Lump on one side... any ideas before vet trip?

[seifer]

So my 3.5 yr old veiled (Dali) has developed a lump over the past week.

It all started on the first day (5 days ago) when i noticed he hadn't eaten in 3 days (he usually eats around 2 superworms every day, ive spoiled him so he wont eat crickets). I found it odd, but gave him a bunch of water and went to the pet store and got some baby dubia cockroaches. He ate 2 of those after his 3-day hunger strike but the lump was getting larger. I looked in the cage and didn't see any feces, which meant he hand't pooped in about a week. (I moved him into a new homemade 3x3x7 cage 2 weeks ago and added 1 new plant).

The second day i woke up early (8:30am) to give him a warm bath and i found him eating dirt off of the new plant! I thought it was sure to be constipation, and with a warm bath took a big dump...but the lump was still visible! He drank but didn't eat. I covered all the dirt in his cage with river rocks (5 plants)

on the third day he did another big dump (2 in a row!) and it went down more, but still visible. He drank a little but didn't eat. (means 2 days w/ no food).

Yesterday i gave him a 20 minute warm shower (seemed a little less stressful) and massaged his bump but he didn't move anything, didn't drink at all (despite the shower), and didn't eat.

Today i gave him another heavy misting. he didnt drink at all again but he DID eat 4 dusted superworms. No more feces and the bump is still there.

The first picture is from when i first noticed the lump, all the others are from earlier today after the misting. I really thought it was constipation but after 2 bowel movements 2 days in a row (unusual for my cham) i'm concerned that its something more. Guess its time to take him to the vet? any other ideas? (ps he had thermal burns from the previous owner 2 yrs ago but they all healed up)

Thanks

 

[Amanda1801]

Putting my vet student hat on, it could be a number of things - Could be impaction from eating the soil from the new plant, could be a worm burden that hes got from eating the soil from the new plant, could be constipation as a result of eating soil and superworms etc. etc. etc.

Def. worth a vet visit, if you can get a sample pot and a fresh dropping, take it with you incase they want to do an egg count to see if he does have worms. If you don't have a sample pot (maybe its just me that has a drawer full of them...?) get a small tupperware pot, wash it well, rinse it with boiling water and wipe it out with some clean kitchen towel.

Good luck! let us know how you get on!!

Amanda

 

[kinyonga]

Was the thermal burn in the area where the lump is?

 

[seifer]

Thank you for the responses, i kept his last droppings so i'll definitely bring that. The soonest vet appt i can get is wednesday so hopefully he'll be okay until then.

The thermal burn is on his crest/spine but it's very old (2 yrs ago). The lump is on his left side near his rear left leg/underside.

 

[seifer]

So i went to the vet a few days ago and she didn't have the best news... She said the lump on his side may be a tumor or inflammation. He has a bacterial infection along his gumline as well so she perscribed a general antibiotic to give him for the next month. She said after looking at the cells inside the lump that there are some 'unfamiliar cells' and that she would need to send it to another doctor for another opinion (an extra +$50 ontop of the $150). The next step would be radiation (if its a cancerous tumor) or getting individual cultures done to find out what the best antibiotic is to fight it if it is an infection ($200 per culture). I'm a broke college kid so i dont think either of these are options

as for now i figure i'll just let my old man have the best life possible, got him some new plants and giving him a wide range of feeders and plants to eat. he's been a damn good chameleon!

 

[carol5208]

I don't blame you, I would make him as comfortable as possible. I would not put my chameleon through radiation either. My sister has had 4 dogs that got cancer and she did the radiation, lump removal etc and they all died anyways. Alot of money spent for nothing also, not to mention the misery it puts the animals through. I wish you the best of luck.

 

[sandrachameleon]

The next step would be radiation (if its a cancerous tumor) or getting individual cultures done to find out what the best antibiotic is to fight it if it is an infection ($200 per culture). I'm a broke college kid so i dont think either of these are options
as for now i figure i'll just let my old man have the best life possible, got him some new plants and giving him a wide range of feeders and plants to eat. he's been a damn good chameleon!

I can understand not putting the chameleon through radiation, but perhaps you would consider giving your chameleon to someone capable (financially) of caring for it. Instead of willingly just letting it die. Having a culture done and paying for Antibiotics for an infection is a reasonable treatment.

 

[seifer]

i'm in no way willingly letting him die, i'm extremely attached to my chameleon and i'm doing everything i can with the antibiotics as it is. He's been stressed out for days from the vet visit and having blood drawn and i know he doesn't want to go through it again. IF these antibiotics seem to do something thats a good sign but most likely its cancer (hence the abnormal cells) and thus a waste of money and energy and an enormous amout of stress for him to go through. Not to mention administering the antibiotics every day already puts him through some stress. She said she has seen tumors develop in old veileds before so i'm not just giving up on him. He's an old guy, at least 3.5 yrs old. I saved him from a terrible environment before and i seriously doubt anyone will adopt an old veiled cham to just throw hundreds of dollars at his possible (yet somewhat doubtful) recovery. He's been my baby and i want to take care of him as best as possible, but honestly he's gone through enough already and multiple visits to the vet and getting blood drawn is just no way for him to spend the end of his life.

 

[Dawniegirl]

Sounds to me that you are doing the best you can for him. If it was cancerous radiation isn't a great option. To have tests done to see if it's cancerous would only put our mind at ease not make it go away. Hopefully it will just be inflammation & meds will resolve it. If it's a tumor maybe it's the none cancerous kind & he will live a full long chameleon life Animal lover really get attach to our pet children & I'm sure this must be really upsetting to you. I'm hoping for the best for you guys!
Just curious if you asked your vet if it common for older, but still young , chameleons to get non cancerous mass? My lab has had a non cancerous fatty mass since he was 3 months old & added a few more since then at his young age of 9. I did eventually have a sample drawn out to put my mind at ease, even though vets thought it was "most likely" non cancerous... and yep they were right just a fatty mass, very common in labs. Put my mind at ease but came along w/ a big fat bill.

 

[ferretinmyshoes]

Just curious if you asked your vet if it common for older, but still young , chameleons to get non cancerous mass? My lab has had a non cancerous fatty mass since he was 3 months old & added a few more since then at his young age of 9. I did eventually have a sample drawn out to put my mind at ease, even though vets thought it was "most likely" non cancerous... and yep they were right just a fatty mass, very common in labs. Put my mind at ease but came along w/ a big fat bill.

Lipomas (fatty masses of benign nature) are very common in dogs and some other mammals. They're not common in reptiles (I've never heard of one) because their skin and associated structures are structured quite differently from mammalian skin. There may be other benign masses that reptiles can get (not sure) but just wanted to mention that about lipomas