progression than attempting to get to an entirely scrubbed clean state as that would be pretty impossible.
So the dental situation is what led to the initial osteomyelitis and oral mass which was treatable and he did initially recover well and had quite a bit of time mass free before it’s popped up again but assuming this is the same situation (which given it’s the exact same location and presentation) I’m fairly confident it is this will likely be just something he deals with every so often and once the tissue overgrowth is dealt with he’ll be more comfortable with me brushing his teeth with the oral cleaner I have for him (Mavlab) which will help keep things in check.
I think part of why this has reoccurred is because while he was having his recovery from his big surgery I obviously wasn’t able to get in and brush his teeth for him since he had a feeding tube and a delicate throat proceedure and reconstruction at that time that could end up damaged.
Given he’s currently otherwise well and the medication he’s been given worked the first time around I’m pretty confident at this stage particularly given he’s still willing to eat when I feed him which with the osteomyelitis previously was something he lost interest in.
But yes like you’ve said he’s definitely been through a lot since his rescue and it seems pretty consistent in people who’ve followed along with his story and progress to feel that attachment to him which is part of why I share all this so people aren’t left wondering what’s going on with no word but also to help spread awareness about the issues he’s faced and how appropriate care paired with skilled vets can turn even the worst of conditions around because I know when you have a dragon in very poor condition and/or facing a nasty diagnosis it can be hard and seem like there’s nothing that can be done so if documenting and sharing his story, health journey and progress can help inform and give hope to others facing similar situations I’m all for it but it’s also been great to see even just in this forum how many amazing, friendly and supportive people from all over the world follow along with him and support him through all this but also who offer advice and suggestions that I may not have thought about myself.
I know if Spike could read and type he’d want to say hello and thank you all for all of this and given the opportunity he’d absolutely be down for a cuddle from anyone because even through all he’d been through he’s come out of it so incredibly affectionate and gentle which you don’t often see in animals who’ve had such bad starts to their lives.
More recent pic here: he’s definitely showing his age nowdays and does a lot of snoozing (sometimes even while standing up ) but you can really see how well his surgical site is healing up too and looking at it nowdays you’d hardly know just a year ago he had a 5cm incision from mid beard to between his front legs

 

[xp29]

Yeah this issue is something that’ll probably keep popping back up every so often as a result of his dental health being as poor as it was to begin with when he was rescued.
Back in 2018 when he came into my care his teeth were all brown/black with horrible calculus buildup but at that stage he had more immediate health concerns I wanted to address before putting him through a proceedure since he was very underweight and had a parasitic issue.
He did later have a dental proceedure under anaesthesia where they did remove as much of the buildup as they could but because it had been there as long as it was they couldn’t entirely remove it so his dental care plan became more managing and slowing progression than attempting to get to an entirely scrubbed clean state as that would be pretty impossible.
So the dental situation is what led to the initial osteomyelitis and oral mass which was treatable and he did initially recover well and had quite a bit of time mass free before it’s popped up again but assuming this is the same situation (which given it’s the exact same location and presentation) I’m fairly confident it is this will likely be just something he deals with every so often and once the tissue overgrowth is dealt with he’ll be more comfortable with me brushing his teeth with the oral cleaner I have for him (Mavlab) which will help keep things in check.
I think part of why this has reoccurred is because while he was having his recovery from his big surgery I obviously wasn’t able to get in and brush his teeth for him since he had a feeding tube and a delicate throat proceedure and reconstruction at that time that could end up damaged.
Given he’s currently otherwise well and the medication he’s been given worked the first time around I’m pretty confident at this stage particularly given he’s still willing to eat when I feed him which with the osteomyelitis previously was something he lost interest in.
But yes like you’ve said he’s definitely been through a lot since his rescue and it seems pretty consistent in people who’ve followed along with his story and progress to feel that attachment to him which is part of why I share all this so people aren’t left wondering what’s going on with no word but also to help spread awareness about the issues he’s faced and how appropriate care paired with skilled vets can turn even the worst of conditions around because I know when you have a dragon in very poor condition and/or facing a nasty diagnosis it can be hard and seem like there’s nothing that can be done so if documenting and sharing his story, health journey and progress can help inform and give hope to others facing similar situations I’m all for it but it’s also been great to see even just in this forum how many amazing, friendly and supportive people from all over the world follow along with him and support him through all this but also who offer advice and suggestions that I may not have thought about myself.
I know if Spike could read and type he’d want to say hello and thank you all for all of this and given the opportunity he’d absolutely be down for a cuddle from anyone because even through all he’d been through he’s come out of it so incredibly affectionate and gentle which you don’t often see in animals who’ve had such bad starts to their lives.
More recent pic here: he’s definitely showing his age nowdays and does a lot of snoozing (sometimes even while standing up ) but you can really see how well his surgical site is healing up too and looking at it nowdays you’d hardly know just a year ago he had a 5cm incision from mid beard to between his front legs View attachment 91531

He and you both are amazing

 

[Spider8ait1994]

Great news so far. Spike has had his second dose of Ceftazidime today and I’m already noticing improvement in the oral mass.
Over the 3 days since his vet appointment and first dose I’m seeing significantly less crusting buildup from the mass and it does actually look to be a bit smaller today in comparison to the photo I took for documentation prior to his vet appointment.
So currently it does seem like the same treatment as was initially used for the first occurance of this mass is going to work again for this instance and Spike is tolerating the injections and Meloxicam well with no side effects.
He still knows to stay still for his injections and is taking them like a champ which is great because I can’t imagine trying to administer them to a dragon that’s moving around.
He also seems more active as well so I’ve noticed he’s waking up earlier in the day than he had been and is moving around his enclosure more so I’d say that’s a good indicator he’s feeling better than he has been too.
I’ve added some photos to this reply to show the comparison of the mass. First photo is from a day or two prior to his vet appointment 3 days ago showing the size, appearance though I had already cleared away the crusting and oozing. To give an idea of the level it was at it would be to the extent his lips would stick together and the crusting had dribbled down into his beard spikes. Second photo I took this morning after giving him his second injection and shows the size and appearance of the mass as well as how much crusting formed over the three days.
So just between these two images in this timeframe you can see how much improvement he’s had already.

 

[xp29]

It's great the treatment is working, I just feel so bad for Spike. The poor lil guy doesn't seem to ever catch a break