Big bump on head

[beccamarsh]

Pascal (I know, original) has had a bump on his head since he was 3 weeks old. He is now 3 years old and it has grown very big! I had a vet tech try to work on it and she opened it up. It didn't ooze like an abscess. The cut is still healing but now there is a yellow liquid coming out of it. Now quickly, just at a slow pace. It doesn't seem to bother him. There aren't any good chameleon veterinarians in my area. I don't know what else to do!

 

[kevbek]

lets start with a picture!
Also, fill out the "How to ask for help" form to give us an idea of what might be the problem!

 

[misshissingroaches]

i have no idea but i love the name!!

 

[PoshPenny]

If you had anyone cut him then some sort of topical antibiotic cream should be used. If there is a oozing substance, with or without a experienced Cham vet, a swab can still be taken and tested. If it's an infection then he will need meds ASAP. There are great senior members on here that can help confirm dosages for you in the event you get a oral antibiotic.

The thing is, we have to make due with what we got, even if they are not gods vet gift to chams, they can still run labs for you so can be proactive in your treatment. The liquid could be anything honestly. But without a lab done on it we are all just kind of grasping at straws in speculation. Best wishes.

 

[Carlton]

Pascal (I know, original) has had a bump on his head since he was 3 weeks old. He is now 3 years old and it has grown very big! I had a vet tech try to work on it and she opened it up. It didn't ooze like an abscess. The cut is still healing but now there is a yellow liquid coming out of it. Now quickly, just at a slow pace. It doesn't seem to bother him. There aren't any good chameleon veterinarians in my area. I don't know what else to do!

Herp abscesses don't drain nearly as easily as mammal types do. Just opening it up and leaving it to drain won't be enough. The material inside is more solid like cheese and needs to be manually removed and the cavity flushed.

 

[beccamarsh]

Thank you all for the advice! I will try my best to clean it but he will certainly not like it! I will include a picture in case anyone wants to see.

 

[PoshPenny]

Wow, that is huge. There is another thread on here about a panther I think it was that had one on its leg. And they would drain it and it would fill back up over time. It can't be but a few weeks back. I'd want to know what is in there. But that's just the nerd in me.

Jann found me a great vet I'm switching to maybe she can find you one too. Being on his head id wonder what's draining into the abscess.

Poor guy.

 

[werecat]

Due to it's location on the head, this is most likely a sinus infection of some sort. If he's had it since he was three months old then it has had a long time to fester and grow. As Carlton mentioned, this is probably filled with a thick pus, much thicker than human pus and will have to be removed by a vet. Also, I'm sure antibiotics will be prescribed to help fight the infection. Good luck. I hope the little guy gets better!

 

[jannb]

Your little man defiantly needs to go to the vets. where are you located? I will try to find you a good chameleon vet.

 

[camimom]

You def need a vet. that is a huge abcess.

Chams dont have liquid puss like humans do, its more like cottage cheese like.


A vet needs to lance it, drain it, clean it, and then give anti biotics, and probably a cream. after testing what infection caused the abcess.

there are no home remedies for this.

and if your vet you used was any good, theyd have known that just lancing it wouldnt do any good.

Ive found it best to just call every vet you can google, and ask them if they work with chams. if you truely have none in the area, bird vets might work as well.

 

[beccamarsh]

Thank you very much for all of the information! I live in Pinon Hills, Ca but I frequently travel to Riverside, Ca. I took him to a vet in Norco and she wanted to remove the bump but had no prior experience with chameleons in surgery. I ended up canceling the surgery only to protect Pascal. I would like to go to a veterinarian who knows ALL of their stuff about Chameleons and can take care of my baby.

 

[carol5208]

Thank you very much for all of the information! I live in Pinon Hills, Ca but I frequently travel to Riverside, Ca. I took him to a vet in Norco and she wanted to remove the bump but had no prior experience with chameleons in surgery. I ended up canceling the surgery only to protect Pascal. I would like to go to a veterinarian who knows ALL of their stuff about Chameleons and can take care of my baby.

Check on the health clinic. There is a list of vets throughout the country including California.

 

[werecat]

Look into Dr. Greek. He is in Yorba Linda and he's great with chams! I drive 2 hours to see him! I only know of him and a Dr. Stein (that work with chams) in the SoCal area.

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I agree that it is a sinus infection, that guy needs to have that lanced and drained. It will be a long road to having that clear up. I rescued a cham a few months ago that had two of those on his face. He has had them lanced, drained, and packed twice. He also went on antibiotics for a while. Even after this, he is still battling with the lumps but getting much better.